What We Believe

Building Lives On The Word Of God

God

We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit. The maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love. That in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Exodus 20:2,3; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7)

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son was infinite God, co-existent and co-equal with the Father; that He condescended to man but in His incarnation never lost any of His deity, that He was sinless and the Saviour of all mankind. (John 1:l~, John 10:30; Hebrews 1:1-3)

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the Creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. (John 14:16; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5,6; Ephesians 1:13; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:16; Romans 8:26,27)

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. While God may choose to grant physical healing in response to the prayers of believers, ultimate deliverance from sickness or death will occur when the believer passes from this life into eternity. (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)

The Scriptures

We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled man; and therefore, has truth without any admixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible is the Word of God and not that it just contains the Word of God. We believe it to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme stand. (II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:19-21)

We believe in the preservation of God’s Word through the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus. We believe that the King James Version is an accurate translation of God’s preserved Word, is God’s Word for English speaking people, and is the only version used in the ministry of Fellowship Baptist Church.

Salvation

We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only necessary and only condition of salvation.

Atonement

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust; Christ the Lord, bearing our sin in His own body on the tree, that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Saviour. (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Pnilippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; Romans 3:25; I John 4:10; I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21)

Justification

We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification. (a) That justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life, on principles of righteousness. (b) That it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed to us.

 

Eternal Security

We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6; John 10:28,29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1)

The Resurrection, Personal, Visible, Pretribulational, Premillenial Return of Christ and Related Events

  • We believe in the bodily resurrection (Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6)
  • The Ascension (Acts l:9-11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 9:28)
  • The High Priesthood (Hebrews 8:6; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1; Hebrews 12:24; Hebrews 5:9,10)
  • The Second Coming (John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16; James 5:8; Hebrews 9:28)
  • The Resurrection of the Righteous Dead (I Thessalonians 4:16-18; I Corinthians 15:42-44; I Corinthians 15:52)
  • The Change of the Living in Christ (I Corinthians 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; 8. Philippians 3:20-2l)
  • The Throne of David (Luke 1:32; Isaiah 9:6,7; Acts 2:29,30)
  • The Millennial Reign (I Corinthians 15:25; Isaiah 32:1; Isaiah 11:4,5 Psalms 72:8; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 20:6)

The Church

We believe that the local church is a congregation of immersed, born-again believers associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all man as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (Acts 2:41; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22,23; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 20:17-28; I Timothy 3:1-13; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23,24; Acts 15:13-18)