Our Statements of Faith and Fellowship

 We, the members of Gateway Baptist church of Gilbert, Arizona, do enact and establish the following articles to which we voluntarily subscribe and submit ourselves.

     A.      Bible

            We believe that the words of Scripture are inspired by God (2 Ti 3:16; 2 Pe 1:20-21) and that all of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written, are without error (Jn 10:35; 17:17) and the final authority on all matters of faith and practice (1 Ti 3:14-15).

     B.      Trinity

            We believe that the one true God exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are equal in essence, yet distinct in personality (De 6:4; Mt 28:19; 2 Co 13:14).

     C.      God the Father

            We believe that God the Father is the First Person of the eternal Trinity, being the Father because of His personal relationship to the Son (2 Jn 3), whom He sent into the world (1 Jn 4:10), and Who, together with the Son, sent the Spirit (Jn 14:26; 15:26).  The Father is the ultimate source (1 Co 8:6; Ep 3:9), sustainer (Neh 9:6; Ac 17:25,28), and controller of all things (Ps 103:19; 148:8). He enters into a Fatherhood relationship with believers spiritually through the new birth (Jn 1:12), indwells believers (Jn 14:23), forgives their sins (1 Jn 1:9), and answers their prayers (Jn 16:23).

     D.     Jesus Christ

            We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son of God, that He is both God and man, possessing two natures within one person (Jn 1:1,14; He 1:8; 1 Ti 2:5). We believe that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:21; Lu 1:35) and born of a virgin (Mt 1:18-25). We believe that Jesus Christ died as a sinless substitute to pay the penalty for mankind's sin (1 Jn 2:2), was buried, rose again from the dead (1 Co 15:3-4), and is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for believers (He 7:24-25; 1 Ti 2:5).

     E.      Holy Spirit

            We believe that the Holy Spirit is an eternal and divine person (Ac 5:3,4; He 9:14), sent from the Father to convict the world of sin (Jn 16:8-11), bear witness to Jesus Christ (Jn 15:26; 16:14-15), impart new life to those who put their faith in Christ (Tit 3:5), and transform believers into the image of Jesus Christ through the Word of God (2 Co 3:18).

     F.       Man

            We believe that God created man in His own image by a direct act on the sixth day of the creation week (Ge 1:26-31). We believe that man deliberately chose to disobey the expressed will of God and therefore fell under God's condemnation (Ro 5:12). The extent of man's depravity touches every portion of his being mind, will and emotions (Ep 4:17-19; 1 Co 2:14); therefore, man is completely unable to do anything to earn God's favor or contribute to his own salvation (Ro 3:20; 4:5-6; Tit 3:5).

     G.     Salvation

            We believe that salvation is by God's grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone (Ro 3:22-24; Ep 2:8-9). Salvation was purchased by the shedding of Christ's blood upon the cross (Ro 3:25), is applied to individuals by the work of the Holy Spirit using the Word of God (Jn 16:8-11; 1 Pe 1:23) and is received by repentance (Ac 20:21) and faith in the resurrected Son of God (Ro 10:9-10). We believe that God makes secure and guarantees the final salvation of every true believer (Jn 10:27-30; Ro 8:35-39), and that genuine believers must and will persevere in their faith until they meet the Lord (1 Co 15:2; Col 1:23).

     H.     Sanctification

            We believe that the will of God for every believer is to be made holy and like Jesus Christ (1 Th 4:3; Ro 8:29). At the moment of salvation the believer receives a holy standing before God due to the righteousness of Christ, often referred to as positional sanctification (He 10:10,14). The new birth creates within every believer a new nature which is made after the likeness of God in true holiness and righteousness (Ep 4:24). There still remains in the believer unsubdued tendencies toward sin which are in constant conflict with the new nature (Ga 5:16-21). The biblical process of spiritual growth, often called progressive sanctification, requires removing the sinful patterns of the unsaved condition and replacing these with patterns of godly character (Ep 4:22-24). The Holy Spirit accomplishes these changes as the believer, by faith, yields obedience to the Word of God (Ro 6:11-13; 2 Co 3:18) and puts to death all sinful practices (Ro 8:13; Col 3:5). The believer will ultimately be made completely holy when he enters the presence of Jesus Christ either at death or Christ's return (Php 1:6; 3:21; 1 Th 5:23; 1 Jn 3:2).

