Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of Fishing Creek Arbor Baptist Church based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
God
Bible
There is only One True & Living GOD Who exists in three Persons. GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON (JESUS CHRIST), GOD the HOLY SPIRIT. Without division of being, essence or nature. (Deut. 6:4, John 1:1, 14)
Discipleship
We encourage the continued growth of all believers and we facilitate, teach, mentor and provide every opportunity possible through the church. (Titus 2, 2 Pet. 3:18)
Everything we do must be based on the Bible which is the inherent, infallible, inspired Living Word of GOD. (2 Tim. 3:16, Heb. 4:12)
Evangelism
Our most important assignment is to carry out the great commission given by CHRIST, which is to share the gospel with all people (regardless of race, ethnicity, economic status, etc.) and bring as many possible into a relationship with JESUS CHRIST
(Matt. 28:19-20)
Family
Prayer
We believe that marriage is the union between one man and one woman intended until death as ordained of GOD. That children are an heritage (gift) of the LORD and it is our duty to assist families in every way possible to help build a foundation of CHRIST and HIS Word for children to be raised upon. It is the Churches duty to minister to all families in every way that is possible with the love and compassion of CHRIST. (Matt. 19:5-6, 14)
Prayer is the essence of our connection and communion with GOD. We will support & encourage public, private, congregational and intercessory prayer through the church. We teach and encourage the importance of daily, individual prayer and time alone with GOD. (Matt. 6:7-13, 1 Thess. 5:17)
Worship
Ministry
We will support and encourage the importance of Worship and provide worship opportunities as much as possible to individuals, families and the church. (John 4:23-24)
It is every member’s duty and privilege to carry out the ministry of CHRIST. Every believer has a Spiritual Gift (s) and is taught, encouraged and given the opportunity to walk in those gifts for the edification of the Body of CHRIST (the church).
(Rom. 12:4-8, 1Cor. 12, Eph. 4:11-12)
Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings; faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love, to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
Statement of Faith
Section 1: The Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is, in its entirety, the verbally inspired Word of God. It is God's revelation to man, inerrant as originally written by Spirit-controlled men. We believe the Bible to be the center of true Christian unity and the supreme and final authority against which all matters of doctrine, faith, human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tested. (Exodus 20:1; 32:16; Jeremiah 30:2; Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
Section 2: The Godhead (Trinity)
We believe there is one and only one living and true God. He is eternally existing in three persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe they each have precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections. They are each worthy of precisely the same honor, confidence, and obedience. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; 1 Peter 1:2)
God the Father
We believe God the Father is an infinite, eternal, sovereign Spirit Who is absolutely holy and self- existent. He is the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth. He is worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love. (Exodus 15:11; 20:2-3; Psalm 90:2; 147:5; Jeremiah 10:10; Mark 12:30; Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 4:11).
God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ eternally existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit conceived His incarnation in a miraculous manner. He was born of the virgin Mary as no other man was ever born nor can ever be born. Jesus Christ is both true God and true Man. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8-9)
We believe that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and as a substitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. We believe He arose bodily from the dead on the third day in the same body in which He suffered and died. (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-5)
We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord Who ascended into Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He is our High Priest and Divine Advocate with the Father. We believe that, by His finished work on the cross and His unceasing ministry of intercession in Glory, Jesus Christ has procured for every believer eternal redemption, eternal salvation, and everlasting life. (Mark 16:19; John 3:16; Romans 5:8-9; Hebrew 5:9; Hebrew 7:25; Hebrew 8:1; Hebrew 9:11-12 and 1 John 2:1)
We believe in the Blessed Hope, the personal, pre-tribulation, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which is known as the Rapture of the Church. We also believe in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth with His saints at the end of the Great Tribulation. This phase of His coming is known as the Revelation of Jesus Christ. When He returns to the earth with His saints, we believe that Jesus Christ will establish His millennial Kingdom and will reign for one thousand years. (John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Titus 2:13; Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 20:1-6)
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son in every way. He was active in the creation of all things. We believe that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled. He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony. He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He regenerates the sinner by the Word of God. He permanently indwells the Church and the body of each believer. He seals, enlightens, instructs, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps every born-again believer. He is the efficient power for godly living, Christian service, and spiritual worship. (Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; Luke 24:49; John 3:5-7; 14:16,17,26; John 16:7-15; Acts 5:30-32; 11:16; Romans 8:14,16,26,27; Romans 15:19; 1 Corinthians 2:10,11; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30, Hebrews 9:14).
