What We Believe

ARTICLES OF FAITH

  1. THE SCRIPTURES: The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, preserved for us in the Textus Receptus are verbally and plenary inspired of God. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible and altogether authoritative Word of God. Therefore, the Bible is the supreme and final authority in faith and life. We believe the King James Version (translated from the Textus Receptus NT) is the Word of God for the English-speaking people. The central focus of the Scriptures is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Exod. 24:4; Ps. 12:6-7; Isa. 40:8; John 1; 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21.
  1. THE GODHEAD:There is only one (1) true and living God existing in three (3) persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each is a distinct Person but of one essence, and having the same perfections and divine attributes. Each is worthy of the highest love, reverence and obedience. Each member in the Godhead was present in the eternal past and shall be present in the eternal future. Matt. 28:18-19; Mark 12:29; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14.
    • God the Father:The Holy Father reigns with providential care over His universe. He is all powerful, all loving and all wise. God the Father is Father to those who become His children by faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward His children. Gen. 1:1; Isa. 43:3; Matt. 6:9; John 4:24; Heb. 12:9.
    • God the Son:Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ became man without sin to secure the salvation for all who will believe in the Gospel. Christ shed His blood on the cross of Calvary as a vicarious substitute, was buried and rose again bodily. After a witnessed resurrection, He ascended to the Father and sits at His right hand making eternal intercession for His people. Gen. 18:1; Matt. 1:18-23; John 1:1-18; 20; 21; 2 Pet. 1.
    • God the Holy Spirit:The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity, coexistent with the Father and Son. He is the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is the chief agent in the regeneration of the soul, the conviction of sin and the comfort of the believer. Upon salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells each believer and seals him/her in salvation for all eternity. He cultivates Christian character and bestows gifts by which believers are empowered for service and worship. [The Church believes the sign and revelatory gifts (i.e., prophecy, words of knowledge and tongues) ceased with the completion of Scripture]. John 14:16; Acts 11:16; Rom. 8; Eph. 1:13; Heb. 9:14.
  1. MAN:Man is a direct creation of God – body, soul and spirit. He was created in the image of God and not the result of evolution in any sense. This man was the crowning work of His Creation. Adam, the first man, sinned by disobedience. This act resulted in the legal fall of mankind and incurred both physical and spiritual death for all. Only the grace of God through salvation can bring a person back into holy fellowship with his Creator and enable him to fulfill the creative purpose of God. Gen. 1:26-30; Ps. 8:3-6; Rom. 1:19-32; Eph. 2:1-22.
  1. SALVATION:All who receive Jesus Christ as Savior by faith are born again by the Holy Spirit and thus become children of God. Eternal life through Christ is the gift of God for all who repent of sin and believe in the only begotten of the Heavenly Father. Repentance and grace are two inseparable graces wrought in the soul by the quickening of the Spirit of God. Salvation involves grace, repentance, forgiveness, redemption, regeneration, justification, sanctification and glorification. Luke 13:3,5; John 1:11-14; John 3; Acts 2:21; Rom. 1:16-18; Eph. 2:8-9; Rev. 20.
  1. ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER: Salvation is a gift of grace from the Lord for all who believe by faith and sustained by the Lord. Therefore, salvation is wholly of the Lord and apart from the works or merits of people. The believer is kept eternally by the power of God upon justification of the soul. John 5:24; 10:28; Rom. 8:29; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2.
  1. CHRISTIAN WORKS:Salvation is secured by faith alone. However, faith is never found alone. Faith is accompanied by Christian works. All true believers are servants for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is by our works that we show our love, faith, and our salvation in Him. (Christian Works Because We Are Saved – Not Works To Be Saved) Luke 6; 1 Cor. 9; Heb. 6:1; Jam. 2; 1 Pet. 1:16.
  1. PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER:The priesthood of all believers is such that every Christian has direct access to God in prayer through Jesus Christ our great High Priest and only mediator between God and man. Matt 5; Matt 6; Rom. 8:15; Heb. 4:16; 1 Pet. 2:9.
  1. STEWARDSHIP: God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual. All that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to God, which includes a holy trusteeship in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians should contribute their time, talents, gifts and resources for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. The storehouse tithe or liberal (grace) giving is to be considered a beginning in stewardship. Mal. 3; Matt. 23; Matt 25; Matt 28; Luke 6; 12; Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 4.
  1. SECOND COMING:There will be a literal pre-millennial, pre-tribulational return of Jesus Christ in the clouds known as the rapture of His people. At this event, the dead in Christ and living believers shall be caught up to meet Him in the air. At the end of a seven year tribulation, Christ shall visibly descend with the saints to establish His earthly millennial kingdom. Matt. 24; Acts 15:16-17; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 20.
  1. SATAN:Satan was originally created a perfect being. He rebelled against God. As a result, he became depraved and was cast out from heaven with many angels who also fell. Satan has been judged and defeated at the cross and awaits his ultimate doom at the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. Gen. 3; Isa. 14:12; Matt. 4; 13:39; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 20.
  1. THE LORD’S DAY:The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and should be set apart for regular observance of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Matt. 28; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Col. 2; Rev. 1:10.
  1. THE LOCAL CHURCH:A New Testament Church is a local Body of baptized believers with Jesus Christ as its head, and the Holy Spirit as its guide. The Church is the citadel and propagator of the truth of the Gospel of Christ. The local Church is to be governed independently of outside persons, groups or authorities. The will of the Church is final. The Church’s Bible offices are pastors (i.e. bishops or elders) and deacons (if any) whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Holy Scriptures. Men and women are spiritually equal in their justified position before God, but God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the Church and home. The husband is the leader of the home and men are to hold the leadership positions in the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for being licensed or ordained by the Church. The Church is committed to His teachings, exercising the gifts and privileges invested in them by His word. The purpose of the Church is to fulfill the great commission of our Lord. Matt. 18:17; 28; Acts 2; Acts 8:1; Acts 11:26; Eph. 5; 1 Tim. 3; Tit 1.  
  1. CHURCH ORDINANCES:The local Church observes two (2) ordinances – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Each person who has received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord should be baptized in the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Scriptural Baptism is by immersion in water in the likeness of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper should be observed, only by members, in remembrance of Jesus Christ who suffered for our sins until He comes again. The elements of bread and fruit of the vine are symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Matt. 3:13-17; 26; 28:19; Luke 3:21; Acts 2:41; 8:38.
  1. CREATION:God created the universe apart from preexisting materials and without any evolutionary process. The first eleven (11) chapters of Genesis are to be taken as literal history. Gen. 1; 5; Deut. 4:32; Ps. 19:1; Mark 13:19, Col. 1:13-17
  1. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY:Religious liberty is given by the authority of God. While God has ordained the existing governmental powers, man’s highest authority is the Word of God. Therefore, the Church is free from all commandments of men that are in conflict with the Word of God. Matt. 6:24; 22:21; Rom. 13:1; Gal. 5:1; 1 Pet. 2.
  1. HELL:Hell is a literal, everlasting place of fire, sufferings, despair and judgment for all people who do not place their personal faith in the atoning, finished work of Christ Jesus for their salvation. Hell, intended for Satan and the fallen angels, has been reserved as the final destination for those humans who reject, (either by omission or commission) the free precious gift of salvation provided exclusively and completely through Jesus Christ. Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51, 25:30, 41, 46; Luke 13:28; Luke 16:19-31; Rev 20:10, 15.
  1. ISRAEL:The Nation of Israel is a special place in the heart of God and all Christians should bless Israel. The prophecies regarding the Nation of Israel will be literally fulfilled with Israel. The Church is in no way to be confused with the prophecies regarding Israel and its restoration to God. The Church in no way substitutes the Nation of Israel. Gen. 12:1-3; 17:19; 46:3; Ex. 32:10; Joel 3; Zech. 2:8; 3; Matt. 24; Luke 20:37-38; Acts 3:13;7:32; Rom. 11; 16:25; Eph. 3; Col. 1:26-27.
  1. HUMAN SEXUALITY: Scriptures teach there are only two genders (male and female), and all individuals will be considered according to their birth gender by Faith Baptist Church. 
  • God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography, are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery, appearance, or medication. Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4.
  • The only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man (born male) and one woman (born female). Gen 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor 7:10; Eph 5:22-23.
  • Since marriage is between one man (born male) and one woman (born female), we believe it is against the teaching of the Scriptures to perform a wedding or civil union of any other type. We also believe it is wrong to use any church properties to perform such ceremonies.
  • God’s Word teaches it would be unacceptable to allow people to become members of the church living lifestyle inconsistent with God’s commands concerning sexuality (homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, gender alteration, adultery). Members found to be living this lifestyle shall be dealt with according to the Constitution in Article 7, Section 1.
  1. MUSIC:Although historically an article of faith on music has not been considered needed, the rise of different secular and bazaar styles of music being offered today as “Christian,” prompts us to call for the following:

