FAITH BIBLE CHURCH DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

1. BIBLIOLOGY (Study of the Word of God)

Revelation. The content of the Bible has been revealed by God in order to unveil Himself to men.

Inspiration. Through inspiration God made certain that His revelation about Himself was written without error in the original documents (every Scripture is God‑Breathed, 2 Tim 3:16).

Authority. Since the Bible is without error, it is our authoritative guide in all matters spiritual.

Canonicity. Because it is God’s only written revelation to men, it is our sole source of information for faith and practice. We do not accept the apocryphal books as canonical (2 Tim. 3:16‑17; 2 Pet 1:20‑21; Mt 5:15; Jn 16:12‑13; Rev 22:18‑19).

2. THEOLOGY PROPER (Study of God the Father)

The Bible reveals a single, triune God, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections (Gen 1:26‑27; Deut 6:4; 2 Cor 13:4).

1. The Father plans and supervises (Eph. 1:11; 3:11).

2. The Son carries out the Father’s plans and links the Godhead to man (2 Timothy 2:5; Jn 4:34; Heb 10:7).

3. The Holy Spirit reveals information about God’s Plan to men (Jn. 16:8‑13; 1 Cor 2:10).

3. CHRISTOLOGY (Study of Christ the Son)

The Incarnation. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God (Jn. 1:1‑2, 14)

The Virgin Birth. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Lk 1:35).

His Substitutionary Death. He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice (1 Cor 15:3; 1 Peter 1:3‑5).

His Resurrection. His literal physical resurrection from the dead guaranteed that redemption forever (Heb 10:9‑145; 1 Pet 1:3‑5).

His Present Session. The Lord Jesus Christ in His glorified body is now in Heaven, exalted at the right hand of God the Father, where He presently fulfills the ministry of representive, intercessor and advocate as the high priest for His people (Heb 9:24; 7:25; Rom 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1‑2).

4. PNEUMATOLOGY (Study of the Holy Spirit)

His Salvation Work. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin; that at the moment of salvation He indwells every believer during this present age, baptizes them into the body of Christ and seals them unto the day of redemption (Jn 16:8‑11; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 12:12‑14; Eph 1:13‑14).

His Post‑Salvation Work. It is the duty of every Believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit habitually. The Holy Spirit fills the Believer at the point of salvation and completely controls him until he sins, after which repeated filling is conditioned upon the acknowledgment (confession, agreeing with God about the sin) by the Believer of his personal sin or sins to God the Father in private prayer (Psa 32:5; 1 Cor 11:31; Eph 4:30‑31; 5:18; Gal 5:16; Js 1:21; Heb 12:2; 1 Jn 1:7‑9; Rev 2:5). Sin grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit and must be put away before the Believer can benefit from the full unhindered ministry of the Holy Spirit in his life.

Spiritual Gifts. The Holy Spirit sovereignly bestows one or more spiritual gifts on every Believer (Heb 2:4; 1 Cor 12:7‑11), but the temporary gifts of apostleship, prophecy, miracles, healing, tongues and interpretation have ceased (1 Cor 13:8‑11). Modern displays of these supernatural gifts violate the Biblical pattern and must be considered counterfeits of the true gifts. God tells us that Satan also deceives through signs, powers, and wonders (2 Thess 2:19). The standard for judging all gifts must be the Word of God and not personal experience. Although the gift of healing is no longer given, God does still hear and answer the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted in accordance with His own will (Jn 15:7; 1 Jn 5:14‑15; Js 5:15).

5. ANGELOLOGY (Study of Angels)

Existence. We believe in the existence of a superior creation called angels now divided into two categories known as the "Elect" and "Fallen." Fallen angels are further divided into two sections: imprisoned and free (demons). (1 Tim 5:21; Mki 8:38; 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6; 1 Tim 4:1).

Creation. We further believe that these angels were created after God created the universe and before he created man (Ez 28:13; Job 38:6‑7).

Angelic Conflict. The Bible reveals a conflict between Satan and his forces (the Fallen Angels) and Michael, the Archangel, and his forces (the Elect Angels). This conflict is mirrored in and resolved by the exercise of human volition in obedience to God’s Word for salvation and fellowship. Angels learn about the wisdom and grace of God by observing man (Rev 12:1ff; 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Pet 1:12; Lk 15:10; Eph 3:10).

Satan. God’s Word reveals the personality and program of Satan, the leader of the Fallen Angels. His falls and future confinement in the Lake of Fire with all Fallen Angels and unbelieving humans to experience everlasting conscious torment are clearly set forth in the Word (Isa 14:12‑14; Ez 28:12‑17; Job 1:6‑7; Rev 12:7‑9; Rev 20:10).

6. ANTHROPOLOGY (Study of Man)

Creation. We accept the Genesis account of creation in which God created the universe out of nothing by His spoken word, and of the six consecutive days there recorded (Gen 1:1ff; Psa 33:6, 7).

The Fall. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature and became alienated from God (Gen 1:26‑27; Rom 3:22‑23; 5:12; Eph 2:12).

Total Depravity. In this state man is totally unable to retrieve his lost condition apart from God’s grace (Rom 4:4‑5; Titus 3:5; Isa 64:6).

7. HAMARTIOLOGY (The Study of Sin)

We believe the Scriptures describe three categories of sin: Imputed Sin, Inherent Sin and Personal Sin.

