While FBS encourages and will facilitate theological inquiry, we do not believe that theological inquiry can be pursued in boundless directions. Thus, the following doctrinal statement has been adopted by our institution.
These articles of faith do 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 that we believe.
We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of God through Spirit-controlled men and thus is sufficient for all doctrine, faith, and practice. Inspiration insures the historicity of the Bible including the creation account in Genesis whereby God created the universe in six days, a literal Adam and Eve as the parents of all mankind, a literal fall, and a universal flood. We believe that the canon of Scripture, consisting of the 66 books of the Bible is God’s completed revelation to man for this age.
We believe that there is only one living and true God who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and the Giver and Sustainer of life. The Holy Scriptures, creation, and the conscience of man testify to the existence of God. We believe that God is one essence existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices. His ultimate plan will consummate in the glorification of Himself to the entire created order.
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the predicted Messiah of the Old Testament, the Christ, and the Son of the living God. We believe in His virgin birth, absolute deity, absolute humanity, sinless perfection, voluntary humiliation, death, burial, resurrection and ascension into Heaven. He presently serves as high priest and advocate for God’s people. We believe that Christ is preeminent in all things and will return bodily to this earth to receive His kingdom and reign forever as King in a new heaven and new earth.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and Son, and of the same divine essence. His role is that of the application of God’s plan in history and redemption. Toward that end the Holy Spirit is instrumental in restraining evil, convicting of sin, judgment and of righteousness, bearing witness to the truth of the gospel, empowering the preaching and teaching of the gospel, regenerating believers, indwelling believers, sealing believers, baptizing believers, guiding believers, teaching believers, sanctifying believers, and gifting believers according to His will for the work of the ministry.
We believe that God created sinless, mighty, spiritual beings called angels to worship and serve Him in various ways including ministry unto God’s people. We also believe that Satan is a distinct personality who was once holy and enjoyed heaven’s honors, but fell through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty. Satan drew after him a host of angels and now serves as the malignant prince of the power of the air, the unholy god of this world, the great tempter of man, the enemy of God and His Christ, and the accuser of the saints. Although powerful and to be respected, he is not omniscient, omnipotent, nor omnipresent and cannot overcome the believer who is submitting in obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word in faith.
We believe that man was created in innocence and that by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and innocent state. Consequently, all men are now sinners by inheritance from Adam and by individual choice; and, until regenerated, are dead in sin. Thus mankind is under just condemnation without defense or excuse for his condition. We believe that man’s only hope of rescue from his state of death is through redemption in Jesus Christ.
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of God’s grace; and only through the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father, voluntarily took upon Himself the form of a man, was tempted in all points as we are yet without sin in nature or deed, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins. Jesus, having risen bodily from the dead, is now enthroned in heaven and is uniting tender sympathies with divine perfection so as to serve in every way as the suitable, compassionate, all sufficient Savior and the mediator for His believer priests.
We believe that in the new birth, the one dead in trespasses and sins is made spiritually alive and receives eternal life—the free gift of God. This new creation is brought about in a manner above comprehension, not by culture, or character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the Word of God to secure our voluntary obedience by faith in the gospel. We believe that every person, immediately upon acceptance of Christ as personal Savior and Lord, receives eternal life and is made at once a son of God, and that believers are kept by the power of God through faith in a state of grace, and are eternally secure apart from any human works.
We believe that biblical sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, the believer is set apart from sin, unto Christ, and has three aspects. First, the believer has been set apart positionally before God the moment he believes. Second, the believer is being set apart progressively in his walk day by day as he grows in grace toward the likeness of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means, especially the Word of God, self-examination, watchfulness, prayer and yielding to the Spirit through biblical change. Third, the believer is to be set apart prospectively from the very presence of sin when his sanctification is completed at the coming of Christ for the church.
We believe that the church universal is a New Testament institution, established by Jesus Christ, who is its sole Head. The church was revealed through the apostles, empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit and is Christ’s “body” for present service in the world and Christ’s “bride” for glory. The church began with the New Testament saints at Pentecost and will be consummated at the coming of Christ to receive His bride.