Section 3: The Devil (Satan)
We believe that Satan is a personal being, the author of sin, a fallen angel, prince of demons, the great enticer and deceiver, the adversary of Christ and His people, the accuser of the brethren, and the ruler of all the powers of darkness. He is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 25:41; 2 Corinthians 4:3- 4; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9-10; Revelation 20:10)
Section 4: The Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of creation as being neither allegory nor myth, but a literal. historical account of the direct and immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process. We believe God brought all creation into being in six literal 24-hour days and that He rested on the 7th day. We also believe that God's Word is a complete and chronological record from creation to the birth of Christ. We further believe that from the time of Christ until now God has continued to provide complete and chronological evidence through the writers of history. Therefore, we believe creation to be approximately 6000 years old. Man, spirit, soul, and body. were created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve-the first parents of the human race. (Genesis 1 and 2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16.)
In this Statement of Faith, our Constitution, and all other documents, policies, and ministries of Fishing Creek Arbor Baptist Church, wherever the word "man/men" appears, it shall always mean a person who is born, according to God's sovereign plan and design, male; and wherever the word "woman/women" appears, it shall always mean a person who is born, according to God's sovereign plan and design, female.
Section 5: Marriage and Family
We believe that the term 'marriage' has only one meaning: A life-long covenant, sanctioned by God, that joins one man and one woman, who were each born as a man and a woman, in a single, exclusive union, as spoken and described by God in Scripture. We believe that God's design for the family starts with marriage. (Genesis 2:18-25; Leviticus 18:1-30; Matthew 19:3-9; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 7:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
We further believe the wedding ceremony is an act of worship before God where one man and one woman are joined in holy matrimony.
We believe that God instituted the family for the well-being of mankind and designed it to be a unit of order and blessing. We also believe that the husband is to be the head of the home and, together with his wife, has the responsibility to bring up their children in the caring guidance, counsel, and discipline of the Lord. We believe that God's design for the family is modeled in the leadership of the church. (Ephesians 5:21-6:4)
Section 6: The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created innocent, in the image of God, and under His law; Adam fell from his sinless state by voluntary transgression and all men sinned in him. The consequence of that sin causes all men to be totally depraved and partakers of Adam's fallen nature. We are sinners by nature and by conduct. Therefore, we are under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (Genesis 1:26-27; 3:1-6; 3:24; John 3:1-21; Romans 1:18, 32; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 5:12, 19)
Section 7: The Atonement for Sin
We believe that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly of grace through the intervention of the Son of God. Christ, by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our nature, yet was without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and His substitutionary atonement for our sins. 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. Christ, the Lord, bore our sin in His own body on the cross-the just dying for the unjust. (Isaiah 53:4-7; John 3:1-21; Acts 4:12; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:10; Romans 3: 23-25; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10)
Section 8: Resurrection and Priesthood
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ and in His ascension into Heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest. (Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6; Luke 24:39; Luke 24:51; John 20:27; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:4; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17: Hebrews 5:9-10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 12:2; 1 John 2:1)
Section 9: Grace and the New Creation
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be "born again". The new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus. It is instantaneous and not a process. The new birth of the one who was dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God. Our sovereign God brought about our new creation in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth. Evidence of our new creation appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life. (John 3:3-8; Acts 16:30-32; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:1).
