What We Believe

The Word of God. We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as a revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in faith and life. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:19-21)

The Trinity. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God, sharing the same nature and attributes. (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Mt 3:16-17; 28:19)

God the Father. We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in affairs of men, hears and answers prayers, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Jn. 16:23-27; Gal 4:4-6; Eph. 1:3; 17-23)

God the Son. We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son. He is truly God and truly man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We also believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal, visible return from heaven. (Mt. 1:18-23; Lk. 24:1-8; Jn. 1:1, 14; Acts 1:11; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Heb. 4:14-16; 7:24-25; 1 Jn. 2:1; Rev 19, 20)

God the Holy Spirit. We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God. He regenerates, baptizes into the body of Christ, indwells every believer, guides and empowers believers, and gives gifts to all believers to be used in ministry so that the church fulfills its mission on earth. (Mt. 28:19; Jn. 3:5; 16:13; Acts 1:8 ;5:3-4; 1 Cor. 6:11, 19; 12:4-13; Eph. 3:16; 4:1-16)

Man. We believe God created man, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. We further believe that man, because of his fall in Adam, is a sinner by nature and choice and is therefore spiritually dead, in need of salvation. (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7-3:19; Rom. 3:23; 5:12-21; 6:23)

Sanctity of Human Life. We believe all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Ps. 139.)

Salvation. We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God, was purchased by Christ on the cross, and is received by man through faith, apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. Salvation results in righteous living, good works, and proper social concern. (Jn. 1:12; 3:3-7; 5:24; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Tim. 2:5)

Church. We believe that the church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head. The true church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This body expresses itself in local assemblies whose members have been baptized upon a credible confession of faith and have associated themselves for worship, instruction, evangelism, and service. We believe the
ordinances of the local church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and the mutual submission of believers to each other in love. (Mt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:41-47; Eph. 5:21; Col. 1:18; Heb. 10:24-25)

Separation of Church and State. We believe that each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any external (outside of the church) or political authority. We further believe that every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life and each should be free to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. (Mt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1; 1 Tim. 2:1-6)

Christian Conduct. We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in his life. The believer should live blamelessly before the world, be a faithful steward of his possessions, and seek to obtain for himself the full stature of maturity in Christ. (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 1:28; 1 Tim. 6:6-9; 1 Pet. 1:14-15)

Marriage and Sexuality. We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

Last Things. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal conscious existence of all men either in heaven or hell, and in divine judgments, rewards, and punishments. (Jn. 5:29; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 15:51-58; 2 Cor. 5:6-10; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 2 Jn. 8; Revelation 19, 20)

Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct. The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all we believe. For purposes of FBCM’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our pastor and or trustees is FBCM’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s application.