Church Constitution

PREAMBLE
Recognizing our dependence on the Holy Spirit to accomplish the will of God the Father through the life of Jesus Christ in us, we, the members of Colonial Hills Baptist Church, do establish and adopt this Constitution. It is a declaration of our purpose and practice and serves as guidelines for orderly conduct in the life of this body and for the performance of our faith, so that our witness to the world and each other might be pleasing in the sight of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the glory of God.

CONSTITUTION

Article I: Name
This body of Christ shall be known as “COLONIAL HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH, INC.” located in SMITH COUNTY, TEXAS.

Article II: Relationships
We are and shall be governed by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of the body, the church, as He shall reveal His leadership to us through the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Colonial Hills Baptist Church is autonomous and subject to no other ecclesiastical body and maintains the right to govern its own affairs independent of any denominational authority or control. Recognizing, however, the benefits of cooperating with other churches and organizations in missions and outreach, this church voluntarily cooperates with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), state conventions, and other churches and associations as deemed appropriate.

Article III: Mission Statement
The mission of Colonial Hills Baptist Church is to reconcile and restore all persons to an intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit through regeneration by saving faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and to advance them toward Christlike maturity, equipping them to serve the church, the kingdom and their fellow man by the ministry of their spiritual gifts under the power and control of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.

Article IV: Purpose and Objectives
We, Colonial Hills Baptist Church, do purpose:
1. To love and glorify the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
2. To prayerfully seek to know and accomplish the will of God as He has revealed it by His Spirit and His Word.
3. To proclaim among all peoples the good news that salvation is come to those who confess with their mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts that God has raised Him from the dead.
4. To minister unselfishly to the spiritual and material needs of persons in our church, community and world.
5. To develop the saints by the preaching and teaching of the whole council of truth as revealed by the Word and the Spirit of God.
6. To provide regular opportunities for the worship of God, for prayer, and for Christian fellowship.
7. To encourage financial support for the work of this church body and the advancement of God’s kingdom.
8. To not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but to continually encourage each other.

Article V: Articles of Faith and Personal Conviction

Section A: The Scriptures
By faith and personal conviction we believe that the Holy Bible is the eternal, inspired and perfect Word of God. It was given for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness in spiritual matters. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter. It is always to be interpreted under the guidance and control of God the Holy Spirit and through the example of the life of Jesus Christ without regard to personal prejudice or personal benefit.

Exod. 24:4; Deut. 4:1-2; Ps. 19:7-11; Isa. 34:16; 40:8; Matt. 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44; John 5:39; 14:26; 15:26; 16:13; 17:17; Rom. 15:4; 16:25-26; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:25; 2 Pet. 1:19-21

Section B: God Triune
By faith and personal conviction we believe that the one and only living and true God is an intelligent, spiritual and personal being. God is Creator, Owner, Preserver, Redeemer and Ruler of the heavens, the earth and all therein, infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is triune, the eternally existent one who reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. To Him we owe all glory, love, reverence, and obedience.

Gen. 1:1; 1:26; 3:22; 17:7; Exod. 19:5; Deut. 6:5; Neh. 9:6; Job 19:25; Ps. 102:25; 130:8; Prov. 23:11; Isa. 6:8; 41:14; 46:9; Matt. 28:19; John 10:30; 14:9, 26; 15:26; Acts 1:2; 14:15; Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 8:6; 2 Cor. 13:14; Col. 2:9; Titus 3:4-6; Heb. 11:3; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 John 5:6-9

Section C: God the Father
By faith and personal conviction we believe that God the Father is eternally existent, majestic in holiness and awesome in glory. He reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow and stream of human history according to His purposes. God the Father is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. “God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” He is fatherly in attitude toward all men not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance through Christ Jesus. He mercifully concerns Himself with the affairs of men by His own grace and for His own good pleasure and not for any inherent virtue or merit of man. He is continually in the process of reconciling the world to Himself by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Gen. 1:1; 2:7; Exod. 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11; Deut. 32:6; Job 9:4; Ps. 139:8; 147:5; Prov. 15:3; Isa. 64:8; Jer. 10:12; 23:24; Matt. 6:9; 7:11; 23:9; John 4:24; 14:6; 17:2; Rom. 5:10; 8:14-15; 1 Cor. 8:6; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 12:9; 1 Pet. 1:17; 2 Pet. 3:9

