What do we believe?
The theology of FFWBC
God
We believe that there is only one true and living God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4) perfect in His nature, and all His attributes, existing eternally in three Persons – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14) equally deserving our worship and obedience.
God the Father
We believe that God the Father is revealed in nature as the Creator, Preserver, and Righteous Governor of the universe.
(Genesis 1:1-31; Ephesians 3:9)
We believe that He providentially cares for and governs all His creation in wisdom and mercy, for His own purposes.
(Psalm 22:28; Matthew 10:30; Acts 17:28; Ephesians 1:11)
We believe that God has given man the ability to make free moral choices exactly matched by his responsibility, and governs man by moral laws and motives. (Deuteronomy 30:19; Isaiah 1:18-20; John 5:40)
We believe that God knows all events that will occur, but His knowledge of them does not in any sense cause them, nor does He decree all events that He knows will occur.
(Ezekiel 33:11; Acts 15:18)
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, co-equal with the Father, and became God in human form.
We believe that the virgin-born Son of God died for our sins, was buried, rose from the dead, and is coming again.
We believe He is both fully God and fully man.
(Philippians 2:5-7; John 14:9; John 8:58; John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9)
We believe in the literal, bodily resurrection of Christ from the dead.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
We believe in the literal return of Christ as promised.
(John 14:1-6; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; 2 Peter 3:3-4, 10, 13)
Holy Spirit
We believe that those who receive Christ also receive the immediate indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit: He marks them as the possession of God, manifests the fruit of righteousness in their character, and endows them with spiritual gifts for ministry.
(2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural revelation of Himself to man, absolute in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without any error in its teaching. It is the sole guide of doctrine and church practices.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
Humanity
We believe in the historical creation of man in the image of God.
(Genesis 1:27, Matthew 19:4)
We believe in the sanctity of life and that life begins at conception.
(Psalm 139:13-16)
We believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that the homosexual lifestyle is outside of God’s plan for mankind.
(Genesis 2:24; Jeremiah 29:6; Isaiah 62:5; Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13)
We believe that all men are born with a sin nature and are unable to escape its influence in their own power.
(Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10, 23)
Salvation
We believe in the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross that is alone sufficient to atone for the sins of mankind.
(Isaiah 53:3-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8)
We believe in the final, inalterable assignment of all people to heaven or to hell at their time of death or at the time of Christ’s return.
(Hebrews 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 20:15; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
We believe that the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life are promised to those who trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
(John 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9)
We believe that it is within the power of man to accept or reject Christ as Savior and Lord.
(John 1:7,12;Hebrews 11:6, Romans 10:10)
We believe that those putting their trust in Christ should repent of their sins, publicly confess their faith, and follow in believer’s baptism.
(Acts 16:30-34)
We believe that full devotion to Jesus Christ is normal for every Christian.
(Matthew 16:24-27)
We believe that any saved person who has sinned but has a desire to repent, may do so and be restored to God’s favor and fellowship. Since man, however, continues to have free choice, it is possible because of temptations and the weakness of human flesh for him to fall into the practice of sin and to forfeit his faith and be lost. (Hebrews 6:4-6)
Baptism
We do not administer baptism to infants or to children who have not confessed faith in Christ, nor do we baptize by any mode other than immersion.
(Acts 8:35-38)
We would ask any believer who has not been baptized by immersion to submit to that New Testament form before becoming a member of First Free Will Baptist Church.
(Acts 2:38-39; Romans 6:3-4)
The Church
We believe the Church is a body of Christ-followers who should live in community. (Acts 2:44-47)
We believe that each believer should give a generous, intentional, regular, proportional gift of his or her income to God, through the local church, as a spiritual discipline.
We believe that the tithe (one-tenth) is the standard by which Christians determine if they are giving generously.
(Genesis 14:20; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 23:23; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
We believe the local church is an autonomous body that cooperates with many Christian agencies but is regulated or dominated by none.
(Ephesians 5:23b)
We believe the Church should seek unity with all believers in matters essential to the universal Christian faith, and contend for liberty in all matters wherein the Lord has not spoken through His Word.
(Ephesians 4:2-6)
We believe that we are “Christians only,” but not the only Christians.
(John 10:14-16)
We believe love is to be shown to all people as the central trait of the Christian faith. (John 13:35; 1 Peter 4:8)
We believe the mission of the church is to reach the spiritually lost for Christ, to teach with the goal of “forming Christ in them”, and then to mobilize believers to accomplish God’s purposes in the world.
(Matthew 28:18-20)
Spiritual Gifts
We believe that a spiritual gift is a special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer, to be used to minister to others and thereby build up the Body of Christ.
(1 Peter 4:10; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
We believe that in New Testament churches that were led by Apostles or by those specially empowered by the laying on of the Apostles’ hands, miraculous gifts were manifested.
(Acts 2:43; Acts 8:18; 2 Timothy 1:6)
We believe that in New Testament churches that lacked direct apostolic leadership, non-miraculous gifts prevailed: The miraculous gifts were not present.
(Acts 8:5-8, 14-17)
While we believe that God continues to answer prayer and work miracles today, we do not expect to see the miraculous spiritual gift manifested in the church because of the lack of apostolic leadership.
We ask that those who seek the miraculous gifts (e.g. speaking in tongues) not practice those gifts within our worship services or promote the exercise of those gifts among our members.
Prayer
We believe that God answers prayer, and as His sovereignty directs, sometimes in miraculous ways. We believe prayer is a spiritual discipline that should be taught and learned within the Body of Christ.
(Acts 1:14; Colossians 4:2; 1 John 5:14-15)
We believe the “will of God” is discerned through the direct teaching of the Scriptures as well as through prayer, wise counsel, and a careful consideration of circumstances.
(Proverbs 16:3; Proverbs 19:21; James 1:5; James 4:13-15; Romans 12:1-2)