What We Believe

FAITH BIBLE CHURCH DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

 

OUR PURPOSE

  • To worship God the Father in spirit and in truth by offering the sacrifice of praise to God continually  (John 4:24; Hebrews 13:15).
  • To proclaim to our community and other regions of the world salvation through faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary (Matthew 28:19-20; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
  • To administer the ordinances of the New Testament, namely Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
  • To study and practice godliness as set forth in the sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, realizing that a Christian is totally under grace in all manner of service and obedience; to edify and fully equip the saints for the work of the ministry so that through gracious and holy living the church might be lights to a lost and dying world (Ephesians 4:11-13; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 1:14-19).
  • To provide spiritual care for each other and promote a spirit of love for the building up of one another in the Christian faith (Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; Hebrews 10:24, 13:17).

 

WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES

We believe the entire Bible (the combined 66 books of the Old and New Testaments) to be God’s inerrant and infallible revelation to man.

We believe all Scripture to be inspired by God and, therefore, profitable and the final authority in all areas of faith and practice. We understand inspiration to be God’s superintendence of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error in the words of the original manuscripts God’s revelation to man (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3, 21; Revelation 22:18-19).

We believe the Scriptures are accurate and completely adequate. They are not to be compared with the wisdom of the world as presented by various disciplines of secular study. The Scriptures are accurate and completely sufficient to prepare us to live a life pleasing and acceptable to God (1 Corinthians 1:21, 26, 27).

We believe God in His perfect providence has faithfully preserved His revelation to man so that today we possess accurate and reliable texts of both testaments (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; 1 Peter 1:24-25).

We believe the meaning of the Scripture is determined by the literal, grammatical, and historical method of interpretation under the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:7-15).

 

ABOUT THE TRINITY

We believe the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same honor, confidence, and obedience (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-14; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 1:1; Hebrews 1:1-3).

 

ABOUT GOD

We believe God is the creator and sustainer of all things. God, by the Word of His power, instantaneously created the heavens and the earth without pre-existent material. We believe this creation took place in six literal, twenty-four hour days (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11; Psalm 33:6, 9).

    • Eternal - without beginning or end (Genesis 21:33; Psalm 90:2)

    • Immutable - unchangeable (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17)

    • Omnipresent - everything within His presence (Psalm 139:10)

    • Omniscient - knows all (Psalm 94:11, 139:2; Acts 15:8)

    • Omnipotent - all powerful (Genesis 18:14; Revelation 19:6)

    • Sovereign - in authority over all (Psalm 66:7; Ephesians 1:11)

    • Holy - absolutely pure and righteous (Psalm 99:3; Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:16)

 

ABOUT CHRIST

A. His Pre-existence - We believe the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the second person in the     
    Godhead, is co-eternal in being with the Father and the Holy Spirit from eternity past (John 1:1, 14, 17:5;
    Hebrews 13:8).

B. His Deity - We believe Jesus Christ to be of the same substance or essence, coequal in power and
    glory, and having the same attributes and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. We
    believe that Jesus Christ has never at any time ceased to be God (John 1:1, 14, 8:58, 10:30, 14:9).

C. His Virgin Birth - We believe Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in
    the womb of the virgin Mary with the result that the second person of the triune God was joined to a real
    human body and nature. We, therefore, believe the virgin birth was the method by which the second
    person of the Godhead entered into humanity and became the God-man (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:35).

D. His Humanity - We believe Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, became man, and that His human
    nature was genuine and complete. We believe the incarnation forever unites God with humanity in the
    God-man, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:2; John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:5-8).

E. His Sinless Character - We believe Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God and perfect man, though
    tempted in all things as we are, was yet without sin. This did not in any way demean His humanity. Sin,
    being an intrusion upon and not a necessary element of humanity, marred man and brought death.
    Jesus Christ was perfect humanity without ever experiencing sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15;
    1 Peter 2:22).

F. His Death - We believe the death of Jesus Christ was a literal, complete, and final physical death
    (John 19:30; Romans 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:4-5).

G. His Resurrection - We believe in a literal, physical, bodily, and personal resurrection of Jesus Christ
    from the dead (Mark 16:6; 1 Corinthians 15:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).