Section D: God the Son
By faith and personal conviction we believe that God the Son, Jesus the Christ, was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He perfectly revealed, obeyed and did the will of God the Father taking upon Himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identified Himself completely with mankind, “being tempted in all ways and yet without sin.” He was and is the propitiation of God’s holy law because of His perfect obedience and submission to the will of God the Father. By His substitutionary death on the cross He provided the only way for man to obtain redemption, the forgiveness of sins. After His death on the cross of Calvary, He was placed in the tomb and on the third day was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father as our high priest where He is always making intercession for us, the saints. We look forward to the day of His return when He will come in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. His life is now placed in all believers and He works to accomplish the will of God the Father through them as they yield to His lordship in their lives. We are placed into the body of Christ as saints and receive every spiritual blessing in Christ at the moment of salvation.

Gen. 18:1; Ps. 2:7; 110:1; Isa. 7:14; 53; Matt. 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16, 27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6, 19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18, 29; 10:30, 38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16, 28; 17:1 5, 21-22; 20:1-20, 28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5, 20; Rom. 1:3-4; 3:23, 26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3, 34; 10:4; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8, 24-28; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; 8:9; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 1:20, 3:11; 4:7-10; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:13 22; 2:9; 1 Thess. 4:14-18; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Heb. 1:1 3; 4:14-15; 7:14 28; 9:12-15, 24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Pet. 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Rev. 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16

Section E: God the Holy Spirit
By faith and personal conviction we believe that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine, fully God, equal with God. He inspired consecrated men of old to write the Scriptures, which are the Word of God. Through illumination and divine revelation He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ, convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He draws men to Christ the Savior and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character by the process of sanctification. He comforts believers with the peace of God. He bestows spiritual gifts by which believers, obedient to the lordship of Christ and the control of the Holy Spirit, serve God, edify the body of Christ and advance the kingdom of God. He seals the believer unto the day of his final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer to perfection in Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church to worship in spirit and in truth, to share the truth in love, and to serve with love and joy. We experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit and receive all of the Holy Spirit and all our individual spiritual gifts at the moment of salvation.

Gen. 1:2; Judg. 14:6; Job 26:13; Ps. 51:11; 139:7; Isa. 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matt. 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10, 12; Luke 1:35; 4:1, 18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1 4, 38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17, 39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Rom. 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Cor. 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11, 13; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19; 1 Tim. 3:16; 4:1; 2 Tim. 1:14; 3:16; Heb. 9:8, 14; 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Rev. 1:10; 22:17

Section F: Man
By faith and personal conviction we believe that man is the special creation of God, made in God’s own image. He created mankind male and female and they are the crowning work of His creation. The first man, Adam, was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice, Adam sinned against God and became immediately separated from God and fallen from the relationship and purpose for which God created him. His sin caused immediate spiritual death and eventual physical death. Since Adam, all men are condemned as sinners both at birth by nature and by choice of their free will–“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is only by the grace of God that man can be restored into holy fellowship with God and fulfills the purpose for which God made him. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and that Christ died to redeem mankind unto God; therefore every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Gen. 1:26-30; 2:5, 7, 18-22; 3; 9:6; Ps. 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isa. 6:5; Jer. 17:5; Matt. 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Rom. 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6, 12, 19; 6:6; 7:14 25; 8:14-18, 29; 1 Cor. 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Eph. 2:1-22; Col. 1:21-22; 3:9-11

Section G: Salvation
By faith and personal conviction we believe that salvation from sin and death is available. This salvation is by grace through faith in Christ; it is not of works but the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Salvation involves the whole man and is offered freely to anyone who confesses with his mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believes in his heart that God raised Him from the dead. For it is with the heart that one believes and is justified, and it is with the mouth that one confesses and is saved. This salvation is unto God by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ who is both Lord and Savior–“for there is no other name under heaven…by which we must be saved.” We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, has obtained a personal and eternal redemption for us. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom God poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, [we have] the hope of eternal life.” Salvation involves regeneration, sanctification, and glorification.

Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus–old things are passed away; behold, all things are new. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By this faith and this faith alone, we are justified before God. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness for all sinners who repent and believe with saving faith in Christ. Justification restores the believer to a relationship of peace and favor with God. At the moment of salvation he is justified and made a new creature in Christ–his life is supernaturally exchanged for the life of Christ. For as Scripture says “I [the believer] have been crucified with Christ: and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Sanctification is the process, beginning at regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerated person’s life–“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Glorification is the process whereby the body of the believer is changed in the twinkling of an eye to the eternal glorified state of the Christian.

Gen. 3:15; Exod. 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matt. 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22 to 28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14, 29; 3:3-21, 36; 5:24; 10:9; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts. 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Rom. 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18, 29-39; 10:9-10, 13; 13:11-14; 1 Cor. 1:18, 30; 6:19 20; 15:10; 2 Cor. 5:17-20; Gal. 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Phil. 2:12-13; Col. 1:9-22; 3:1; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; 2 Tim. 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; 3:5-7; Heb. 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1 to 12:8; 12:14; James 2:14 26; 1 Pet. 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6 to 2:11; Rev. 3:20; 21:1 to 22:5

Section H: God’s Purpose of Grace
By faith and personal conviction we believe that election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free will of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is a glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility. All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ and sanctified by His Spirit will never fall away from a state of grace. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. All believers are fully loved and fully accepted by God at all times, not by their virtue or on their own merit but by the life of Christ in them. Believers are saints who by temptation or of their own will from time to time sin as they choose not to live by faith the life of Christ in them. As Scripture says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, …[those] who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”

Gen. 12:1-3; Exod. 19:5-8; 1 Sam. 8:4-7, 19-22; Jer. 31:31; Matt. 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22, 31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45, 65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6, 12, 17-18; Acts 20:32; Rom. 5:9-10; 8:1, 4, 28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7, 26-36; 1 Cor. 1:1-2; 15:24 28; Eph. 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Col. 1:12-14; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:12; 2:10, 19; Heb. 11:39 to 12:2; 1 Pet. 1:2-5, 13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2

Section I: Heaven
By faith and personal conviction we believe that heaven is a real place, a lovely place, a perfect place. God’s perfect will is always done in heaven. God is continually worshipped in heaven. We believe that heaven is the dwelling place of God the Father and that God the Son is now seated at the right hand of God making continual intercession for the saints. As we accomplish God’s will here on earth through obedience to Christ, we are laying up for ourselves eternal treasures in heaven. It is the ultimate and final resting place for all those who are in Christ.

John 14:1-6; Heb. 7:25; 12:22-24; Rev. 21:10 to 22:5

Section J: Hell
By faith and personal conviction we believe that hell is a real place, that it was prepared for the devil and his angels, and that all those who die without the Lord Jesus Christ will spend eternity there. We believe that hell is a literal place where physical, mental, and spiritual suffering and anguish will continue for time eternal without hope of God’s mercy, compassion, kindness, love or forgiveness. We believe that every person will experience continued existence either in heaven or in hell.

Matt. 13:42; 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 20:10-15

Section K: The Devil, Satan
By faith and personal conviction we believe there is a devil called Satan. We believe that God created Satan, who originally lived in heaven until he rebelled against God. Satan sought to usurp the throne of God and was cast out of heaven along with the one third of heaven’s angels who rebelled with him. He is a powerful fallen angel, the deceiver, the father of lies, the accuser of the brethren; he is totally sinful and he leads a host of evil spirits who work to thwart the plan and will of God. Satan is neither omniscient, nor omnipotent, nor omnipresent. He seeks to accomplish his will through fear, lies, deception, false accusations, and appeals to pride and self. Satan’s lies, when believed, ultimately place someone or something other than God on the throne of each person’s life, denying his dependence on and faith in God, thus robbing God of the glory due Him. We believe that Christ utterly defeated Satan and the power of sin at the cross and that in Christ we have been given authority and power over Satan and his minions. We believe that Satan will be cast into the lake of fire at the end of the age.