     I.        Spiritual Gifts

            We believe that spiritual gifts are special abilities used for spiritual purposes (Ro. 12:3-8). They are given by the Holy Spirit (1 Co. 12:11) to every believer in the body of Christ (1 Co. 12:7; 1 Pe. 4:10) according to God's design (1 Co. 12:18,28) and grace (Ro. 12:3,6). Spiritual gifts are given by the Spirit for use within the context of the local assembly of believers (1 Co. 12:27,28; 14:12; 1 Pe. 4:10-11) and for the good of the body (1 Co 12:7).

     J.        Church

            We believe that the Church has both universal and local aspects. The church as the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head (Ep 1:22-23; Col 1:18), is an organism composed of genuine believers in Jesus Christ, the total number of Spirit baptized believers of this dispensation regardless of location or circumstance (1 Co 12:13; Ep 2:11-22).

            We believe that the local church is the visible expression of the body of Christ in a particular time and place (Ac 13:1; Ro 16:1,5), being an organized body of immersed believers (Mt 28:19; Ac 2:41,47), sharing a common doctrinal commitment (Ac 2:42; 2 Th 3:6; Jude 3), observing the ordinances of baptism (Mt 28:19; Ac 2:41; 10:47-48) and the Lord's Supper (Mt 26:26-30; 1 Co 11:23-32), meeting at regular and stated times (1 Co 16:2; He 10:25) in order to honor God by making and maturing disciples (Mt 28:19-20) who are becoming like Jesus Christ (Col 1:28) through evangelism, edification, fellowship, and worship (Ac 2:41-47). We believe that the New Testament establishes the offices of pastor (1 Ti 3:1-7; Ep 4:11) and deacon (Ac 6:1-6; 1 Ti 3:8-13). We believe that the local church is an autonomous body solely responsible to preserve its internal unity (Ro 12:16; 1 Co 1:10; Php 4:2), maintain pure doctrine and practice (1 Ti 3:15; Jude 3), elect its own officers, leaders, and messengers (Ac 6:1-6; 13:2; 15:3,4,22; 1 Co 16:3-4), settle its own internal matters (Mt 18:15-17; 1 Co 5:4-5,12; 6:1-5), and determine the extent of its cooperation with other churches (Ac 15:2-32; 2 Co 8:19). We believe that the local church is God's ordained instrument for His work and witness in this age (1 Ti 3:15).

    K.     Satan

            We believe in the personality of Satan (1 Ch 21:1; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Mt 4:1-11), that he is the unholy god of this age (Jn 12:31; 2 Co 4:3-4), the prince of all the powers of darkness (Mt 12:24; Ep 2:2; 6:12). He is the leader of a countless army of spirits who rebelled against the will of God (Re 9:11; 12:3-4,7). These spirit beings, called demons, now seek to hinder the work of God (Ge 3:4-5; Mt 4:1-11; 2 Co 11:13-15), but will face ultimate defeat and condemnation with Satan in the lake of fire (Re 20:10).

     L.      The Second Coming

            We believe in the literal return of Jesus Christ that will take place in two stages. The first stage is the Rapture, or His personal (1 Th 4:16; 1 Jn 3:2), imminent (Ro 13:12; 1 Co 1:7; 1 Th 5:6), and pretribulational (1 Th 1:10; 5:9; Re 3:10) coming for all saints of the church age (Jn 14:1-3; 1 Th 4:16-17). The second stage is the Revelation, or the Second Coming in Glory, which is His personal and public coming at the close of the Tribulation to establish the messianic, Millennial Kingdom on earth (Da 7:9-14; Zech 14:1-4) when Israel will be restored to covenant favor with God (Jer 30:31-34; 31:28; Ro 11:25-27) and to her land in faith (Ge 13:14-17; 15:18; De 30:1-11; Zech 10:9-10) and the Church will reign with Christ for a thousand years (2 Ti 2:12; Re 3:21; 20:1-6). After the Millennium there will be a new heaven and a new earth wherein God will dwell eternally with His people (2 Pe 3:13; Re 21:1-3). 

