About Us
Location
Big River Baptist Fellowship
201 Prince Street
Grafton, NSW 2460
(Meeting in the Guides hall)
Weekly Worship Service & Fellowship
Sunday - 9.30am
Contact
Pastor Rodney Batty Ph: 0423 711 959
Statement of Faith
We believe in the Infallibility, Inerrancy and Verbal, Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures: making the Bible the “Final Authority” in all matters of faith and practice.
(2 Tim. 3:16&17; 2 Pet. 1:20&21; Matt. 5:18; John 17:17; Ps. 12:6&7.)
We believe in a literal Heaven.
(John 14:1-3; Isaiah 14:12&13; Rev. 21:3; Col. 1:12&13; Heb. 12:22&23.)
We believe in the Triune Nature of The Godhead.
God - The Father
God - The Son
God - The Holy Spirit.
a) One True and Living God.
b) Within the One God there is a plurality of Persons and personalities but they are all of one “Essence”.
c) They are equal in every Divine perfection.
d) They execute distinct, but harmonious, offices.
(Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; John 1:1-4; John 15:26; John 16:13; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 5:7; Isaiah 44:6.)
We believe in the Creation of the Universe, and all that is contained therein, by the spoken word of the Triune God, out of nothing, in 6 literal 24 hour days.
(Gen. Chapters 1&2; John 1:1-4; Col. 1:16&17; Heb. 11:3; Psalm 33:6-9.)
We believe in a literal Hell.
(Matt. 5:29&30; Matt. 16:18; Matt 25:41; Luke 16:22-26; 2 Pet. 2:4.)
We believe in the personality of Satan, who is the open and declared enemy of God and man.
(Job 1:6&7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matt. 4:1-11; Matt. 25:41; Zech. 3:1&2; Rev. 20:10.)
We believe that, because of Adam’s disobedience to God, all mankind are born sinners and, without faith in Jesus Christ, are destined to an eternity separated from God.
(Gen. 2:17; Gen. 3:1-7; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:8&9.)
We believe in the Virgin Birth.
(Gen. 3:15; Luke 1:26-35; Gal. 4:4.)
We believe in the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
(Matt. 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1-9; Acts 17:18,31&32.)
We believe that “Salvation” is the result of the willing acceptance of the free gift offered by Christ and that faith in the finished work of Christ is the means by which salvation is applied.
We believe that Salvation is achieved by the substitutionary death, burial and resurrection of Christ and the shedding of His atoning blood, providing redemption for the sinner by covering, and blotting out his sin and so providing satisfaction of the righteous demands of a Holy God.
(John 3:16; Rom. 5:7&8; Rom. 10:9&10; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:7; Eph. 2:4&5; Eph. 2:8&9; Col 1:14; Heb. 11:6; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Pet. 3:18.)
We believe in Justification by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone.
(Gen. 15:6; Acts 4:10-12; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 1:7; Eph. 2:8&9.)
We believe that at Salvation the Believer is, immediately and eternally, indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.
(John 14:16, 17&26; Acts 2:1-4; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19&20; 1 Cor. 12:13.)
We believe in the Eternal Security of the Believer.
(John 3:14-17; John 5:24; John 6:47,51&58; John 10:27-30; John 11:26; Rom. 5:1; Rom. 10:9&10; Heb. 13:5&8; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11-13.)
We believe in the Pre-tribulation, and Pre-millennial, return of Christ to Rapture His Bride, which is the Church.
(1 Cor. 15:51-54; Eph. 5:22-27; 1 Thes. 2:19; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 1 Thes. 5:1-9; Titus 2:13.)
We believe the Church to be People:
a) Universal - including all Born Again Believers.
(Matt. 16:17&18; John 3:16; Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. Chapters 12,13&14; Eph. 1:22&23; Eph. 5:23-25; Heb. 12:23.)
b) Local - including those of “Like Faith and Practice” who assemble themselves together, with Christ as their Head, for worship and fellowship. We believe the Local Church to be a family concept.
(Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47; Acts 9:31; Acts 15:41; Acts 16:15; 1 Cor. 16:19; Gal. 1:2; Eph. 4:1-16; Col. 1:18; Heb. 10:25.)
We believe in “regenerated” Church membership.
(Acts 2:37-47; Rom. 1:1-7; 1 Cor. 1&2; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thes. 1:1-4.)
We believe that the Bible teaches only two Ordinances:
Baptism.
(Matt. 3:13-17; Matt. 28:19&20; Mark 15:15&16.)
The Lord’s Table (Communion).
We believe that the elements are symbolic, not substitutionary.
(Matt. 26:26-29; Luke 22:15-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-34.)
We believe that Baptism is by total immersion and is for “Believers” only.
(Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15&16; John 3:23; Acts 8:26-39; Rom. 6:3&4.)
We reject “Christening” as Baptism.
We reject the teaching of “Baptismal Regeneration”.
We believe in Autonomy of the Local Fellowship.
(Acts 1:15-26; Acts 13:1-4; 1 Tim. 5:16.)
We believe in Congregational Government of the Local Fellowship and the “Vesting”, by the Congregation, of appropriate authority in the Pastor and Deacons.
(Matt. 18:15-20; Acts 1:23; Acts 6:1-6; Acts 13:1-4; Acts 15:1-35; Gal. 2:1-10; Eph. 1:22&23; 1 Tim. 3:1-13.)
We believe in “Individual Soul Liberty” ensuring each individual the unshackled freedom to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in their own personal life.
We do not believe that this gives the individual “licence” to step outside the clear Biblical guidelines laid down by the Scriptures.
(John 3:15&16; John 4:24; John 14:16,17&26; Acts 2:1-4; Rom. 6:1-23; Gal. 5:16-26; Phil. 2:5; Col. 2:8-23.)
We believe in “The Priesthood of all Believers”.
(Rom. 12:1&2; Heb. 4:16; Heb. 10:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:5&9.)
a) We believe in the principle of “Separation”, as laid down in the Scriptures, in regard to “The World, the Flesh and the Devil”.
(Rom. 6:1-14; 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1-17; Heb. 11:13-16; 1 Pet. 1:15&16; 1 Pet. 2:11.)
b) We believe in Separation of Church and State.
(Acts 5:28&29; Rom. 16:17&18; 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Eph. 5:11; 1 Tim. 2:1-3.)