 

Music in the church should exalt the Lord, educate, encourage, and edify the individual believer and the whole church; it is to be used by believers to evangelize the lost by showing the change to their hearts in song. Christian music should be inoffensive and conforming to all Biblical instruction. Musical instruments and the components of music are neutral. However, once notes are arranged into music and played, the performance has a physical, emotional, and spiritual influence of its own.

Therefore, music is not to be considered neutral. It is the practice of this church to stand against “Christian” rock music and other worldly, rebellious forms which have seduced many into joining that which is holy to that which is profane. Traditional singing of hymns, psalms and spiritual songs and few choruses shall be the normal practice in Christian worship for the House of God, accompanied by traditional instrumental accompaniment, if available.

This church will stand against the CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) industry and their philosophy. Scriptures: Ps. 7:17, Col. 3:16, 1 Sam. 16:23, 1 Cor. 14:26, Eph. 4:11-14, 4:22-24, Jer. 31:12, Ps. 40:1-3, Isa. 23:15, Pro. 7:10, Eze. 22:26, Lev. 10:10, 1 Cor. 6:14-17, 8:13, 1 Jn. 2:15-17, Jam. 4:4, 1,17, 1 Pet. 1:13-17, Acts 24:16, Rom. 8:28-29

Christian music is that music in which lyrics, music, instrumentality, performers, and performance practices are conforming to the image of Christ.

NOTE OF CLARIFICATION: This church stands for Christ in Biblical, personal, and corporate holiness. As such, we stand against modernism, new evangelicalism, ecumenicalism, the charismatic movement, the new age movement, a social gospel, socialism, homosexuality, transgender, bi-sexual (LGBTQIA+ or any of its derivatives), and worldliness. This church will separate itself from groups who believe or practice the above. Furthermore, we will not rent, lease, or make available any portion of the building and/or church property to any group or “movement” representing and/or engaged in the aforementioned, to aid Faith Baptist Church in their effort to be holy and unashamed at the rapture of the Lord. Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor 6:14-18; John 20:1, 19, 26; 1 Cor 16:2; Heb 10:25; 1 Pet. 1:7; 1 John 2:28.

 

NOTE OF CLARIFICATION: This church stands for the Historical Fundamentals of the Faith and Baptist Distinctives. This church shall remain in Name and Practice an Independent Baptist Church.