    M.    The Resurrection

            We believe in the bodily resurrection  of the just and the unjust, though occurring at separate times (Da 12:2; Jn 5:28-29; 1 Co 15:21-24). The souls of those who trust in Christ go immediately into His presence at death (Ac 7:59-60; 2 Co 5:8) where they remain in conscious enjoyment of heaven until the resurrection of the just, at which time they will receive their glorified bodies (Ro 8:11,23; 1 Co 15:22-24, 35-38; Php 3:20-21) and will spend eternity in the presence of God worshipping and serving Him with joy that knows no sorrow (1 Co 13:13; Re 21:1-7; Ps 16:11). The souls of unbelievers go immediately at death to a place of conscious punishment and separation from God (De 32:22; Lk 16:23-25), where they will remain until the resurrection of the unjust, when they will be cast into the lake of fire as the eternal retribution for their sin (Mt 8:12; 18:8; Mk 9:43-48; Re 20:14-15; 21:8). The resurrection of the just begins at the Rapture of the Church and is completed at the conclusion of the Tribulation (Da 12:2; 1 Co 15:23; 1 Th 4:16; Re 20:4-5). The resurrection of the unjust is after the Millennium (Re 20:5, 11-15).

    N.     Separation

            We believe in both personal and ecclesiastical separation, both of which are grounded in the character of God. God's holiness makes Him separate from all that is unlike Him (Ps 99:1-3; Isa 57:15), and His demand that we be holy calls us to separate from anything which contradicts His holy will and character (Mt 5:48; Ep 1:4; 1 Pe 1:15-16). We believe that personal separation is a Christian's determined effort to walk in the light as God is in the light (Ro 13:12-14; 1 Jn 1:5-7). God's people are not to participate in the unfruitful works of darkness (Ep 5:7-14), nor can they allow the world to become the object of their affection (1 Jn 2:15-17) or the mold for their thinking (Ro 12:1-2). The world is the transient system of evil which is in rebellion against God (Ep 2:1-3; Jas 4:4; 1 Jn 2:15) and is ruled by Satan (Jn 12:31; 2 Co 4:4; 1 Jn 5:19). The world lures believers to live according to the lusts of men rather than the will of God (Ep 4:17-19, 22; 1 Pe 2:11; 4:2-4). We believe that holiness in the ecclesiastical realm is evidenced by separation from those who deny biblical truth (Mt 7:15; Ga 1:8-9; 1 Jn 4:1-6; 2 Jn 9-11) or walk in disobedience to it (2 Th 3:6, 14). Therefore, we believe that Bible-believing ministries, particularly local churches, should not collaborate with a church, ministry, or religious leader who does not hold to the fundamental doctrines of the Faith (i.e., liberalism). We further believe that God's Word further warns us not to associate with those who consistently fail to practice biblical separation (i.e., new evangelicalism).

 II.                  Of Fellowship

     A.      Independent

 By independent we mean that this church is to carry on its ministry in an entirely autonomous fashion and is not to be controlled by any group or individual outside the membership of this church.

     B.      Fundamental

 By fundamental we mean that this church is governed by and seeks to conduct its ministry according to the Word of God which we acknowledge to be inerrant and infallible in the whole and all of its parts.

     C.      Separatist

 By separatist we mean that: (a) as individuals, the members purpose and practice a life that is separated unto the Gospel and separated from the world, this latter term signifying all those practices and associations that are contradictory to the Christian life taught by the Bible in practice and principle; (b) as a church, the members purpose and practice a ministry that is separated from all forms of ecclesiastical activity that contradict or compromise the Word of God.