Mankind’s Origin We believe God directly created mankind as male and female (Genesis 1:27) within one day (Genesis 1:31) without natural processes or in any way as the product of animal ancestry (Genesis 2:7, 21-22), but as a distinct kind of being made free from sin (Genesis 1:31; Ecclesiastes 7:29), in the image of God and after His likeness (Genesis 1: 26a), set in order above animals (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:19) and lower than angels (Hebrews 2:6-7); and that the man, Adam, was made first and then the woman, Eve (Genesis 2:21-23), with both being created to glorify God (Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 10:31), enjoy His fellowship (Genesis 3:9) forever (Psalm 73:26), and do His will (1 John 2:17). Mankind’s Fall We believe that God entrusted Adam with the care of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15) and permitted him and Eve to eat freely from all of the trees in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17); that Eve, after being deceived by Satan, was the first to voluntarily disobey the revealed will of God, and then Adam (Genesis 3:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:13-14); that as a result of their disobedience, Adam and Eve lost their innocence (Genesis 3:7), were alienated from God (Genesis 3:8-10) and subject to death (Genesis 2:17) and decay (Genesis 3: 16-19); that Adam passed to every person (Romans 5:12), Jesus Christ excepted (1 Corinthians 15:22), a sinful, totally corrupt nature (Romans 3:10) that inevitably manifests itself in actual sins (Romans 3:23); and that every person is born absolutely unable to remedy their own—or anyone else’s—sinful condition (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2: 8-9), is apart from God (Ephesians 4:18), and is subject to death (Romans 6:23a) and the torments of hell forever (Matthew 25:40-41).
We believe God began and finished creating the entire universe, things visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16), in six literal days (Exodus 31:17); that creation is not an on-going process but finished (Genesis 2:1-2); that the world was created perfect (Genesis 1:31); that the decay of the universe is a result of the curse of God (Genesis 3:16-19); that the curse will one day be lifted (Romans 8:21); that the present creation will be replaced (Revelation 21:1); that in spite of its degeneration, all of creation witnesses to the existence of God (Psalm 19:1-4a) so that all persons are without excuse for denying their Creator the worship rightly due Him (Romans 1:18-21) Origin of Angels We believe God the Son created the angels (Colossians 1:16), a distinct class of immortal and non-procreative (Luke 20:35-36), spirit-beings (Hebrews 1:7), having personality—intelligence (Genesis 19:15), emotion (Luke 2: 13), and will (2 Timothy 2:26)—most of whom (Hebrews 12:22; Jude 6) kept their first estate of holiness (1 Timothy 5:21) and presently praise and worship God (Psalm 148:2-5; Isaiah 6:3) and serve His purposes (Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 1:14), but, as created beings, are not to be worshiped (Romans 1:25; Revelation 22:8-9). |
More about mankind...
Inside our Statement of Faith
More about God's creations...
701 Kossuth Avenue Utica, NY 13501 Paul Bannister II, Pastor 315/732-2091 info@lighthousebaptistutica.com |
Lighthouse Baptist Church, Utica, NY
| Spreading the message of Christ in Utica and the Valley since 1996 |
