Our Approach

Where the Bible is clear, we will be emphatic. Where the Bible is silent, we must allow people freedom and grace.

We take theology, the study of the Bible and scripture, seriously because we take God seriously. The word “theology” comes from two Greek words that combined mean “the study of God.” Christian theology is simply an attempt to understand God as He is revealed in the Bible. No theology can ever fully explain God and His ways because God is infinitely and eternally higher than we are. That being said, any attempt to describe Him will fall way short (Romans 11:33-36). However, God does want us to know Him as much as we are able, and theology is the art and science of knowing what we can know and understand about God in an organized and understandable manner. Sound, biblical theology is an awesome thing; it is the teaching of God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We value and hold fast to the ways in which historic Christian orthodoxy has articulated the Essential Beliefs of the Christian faith, which are listed below. Along with St. Augustine, we say, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In everything, love.”

Our Beliefs

THE GOSPEL

The Good News

Jesus lived for you.

Some 2,000 years ago God lived on earth as a real man, fully human and fully God at the very same time. His name was and is Jesus, which means Emanuel, God with us. Scholars may disagree about some things of Jesus’ life, but one thing almost all agree on, is the fact that a real man named Jesus lived in Israel. But it is how he lived that really matters. He lived Perfectly, without sin. While only on earth, for a short lived 33 years, he lived in a way that no one has matched in 100 years of life, or every human being put together has been able to do. No one is more loved. No one is more hated. Jesus chose to enter into human history and the mess of it all and live his life that way for you and me. A life we can never live after the fall and in our broken state separated from God due to our sinful nature. Jesus tells us that he has come to give us life, life abundant, and life eternal - not condemnation. And we can experience that right here on earth by claiming his perfectness and goodness, not our own.

Jesus died for you.

A truly innocent man, the only man without sin. Tortured, beaten, spit on, whipped, nailed, hung, pierced. This was not the way you would expect the God of the universe to go out and to suffer. He suffered the worst kind of death, and he did it all for you and me. Jesus truly paid it all. We believe he died the way he did to accomplish something none of us could accomplish on our own. The least deserving person died the most heinous death to pay for our mistakes. To become the greatest sinner ever known by taking on all the wrongs done against God and paying the price demanded for sin, death. I bet if you take a real hard look at your life, you would agree that you haven’t been perfect or anywhere near it. While in our own strength none of us are perfect, Jesus died in order to make us perfect in God’s eyes and restore our broken relationship with our creator. Will we keep messing up this side of things? You bet we will, but Jesus died for those mistakes too.

Jesus rose for you.

We believe Jesus conquered death itself and rose from the grave. We cannot explain how he did it, but we believe it to be true. Real people who walked right alongside Jesus believed he rose from the dead and saw him after his resurrection. They believed it so much that they too died for it. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we believe he paved the way for us to do the same. Sadly we all have to die here on this earth, but God made a way for us to live on forever. That way is Jesus. If you don’t believe that yet, that’s OK too. We hope and pray you will someday. And we would love to get to know you a bit in the meantime, and help you build your relationship with this person named Jesus.

Chestnut Street Baptist Church

In Christ On Mission Together

SUNDAY SERVICE TIMES

Sunday School for All Ages 8:45AM

Worship Gathering 10AM

Location: 29 Chestnut Street | Camden, Maine 04843

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 833 | Camden, Maine 04843

207.236.2195 | csbccamden@gmail.com