What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of Tabernacle Baptist Church | King George, VA based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

We believe in The Holy Scriptures: Accepting fully the writing of the Old/New Testaments as the inerrant Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts and therefore altogether sufficient as our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice. Psalm 119: 160; Proverbs 30:5a; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-20

We believe in the one true God: who is an intelligent, sovereign, spiritual and personal being; perfect, infinite, and eternal in His being, holiness and love, wisdom and power; absolutely separate from and above the world as its creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the Upholder of all things. He is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons but without division of nature, essence, or being, and each having a distinct ministry in God’s relation to His creations and people. Genesis 1:1; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 83:18; 129:7-9; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; 15:26.

We believe in the The Lord Jesus Christ: Who is the Second Person of the Triune God, Eternal Word, and Only Begotten Son, that without any change, and His Divine Person, He became man by the miracle of the Virgin Birth, thus to continue forever as both true God and true Man, one Person with two natures; that as Man, He was tempted as we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect Lamb of God, He gave Himself in death upon the cross, bearing there the sin of the world, and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our stead; that arose from the grave in a glorified body; that as our great High Priest, He ascended into Heaven, there to appear before the face of God as our Advocate and Intercessor. John 1:1, 14; 3:16; Matthew 1:18-25; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:6-10; I Corinthians 15:3-7; Hebrews 4:4-16; I John 2:1-2.

We believe in the The Holy Spirit: Who is the Third Person of the Trinity, and a divine agent in nature, revelation and redemption; that He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He regenerates, and dwell, baptizes, seals, and anoints all who become children of God, Christ; that He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies, and fills believers who daily surrender to Him. John 3:5; 14:16-17, 26:16, 7-14; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13;IICorinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13;5:18.

We believe All Men Are by Nature and Choice Sinful and Lost: That man was a direct creation of God, made in His image and likeness; that by personal disobedience to the revealed Will of God, man became a sinful creature, the father of a fallen race, which is universally sinful in both nature and practice, thus alienated from the life and family of God, under the righteous judgment and wrath of God, and has within himself no possible means of salvation. Genesis 1:27; 3:6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; 5:12, 19; Galatians 3:11.

We Believe in Salvation by Grace Through Faith: That salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited or secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all true believers have as a present possession the gift of eternal life, a perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and security from all condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish; that this salvation affects the whole man; that apart from Christ there is no possible salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; John 1:12, 3:14, 10:28-29; Romans 8:1; Philippians 1:6.

We believe in Righteous Living and Godly Works: Not as much to salvation in any sense, but as proper evidence and fruits; and therefore as Christians, we should obey the Word of our Lord, seek the things that are above, walk as He walked, accept our solemn responsibility the duty and privileges of bearing the gospel to a lost world; remembering that a victorious Christian life is possible only for those who, in gratitude for the infinite and undeserving mercies of God, have presented themselves wholly to Christ. Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 2:16.

We believe The Existence of Satan: Who originally was created as a holy and perfect being but through pride and wicked ambition rebelled against God, thus becoming utterly depraved in character, the great adversary of God, and His people, leader of all other evil angels and wicked spirits, the deceiver and god of this present world, that his powers are vast, but strictly limited by the permissive will of God who overrules all of his wicked devices for good; that he was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore his final doom is certain; that we are able to resist and overcome him only in the armor of God, by the blood of the Lamb and the power of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 14:12-15; Ephesians 6:12; I Peter 5:18; I John 3:8; Revelation 12:8-11; 20:10.

We believe in The Second Coming of Christ: That His coming in the air to rapture His Church, which is our blessed hope, is always imminent; that when He has first by resurrection of the dead and translation of the living removed from the earth His waiting Church, He will then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the unbelieving world and afterward descend with His Church and establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all the nations for a thousand years. I Thessalonians 4:13-18; James 5:8; Hebrews 10:37; Jude 14-15; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-7

We believe in Future Life, Bodily Resurrection, and Eternal Judgment: that the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with Christ in Heaven, that their works shall be brought before the Judgment Seat of Christ for the determination of reward, which will take place at the time when Christ comes for His own; that the spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades where they are dept under punishment until the final day of judgment, at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, that they shall be judged and cast into Hell, the place of final and everlasting punishment. I Corinthians 15; II Corinthians 5:8-10; Luke 16:19-23; Revelation 20:11-15.

We believe the state should have no control over the church and must not be allowed to control the church affairs. Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-7.

We believe in The Priesthood of All Believers: That Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God’s presence without the need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures, guided by the Holy Spirit. John 14:6; Hebrews 4:16; II Timothy 2:15; I Peter 2:1, 5, 9.

We believe in The Lordship of Jesus Christ; That He alone is Head of the body of Christ, into which all true believers are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation; that all members of this one spiritual body should assemble and identify themselves in local churches. I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-15; Galatians 1:22.

We believe in The Importance of The Local Church: that a New Testament church is a local assembly of born-again baptized believers united in organization to practice New Testament ordinances, to meet together for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, and a united testimony; and to engage actively in carrying out the Great Commission. Act 2:41-42; I Corinthians 11:2; Matthew 28:19-20.

We believe in The Independence and Autonomy of The Local Church: that each New Testament Church is free to govern itself without ecclesiastical interference and should cooperate with other New Testament churches as the Holy Spirit leads; that it is responsible to follow the pattern of the New Testament church and is directly accountable to God. Matthew 18:17; Acts 6:1-5; 15:22-23.

We believe The Two Ordinances Given to the Local Church Are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: that baptism is by immersion of believer in water, thus portraying the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by the believer as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:38-39; 26:26-30: I Corinthians 11:23, 34.

t marriage is a holy union of one man and one woman in a covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. (Matt. 19:5; Eph. 5:23, 25, 28; Prov. 18:22; Prov. 19:14; I Cor. 7:3)

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornications, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 7:2; I Cor. 5:1, 6:9; 7:10; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4; Eph. 5:22-23)

We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce should be the last option and only for the reasons allowed in the Bible. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of Pastor or Deacon. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Therefore, abortion under any circumstance is the taking of an innocent life. Abortion constitutes the unjustified taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)

We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20)

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)