Imputed Sin. At birth every member of the human race shares in the responsibility and penalty for Adam’s sin (Rom 5:12; 5:18‑19; 1 Cor 15:22).

Inherent Sin (Old Sin Nature). Through the human father every person inherits a capacity which entices and enables man to commit personal acts of sin (Rom 7:17‑18; Rom 6:6; Eph 4:22).

Personal Sin. These are those acts of sin (sins) that fall into three categories:

1. Mental Attitude Sins (2 Cor 10:5).

2. Sins of the tongue (Js 3:5‑6).

3. Overt Sins (Rom 6:12‑13).

They are the product of the Old Sin Nature.

8. SOTERIOLOGY (The Study of Salvation)

Genuine Offer of Salvation. Since God is unable to be unfair to any person, loves all men equally, desires all men to be saved, is not willing that any should perish, invites all men to be saved, and atoned for the sins of the entire world. He has used the drawing ministry of Christ and the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit to make it genuinely possible for any member of the human race to receive the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 12:32; 16:7‑11; Acts 10:34‑35; Isa 45:21; Rom 8:32; Jn 3:16; Rom 5:8; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 2:2; 1 Jn 2:2; Acts 16:31).

Election. We believe that in eternity past God, because of His love for and foreknowledge of all those who would respond to His universal invitation to believe in Christ, provided for them to share His eternal destiny (Ps 2:9; 2 Tim 1:9; Eph 1:4; Rom 8:28‑30; 1 Pet 1:2). There is no contradiction between the sovereignty of God and the freewill of man because God sovereignly ordained man’ s freewill.

Mechanics of salvation. Salvation was provided totally by the death of Jesus Christ for the sins of all members of the human race as a free gift. Each person must decide either to reject or accept the offer by God of the gift of salvation (Eph 2:8‑10; Jn 1:12; Eph 1:7; 1 Pet 1:18‑19).

Eternal Security. Having decided to receive Christ as Saviour at one point of time, the Believer is kept secure forever and disciplined when necessary by the Father as a beloved child (Rom 8:38‑39; Heb 10:14; Jn 10:27‑30; Jn 3:3‑7; 1 Cor 12:12; Heb 12:6‑13).

9. ECCLESIOLOGY (The Study of the Church)

The Universal Church. We believe that the Church, which is the body and future bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born‑again Believers of this age irrespective of their affiliation with Christian organizations (Eph 1:22‑23; 5:25‑27; 1 Cor 12:12‑14; Eph 4:11‑16).

The Local Church. We further believe that the local Church is an assembly of Believers meeting together in a specified location for the purposes of worship, Bible study, prayer, fellowship and witnessing (Acts 2:41‑47; 1 Cor 11:23‑26).

Church Ordinances. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the ordinances of baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper, but that these in no way affect the salvation of man (Mat 28:19‑20; 1 Cor 11:23‑26).

1. Baptism. It is the command of our Lord Jesus Christ that every Believer who has accepted Christ as his Savior be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. This baptism in no way affects the salvation of the individual, but is designed to be a symbolic testimony of the identification of the Believer with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to new life. We further believe that the Scripture mode of baptism is immersion, being the truest picture of our Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection (Mt 28:19‑20; Mk 1:5; Mt 3:16; Acts 8:36‑39).

2. The Lord’s Supper. Our Lord also instituted the ordinance of the Lord’ s Supper, which is commanded for all Believers. The two elements of the Lord’s Supper, the bread and the wine, represent the physical and spiritual death of the Lord Jesus Christ, and remind the believer that Christ died for all men and that He will come again to receive His own. Scripture requires that a partaker of the Lord’s Supper be a Believer in Christ, and in fellowship with the Father through confession of known sins to Him (Lk 22:14‑20; Mt 26:26‑30; 1 Cor 11:23‑32). (This church practices open communion)

10. Eschatology (The Study of Prophecy and Last Things)

The Blessed Hope/Rapture. We believe in the fulfillment of prophecy by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to receive to Himself the dead in Christ and Believers who are alive at His coming, otherwise known as the Rapture and Translation of the Church (Tit 2:11‑14; 1 Thess 4:13‑18; 1 Cor 15:51‑57; Philip 3:20‑21; 1 Jn 3:2; Lk 24:36‑43).

The Tribulation. We believe that the Rapture of the Church will be followed by the fulfillment of Israel’s seventieth week, the latter half of which is the time of Jacob’s trouble, the great tribulation (Dan 9:27ff; Jer 30:7; Mt 24:15‑21; Rev 6:1‑17).

The Second Coming. We believe the great tribulation will be climaxed by the premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to set up His Kingdom for the millennium (a thousand years), Acts 1:11; 2 thess 1:7‑10; Zech 14:4‑11; Mt 24:27‑31; Rev 19:11‑20:10).

The Millennium. During the thousand years, Christ will reign over the nations of the earth with a rod of iron in righteousness and justice with peace (Rev 20:1‑10; Isa 9:6‑7).

The Eternal State. We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at the Rapture, when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory; but the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgement of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting torment from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (Lk 6:19‑25; 23:43; 2 Cor 5:8; Philip 1:23; 2 Thess 1:2‑9; Jude 5‑7; Rev 20:11‑15).