About us

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OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH

Limestone Baptist Church is a fellowship of believers who trust the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary. We believe in His bodily resurrection, ascension, intercession at the right hand of the Father, and imminent return. 

 

This church recognizes Christ the Lord is the head of the Church.  The purpose of this church shall be to glorify Him.  Under His leadership, we shall seek to proclaim His Gospel to the lost, expand His Kingdom, and offer comfort and fellowship to each other in His name.

 

This church recognizes the Holy Bible as its supreme authority and shall not be subject to the control of any other ecclesiastical or temporal body.  This church shall be, in respect to all of its affairs, self-governing with a congregational form of government as led by the Holy Spirit.

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This church practices the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; is self-governing in polity having New Testament offices of pastor and deacons; is banded together by choice and prayer for worship, teaching, fellowship, work, and the proclamation of the Gospel.  Members have been baptized by immersion upon a credible confession of faith. 

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THE SCRIPTURES

We believe in the completeness and sufficiency of the Holy Bible consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments as originally written. We believe it was verbally and plenarily inspired and God spoke through Spirit-controlled men; therefore, it is inerrant, infallible, and authoritative in all matters of which it speaks. 

 

We believe the Holy Bible is accurate where it touches on science, prophecy, history, and culture. 

 

We believe the Holy Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed, and opinions shall be tried. In keeping with I Corinthians 14:40, that all things be done decently and in order, we use the King James Version as our standard.                                    

II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21

 

TRINITY/GOD HEAD

We believe there is one true God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and have the same attributes and perfections.  Each is equal in deity but differs in ministry.

Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; John 14:6-11, 16

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                God the Father

                 God is spirit, holy, perfect, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and truth.  Because

                 God is spirit, they who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth.

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                  In God all things have their support and end.  He is the Almighty, yet He loves us and desires to have a personal relationship with

                   each of us.  When He quickens our spirit, we can join with Him and can begin to truly know Him.

Psalms 90:2; John 3:16; John 4:24; Ephesians 2:4-5; Revelation 4:11

           

                  God the Son

                   We believe in the deity and eternal existence of God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life,

                   miracles, substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, bodily resurrection, and ascension to the right

                   hand of the Father where He is our advocate and is presently interceding for us.   

Colossians 1:14-17; Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1

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                   God the Holy Spirit

                    We believe the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son, and of the same nature; He convicts the world of

                    sin, righteousness, and judgment; He bears witness to the Truth (Jesus Christ); He is the agent of the new birth; He baptizes all

                    true believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sanctifying them, sealing and thus securing them unto the day of

                    redemption; He equips, guides, teaches, and helps believers; and it is the privilege of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit, which

                   is evidenced by being filled with love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  In

                   relation to the evil world, He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled.

Genesis 1:26; John 14:26; John 16:7-13; I John 5:7 

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CREATION

We believe the Genesis account of Creation as the literal, historical account of the direct creative acts of God in six, twenty-four hour days without any evolutionary process.

Genesis 1 & 2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17

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MAN AND DEATH

We believe man is created in God’s image, meaning that we can reflect God’s character in a way that no other work of His Creation can. Because we have intellect, emotions, will, and a soul that will live for eternity, we are therefore the most valuable part of His creation.  We believe life begins at conception and in the sanctity of human life.                                                                                                                                                Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7; Jeremiah 1:5; Psalms 139:15-16                                                                                                                                   

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being.  We believe God commands us not to take the life of an innocent person.  We believe God commands us not to kill (murder).  We believe God commands us not to hurt a woman with child.  We believe that God is the only person that has the choice to take a life or to bring a life into the world.  All human life is a sacred gift from God and is to be protected and defended from conception to natural death.  Therefore, we believe that abortion and suicide in any form are murder and against God’s law.  We at LBC will uphold the sanctity of life.                                                                                                                                                                             Genesis 9:5-6; Proverbs 6:16-17; Exodus 20:13; 21:22-25 

(revised and approved 9/24/2017)

 

We believe God created man innocent and man, by disobedience of the command of God, sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. We believe all men are born with a sinful nature, evidenced by sinful acts; man is totally depraved; and if he is not born again he is eternally lost and condemned to Hell.                                                                       Genesis 3:1-13; Romans 5:12; 3:23; 6:23; Revelation 20:1-14; 21:8

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SALVATION

We believe salvation is only by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross; it is the instantaneous gift of God and wholly apart from human merit.  Every individual is born a sinner and must repent and exercise, by his own free choice, a personal faith in the redeeming work of Christ on Calvary by receiving Him as Savior in order to be saved from eternal damnation.

Isaiah 53:4-7; Mark 1:15; John 1:12-13; John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9

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We believe salvation is eternal and all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe it is our privilege as believers to rejoice in the full assurance of our salvation through the testimony of God’s Word. The same Word clearly forbids the use of our assurance as an occasion to sin.

John 3:36; 5:24; 10:27-29; Romans 6:1-2

  

The Holy Bible says we can know that we have eternal life. 