We also believe that the church universal is manifested through the local church which is a congregation of baptized believers, associated together by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel. The local church is to be observing the ordinances of Christ which consist of,
(1) Baptism, the singular post-salvation immersion in water of a believer and
(2) the Lord’s Supper, the commemoration of our Lord’s death until He comes, by the sacred use of broken bread and the freshly pressed juice of the vine as symbols of the price He paid for us.
We believe that the local church’s Scriptural offices are those of pastors (also called “elders” or “bishops” in the NT) and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. Each local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit’s direction by the Word.
The true mission of the church is expressed in the New Testament and abbreviated in Matthew 28:19, 20 and Ephesians 4:11-16. It consists of going into the entire world and bearing witness of Christ in order to bring the gospel to all people and make disciples of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We believe that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate in this purpose with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel and that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation.
We believe that Jesus Christ will return bodily to this earth to receive His saints including the resurrection of the righteous dead whereby they will all receive an eternal body designed for eternal dwelling in the presence of God. Christ will reign forever as King in a new heaven and new earth.
We also believe in the bema seat judgment for believers. Based on their response to God’s Word, believers will be evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ for reward or loss. We believe in the Great White Throne Judgment of the unsaved. We believe in a literal hell and the new heaven and new earth.
We believe that marriage was created by God and is a holy and divinely established covenant between one (genetically male) man and one (genetically female) woman to be a representation of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His church. Marriage is the bond that joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God created sexual intimacy to be enjoyed exclusively between one man and one woman who are married to one another. Sexual intimacy outside the marriage relationship is sinful and offensive to God and any form of sexual immorality, including but not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, prostitution, pedophilia, premarital sexual intimacy, cross dressing, sexting or any attempt to change one’s gender, or disagree with one’s biological gender, is sinful and offensive to God. We also believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 15:19, 19:4; Mark 10:7; Rom. 1:21-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-20; Eph. 5:31; Heb. 13:4; 1 John 1:9)
We believe that the roles of husband, wife, parent, and child are clearly defined in Scripture. (Ephesians 5:21-32; Colossians 3:16-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
We believe that sexual relationships are sacred and fulfilling only within the bonds of marriage, and are condemned outside the marriage relationship. (1 Corinthians 7:3, 4; Hebrews 13:4)
We believe that children are a blessing of God and the responsibility for them rests solely upon the parent and they are to be brought up in loving, structured control and conscientious instruction in the truths of God and His principles of life. (Psalm 127:3; Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:6, 7; Psalm 78:4-7; Proverbs 22:6; Proverbs 17:6)
We believe that while we would not minimize the struggles that some experience with gender identity, that God created humanity with specific gender identity and that he continues this process through biological reproduction; that genotypic gender, and not feelings, determines gender identity; and that God makes no mistakes. (Numbers 23:19; Psalms 145:17; Isaiah 46:9-10)
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, and proper respect and dignity. Hateful and harassing speech, behavior or attitudes contrary to Scripture directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with the doctrines or practices of Faith Church. (Romans 12:9-21; Ephesians 4:29-5:2)
We believe that in order to preserve the function, integrity and purity of Faith Bible Seminary as a ministry of Faith Church—a local body of Christ—and to provide a biblical role model to Faith Bible Seminary constituents, Faith Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Faith Bible Seminary and/or any of its ministries in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, must agree with and abide by this Statement on Marriage & Sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly.
We believe that 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 death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. This affirmation does not suggest that we oppose capital punishment or just war. (Psalm 139; Genesis 9:5-6; Matthew 26:52; Romans 13:1-4
We believe that the Scriptures, given by God, are sufficient for life in that they, when properly interpreted, reveal to the believer all the data necessary for one to understand his need for Christ, how he can please the Lord, and how to live in a God-honoring way regardless of the circumstances, whether comfortable or oppressive. The Scriptures are also the authoritative source with which all truth claims including claims made by science (e.g. psychology) and history must be evaluated. As a result, we reject all counseling theories that use presuppositions, principles, and/or methodologies that are inconsistent with the proper interpretation of the biblical text.
We also believe that genuine heart change is totally dependent on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Thus, our view of counseling practice includes the importance of prayer, dependence on God, a thorough knowledge of the Word of God, and an understanding of ministering to people.