Reformed in Preaching & Practice
Edgewood
Baptist Church
What We Believe
Reformed
Baptist
Confessional
Worship
We believe in the teachings re-established in the Reformation: Grace Alone, Christ Alone, Faith Alone, God’s Glory Alone, and Scripture Alone. These doctrines are to impact both one’s minds and being, reforming one’s entire being, and giving one a deeper view and love for who God is. For further explanations, read William Payne's article, "What is a Reformed Baptist Church?", and Burk Parsons' "The Courage to be Reformed".
This title asserts several things. We believe the Bible to be the the inspired Word of God and the final and ultimate authority for life. We believe the local church is to be self-governing and accountable to Christ, her Lord and head. We believe that baptism is to be observed by believers as a act of obedience, publicly professing life in Christ.
We have adopted the 1689 Confession of Faith as a statement of the teachings we hold Scripture to clearly teach. These doctrines are carefully taught and applied. The Word of God is always our ultimate authority, but we find it beneficial to hold to this confession to prevent our church from being blown to and fro doctrinally.
Worship is one of the greatest joys for a true believer. However, worship is not primarily about us, but is about bringing praise and glory to God. Worship is an end in itself, not an attempt to lead to something greater. It contains the elements of prayer, singing, reading Scripture, giving, baptism, the Lord’s supper, and preaching. We are to be actively involved in all elements. Here are two helpful articles on this subject; Worship is an End in Itself by John Piper, and Worship is Not About Us by Paul House.