What We Believe

Oologah First Baptist Church subscribes to the doctrinal statement adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000, and set forth in The Baptist Faith and Message.  We are unwavering in the core Essential beliefs in which we have unity. They are ordained by God through the Biblical authors.  We also respect non-essential beliefs—those to which we afford liberty to believers in Christ.  In all beliefs—essential and non-essential—we seek wisdom and understanding to show charity.  
Those beliefs we deem as essential are listed below:

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
These three are coequal and are one God.
(Genesis 1:1,26,27; Psalm 90:2; Mathew 28:19;
1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again someday to earth to reign as King.
(Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5,14:10- 31;
Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11;
1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13)

The Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer spiritual gifts when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
(Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Galatians 5:25; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18)

The Bible is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs about living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without error.
(2 Timothy 3:16, 1:13, 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 19:105, 160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

People are made in the spiritual image of God to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". Sin separates us from God and causes many problems in our life.
(Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2)

Salvation is God's free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and toward Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Titus 3:5;
Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1, 10:9-10)

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God because of sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven.
Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
(John 3:16, 14:17; Romans 6:23, 8:17-18;
Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9)

Jesus commanded us to celebrate our new life through public baptism. At First Baptist Church of Oologah baptism is about celebrating your new life through Jesus. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone and a new life has begun! .  Baptism is a step of obedience, a statement of commitment, and a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Modeling how Christ was buried and then resurrected from death, when being baptized by full submersion, we are buried in the water and then raised to become a new person.
(2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 3:13-16, Romans 10:9-10,
Romans 6:3-11)

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity.  We recognize the full personhood of the unborn and sanctity of human life as created by God from conception to natural death.
We are encouraged to take a proactive role in promoting and upholding the sanctity of all human life at every stage
(Psalm 68:5; Psalm 139:13-17; Jeremiah 1:5)

We commit to actively seek to curb divorce and cohabitation which threaten to weaken families. Based on convictions from the Scriptures, we oppose any efforts to redefine marriage, recognizing it is the union of one man and one woman joined by God for life (Matthew 19:4-6), and we uphold marriage as the only context for appropriate sexual expression.