Below is FBCA’s Statement of Faith — the foundation for our beliefs — as well as corresponding Biblical references. Our beliefs are broken down into the following topics:
We believe that the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God and without error in the original manuscripts and that the Bible is the final authority in all matters about which it speaks.
We believe that the Bible is usually to be interpreted in a normal and literal way and that it is understood as the believer is guided by the Spirit of God.
We believe in one God eternally existing in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that God the Son became flesh in Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and who is both God and man. While on earth He became the only person ever to live a sinless life.
We believe that God the Holy Spirit is a person. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell him fully and permanently.
We believe that angels are powerful spirit beings who are distinct from human beings. Some angels carry out the purposes of God while others (who sinned and fell from heaven) serve Satan, who is himself an angel.
We believe that the first man and woman were created in the image of God and thus man has great value in God’s sight. But man sinned and consequently experienced not only physical death, but also spiritual death (which is separation from God).
The consequences of this sin affect the entire human race. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and reveal this nature by committing acts of sin. Though sinful humans are able to do some works in the eyes of other people, yet as to their spiritual standing before God all are lost apart from the atoning work of Christ.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and then eternal suffering apart from God.
We believe that whoever trusts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord becomes a child of God. This salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit. In becoming a Christian a person acknowledges his own spiritual bankruptcy (his inability to meet the righteous demands of a holy God) and places his trust for salvation in Jesus Christ who died in his place, paying the penalty for his sin.
We believe that Jesus Christ died as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, of His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us.
Jesus now serves as high priest, intercessor, and advocate on our behalf with the Father.
We believe in the personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ in the glory of His Father to set up on earth a kingdom in which He shall reign in righteousness and peace.
We believe that all true believers are kept eternally secure by the power of God through the new birth, the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Christ.
We believe that all believers still encounter indwelling sin and spiritual warfare in this life, but that from the moment of salvation God has made provision for believers to resist these and to live for God through identification with Christ, a knowledge of the Bible, the fellowship of other Christians, and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We do not believe sinless perfection is possible in this life.
We believe that the purpose of the church is to glorify God by building up each member of the body and by making Christ known to the whole world. Every Christian shares in this purpose. In relation to the world, believers are sent by Christ to communicate to unbelievers that God is reconciling the world to Himself through Christ.
We believe that all believers are able, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, to make progressive steps of growth toward spiritual maturity. Within the unity of the body of Christ there is also a diversity expressed by special abilities (spiritual gifts) given to each believer by God. There are no superiors or inferiors in the body of Christ.
We believe that the church in its invisible form is universal, the true body of Christ. All who believe in Jesus Christ are members of the universal church regardless of organizational affiliation.
We believe that Christ ordained the observance of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper until He returns.
We believe in the imminent, visible return of Christ for the church. All members of the body of Christ, living or dead, will at that time be caught up to be with the Lord forever.
We believe that the local church is to be ruled by elders having equal authority. The elders are assisted by other leaders when necessary to carry out the ministry, all of whom are selected according to standards expressed by the New Testament.
We believe in the unity of the local church and therefore reject an emphasis on, or teaching of, minor or unclear doctrines in a way that threatens division.
We believe the local church should be a witness to the contemporary world and that, without compromising biblical absolutes, its ministry, worship, and teaching should creatively adapt to the particular culture it feels called to reach.