1. ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He eternally exists in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; John 14:1-14; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7

2. ABOUT THE FATHER
He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise. He reigns with providential care over the universe and the flow of human history goes according to His purposes and plan. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; Matthew 23:9; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; Romans 8:14-15; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17

3. ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14; 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13

4. ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily. 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; 5:18; Galatians 5:25

5. ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to us. Human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, wrote it. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because God inspired it, it is the truth without any mixture of error. 2 Timothy 3:16; 1:13; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:105, 160; 12:6; Proverbs 30:5

6. ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in our lives. Genesis 1:17; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; 59:1-2; Romans 3:23

7. ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is God’s free gift of grace to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. Romans 5:1; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26

8. ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY
Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security. John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5

9. ABOUT ETERNITY
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. John 3:16; 2:25; 5:11-13: Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 1:8; 2:44, 46

10. ABOUT CHRISTIAN UNITY
To live in harmony with other believers is clearly the teaching of the New Testament. It is the responsibility of each believer to endeavor to live in fellowship with each member of the congregation. It is further the responsibility of each member to bring all gossiping and backbiting to an end. John 13:34-35; Ephesians 4:1-3; 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 13:1-13; 1 John 3:14-18; 4:11; James 3:1-18

Our Lifestyle Statement: What we practice 

Beliefs are not worth much unless they are translated into actions. Based on what the Bible teaches, we feel very strongly about the following seven practices:

1. Bible as our sole authority
“The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:15 NLT) Since God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is “What does the Bible say?” We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study, and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believe.

2. Autonomy of each local church
“He [Christ] is the Head of His Body, the church. He is the source of the Body’s life…” (Colossians 1:18 GN) Christ is the recognized Head of our church, not any person, group or religious organization. While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local church should be self-governing and independent from any denomination’s control.

3. Priesthood of every believer
“Christ loves us, and by His death He has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom of priests to serve God…” (Revelation 1:6GN)“You are…the King’s priests…God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God.” (1 Peter 2:9 GN) The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to “full time” Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation. We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has a direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading (Romans 5:1-2).

4. Tithing
“A tithe of all you produce is the Lord’s, and it is holy.” (Leviticus 27:30 NLT) At Green Acres, we practice tithing for the support of Christ’s Body, the Church, as God commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income us the Biblical standard of giving.

5. Immersion
“For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ…” (Colossians 2:12 (GN) We practice baptism by immersion under water – the way Jesus was baptized and the way the Bible commands.

6. Spirit-led living
(Jesus said) “I am the Vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; but apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NAS) We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us. So, we seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit to enable us to do what is right. See Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 5:18 and Colossians 3:16.

7. Telling others about Christ
“Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV) It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those God brings into contact with us. We practice personal sharing about Christ and inviting friends to join us in worshipping God at church.

For a complete doctrinal statement, please refer to The Baptist Faith and Message 2000.