Some distinguishing marks of a born-again believer are:

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•                 Hunger for and growth in understanding of the Word of God

                                                                         I Peter 2:2; II Peter 3:18; I John 5:13

•                 A changed life 

                                                                         II Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 7:20-23

•                 Love for fellow believers 

                                                                         I John 3:14

•                 The presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit

                                                                        Galatians 5:22-25; Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:13-14

•                 God’s hand of chastening for un-repented sin

                                                                        Hebrews 12:5-13

•                 Answered prayer 

                                                                       Matthew 7:7-11; John 14:13-14; Romans 8:26

 

Because of the atoning work of Christ, every believer is a priest of God and may enter into His presence at any time in prayer directly and with boldness.   No other mediator is needed between God and His children.  We have a responsibility to intercede for others even as the Old Testament priests did and as our High Priest Jesus continues to do today.

I Timothy 2:5; Ephesians 6:18; Hebrews 4:14-16

 

No one should be forced to assent to any belief against his will. Baptists have always opposed religious persecution. 

 

Each believer has the right, authority, and responsibility to study the Holy Bible on his own and reach his own conclusions.  This does not mean that every conclusion he may draw is accurate, but he can delve into God’s Word at any time for his own gain. This liberty does not exempt one from responsibility to the Word of God or from accountability to God Himself.

Romans 14:5 & 12; Psalms 119:9-16

 

SEPARATION 

We believe we are mandated by God in the Scriptures to separate ourselves unto Christ and from any participation in or endorsement of sin, from ecclesiastical organizations and religious personalities that deny the faith or compromise its message, and from brethren that walk disorderly or who unrepentantly continue in sin. Believers are not to enter into marriages, business relationships, or other bonds with unbelievers which create an unequal yoke.

Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 5:8-11; Exodus 33:16-17

 

THE CHURCH

We believe the Church, which is the body of Christ and His espoused Bride, is solely made up of born again persons. 

Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:21-32; I Corinthians 12:12-14

 

We believe the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. 

Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:41-47; Hebrews 10:23-25

 

We believe in the autonomy of the local church free from any external authority or control.  The church is given two offices: the pastor, who is entrusted with the oversight and shepherding of the body, and the deacons, who are entrusted with ministering to the physical and earthly needs of the congregation.                          

Acts 20:28; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9

 

The local church should practice two ordinances; they are important steps of obedience to God, but there is no saving merit in either of them.  These two are:

• Baptism of believers by immersion in water, testifying of the individual’s salvation and identifying the individual with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. 

Matthew 3:13-17; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-8

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• The Lord’s Supper, or communion, commemorates His death for our sins and is celebrated in constant remembrance of Christ’s broken body and shed blood until He returns. 

I Corinthians 11:23-32

 

We believe the purpose of the church is to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commission.  Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”  Matthew 28:19 & 20

 

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers as He chooses so there will be no schism in the Body of Christ, the Church.  All members are needed, and the gifts are for the perfecting of the saints and for the edifying of the Body of Christ.

 

We believe the miraculous gifts, such as speaking in tongues and healing, were temporary in nature and given only to the Apostolic Church and are not necessary for salvation or the filling of the Holy Spirit.  Since we have the complete Word of God, we no longer need prophesying in the sense of foretelling or revealing new truth.

I Corinthians 12 & 14; Ephesians 2:8-9

 

MARRIAGE, GENDER AND SEXUALITY

We believe the institution of marriage is ordained of God.  We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God and joins one man and one woman in a single exclusive union as delineated in Scripture.

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We believe that God created the human race male and female and that all conduct with the intent to take on a gender other than one’s birth gender is immoral and therefore sin.  We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female.  These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God.  Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

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We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bi-sexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, any attempt to change a person’s sex, or disagreement with a person’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God.

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We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity.  Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Limestone Baptist Church.  However, preaching and teaching God’s truth as revealed in Scripture is not hateful or harassing of any person.

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We believe God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other.  We believe God commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between one man and one woman.

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We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Limestone Baptist Church as a local Body of Christ and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, those who serve as volunteers, or who are members of Limestone Baptist Church shall abide by and agree to this statement on marriage, gender and sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly.

Genesis 1:26-27; Deuteronomy 22:5; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31; Romans 1:24-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 18-20
                               
                                   Ratified and Adopted 8/14/2022
 

(See also: Church By-Laws 2014, Article 1: Section 4)

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END TIMES

We believe God has revealed the order of events of the World’s End Times in His Word.  We believe wickedness will continue and increase.  We believe in the imminent, personal, and bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air for His Bride the Church prior to the Tribulation. His bodily and pre-millennial return to the earth with the Church will begin His earthly kingdom and His reign on David’s throne for a thousand years, after which He will judge the lost at the Great White Throne Judgment.  Because both heaven and earth were defiled with sin, they will be destroyed by fire.  A new heaven and earth will be created wherein we will enter for an eternity of bliss and joy with our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 11:1-9, Zechariah 14: 4, 5, 9; Matthew 24:29-31; John 14:2-3; Acts 1:1;

I Corinthians15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 2; II Peter 3:7-13; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:3-4

 

 

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”