Tenets of Faith
This church accepts the Holy Bible (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament Books) as the revealed divine Word of God, infallible and inerrant in its original writings. It is given as God’s revelation of His eternal plan of salvation (John 20:30-31). We hereby adopt these Tenets of Faith:

Divine Inspiration
The Bible is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that each Christian may be thoroughly equipped to serve God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The One True God
There is one God, creator of all things and redeemer of mankind, who exists equally and eternally in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-4 & 14; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Colossians 1:15-20).

The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Bible declares:

* He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31-35).
* He led a sinless life. (Hebrews 7:26, 1 Peter 2:22).
* He performed miracles. (Mark 6:30-56; Acts 2:22, 10:38; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
* He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. (1 Corinthians 15:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
* He arose bodily from the dead. (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:4-9; 1 Corinthians 15:12-58).
* He ascended into heaven. (Mark 16:19; John 14:1-4; Acts 1:9 & 11, 2:32-33; Hebrews 1:3).
* He is the promised Messiah, our High Priest and Advocate. (Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14).
* He will come again for His Church, to rule with and reign with God the Father in heaven forever. (John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 22:7-21).

The Work and Person of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is fully God and His ministry as described in scripture includes the following:

* To comfort/counsel (John 14:16)
* To teach (John 14:26)
* To convict (John 16:7-11)
* To guide (John 16:13)
* To give peace and joy (John 14:27, John 16:20-22)
* To restore unity (John 17:11, 21-22)
* To reveal things to come (John 16:13)
* To glorify Christ (John 16:14)
* To give spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 1:7, 12:1-7; Romans 12:1-8)
* To give spiritual fruits to the body of Christ (Galatians 5:22-25)

The Fall of Man

Man and woman were created in the image of God. They willingly sinned, resulting in both physical death and spiritual separation from God. Their only hope for redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:6; Romans 3:23, 5:12, 6:23; Titus 3:5 & 6).

Conditions of Salvation

We are saved by God’s grace through faith in His one and only Son. This requires that we repent of our sins and trust in Christ as our Savior. When we do so, we are born again through the power of the Holy Spirit, becoming children of God. (John 1:12-13; John 3:3; Acts 2:37-39; Romans 1:17, 3:23-24, 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 3:4-7).

The Evidence of Salvation

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to others is a life of righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24; Titus 2:12).

The Ordinances of the Church
Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is taught in the Bible and therefore is practiced at Stepney Baptist Church. All who repent and believe in Christ as Lord and Savior, are commanded to be baptized. Baptism is not to be regarded as a means of salvation, but as an act of obedience to God. (Matthew 28:18 & 19; Mark 1:8, 16:15 & 16; John 1:33; Acts 2:38, 10:47 & 48; Romans 6:3 & 4; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper is a continual reminder of our sharing in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. (Matthew 26:17-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Sanctification
Sanctification is a life-long process of becoming more like Christ. It is both a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit and our deliberate act of separation from our sinful nature. (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:15,16).

Marriage and the Family
We believe that God ordains marriage and the family. Marriage is between a man and a woman according to the Bible. The first marriage was between Adam and Eve, officiated by God. Marriage constitutes the backbone not only of the family, but also of society. (Genesis 2:21-22; Matthew 19: 4-6; Ephesians 5:22-33).

The Church
The Church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head. Believers constitute the church body, and are called by God to make full use of the spiritual gifts given to them to fulfill their unique ministries and Christ’s great commission. (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22&23; 2:19-22; 5:25-27; Hebrews 12:23).

The Second Coming
The Second Coming refers to the physical return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (the second coming). Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. Those who are in Christ will face no condemnation, and will receive eternal rewards, whereas those without Christ will be condemned and will receive eternal punishment. (Isaiah 11:11, Zechariah 14:5, Matthew 16:27; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 1:7; 22:12-13).

The Great Tribulation
The Great Tribulation is the period of final hostility prior to Christ’s return when great war, suffering, pain and death will come upon the earth in its most severe form. (Matthew 24; Revelation 7:14).

The Final Judgment
Those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (the unsaved), will face the final judgment. They, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be condemned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone - the second death. (Matthew 25:46; 2 Corinthians 5:9 & 10;Revelation 20:4-15).

New Heaven and New Earth
According to God’s promise, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. In this kingdom, righteousness will rule; sorrow, suffering, pain and death will be no more. (Isaiah 65:17-19, 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21, 22).