Gen. 3:1; Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; 2 Cor. 11:14; Eph. 6:12; Rev. 12:11; 20:10

Section L: The Church
By faith and personal conviction we believe that the church is a body of baptized believers and that it is God’s primary tool for educating, equipping, encouraging and edifying the saints unto the advancement of His kingdom on earth. Every follower of Christ should be active and involved in service through the local church to which he has been called and careful to protect the unity of the body. The church is not an organization but a living organism – the body of Christ, of which He is the head.

“[Christ] gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

We believe the church is the bride of Christ and that the church is being purified and made ready for her bridegroom, Jesus Christ, who will return soon to claim His bride.

Matt. 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42, 47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23, 27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 3:16; 7:17; 12; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19 22; 3:8-11, 21; 4:11-13; 5:22-32; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:1-15; 4:14; 1 Pet. 5:1-4; Rev. 2-3; 21:2-3

Section M: Church Ordinances
By faith and personal conviction we believe that the Lord Jesus gave His church the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper to keep until He returns. Neither baptism nor participation in the Lord’s Supper is necessary for salvation.

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead.

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the body of Christ, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of Jesus Christ and anticipate His second coming.

Matt. 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19 20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 10:16, 21; 11:23-29; Col. 2:12

Section N: Stewardship
By faith and personal conviction we believe God has made us stewards of all that He has entrusted to us. We recognize that everything in heaven and earth belongs to God. We believe that our spiritual gifts are given to us that we might use them in service to God and His kingdom. We also believe that we are responsible to manage our time, talents and treasure in support of God’s Kingdom work. As Scripture says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And likewise it says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Gen. 14:20; Lev. 27:30-32; Deut. 8:18; Mal. 3:8-12; Matt. 6:1-4, 19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 6:38; 12:16-21, 42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 20:35; Rom. 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8-9; 12:15; Phil. 4:10-19; 1 Pet. 1:18-19

Section O: The Priesthood of the Believer
By faith and personal conviction we believe that every saint is a priest and always has direct access to God the Father. As a priest unto God the saint is free to personally pray and interpret God’s Word under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26; 1 Cor. 2:12; 1 Pet. 2:5; 1 John 2:20, 27

Section P: Missions and Evangelism
By faith and personal conviction we believe that every follower of Christ has the privilege and duty to make disciples of all nations. Jesus Christ gave us the Great Commission; therefore, every child of God is purposely to seek to reconcile the unredeemed to God through saving faith in Christ by means of personal preparedness, purposeful planning, and prayerful petition while always depending on the power of the Holy Spirit to quicken the heart and mind of the seeking soul.

Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-49; John 20:21-23; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:18-20

Section Q: The Family
By faith and personal conviction we believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The family is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption. At the same time we recognize that God also calls some to a life of singleness and celibacy according to His plan and purpose for them.

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. Marriage is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman the framework for intimate companionship and the means for procreation of the human race. Marriage is the only provision given by God for sexual expression according to Biblical standards.

Since both are created in God’s image, the husband and wife are of equal value before God. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves His church and gave Himself up for her. The husband’s love for his wife should be characterized as self-sacrificing and purifying. Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. The wife is to submit to her husband as to the Lord. The wife’s submission should be characterized by reverence and obedience. The husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church.

Life is a precious gift from God. Life begins at the moment of conception. Therefore every child has a God-given purpose according to God’s plan and will. The parents of the child are to nurture and admonish the child in spiritual matters and to bring up the child in concert with the God-given purpose for his life. Every child is fearfully and wonderfully made under the watchful eye of God. Children are to honor and obey their parents that it may go well with them.

Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exod. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Josh. 24:15; 1 Sam. 1:26-28; Ps. 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Prov. 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20 22; 12:4; 13:24; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6; 24:3; 31:10-31; Eccles. 4:9-12; 9:9; Mal. 2:14-16; Matt. 5:31-32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Rom. 1:24-28; 1 Cor. 7:1 16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Tim. 5:8, 14; Titus 2:3-5; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7

Section R: The Saints
By faith and personal conviction we believe that those who placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior are the saints of God.

If I am a saint, then I am:
What I am by the grace of God; holy; accepted; blameless; chosen of God; dead to self; buried, raised and made alive in Christ; justified – made righteous in Christ; a new creation; redeemed and forgiven; a joint heir with Christ; a saint – called out and set aside for the special purpose of God; an ambassador for Christ; a child of God; able to approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence; the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

If I am a saint, then I have:
Been bought with a price and my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; been rescued from the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ; direct access to God through the Spirit; been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven; been made complete in Christ; been blessed with every spiritual blessing; been given the mind of Christ; been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline; the right to come boldly before the throne of God; been given precious and magnificent promises by God, by which I am a partaker of God’s divine nature.

At the moment of salvation, saints are placed into the kingdom of God and adopted into the family of God as children and co-heirs with Christ.

Matt. 5:13-14; John 1:12; 15:16; Rom. 5:1; 6:1-6; 8:14-17; 15:7; 1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 2:16; 3:17b; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Cor. 5:14-15, 17, 20-21; Gal. 2:20; 3:26; 4:6-7; Eph. 1:3-8, 13-14; 2:5-6, 18; 3:12; 4:24; 5:27; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:13-14; 2:10, 12 13; 3:1-4, 12; 2 Tim. 1:7, 9; Heb. 4:16; 1 Pet. 2:9-10; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 3:1 2

Article VI: Church Challenge
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and upon the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
We do now, as one body in Christ, most solemnly and joyfully challenge one another to maintain our Christian duty to God, the saints, and the church.
We therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, encourage one another to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in faith, knowledge, holiness and ministry; to promote its spirituality, prosperity and spread of the gospel; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to its financial support.
We also encourage one another to maintain family and personal devotions; to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to carefully consider any word or conduct that would cause a fellow Christian to be offended, to stumble, or to be tempted, or that would tend to create divisions or strife within the fellowship; to avoid all gossip, slander, malice and anger.
We further purpose to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy and courtesy; to be slow to take offense but ready for reconciliation and restoration. Desiring to honor God with our bodies, we commit ourselves to abstain from all actions and things that would do harm to the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
We moreover agree that when we move to another area, we will, as soon as possible, unite with another church where we can carry out the spirit of this challenge and the principles of God’s Word.

Article VII: Character of the Church
This church receives the Scriptures taken together with the Holy Spirit of God as its only authority in matters of faith and practice and further exalts Jesus Christ as truth incarnate, the author and finisher of our faith. We affirm that God’s Word is perfect and infallible without any mixture of error while recognizing that our interpretation of God’s Word is subject to imperfection, to error and to fallibility. We therefore prayerfully seek and entreat the Holy Spirit of God to guide and direct us with all wisdom from God that we might have spiritual discernment in all matters.

Article VIII: Incorporation
Colonial Hills Baptist Church was incorporated on 14 June 1979 in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas that govern religious bodies. The handling of property shall be in accordance with such laws.

Article IX: Schism and Disbandment
In the event of any schism in the church, all of God’s property and equipment managed by the church shall remain in the management of the members who hold the tenets of faith as stated in Article V and who practice them. If the church disbands, all property and equipment shall pass to the management of the SMITH COUNTY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION of SMITH COUNTY, TEXAS, INC.

Article X: Amendments
Amendments to this Constitution may be made at any regular business meeting of the church, provided that copies of each amendment have been presented in writing at the previous regular business meeting, and that written copies have been made available to the church membership at least two weeks prior to the vote. A two-thirds vote of members of the church present and voting shall pass amendments.