FBC Doctrinal Statement
Fellowship Bible Church Doctrinal Statement
1. The Bible – We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be verbally inspired by God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority for faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21)
2. The Godhead – We believe in one God who is Creator of Heaven and Earth; who is Spirit, love, and truth, eternal, almighty, infallible, and unchangeable, infinitely wise, just, and holy; and that God eternally exists in Three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1, 14, 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
3. Jesus Christ – We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the Eternal Word manifested in flesh. We believe that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and that He is true God and true man. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18, 3:16; Luke 1:30-35; Philippians 2:5-8)
4. The Death of Christ – We believe that according to the Scriptures the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him by grace through faith alone, are justified on the basis of His shed blood (Romans 3:25-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:5-19; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 1:7; Eph. 2:8-9).
5. The Resurrection of Christ – We believe that according to the Scriptures Jesus Christ arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He had lived and died. We believe that His resurrection body is the pattern of that body which, at the return of Christ, will be given to all resurrected believers (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:20; Acts 2:32; 1 Corinthians 15:23, 42-45; Philippians 3:20-21).
6. The Work of Christ – We believe that Jesus ascended to heaven and was seated at His Father’s right hand, assuring us of the perfection of His work of redemption, and that He now, as Head over the Church, is engaged on behalf of the saved as Intercessor and Advocate. (Hebrews 1:3, 13; Ephesians 1:22-23; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1)
7. The Return of Christ – We believe in our Lord’s personal, imminent, pretribulational, and premillenial return for His redeemed ones followed by His coming in glory to judge the rebellious and to establish His millennial reign on Earth. (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10; Matthew 24:29-31; Zachariah 14:4-11)
8. Man and Sin – We believe that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God and that he fell through sin, and as a consequence of sin, lost his spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and that he became subject to the power of the devil. We also believe that this spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature, was transmitted to the entire human race of man, the Man Jesus Christ alone being excepted; and hence that every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially corrupt in body, mind, and soul. (Genesis 1:26, 2:17, 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3, 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6, 5:40, 6:53; Romans 3:10-19, 8:6-7; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 5:6; 1 John 3:8)
9. Human Sexuality – We believe that God has ordained the institution of marriage, which is the union between one man and one woman. We further believe that God has reserved sexual acts for marriage, so the practice of sex outside the marriage is sin. (Genesis 2:18-25; Romans 1:24-32; I Corinthians 6:15-20)
10. Salvation – We believe that all who receive by faith Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and who confess Him as such, are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God. (John 1:12-13, 3:3-8, 16, 5:24; Romans 10:9-10, 8:16; Acts 16:31)
11. The Holy Spirit – We believe that the Holy Spirit, being the Third Person of the God- head, convicts men of sin, regenerates, indwells, baptizes, seals, and sets believers apart to a holy life; that He keeps and empowers believers day by day. We believe that He is the Teacher of the Word of God and our Guide for daily life. (John 16:7-11, 3:6, 14:17; I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 12:13; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; 1 John 2:20-27; 1 Peter 1:1; Romans 8:2, 4, 9, 12, 14)
12. Spiritual Gifts – We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts, and that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12)
13. Heaven – We believe that Heaven is the eternal home of bliss and glory for all who through faith have been made righteous before God. We believe that those who trust Jesus Christ as Savior are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, and will be eternally with Christ. We further believe that all of the righteous will be raised from the dead to reign with Christ and share in His glory (John 14:1-3; I Corinthians 15:20-23; Romans 8:16-18; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 21-22).
14. Hell – We believe that Hell is the eternal destiny of all the lost who are without Christ. We believe that the lost, because of their unbelief and sin, are under the just condemnation of God and will suffer everlasting, conscious punishment for sin. We further believe that they will be raised from the dead to stand before the Great White Judgment Throne of God to receive their final judgment (John 3:18; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15).
15. The Church – We believe that all believers in this present age comprise the Church in its universal and invisible aspects and are a part of the Body and Bride of Christ. We further believe in the local manifestation of the church, which is the center of God’s methods and plans for this age. The local church consists of a group of born again, baptized believers who have organized themselves according to the Scriptures for the purpose of edification, fellowship, observance of the ordinances, evangelization of the world (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 12:12-13,27). The two ordinances given to the local church by its Head, Jesus Christ are baptism and the Lord’s supper. These ordinances give witness to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and our identification with Him by faith.
*Baptism – Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, showing the solemn and beautiful picture of our identification with a crucified, buried, and risen Savior (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39).
*Communion- This symbolic communion of Christians with Christ at the
Lord’s Table is open to all born again believers who are in fellowship with God (Mark 14:22-25; I Corinthians 11:23-32).
16. Leadership – We believe that the local church is to be led by qualified, spiritually mature, male elders (I Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-4; Heb. 13:17; I Tim. 2:11).