Section 10: Justification
We believe that justification is the judicial act of God declaring us to be righteous through faith in Christ Jesus. Justification includes the pardon of sin and the imputation of God's righteousness. It is bestowed solely through the Redeemer's shed blood and not because of any works we have done. (Isaiah 53:11; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:22-24; Romans 5:1-21; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Section 11: Repentance
We believe that repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God brought about by the Holy Spirit. Repentance is characterized by godly sorrow for sin which is offensive to God and destructive to the soul. True repentance is inseparably related to true faith causing one to purposely turn away from sin and move instead toward God as an act of faith. (Luke 13:1-3; Luke 15:7; Acts 8:22; Acts 20:21; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10)
Section 12: Faith and Salvation
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition for salvation. (John 3:15; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Section 13: Separation and Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God, and that the Scriptures clearly teach non-conformity to the world for every believer. It is clearly commanded of God that all believers should live lives of separation from all worldly and sinful practices and to be holy as He is holy. We believe positional sanctification occurs at the moment of regeneration and practical sanctification is to be progressive throughout the entire lifespan of the believer. God's provision for holy living is in the believer's identification with Christ as Savior, the indwelling Person and power of the Holy Spirit, the believer's submission to Him, and the powerful Word of God. (John 17:17; Romans 6:1-14; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24-25; Revelation 22:11)
Section 14: Adoption
We believe adoption means "to be placed as a son". It is more than just legal standing or even a change of nature. It is to become a part of God's family, which includes all the rights and privileges of that relationship. Furthermore, God's name is put upon us. We receive the spirit of adoption and we are enabled to come boldly to the throne of grace and cry 'Abba, Father'. We are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by God as by a Father. He never casts us off, but, as we remain sealed to the day of redemption, we inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation. This is a family that we are not born into-rather, the Father of this family willfully and purposefully brought us in. (Romans 8:14-17; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:1-2)
Section 15: The Security of the Believer
We believe that all who are truly born again are eternally kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ. (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6; Jude 1)
Section 16: The Church
We believe that the Church, which is the Body of Christ, was begun on the Day of Pentecost. It is composed solely of born-again believers who have been called out from among the Jews and Gentiles. All believers from Pentecost to the Rapture are added to the Church by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Christ, glorified in Heaven, is the Head of the Church. The Holy Spirit on earth is the active agent of the God-head, who constantly seeks within its ranks to bring about conformity and obedience to the Word of God and the will of God. Being one body unites believers to each other and to Christ. The Church's purpose of existence is to evangelize the world and complete itself through the winning of lost souls to Christ.
We believe that Christ's Universal Church is manifested through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers. The local church is:
We believe the true mission of the Church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. The one and only Head is Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is scriptural for churches to cooperate with each other in defending the faith and for the furthering of the gospel. Each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation. The will of the local church is final on all matters of membership, policy, procedure, government, discipline, and benevolence. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-47; Acts 15:13-18; Acts 20:17-28; Romans 1:16; Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:13-16; Ephesians 3:1-6; Ephesians 4:11-13; Ephesians 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:1-7)
Section 17: Ordinances
Baptism
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, under the authority of the local church. It is our conviction that water baptism has no saving merit. After one is saved, water baptism shows our faith and union in Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to a new life that exalts and glorifies Christ. Water baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of membership in the local church. We further believe that water baptism by immersion is a sign of identification and a testimony to the believer's new life in Christ. (Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:34-39; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:11-12).
