What We Believe
Our statement of faith and core beliefs
The Word of GodCopied!
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the plenarily and verbally inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and, therefore, are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man, written by human authors, preserved, unbroken and passed down to us today. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. The King James Version of the Bible, based on the Textus Receptus manuscript, shall be the official and only translation used in the local church and ministries. (I Timothy 3:16; John 10:35; I Peter 1:19; II Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:89; 2 Peter 2:10)
Genesis Account of CreationCopied!
We believe the Genesis account of creation that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject Evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, Theistic evolution or any other teaching that does not follow the Genesis account as unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 1:1; Job 26:7; Psalm 33:6, 9; John 1:3; Colossians 1:17; Exodus 20:11)
TrinityCopied!
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Romans 1:7; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:1-3; Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 8:6; Deuteronomy 6:4; John 14:10, 26; II Corinthians 13:14)
Deity of ChristCopied!
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because of His character, His miracles, His influence, His power to forgive sins and set people free from Satan; and because He claimed to be and died making this claim and arose victorious over death. (Mark 12:6; John 5:22, 23; Matthew 26:64, 66; John 14:9; John 1:1; Hebrews 1:8; John 20:28; Romans 9:5; I John 5:1-5)
Substitutionary Death of ChristCopied!
Jesus took the sinner’s place, bore his sins, and met the penalty through His substitutionary death for all men. Jesus satisfied the law, becoming our accepted substitute. His righteousness, or His right doing, is imputed to us by faith. Therefore, we through Him are not bound by the law. Instead of merely covering the sins of man, the blood of Christ cleanses the believer. (Isaiah 53:5; Acts 20:28; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:28; I Peter 3:18; Matthew 26:28)
Salvation by Grace Through FaithCopied!
The sacrifice made by Jesus is the only basis for salvation, the only means of reconciliation, and the only ground of justification. We believe that no man cometh to God except through Jesus Christ. We hold and believe many important truths, but the most important to every individual is the personal salvation of his own soul. God’s order is salvation and then works. (Acts 4:12; I Thessalonians 5:9; Hebrews 5:9; John 12:46; John 20:31; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:9-10; Titus 3:5-8)
Heaven and HellCopied!
We believe that Heaven and Hell are real, literal, and physical places. Heaven is a place of indescribable beauty and glory, just as Hell is a place of indescribable torment and punishment. Throughout all eternity Heaven is the final eternal dwelling place of the saved, and the Lake of Fire is the final eternal dwelling place of punishment of the lost including total separation from God. (Matthew 6:20; Luke 10:30; John 14:2; Daniel 7:10; Isaiah 33:14; Matthew 13:42; Mark 9:41; Revelation 14:10)
Depravity of ManCopied!
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. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 6:5; Job 15:16; Psalm 14:3; Isaiah 1:6; Jeremiah 16:12; Matthew 23:28; Mark 9:41; II Peter 2:12; Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
The Holy SpiritCopied!
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer and that God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27; Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:4-11, 28; Ephesians 4:7-12; I Corinthians 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)
Rapture and Second ComingCopied!
We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His church (those that have received Him as Savior) prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Psalms 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zechariah 14:4-11; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
Baptism and the Lord’s SupperCopied!
We believe there are two ordinances of the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Scriptural baptism is the immersion of believers in water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, administered by the authority of a New Testament Church and is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and to the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial ordinance of the local church members according to the individual examinations and teaching of I Corinthians 11:17-34. The unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, grape juice, are to commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. This is a local church ordinance. Non-church members do not participate. We observe Close Communion where any attendee to a regular Lord’s Supper service may participate as long as they are a current member of Faith Baptist Church or a member of another church of like faith and practice. (Acts 8:38; Mark 1:9-10)
The Devil or SatanCopied!
We believe in the personality of Satan; that he is the god of this world, blinding the minds of them which believe not, and the author of all the power of darkness. We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors. But, through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels. Satan is the author of all false religions, the chief power of darkness—destined, however, to judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (Matthew 4:1-3; Revelation 20:1-3; II Corinthians 4:3-4; Revelation 20:10; I Peter 5:9; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17)
ResurrectionCopied!
We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He arose bodily “the third day according to the Scriptures” from the tomb, ascended bodily into the heavens, and through His resurrection a sure hope of immortality and everlasting life is given to all who have been saved by His grace. He is at the right hand of God as our Mediator, merciful and faithful High Priest, and advocate. (John 20; Hebrews 9:24; I Corinthians 15:12-28; Luke 24:1-7; Romans 4:25)
Eternal SecurityCopied!
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5; Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
The Great CommissionCopied!
We believe that the Great Commission to evangelize the world was given to the church by our risen Lord and that this evangelization is the mission of the church. The Great Commission was given to the local church who was commanded to “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Christ commanded His church to “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Acts 1:8)
SanctificationCopied!
We believe that sanctification is a personal separation from things that are unclean to things that are holy, clean, and sacred. Sanctification is a progressive work that is begun in regeneration and carried on in the hearts of the believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The sanctification of the believer will be complete at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, will we have entire sanctification or be sanctified wholly, body, soul, and spirit. (I Thessalonians 4:1-10; 5:23; I Corinthians 6:11; II Peter 3:18; II Corinthians 3:18; II Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:5)
The Local ChurchCopied!
We believe that the local church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11; Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4)