Bible Doctrine: These are our convictions

Doctrinal Statement of John & Cathy O’Brien

Missionaries of: Faith Baptist Church

Charlotte, NC

Rick Baker, Pastor

Statement of Faith: We do not set aside or undervalue any other doctrine of the Bible, but the knowledge, belief, and practice of the Biblical truths as stated in this ‘Statement of Faith’ we deem necessary for sound doctrine.

I. Of the Scriptures

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by Holy Spirit-controlled men who were moved by the Holy Ghost to write the Divinely inspired words; that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; that it therefore is and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the Will of God to man; and that it is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

A. By ‘The Holy Bible’, we mean that collection of sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation which as originally written does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but is the very Word of God.

B. By ‘inspiration’, we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired.

C. We recognize that the King James Version is trustworthy, accurate, and reliable as being true to the original Rabbi Ben Chayyim Masoretic Hebrew & Textus Receptus Greek text, and is our only Bible for native English-speaking peoples.

(Ps.12:6,7; 119:9,11,105; Prov.30:5,6; Isa.8:20; Lk.24:44,45; Jn.17:17; 2Tim.3:16,17; 2Peter1:19-21; Rev.22:18-20)

II. Of the True God

We believe that God is supreme in His person, eternal in His being, absolute in His attributes, glorious in His perfection, and sovereign in His will. God is the Creator of man and the entire universe, and He upholds all things by the Word of His power. We also believe in the Trinity. The Father is the fullness of the Godhead invisible; the Son is the fullness of the Godhead manifested; and the Holy Spirit is the fullness of the Godhead in His executive agency. Regarding the Trinity, they are co-equal in being, co-identical in nature, and co-equal in power and glory. God in His person possesses Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, and Immutability. (Gen.1:1,26; Mt.3:16,17; 28:19; 1Cor.12:4-6; 2Cor.13:14; Eph.2:18; 1Jn.5:7)

A. Person and Work of God the Father

We believe in God the Father, who is perfect in holiness, boundless in love, infinite in wisdom, and measureless in power. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; He hears and answers prayer, and He saves by faith those who come to Him through Jesus Christ His Son. (Ps.99:9; 147:5; Isa.44:24; Jn.3:16; Jn.14:13,14; 1Peter 3:18)

B. Person and Work of God the Son

We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God; that He pre-existed with the Father and became sinless man, without ceasing to be God. He was begotten of the Holy Spirit, in a miraculous manner; born of the virgin Mary, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. (Isa.7:14; Mt.1:18-25; Lk.1:35; Jn.1:1,2)

We believe that He was sinless in His nature and life, and infallible in His teaching; He accomplished our redemption, making atonement for our sins through His substitutionary death on the cross of Calvary according to the Scriptures; and He made sure our justification by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead on the third day. (1Cor.15:3,4; 1Peter 2:24; Rom.4:25; 1Jn.2:2; 2Cor.5:21; Gal.1:4)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9,10; Heb.9:24; Rom.8:34; 1Jn.1:1,2)

We believe in the "Blessed Hope", the personal, imminent, pre-Tribulation and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed one; and in His subsequent return to the earth with His saints to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (Titus 2:13; 1Thess.1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Zec.14:4; Rev.3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

C. Person and Work of God the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person of the same nature and equal with God the Father and God the Son, that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains Satan until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness; 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 indwells all believers at the very moment of salvation and is their sole constant source of strength and power; that He seals, guides, teaches, comforts, sanctifies, and helps the believer; and that He witnesses and glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 5:3,4; Jn.14:16,17; 14:26; 16:8-15; Rom.8:16; 8:26,27; 2Cor.1:22; 2Cor.5:5; 1Peter 1:2; Eph.1:13)

III. Of Salvation

We believe that salvation of sinful man is wholly by God's grace and not by man's works; that Jesus Christ came into the world to make full payment for the sins of the entire world, and thereby makes forgiveness available to all sinners by His shed blood, His vicarious death on the cross, bodily resurrection from the grave, and ascension into Heaven; that man must personally 'repent' of his sins [meaning 'change his mind' about his sinful condition and eternal destiny to Hell as a lost sinner including his inability to save himself by any meritorious work] and accept by faith Jesus Christ as His personal Saviour to receive the unconditional gift of eternal life and power over sin; that believers are indwelt immediately by the Holy Spirit of God upon faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary; that man can be saved only once and that there is no other way of salvation for sinful man. Salvation is available to ‘whosoever will’, not to a select few. Salvation is by faith/believing in God's only provision for man's sin: the completed work of His Son Jesus Christ on the Cross.

(Rom.4:4,5; Eph.2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Jn.1:12,13; 5:24; 6:47; 1Jn.5:13)

IV. Of Eternal Life

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept eternally by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe once saved-always saved. (Jn.3:16,36; 5:24; 10:27-30; 1Jn.2:24,25; 5:11-13; 1Peter1:5; Jude 24)

V. Of BAPTIST Distinctive

We believe and defend the Baptist distinctive for it’s adherence to the fundamentals of the faith.

B: Bible—The King James Bible is our sole & final authority for all faith and practice.

A: Autonomy of the Local NT church (outside of any Convention).

P: Priesthood of the believer; Pre-Tribulational & Pre-Millennial.

T: Two ordinances: Baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper.

I: Individual soul liberty.

S: Separation: personal & ecclesiastical. Also Security of the believer.

T: Two Officers: Pastor & Deacon.

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Last modified: 2008