BELIEFS
ABOUT WESTGATE
Scriptures & True God
Concerning the Scriptures.
We believe that the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is the verbally (every word) and plenarily (completely) inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. We believe that the Holy Scriptures—written by men, yet divinely inspired and inerrant in the original manuscripts—are the ultimate source of authority for all matters of faith and personal conduct (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
Concerning the True God.
We believe in one God eternally existing in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (Isa. 44:8; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Cor. 8:6; Psa. 83:18; Matt. 3:16; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Rom. 1:7; Heb. 1:8; John 1:1, 14; John 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; Eph. 2:18).
Jesus Christ & Holy Spirit
Concerning Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, that He was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; that He is fully God and fully man; that He led a sinless life; and that He died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins; that He was bodily resurrected; and that He ascended to the right hand of the Father where He ever lives as our continual intercessor (John 1:14; Matt. 1:18, 23; Rom. 5:8; Matt. 28:6; Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 7:25).
Concerning the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, coequal with God the Father and God the Son, and that He is the Indweller of every true believer (Acts 5:3, 4; John 14:16-17).
Creation & Fall of Man
Concerning Creation
We believe in the literal, historical account of creation by the direct and immediate act of God in creating the universe in six literal 24-hour days. We believe in a young earth and a worldwide flood in the day of Noah (Gen. 1:1; Exo. 20:11; John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17).
Concerning the Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God but fell by voluntary transgression, whereby all men sin, and are partakers of Adam’s fallen nature, and are sinners by nature and conduct; therefore, they are under just condemnation without defense or excuse (Gen. 1:26, 27; Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 3:23; Ecc. 7:20; Psa. 14:2, 3; Rom. 3:10-19; Rom. 5:12, 19; Rom. 1:18, 20).
Devil & Heaven and Hell
Concerning the Devil
We believe in the existence of Satan—a real and personal being who is opposed to all righteousness; that he is the unholy god of this world and the author and ruler of all powers of darkness; and that he is destined to a judgment of eternal torment in the Lake of Fire (Eze. 28:12-19; Matt. 4:1-11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10).
Concerning Heaven and Hell
We believe in the resurrection of the saved to a literal, everlasting, conscious abode with God in Heaven; and the resurrection of the lost to a literal, everlasting, conscious punishment in Hell (2 Cor. 5:1, 6, 8; Rev. 21:10-11; John 5:29; Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:15).
Local Church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Concerning the Local Church.
We believe that believers are to unite together as a local assembly associated by faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; and that its offices are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus; that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men; that it is self-governed and independent, though scripturally able to cooperate with other true churches in contending for the faith and for furtherance of the Gospel. We believe that the Church should separate entirely from ecclesiastical apostasy and false teaching (Eph. 1:22-23; Acts 20:17-28; Acts 2:41-42; Eph. 5:23-24; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 1 Tim. 3:1-7, 8-13; Matt. 24:15-20; Col. 1:18; Titus 3:10; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 4:11-13; Titus 1:6-9).
Concerning Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show forth our faith and identification with the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour through whom we died to sin and rose to newness of life. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the periodic commemoration of His death “until He come” and is to be preceded always by solemn self-examination (Matt. 28:19; John 3:22-23; Acts 8:36, 38-39; Rom. 6:3-5; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 11:17-34).
Home, the Church, and Civil Authority
Concerning the Home, the Church, and Civil Authority.
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: (1) the home; (2) the church; and (3) the state. The home, the church, and the state are sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. We believe that civil government is a divine appointment for the interest and good of human society and that subjection to civil magistrates is to be rendered except as forfeited by decree which is contrary to Scriptures opposing the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord—the King of the earth (Rom. 13:1-7; Acts 4:19; Acts 5:29; Matt. 23:10; Rev. 19:16; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; Titus 3:1; Prov. 3:6; John 14:31; Psa. 2:6; Matt. 28:18; Eph. 5:22-24).
Return of the Lord, Righteous and the Wicked & Separation
Concerning the Return of the Lord.
We believe in the personal, bodily, visible, imminent, and premillennial return of Christ. We believe in the rapture of the Church, the dead in Christ rising with the living in Christ to meet the Lord in the air. We believe that the rapture will be followed by a seven-year period of Great Tribulation upon the earth for those left behind, culminating with Christ’s Revelation in Glory. We believe that Christ will reign upon the earth for a thousand years, after which will follow the Great White Throne Judgment (Matt. 24:42; Acts 1:11; 1 Thes. 4:16-18; Matt. 24:29-31; Rev. 19:11-20:15).
Concerning the Righteous and the Wicked.
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of God are truly righteous in His sight, while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are before Him wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death (Mal. 3:18; Rom. 1:17; 1 John 5:19; Luke 16:25).
Concerning Separation.
We believe that the saved are called unto a life of personal separation from all worldly and sinful practices, having been, at salvation, set apart unto God (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:1-17; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Prov. 4:18).
Way of Salvation & Justification
Concerning the Way of Salvation.
We believe that all who repent of their sins, believing, receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ and are born again by the Holy Spirit and become the children of God. Men are justified by faith alone and are accounted righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and Saviour (Acts 20:21; Acts 16:31; 2 Cor. 7:10; John 3:3, 5, 8; John 1:12; 1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 4:5; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9).
Concerning Justification.
We believe that justification is the judicial act of God whereby He declares us to be righteous through faith in Christ Jesus; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the imputation of God’s righteousness; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood (Acts 13:39; Isa. 53:11; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 5:1, 9; Rom. 8:1).
Sanctification & Perseverance of Believers
Concerning Sanctification.
We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God; first, an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Saviour; second, a continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to his life; third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord’s return (Heb. 10:10-14; Heb. 3:1; John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 5:25-26; 1 Thes. 4:3-4; 1 Thes. 5:23; Eph. 5:27; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24-25; Rev. 22:11).
Concerning the Perseverance of Believers.
We believe that all true believers are possessors of everlasting life; that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation; and that they shall endure unto the end and be eternally saved (Psa. 37:28; 1 John 2:19; Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:5; John 10:27-30; John 5:24).