H. His Redemptive Character - We believe that by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself to God
    on man’s behalf, which He accomplished through the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus fully satisfied the
    justice of God. We believe Christ effectually calls and reaches all those for whom He purchased
    redemption (Romans 3:25-26; Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 9:14-15, 10:10; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

I. His Priestly Ministry - We believe Jesus Christ has ascended into heaven and is at the right hand of God
   to intercede on behalf of believers as their High Priest and Advocate. We also believe that as all
   judgment has been given unto the Son, He as the Judge will evaluate the works of believers at the Bema
   (Judgment Seat of Christ) and the works of unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgment (John 5:22,
   26-27; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 1:3, 7:25; 1 John 2:1; Revelation 20).

J. His Return - We believe Jesus Christ will return to the earth and that there are two distinct phases of His
    coming revealed in Scripture: the rapture of the saints and the revelation of Christ. These two phases
    are seven years apart. We believe the return of Christ for the saints is imminent, literal, bodily, personal,
    pre-tribulational and premillennial (John 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Philippians 3:20;
    1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; James 5:8).

 

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. His Deity - We believe the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is identical in substance or
    essence, co-equal in power and glory, and has the same attributes and perfection as God the Father
    and God the Son (Matthew 28:19; John 15:26, 16:13-14; Acts 5:3-4; I Corinthians 2:11;
    2 Corinthians 13:14).

B. His Personality - We believe the Holy Spirit is not just an influence, power, or force, but an eternal
    person having intellect, emotion, and will (1 Corinthians 2:10-11, 12:11; Ephesians 4:30).

C. His Work:

    • Convicting: We believe the present ministry of the Holy Spirit is restraining sin in the world and
      convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:7).

    • Regenerating: We believe the Spirit is the supernatural agent in the work of regeneration, in which He
      sovereignly imparts to the soul new spiritual life with new desires for God (John 3:5; 2 Corinthians 3:6;
      Titus 3:3).

    • Indwelling: We believe the Spirit indwells every believer. This indwelling takes place at the time of
      salvation. It is God's pledge guaranteeing the believer's complete redemption and is permanent in
      nature (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30).

    • Baptizing: We believe the baptism of the Spirit to be the work of the Holy Spirit placing every believer
      in this present dispensation of the church age into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13).

    • Filling: We believe that the Spirit fills the believer. The filling is not a second work of grace, a
      completion of salvation, or a second blessing. It is the believer being controlled by the Spirit through a
      continually dedicated and dependent life producing a Christlikeness in character (Galatians 5:16,22-23;
      Ephesians 5:18).

    • Teaching: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher who guided His apostles into all truth
      and who teaches all believers and reveals to them the deep things of God (John 14:26, 16:12-15;
      1 Corinthians 2:9-15; 1 John 2:20, 27).

    • Equipping: We believe that the Holy Spirit is sovereign in giving spiritual gifts. These gifts are
      distributed to the church for the building up and good of the body (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 13:8, 14:19).

 

ABOUT SIN

A. Defined - We believe sin to be anything contrary to the nature of God. The standard of God's nature is
    His holiness and His revealed will, the Word of God. To fall short of His holy standard is to sin
    (Romans 14:23; 1 Peter 1:14-15; 1 John 3:4).

B. Man's Fall - We believe man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the
    race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Therefore, everyone is born a sinner
    in both nature and practice.

    Because of sin man is condemned, under judgment, without hope, and utterly helpless to remedy his
    lost condition. He is totally depraved, which does not mean that man is as bad as he can be, but rather
    that man is as bad off as he can be. He possesses no spark of divinity that simply needs to be fanned.
    He is spiritually dead and needs to be made alive by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that comes
    solely by grace through faith in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ (Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 64:6;
    Romans 3:10-12; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:17-18).

C. Satan - We believe Satan is the author of sin and the deceiver of Eve in the fall. We believe he is the
    open and declared enemy of God and man and he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire
    (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; Revelation 20:10).

 

ABOUT SALVATION

A. By Grace through Faith - We believe salvation is the gift of God, brought to many by grace and received
    by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is totally a work of God for man and, therefore, it is apart
    from any sacraments, ordinances, good works, or human merit (John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

B. Available to All - We believe that this salvation is available to all men, but effective for only those who
    repent from their sin and turn to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Acts 17:30; Romans 6:23;
    1 Timothy 2:3-6).

