Statement of Faith

As a ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church (Columbus, GA), the Academy adheres to the Statement of Faith as adopted by the Lighthouse Baptist Church.

The Bible

We believe the Bible, consisting of sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the verbally inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God. The Bible is God-breathed (II Tim. 3:16), and is to be the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. We further believe that God has preserved His Word through the manuscripts of the Textus Receptus and Maseoretic texts. For English-speaking people, these texts are reflected in the King James Version (KJV). Therefore, the King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by this church and its ministries (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21).

The Godhead

We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit eternally existing as three persons, and yet are still One. These are co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and have the same attributes and perfections (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Isa 6:3).

The Person & Work of Jesus Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus, the eternal and only begotten Son of God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, became man, without ceasing to be God (Phil. 2:5 8). Jesus Christ is full deity because He is God, and He became fully human as a man. He did this in order that He might reveal God in His righteousness, and redeem man in his sinfulness (John 1:1; 14:9; Isa. 7:14; I John 4:14).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemp¬tion through His literal death and shed blood on the cross as a representative, vicarious, and substitutionary sacrifice. Our justifica¬tion is made sure by His literal physical, bodily resurrec¬tion from the dead (I Cor. 15:1 4). We believe the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 12:2) where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Mediator, Advocate and Intercessor (I Tim. 2:5; I John 2:1; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25).

We believe in that "blessed hope," which is the personal, immi¬nent, pre¬tribulational, premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones. We further believe in His subsequent return to earth with His saints, at the end of the tribulation period, to establish His millennial kingdom (I Thess. 4:13 18; Rev. 19:11 20:6).

Salvation

We believe all men are sinners (Rom. 3:10,23) and in need of the saving work provided by Jesus on the cross. This salvation is a free gift from God (Rom. 6:23) to all who will believe and receive (Rom. 10:9 13; John 1:12). Salvation is by grace alone, plus nothing and minus nothing. The conditions to salvation are repentance and faith (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8 9; Gal. 2:16). We further believe that justification by faith establishes an eternal relationship that can never be broken (Jn. 3:16, 36; 10:29).

The Church

We believe the Church is the body and bride of Christ (Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:25 29). This body is a spiritual organism that is made up of born-again, baptized believers (Acts 2:47; I Cor. 12:13).

We believe the local church is autonomous (i.e. free from any external authority and control), and self-governing under the control of Jesus Christ, who purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

We believe the church has been commissioned to spread the Gospel throughout the world (Matt. 28:18 20; Mk. 16:15).

The two ordinances of the church are the Lord's Supper and Baptism.

The two offices of the church are that of Pastor and Deacons (Phil. 1:1).

Satan

We believe Satan is a real personality, the author of sin, and the direct cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he will be eternally punished along with the fallen angels in the Lake of Fire (Gen. 3:1; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:2,10).

Eternity

We believe in the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved in a literal heaven (Rev. 21-22), and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost in a literal hell (Rev. 19:11-15).

Separation

We believe all Christians should live in a manner that does not bring reproach upon the Lord's name, and that separation from religious apostasy and sinful practices is commanded by God (Rom. 12:1-2; II Cor. 6:17; Rom. 16:17; I John 2:15-17).

Missions

We believe it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:16; 28:19 20; Mk. 16:15; John 15:16). This obligation is to be carried out by reaching lost people, both at home and ¬around the world.

We further believe that maintaining close contact and relationships with "on the field" missionaries are vital to maintaining reality in our vision. Therefore, we believe in the New Testament practice of the church supporting individual missionaries with whom we can maintain a prayerful, supporting relationship. We believe that missionaries are to be sent out by the local churches and are responsible to those local churches (Acts 13:2-3).

Creation

We believe 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 the origin of the universe, earth and mankind (Genesis 1-2; Ex. 20:11).

Human Sexuality

1. We believe that God has commanded that no 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, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. Any employee of the church, or any person in spiritual leadership, who becomes involved in any of the aforementioned, or becomes pregnant, or causes pregnancy as a result of consensual intercourse, outside of the marriage relationship, shall be terminated from employment or spiritual leadership (Gen. 2:24; 19:5,13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Cor. 5:1; 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).

2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23).

3. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; I Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12).

Divorce & Remarriage

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 (Matt. 5:32). 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. 7:1-2; I Tim. 3:2,12; Titus 1:6).

Abortion

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortion of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 29:1,5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).