The Lord's Supper
We believe that Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper to commemorate His death until He comes again. It is to be observed often, not only as a memorial of the body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also as a celebration of His imminent return to take His Church out of this world. It is to be preceded always by solemn self-examination. (Matthew 26:17-29; Acts 2:46; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-33)
Section 18: Missions
We believe that the Universal Church, which is Christ's body, has been given a mandate by Christ Himself to be God's missionary society to the entire world. The chief purpose for the existence of the New Testament Church is to evangelize the world and complete itself through the winning of lost souls to Christ. Therefore, we believe the Universal Church and this local church family are obligated to make every effort to evangelize all people everywhere, beginning in our homes, then reaching to our town, state, nation, and the entire world. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-48; Acts 1:8)
Section 19: Angels
We believe in the existence and personality of angels, both holy angels and fallen angels (demons). (Ezekiel 28:13-19; Matthew 25:41; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 2:13; Luke 9:26; Luke 10:18; Luke 15:10)
Section 20: Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society. Magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming King of kings. (Exodus 18:21-22; Exodus 22:28; 2 Samuel 23:3; Daniel 3:10-18; Matthew 22:21; Acts 4:27-29; Acts 5:29; Acts 23:5; Romans 13:1-7)
Section 21: Israel
We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God's eternal covenant people. She is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of Christ. She will be re-gathered in the Holy Land and, after the completion of the Church, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of Christ. (Genesis 13:14-17; Ezekiel 37; Romans 11:1-32)
Section 22: The Rapture and Other Future Events
We believe in the imminent return of Christ for His Church. At that moment, the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies. The living in Christ shall then be caught up to meet the Lord in the air without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seventieth week of Daniel. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10)
Section 23: The Eternal State of the Saved and The Lost
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men: the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6; Revelation 20:12-15)
We believe the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord. There they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ and to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8-10; Philippians 1:23; Philippians 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Revelation 20:4-6)
We believe the souls of unbelievers remain in conscious misery after death until the second resurrection when the soul and body are reunited and they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment. They shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting punishment. (Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15)
We believe that the Bible is, in its entirety, the verbally inspired Word of God. It is God's revelation to man, inerrant as originally written by Spirit-controlled men. We believe the Bible to be the center of true Christian unity and the supreme and final authority against which all matters of doctrine, faith, human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tested. (Exodus 20:1; 32:16; Jeremiah 30:2; Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
Section 2: The Godhead (Trinity)
We believe there is one and only one living and true God. He is eternally existing in three persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe they each have precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections. They are each worthy of precisely the same honor, confidence, and obedience. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; 1 Peter 1:2)
God the Father
We believe God the Father is an infinite, eternal, sovereign Spirit Who is absolutely holy and self- existent. He is the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth. He is worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love. (Exodus 15:11; 20:2-3; Psalm 90:2; 147:5; Jeremiah 10:10; Mark 12:30; Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 4:11).
God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ eternally existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit conceived His incarnation in a miraculous manner. He was born of the virgin Mary as no other man was ever born nor can ever be born. Jesus Christ is both true God and true Man. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8-9)
We believe that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and as a substitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. We believe He arose bodily from the dead on the third day in the same body in which He suffered and died. (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-5)
We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord Who ascended into Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He is our High Priest and Divine Advocate with the Father. We believe that, by His finished work on the cross and His unceasing ministry of intercession in Glory, Jesus Christ has procured for every believer eternal redemption, eternal salvation, and everlasting life. (Mark 16:19; John 3:16; Romans 5:8-9; Hebrew 5:9; Hebrew 7:25; Hebrew 8:1; Hebrew 9:11-12 and 1 John 2:1)
We believe in the Blessed Hope, the personal, pre-tribulation, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which is known as the Rapture of the Church. We also believe in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth with His saints at the end of the Great Tribulation. This phase of His coming is known as the Revelation of Jesus Christ. When He returns to the earth with His saints, we believe that Jesus Christ will establish His millennial Kingdom and will reign for one thousand years. (John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Titus 2:13; Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 20:1-6)
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son in every way. He was active in the creation of all things. We believe that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled. He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony. He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He regenerates the sinner by the Word of God. He permanently indwells the Church and the body of each believer. He seals, enlightens, instructs, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps every born-again believer. He is the efficient power for godly living, Christian service, and spiritual worship. (Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; Luke 24:49; John 3:5-7; 14:16,17,26; John 16:7-15; Acts 5:30-32; 11:16; Romans 8:14,16,26,27; Romans 15:19; 1 Corinthians 2:10,11; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30, Hebrews 9:14).
Section 3: The Devil (Satan)
We believe that Satan is a personal being, the author of sin, a fallen angel, prince of demons, the great enticer and deceiver, the adversary of Christ and His people, the accuser of the brethren, and the ruler of all the powers of darkness. He is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 25:41; 2 Corinthians 4:3- 4; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9-10; Revelation 20:10)
Section 4: The Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of creation as being neither allegory nor myth, but a literal. historical account of the direct and immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process. We believe God brought all creation into being in six literal 24-hour days and that He rested on the 7th day. We also believe that God's Word is a complete and chronological record from creation to the birth of Christ. We further believe that from the time of Christ until now God has continued to provide complete and chronological evidence through the writers of history. Therefore, we believe creation to be approximately 6000 years old. Man, spirit, soul, and body. were created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve-the first parents of the human race. (Genesis 1 and 2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16.)
