Doctrinal Statement

1. We believe that both the Old and New Testaments are the inspired word of God, without error in the original manuscripts, the complete and sufficient revelation of God's will for mankind, and the Divine authority of Christian faith and practice.
2. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross as the one and only sacrifice for the sins of all men according to the Scriptures. Further, He rose bodily from the dead and ascended into Heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on High as the believers' High Priest and Advocate.
4. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to convict, regenerate, indwell, seal, guide, instruct and empower believers for godly living and service. The Holy Spirit baptizes believers one time into the Body of Christ, but He empowers them many times throughout their lives.
5. We believe that man was created in the image of God, but fell through sin into spiritual death. Only by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit can salvation, i.e. restoration to life, be obtained.
6. We believe that the shed blood, broken body, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only ground for salvation before God.
7. We believe that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are important ceremonial reminders of the gospel, but they are not a means of salvation.
8. We believe that the true church is composed of all people who, through faith in Jesus Christ, are baptized in to the Body of Christ, the Church, of which He is the Head.
9. We believe in the blessed hope of Christ's sure and bodily return to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
10. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; the believer to everlasting joy with the Lord, and those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ to everlasting torment in separation from God.

Membership Covenant

We, the Hot Springs Bible Church, understand that membership in a local church is more than merely entering one's name on a roster. Membership in a local church is an extension of one's membership in the universal Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12-27) and the scriptures are abundantly clear that members of the Body of Christ are called to a sacred covenant relationship with both God and one another. Therefore, in order to better understand and maintain our covenant relationship with one another, we set forward the following points of commitment which we solemnly and publically agree to exercise. These are a clarification and amplification of the existing membership policy in our constitution.

Authority

We covenant together to live by the authority and instruction of Scripture and the ordained leadership within this covenant family (2 Tim 3:16-17; Heb 13:17). We also agree to comply with the administration of this church according to its constitution and by-laws.

Relationships

We covenant together to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in a bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). We will be obedient to the Scriptures in regard to both the responsibility to love and care for one another, and the responsibility to bring Biblical resolution to any conflict with another Believer (Matt 7:3-5, 18:15-20, 1 Cor 6:1-8, 10:31; Prov 28:13). Every covenant member will be encouraged to maintain a close relationship with another individual or group within the church to build each other up in the faith and avoid the snares of isolation.

Participation

We covenant together to be active in the exercise of our faith and participate in the affairs of this covenant family of Believers. We will use whatever God gives us to help build up our church family, extend blessings to the greater Body of Christ (Eph 4:11-16), and be active witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ to our community and the world.

In summary, we covenant together to bring God glory through our display of His growing presence within and among us. Unlike many organizations, every one of us in this covenant family has serious responsibilities toward one another. We are more an organism than an organization. We are more a family than a corporation. In order to experience and become what God has called us to be, we must covenant together to move out of our comfort zones, be willing to hurt and be hurt, forgive and love, sacrifice and struggle. To understand and embrace this perspective fully, God must open our eyes to see that we are “The Body of Christ” and this is more than a metaphor; it changes everything and safeguards us from the toxic effects of institutionalized Christianity and professionalized ministry.