What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of Mercy Baptist Church | Conway, SC based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

We believe the Holy Bible, all 66 books of the combined Old and New Testament, was written by men divinely inspired and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tied.  (II Tim. 3:16-17, II Pet. 1:20-21, I Thes. 2:13, Heb. 4:12)

We believe there is only one true, living, Sovereign, holy and eternally existent god.  God is infinitely perfect and He exists in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The triune God is the creator and sustainer of all things, the source of all truth, and is worthy of worship, confidence, and obedience.  To know the true God, one must know by faith the Lord Jesus Christ, as his Savior and Lord.  (Deut. 6:4-5, Gen. 1:31, Isaiah 45:5-7, I Corn. 8:4, I Tim. 2:5)

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 man.  We believe the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substituting sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.  We believe the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and sits as the exalted High Priest at the right hand of God.  As our High Priest in heaven, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.  (Luke 1:26-35, Matt. 1:18-25, John 1:1-3, Phil. 2:5-9, Col. 1:15, Col. 2:9, I Cor.15:1-8, Acts 1:9-11, Isaiah 7:14)

We believe man was created in the image and likeness of God.  Through Adam’s sin, man inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God.  We believe that all men have sinned and are under just condemnation of a Holy God, and their only hope lies in the Grace of God.  (Gen. 1:26-27, Gen. 2:7, Gen. 3:6-7&22, Rom. 3:23, Rom. 5:12)

We believe salvation is God’s free gift.  Salvation is neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any human virtue, work, ceremony, or effort.  We receive God’s gift only through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  In Christ, all true believers have—as a present possession—eternal life, perfect righteousness, and sonship in God’s family.  Christians also enjoy every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and have the divine guarantee that they shall never perish.  God has delivered Christians from all condemnation, and we have eternal security in Christ.  (John 3:16, Eph. 2:8-10, II Cor. 5:21, Rom. 10:9, I Pet. 1:18-19, II Pet. 3:9)

We believe the Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born again persons (Eph. 1:22, 23: 5:25-27; I Cor. 1:12-14, II Cor. 11:2).  We believe the establishment and continuance of local churches is taught and is defined clearly in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27, 18:22, 20:17, I Tim. 3:1-3: Titus 1:5-11).  We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, free of any external authority and control (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4: I Cor. 3:9, 5:4-7, 13, I Pet 5:14).  We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lords Supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age (Matt 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42, 18:8; I Cor. 11:23-26).

We believe in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ; in the rapture and in the revelation.  In the Translation (rapture) of the church, Jesus Christ shall come “for” His saints. (I Thes. 4:13-18).  The church is not looking for signs of the rapture, but for Jesus Himself.  It is in this hope (I John 3:2-3) that causes the believer to purify himself, even as He is pure.  In the revelation, Jesus comes to the earth “with” His saints.  Signs in the heavens and on the earth will precede this revelation or unveiling of Christ.  His revelation will be personal, visible, and bodily, and shall be in accord with His own promise to His disciples.  We believe the translation “precedes” the tribulation period, and the revelation “follows” it (John 14:1-6: Acts 1:9-11; Matt 24:36; I John 2:28; Rev. 19:11-16).

We believe God calls us with a holy calling – to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Rom. 8:1).  God wants us to live in the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, so we will not fulfill the lust of our physical bodies (Gal. 5:16).  We believe the fallen, Adamic nature of the flesh cannot be eradicated in this life.  Therefore, keeping ourselves constantly in subjection to Christ, we must allow God’s Holy Spirit to live through us in a daily “walk” of faith.  Otherwise, the flesh will certainly demonstrate its presence in our lives, to the Lord’s dishonor (Heb. 10:29). It is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to seek and to make growing disciples.  (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)

We believe the souls of those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation immediately pass into His presence at death.  There they remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of our bodies at Christ’s coming for His Church.  Then, with our souls reunited with our glorified bodies, we will live with Him forever in glory (2 Corin. 5:8).  We believe God will punish unbelievers with everlasting separation from His presence, His glory, and His power. (John 3:16: Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15)

We believe Satan is a person, a fallen angel, the author of the fall of man, and the god of this age.  However, we also believe that he is the Christian’s defeated enemy.  His destiny is eternal punishment.  (Job 1:6-12; Isaiah 14:2; Ezek. 28:11-19)

We believe Adam, the first man, sinned by disobedience.  This act resulted in the fall of all mankind.  Therefore, all people have sinned and lost their ability to live for the glory of God.  Mankind’s fall has incurred both physical and spiritual death on all until there is forgiveness and salvation by the grace of God.  (Gen 3:1-24; Rom. 3:10-23; 5:12-21; 6:23).

In addition to these important beliefs, we also believe God has given the parents the responsibility to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4; Prov. 22:6).  We believe a consistent and whole education will occur when home, Church, and school work closely together and are in agreement on the basic concepts of life.

Biblical Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.  It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.  (Genesis 1:26-18; 2-21-25; 3:1-20; Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
In the spirit of Christ, Mercy Baptist Church opposes every form of greed, selfishness, and vice and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography, lesbianism, transgender, polygamy, cohabitation, pedophilia, bestiality, fornication and any other form of relationship that does not coincide with Biblical Marriage that is defined above .  (Negative Ref. Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27)  (Positive Ref. Genesis 1:28; 2:24-25, Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:9)

Jesus instructed His followers to remember His death and resurrection.  He gave the Church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders.  These two ordinances are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  Baptism by immersion is a one-time act of obedience and identification with Jesus as Lord.  It serves as an outward sign of conscious confession of repentance and faith.  The Lord’s Supper is an ongoing symbol remembering our Lord’s death, burial, resurrection and promised return.  Each person must decide whether or not to be baptized or to participate in the Lord’s Supper.  Regardless, we do not regard anyone’s participation in these practices as means of salvation.  (Matt. 28:18-20; 26:26-29; I Cor. 11:23-32).

We believe that the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week (Sunday), is a Christian institution for regular observance of Worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private.  (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2;  Hebrews 10:25)

We believe that the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost to unify all believers into one body, the church, in fulfillment of the promise Jesus gave to the apostles (Acts 1:5; 1Cor. 12:13; Eph 4:3-6, 11-13).  His presence in the lives of believers is revealed by His fruit; love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).  We believe that the Holy Spirit, not as an influence, but as a Divine Person (Rom. 8:27: Eph. 4:30; 1 Cor. 12:11), the source and power of all acceptable worship and service, is our abiding Comforter and Helper (John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-15), that He never takes His departure from the church, nor from the feeblest of the saints (Eph. 1:13-14), but is ever present to testify of Christ, seeking to occupy us with Him and not with ourselves nor with our experiences (John 7:38-39; Act. 1:8; Rom. 8:9).