In this Statement of Faith, our Constitution, and all other documents, policies, and ministries of Fishing Creek Arbor Baptist Church, wherever the word "man/men" appears, it shall always mean a person who is born, according to God's sovereign plan and design, male; and wherever the word "woman/women" appears, it shall always mean a person who is born, according to God's sovereign plan and design, female.
Section 5: Marriage and Family
We believe that the term 'marriage' has only one meaning: A life-long covenant, sanctioned by God, that joins one man and one woman, who were each born as a man and a woman, in a single, exclusive union, as spoken and described by God in Scripture. We believe that God's design for the family starts with marriage. (Genesis 2:18-25; Leviticus 18:1-30; Matthew 19:3-9; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 7:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
We further believe the wedding ceremony is an act of worship before God where one man and one woman are joined in holy matrimony.
We believe that God instituted the family for the well-being of mankind and designed it to be a unit of order and blessing. We also believe that the husband is to be the head of the home and, together with his wife, has the responsibility to bring up their children in the caring guidance, counsel, and discipline of the Lord. We believe that God's design for the family is modeled in the leadership of the church. (Ephesians 5:21-6:4)
Section 6: The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created innocent, in the image of God, and under His law; Adam fell from his sinless state by voluntary transgression and all men sinned in him. The consequence of that sin causes all men to be totally depraved and partakers of Adam's fallen nature. We are sinners by nature and by conduct. Therefore, we are under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (Genesis 1:26-27; 3:1-6; 3:24; John 3:1-21; Romans 1:18, 32; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 5:12, 19)
Section 7: The Atonement for Sin
We believe that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly of grace through the intervention of the Son of God. Christ, by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our nature, yet was without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and His substitutionary atonement for our sins. 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. Christ, the Lord, bore our sin in His own body on the cross-the just dying for the unjust. (Isaiah 53:4-7; John 3:1-21; Acts 4:12; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:10; Romans 3: 23-25; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10)
Section 8: Resurrection and Priesthood
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ and in His ascension into Heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest. (Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6; Luke 24:39; Luke 24:51; John 20:27; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:4; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17: Hebrews 5:9-10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 12:2; 1 John 2:1)
Section 9: Grace and the New Creation
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be "born again". The new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus. It is instantaneous and not a process. The new birth of the one who was dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God. Our sovereign God brought about our new creation in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth. Evidence of our new creation appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life. (John 3:3-8; Acts 16:30-32; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:1).
Section 10: Justification
We believe that justification is the judicial act of God declaring us to be righteous through faith in Christ Jesus. Justification includes the pardon of sin and the imputation of God's righteousness. It is bestowed solely through the Redeemer's shed blood and not because of any works we have done. (Isaiah 53:11; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:22-24; Romans 5:1-21; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Section 11: Repentance
We believe that repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God brought about by the Holy Spirit. Repentance is characterized by godly sorrow for sin which is offensive to God and destructive to the soul. True repentance is inseparably related to true faith causing one to purposely turn away from sin and move instead toward God as an act of faith. (Luke 13:1-3; Luke 15:7; Acts 8:22; Acts 20:21; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10)
Section 12: Faith and Salvation
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition for salvation. (John 3:15; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Section 13: Separation and Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God, and that the Scriptures clearly teach non-conformity to the world for every believer. It is clearly commanded of God that all believers should live lives of separation from all worldly and sinful practices and to be holy as He is holy. We believe positional sanctification occurs at the moment of regeneration and practical sanctification is to be progressive throughout the entire lifespan of the believer. God's provision for holy living is in the believer's identification with Christ as Savior, the indwelling Person and power of the Holy Spirit, the believer's submission to Him, and the powerful Word of God. (John 17:17; Romans 6:1-14; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24-25; Revelation 22:11)
Section 14: Adoption
We believe adoption means "to be placed as a son". It is more than just legal standing or even a change of nature. It is to become a part of God's family, which includes all the rights and privileges of that relationship. Furthermore, God's name is put upon us. We receive the spirit of adoption and we are enabled to come boldly to the throne of grace and cry 'Abba, Father'. We are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by God as by a Father. He never casts us off, but, as we remain sealed to the day of redemption, we inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation. This is a family that we are not born into-rather, the Father of this family willfully and purposefully brought us in. (Romans 8:14-17; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:1-2)
Section 15: The Security of the Believer
We believe that all who are truly born again are eternally kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ. (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6; Jude 1)
Section 16: The Church
We believe that the Church, which is the Body of Christ, was begun on the Day of Pentecost. It is composed solely of born-again believers who have been called out from among the Jews and Gentiles. All believers from Pentecost to the Rapture are added to the Church by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Christ, glorified in Heaven, is the Head of the Church. The Holy Spirit on earth is the active agent of the God-head, who constantly seeks within its ranks to bring about conformity and obedience to the Word of God and the will of God. Being one body unites believers to each other and to Christ. The Church's purpose of existence is to evangelize the world and complete itself through the winning of lost souls to Christ.
