Doctrine

Our doctrine is covered at length in the Southern Baptist Convention’s “The Baptist Faith and Message,” which can be read here. A summary of core beliefs is provided as follows:

We believe that salvation is a free gift given by God, and must be received personally by faith.

John 5:24, Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-9

At Oaklawn, we follow the commands of Jesus Christ. Jesus commanded us to “‘love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Matthew 22:37-39

We believe that God is the Creator of all that exists. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19, John 16:7-15, Hebrews 1:2-3

In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. In an act of grace, Jesus Christ died on a cross, and was physically resurrected. This act offers a restored relationship with God to all who believe in Him.

John 3:16, Acts 2:22-39, Romans 3:21-24

We believe the Bible to be God’s Word, and a completely accurate account of God’s plan for us. Its purpose is to teach us about His love for us, have a relationship with Him, worship Him, and bring Him glory.

Psalm 19:7-10, 2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21

We believe that baptism is an outward expression of faith, made by a believer, and not a prerequisite for salvation. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:3-5, 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29, Colossians 2:12

We believe that Jesus established his Body on Earth in the Church and that the Church is a community that exists for the purpose of declaring the gospel and glory of Jesus throughout the world.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Colossians 1:18-20, 1 Peter 2:9

We believe that the church is the Body of Christ, which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, governed by His laws, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Ephesians 4:11-16, Colossians 3:12-25, Hebrews 10:24-25

As Christ’s Body, our job is to show the love of Jesus Christ to every person. Every member of the Church is called to be a minister of the gospel through acts of loving service and a willingness to share the truth of the gospel with everyone at every opportunity.