Harvest Baptist Church is an exciting Independent Baptist church that has been serving the Abilene community since 2003. We are people who love God and love people. We know of no other friendlier, warmer church where you will feel welcomed as soon as you step through our doors. We preach the Word of God and seek to live for Him. If you want to hear a timeless message from a timeless Book, we would love to see at any one of our services!

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Our beliefs

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SECTION 1 – STATEMENT OF FAITH

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The Holy Scriptures

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We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. The King James Version (Authorized) of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church in all teaching of any classes and preaching (2 Tim3:16-17; 2 Pet1:20-21).

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The Godhead

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We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew  28:19; 2 Corinthians13:14; Jn14:10, 26).

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The Person and Work of Christ

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1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa7:14; 9:6; Lk1:35; Jn1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor5:19-21; Gal4:4-5; Phil2:5-8).

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2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts2:18-36; Rom3:24-25; 1 Pet2:24; Eph1:7; 1 Pet1:3-5).

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3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Actsl: 9-l0; Heb9:24; 7:25; Rom8:34; l Jn2:1-2).

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The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (Jn16:8-11; Rom8:9; 1 Cor12:12-14; 2 Cor3:6; Eph1:13-14).

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2. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph1:17-18; 5:18; 1 Jn2:20, 27).

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3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Rom12:3-8; 1 Cor12:4-11, 28; Eph4:7-12).

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4. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing (l Cor1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22).

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The Total Depravity of Man

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We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen1:26-27; Rom3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph2:l -3; 4:17-19).

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Salvation

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We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Jn1:12; Eph1:7; 2:8-10; l Pet1:18-19).

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The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

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1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor 1:4-8; l Pet 1:4-5).

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The Church

1. We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons (1 Cor12:12-14; 2 Cor11:2; Eph1:22-23; 5:25-27).

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2. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts13:l-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom16:1, 4; 1 Cor3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet5:1-4).

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3. We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age (Matt28:19-20; Acts2:41-42; 18:18; l Cor11:23-26).

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Separation

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We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God ( Rom12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor6:14 – 7:1; 2 Tim3:1-5; 1 Jn2:15-17; 2 Jn9-11).

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The Second Advent of Christ

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We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Israel (Ps89:3-4; Dan2:31-45; Zech14:4-11; I Thess1:10; 1 Thess4:13-18; Titus2:13; Rev3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).

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The Eternal State

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1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt25:46; Jn5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev20:5-6, 12-13).

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The Personality of Satan

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We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job1:6-7; Isa.14:12-17; Matt.4:2-11; 25:41; Rev.20:10).

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Creation

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We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis1-2; Ex20:11).

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Divorce and Remarriage

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We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. 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 (Mal2:14-17; Matt19:3-12; Rom7:1-3; 1 Tim3:2, 12; Titus1:6).

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Sanctity of Human Life

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We believe that human life begins at the moment a human embryo is formed, either through natural conception or artificial means such as cloning. Termination of this human life at any stage of embryonic or fetal development through abortion, research methods, or any other means is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well being of the mother (Job3:16; Psalm51:5; 139:14-16; Isa44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer1:5; 20:15-18; Luke1:44).

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Missions

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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 (Matt28:19-20; Mark16:15; Luke24:46-48; John20:21; Acts1:8; 2 Cor5:20).

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Giving

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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 (Genesis14:20; Proverbs3:9-10; Acts4:34-37; 1 Corinthians16:2; 2 Corinthians9:6-7; Galalatians6:6; Ephesians4:28; 1 Timothy5:17-18; 1 Jn3:17).

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SECTION 2 – AUTHORITY OF STATEMENT OF FAITH

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The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and, therefore, is binding upon all members.

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SECTION 3 – COVENANT

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Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on profession of our faith having been baptized in the name of our Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

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We also engage to maintain family and private devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred, acquaintances, and all others; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful to our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from worldly amusements, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy of speech; to be slow to take offense, but, always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure reconciliation without delay.

We moreover engage that, when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.