We believe that Christ's Universal Church is manifested through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers. The local church is:
- Fellowship of the gospel
- Observing the ordinances of Christ
- Governed by His laws
- Exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word
- Under the leadership of Pastors, Elders, and Deacons, whose qualifications and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.
We believe the true mission of the Church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. The one and only Head is Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is scriptural for churches to cooperate with each other in defending the faith and for the furthering of the gospel. Each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation. The will of the local church is final on all matters of membership, policy, procedure, government, discipline, and benevolence. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-47; Acts 15:13-18; Acts 20:17-28; Romans 1:16; Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:13-16; Ephesians 3:1-6; Ephesians 4:11-13; Ephesians 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:1-7)
Section 17: Ordinances
Baptism
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, under the authority of the local church. It is our conviction that water baptism has no saving merit. After one is saved, water baptism shows our faith and union in Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to a new life that exalts and glorifies Christ. Water baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of membership in the local church. We further believe that water baptism by immersion is a sign of identification and a testimony to the believer's new life in Christ. (Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:34-39; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:11-12).
The Lord's Supper
We believe that Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper to commemorate His death until He comes again. It is to be observed often, not only as a memorial of the body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also as a celebration of His imminent return to take His Church out of this world. It is to be preceded always by solemn self-examination. (Matthew 26:17-29; Acts 2:46; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-33)
Section 18: Missions
We believe that the Universal Church, which is Christ's body, has been given a mandate by Christ Himself to be God's missionary society to the entire world. The chief purpose for the existence of the New Testament Church is to evangelize the world and complete itself through the winning of lost souls to Christ. Therefore, we believe the Universal Church and this local church family are obligated to make every effort to evangelize all people everywhere, beginning in our homes, then reaching to our town, state, nation, and the entire world. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-48; Acts 1:8)
Section 19: Angels
We believe in the existence and personality of angels, both holy angels and fallen angels (demons). (Ezekiel 28:13-19; Matthew 25:41; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 2:13; Luke 9:26; Luke 10:18; Luke 15:10)
Section 20: Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society. Magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming King of kings. (Exodus 18:21-22; Exodus 22:28; 2 Samuel 23:3; Daniel 3:10-18; Matthew 22:21; Acts 4:27-29; Acts 5:29; Acts 23:5; Romans 13:1-7)
Section 21: Israel
We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God's eternal covenant people. She is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of Christ. She will be re-gathered in the Holy Land and, after the completion of the Church, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of Christ. (Genesis 13:14-17; Ezekiel 37; Romans 11:1-32)
Section 22: The Rapture and Other Future Events
We believe in the imminent return of Christ for His Church. At that moment, the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies. The living in Christ shall then be caught up to meet the Lord in the air without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seventieth week of Daniel. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10)
Section 23: The Eternal State of the Saved and The Lost
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men: the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6; Revelation 20:12-15)
We believe the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord. There they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ and to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8-10; Philippians 1:23; Philippians 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Revelation 20:4-6)
We believe the souls of unbelievers remain in conscious misery after death until the second resurrection when the soul and body are reunited and they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment. They shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting punishment. (Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15)