Ocean Shores Baptist Church uses the King James Bible (KJV) and our motto is that we "Preaching and Teaching the Word of God".  We believe in salvation by faith in Jesus Christ and not through works.  Works only prove (manifests/reveals) Whom we serve and follow.  Only Christ can forgive our sins, redeem us, and save our souls.

Our Church Family is a body of believers that truly love, care and serve one another as Christ teaches in His Word.  We also have hearts to pray and reach out to others.

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A)  The Holy Bible -- The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God.  The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life.  The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man and is the very Word of God. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21)

B)  The Godhead -- There is one Triune God, eternally existing in 3 Persons -- the 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, but having distinct offices in the work of redemption.  God is eternal, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign, holy, righteous, loving and just.  He is the Creator and Preserver of all.  (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 10:29-30; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; John 14:10, 26; John 17:11; II Corinthians 13:14; Colossians 1:16; I John 4:7-8)

C)  The Person and Work of Christ:

• 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.  (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8)

• 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.  (Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5)

• 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.  (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2)

 D)  The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit:

• The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all Believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling, sealing, guiding and sanctifying them unto the day of redemption.  (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14)

• The Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who assists Believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures; and it is the privilege and duty of all who are saved to be filled with the Spirit.  (Ephesians 1:17-18, 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)

• God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every Believer, and these gifts are to be used within the local church.  God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip other Believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.  (Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:4-11,28; Ephesians 4:7-12)

• The "sign gifts" of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary.  Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit.  Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, although God chooses to answer the prayers of Believers for physical healing.  (I Corinthians 1:22, 13:8, 14:21-22)

E)  The Depravity of Man -- Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam and Eve's sin of disobedience the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God.  Man is depraved, and, of himself, is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.  (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12, 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:17-19)

F)  Salvation -- The free gift of God brought to man by grace and received by a personal profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.  Salvation is instantaneous and not a process; its evidence appearing in repentance, faith, and newness of life.  It is offered to ALL people.  (Matthew 12:31-32; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-11; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19; I John 1:9)

G)  The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers:

• All of the redeemed, once truly saved, are kept by God's power, and are this eternally secure in Christ.  (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1,38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5)

• It is the privilege of Believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to sin.  (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

H)  The Church:​

• The Local Church, which is the "called-out assembly" of Believers here on Earth, is made up of born-again baptized persons.  The church is the body and espoused bride of Christ.  (I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27)

• The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.  (Acts 14:27, 20:17,28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

• The autonomy of the Local Church -- free of any external authority or control.  The Scriptures do identify 2 specific leadership positions in the Local Church with specific qualification, duties, and responsibilities: Pastors (or bishops/elders) and Deacons.  Overall, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church.  (Acts 6:1-8, 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; I Corinthians 3:9,16, 5:4-7,13; Ephesians 5:23-27; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9; Hebrews 13:7,17; I Peter 5:1-4)

• We recognize water baptism and the Lord's Supper (or Communion) as the 2 Scriptural Ordinances of obedience for the Church in this age.  Water Baptism is the immersion in water for those who profess an outward faith in Jesus Christ for their salvation.  It does not bring about Salvation, but is a commandment that symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  The Lord's Supper is a memorial service in which the unleavened bread and unleavened cup (or juice) symbolically represent the broken body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26)

I)  Separation -- All of the saved should live in such a manner of holiness as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord.  God commands His people to separate themselves from all religious apostasy, as well as all sinful pleasures, practices and associations.  The Church also must remain separate from those who teach or practice false and unscriptural doctrine.  (Leviticus 19:28; Romans 12:1-2, 14:13; I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians ​6:14-7:1; II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11)

J)  The 2nd Advent of Christ -- We believe in the "blessed hope," the personal, imminent return of Jesus Christ, Who will rapture His Church prior to the 7-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.  (Psalm 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zechariah 14:4-11; I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10, 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

K)  The Eternal State:

• We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men; the saved to eternal life in Heaven, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment in Hell.  (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6,12-13)

• We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where they consciously await their bodily resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.  (Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelations 2:4-6)

• We believe that the sold of the unbelievers remain, after bodily death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with the soul and body reunited, they shall appear before God at the Great White Throne Judgment.  Then shall then be cast into the Lake of Fire, along with Satan, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment and torment eternally separated from God.  (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:11-15)

L)  The Personality of Satan -- He is an unholy god of this world, the father of lies, the author of sin, and the deceiving cause of the Fall of Man.  He is the open and declared enemy of God and man.  He eventually shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire, a place prepared for him, his angels, and the unsaved.  (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11, 25:41; Revelation 20:10)​

M)  Creation -- We believe in the Genesis account of creation, in which God created the Universe and all earthly life in 6 literal, 24-hour periods.  We reject Evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin.  (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)

N)  Civil Government -- God has ordained and created all authority consisting of 3 basic institutions: 1) The home; 2) The church; and, 3) The State.  Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word.  God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other.  The Home, Church, and State are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God.  (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 2:13-14)

O)  Human Sexuality:

• God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.  Homosexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex.  Any attempt to alter one's gender by surgery or outward appearance is not acceptable to God.  (Genesis 2:24, 19:5,13; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)

• The only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.  (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; I Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23)

P)  Family Relationships:

• Men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women, both in the home and in the Church.  The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be leaders (Pastors and Deacons) of the Church.  Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the Church.  (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; I Timothy 2:8-15, 3:4-5,12)

• God has ordained the Family as the foundational institution of human society.  The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the Church.  The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband, as the Church submits to the headship of Christ.  Children are a heritage from the Lord.  Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal punishment.  (Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; I Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7)

Q) Divorce and Remarriage -- God intends marriage to last until a spouse dies, and that He does not condone divorce.  Although divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service in the Church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they are, however, Biblically disqualified for the offices of Pastor or Deacon.  (Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; I Timothy 3:2,12; Titus 1:6)​

R)  Abortion -- Humans life begins at conception and the unborn child is a living human being.  Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of an unborn human life.  We reject any teaching that the abortion of a pregnancy due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother is acceptable.  (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5, 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

S)  Love -- We should demonstrate love for others, not only towards fellow Believers, but also towards both those who are not believers and those who oppose us.  We are to deal with those who oppose is graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly.  God forbids the stirring-up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice.  Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any persona who engages in such sinful actions.  (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10,17-21, 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; II Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I John 3:17-18)

T)  Lawsuits Between Believers -- Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against another Christian or against the Church corporately to resolve personal disputes.  We believe that the Local Church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between it and its members.  (I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32)

U)  Missions -- 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 and witnesses of Jesus Christ, we must use each available means to go to all people throughout the entire world and not wait for them to come to use.  (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:20)

V)  Giving -- Every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's entrusted wealth, is obligated to support their Local Church financially.  We believe that God has established the Tithe as a basis for this giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the Church, to the relief of those in need, and to 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.  (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Malachi 3:8-12; Acts 4:34-37; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; I Timothy 5:17-18; I John 3:17)