C. Immediate Justification - We believe man is immediately justified (declared righteous) by God and
    receives eternal life at the moment of his conversion. This conversion is what Jesus Christ meant when
    He said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

D. Eternally Secure - We believe all who are born again by the Spirit of God are kept by God's power alone.
    They are, therefore, secure in Christ forever, sealed by the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of their
    inheritance. This eternal salvation rests in the faithfulness of God, not in the faithfulness of man.  
    Therefore, it is the privilege of the believer to rejoice in the assurance of his salvation through the
    testimony of God's Word. God’s Word, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as a license
    to carry out the desires of the flesh (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Ephesians 1:13-14; Philippians 1:6;
    Hebrews 7:25; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 2:1-2).

 

ABOUT THE CHURCH

A. Defined - We believe the church, the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism and New
    Testament institution composed of all born again believers of this present age. We believe the local
    church is the visible expression of the "body of Christ," and that God's program for this age is to be
    carried out through the local church, the pillar and support of the truth (1 Corinthians 12:13;
    Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; 1 Timothy 3:15).

B. Ordinances - We believe our Lord Jesus Christ has left the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
    to be observed by the church in commemoration of His person and work.

    We exhort all who have professed Christ as Savior and Lord to be obedient to Christ's command to be
    baptized by immersion in water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We
    believe that water baptism neither regenerates, cleanses from sin, nor completes a salvation process.
    Rather, water baptism is a public testimony to one's union with the triune God (God the Father, God the
    Son, and God the Holy Spirit) and identification with His people (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-41,
    8:12-13, 9:18, 19:4; John 1:31; Titus 3:5).

    We believe the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of our Lord's death until He returns by the sacred
    use of broken bread and juice as the symbols of the price He paid for sinners. This commemoration
    should be preceded always by solemn self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:23-28).

C. Separation - We believe that out of deep gratitude for the undeserved grace God has granted to us, and
    because our glorious God is so worthy of our total consecration, all of the saved should live in such a
    manner as to demonstrate our adoring love to God and to not bring reproach upon our Lord and Savior.

    We believe in the separation of the local church from all affiliations and fellowships who deny the
    fundamentals of the Christian faith (Romans 16:17).

    We believe separation from sin is clearly commanded throughout the Old and New Testaments, and that
    the Scriptures clearly indicate that in the last days apostasy and worldliness will increase
    (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5).

    We believe, though Christians are commanded to be good citizens and obey those placed in authority
    over us, the church as an institution should be separate from the state (Matthew 22:21).

D. Government - We believe the local New Testament church is autonomous, self-governing, self-
    supporting, and self-propagating (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 13:1-3; Titus 1:5). We believe it is the
    responsibility of all members to seek to have a spirit of eager cooperation and submission to their
    leaders (Romans 15:2; Hebrews 13:17).

E. Responsibility - We believe it is the church's task to glorify God through:

    • Regular corporate worship (John 4:24; Hebrews 10:25, 13:15; Colossians 3:16)

    • Evangelism of the lost (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

    • Building up of the believers (Ephesians 4:11-16)

    • Caring for its own (1 Timothy 5)

    • Doing good in the world (Galatians 6:10).

 

ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS

A. The Second Advent (Coming) of Christ - We believe the second advent of Christ is premillennial and will
    take place in two distinct phases (Revelation 3:10, 19:7-14).

    The first phase, often called the Rapture, involves the personal, imminent, and pretribulational coming of
    the Lord Jesus for His church. The Rapture of the Church is the believer’s comforting, purifying, and
    blessed hope and expectancy (Act 1:11; Revelation 22:20; Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18,
    5:9-10; I John 3:2-3).

    The second phase of the second advent of Christ will take place immediately after the tribulation. Christ
    will return to earth with His saints after the seven-year tribulation period in order to establish His
    millennial kingdom (Zechariah 14:4-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10: Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6).

B. The Eternal State - We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men. The saved shall be raised to eternal
    life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29;
    Revelation 20:4-15).

    We believe the believer at death is absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious
    bliss he awaits the first resurrection when he will be reunited with his resurrected body to be glorified
    forever with the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:51; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

    We believe unbelievers at death go to be in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when they
    shall be reunited with their resurrected bodies to appear before Christ at the Great White Throne
    Judgment. Unbelievers will not be annihilated, but will suffer everlasting, conscious punishment under
    the wrath of a holy God (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; Revelation 20:15).