First Baptist Church Canton, GA 4.35

What We Believe

While he was chaplain to the US congress, Peter Marshall once prayed: “Lord, help us to stand for something lest we fall for anything.” Those who lack the conviction to stand for something make an easy prey to error.

Goethe wrote: “Three things are to be looked upon in a building: that it stand on the right spot; that it be securely founded; that it be successfully executed.” I cannot think of better advice for a church - we better stand on the right spot!

Where does First Baptist Canton stand? Here is a summary of our position on the fundamentals:

God - There is only one living and true God. He is sovereign, holy, perfect, and eternal. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. He expresses Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person of the godhead is unique, fulfilling a different role, and yet they are one in purpose and essence.

Jesus Christ - He is God. Born of a virgin, He entered this world in human flesh. He lived a perfect life. He died for our sins on the cross. Three days later He actually rose from the grave. He is coming again one day
to establish His kingdom upon this earth.

The Holy Spirit - He is also God. He convicts the lost of their need for a Savior. He lives in the heart of every born-again believer. He enables and empowers believers to serve Christ and live for His glory.

The Bible - The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to man. His truth is revealed to us without any elements of error. It is our guide in faith and practice both individually and corporately.

Salvation - Men outside of Christ are lost in sin. Jesus died to redeem them and offer an eternal and personal relationship with Him. To be saved, a person must repent of sin and personally trust Christ to come into his or her heart and be saved.

Eternal Security - When a person is saved by grace through faith in Christ, that person is eternally kept saved by God’s grace.

Baptism - Believer’s baptism is an act of obedience to Christ. Baptism does not save, but it is a symbol of the new life a person experiences through faith in Christ. The proper mode of baptism is immersion, because only immersion represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and our union with Him. Christian baptism must come after salvation.

The Lord’s Supper - This is a reverential time of fellowship and remembrance. As Christians eat the bread and drink the juice, we demonstrate belief in the sin-cleansing power of Christ’s crucified body and shed blood.

The Church - The church is made up of baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is the local, visible
expression of Christ’s body on this earth.

Archimedes, the ancient Greek mathematician and physicist, said, “Give me a place to stand, and I will move the earth.” This is where the First Baptist Church of Canton stands.