Services on Sunday at 10:30am
212 E Winnie Lane
WHAT WE BELIEVE
At Fellowship Bible Church, we believe that doctrine and theology matter. Here are the fundamental things we believe and teach, which are derived from historic Reformed theology and in line with the 1689 Confession (a historic Christian statement of faith).
OUR CORE BELIEFS
GOD
We believe in the only true God (John 17:3), the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). He created all things (Revelation 4:11) and upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is a God of truth and without iniquity, He is just and right (Deuteronomy 32:4) and He shall judge the world (Psalm 9:8). We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence and obedience (Mark 12:29;John 1:1-4; Matthew 29:19-20; Acts 4:3-4).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the total deity of the Holy Spirit and that His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14). The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner upon belief in Christ, baptizing the believer into one body of which Christ is the head. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, instructs, fills, comforts and empowers the believer for godly living (Mark 13:11; John 14:26; John 16:13; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of God’s righteousness and of coming judgment (John 16:8-11).
SALVATION
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice. We believe that each person who by faith receives Him as personal Savior is justified on the basis of Jesus Christ’s shed blood on Calvary. Each person who receives Christ as personal Savior is born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby becomes eternally secure as a child of God. We believe the Holy Spirit baptizes each believing person into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation and that there is no second baptism of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:37-39; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 12:13). We teach that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the total deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe He is the manifestation of God in the flesh. We believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We believe Him to be true God and true man (John 1:1, 1:14, 1:18; John 14:8-9; 1 Timothy 3:16).
THE BIBLE
We believe the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament are verbally inspired by God and inerrant in their original writings. We believe the 66 books of the Old Testament and the New Testament are God’s complete and sufficient revelation and therefore carry God’s authority for the total well-being of mankind (Psalm 119:97-104; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16).
HUMANITY
We believe man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker but, by voluntarily transgressing, fell from his sinless and happy state. Consequently, all mankind is sinful. All people are sinners not only by inheritance, but by their own choice and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse. We believe that without exception every man and every woman is totally depraved and needs a Savior (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 1:18, Romans 1:32; Romans 5:1-2).
HEAVEN, HELL, & THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe in the “blessed hope”: the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. His return has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The saved are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7) the lost are raised to eternal torment in hell in conscious separation from God. (Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28;Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8).
THE CHURCH
THE RESURRECTION
We believe in the resurrection of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven and His present life for us as High Priest and Advocate (Acts 1:3; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25-26).
MISSIONS
Realizing that the cause of Christ extends beyond any one local fellowship, we commit ourselves to an ongoing ministry of extending the call of Christ to make disciples locally and around the world (Matthew 28:19-20).
Upon accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, a believer becomes part of His body, which is the church. There is one church universal, composed of all those throughout the world who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scriptures command believers to gather in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of the ordinances (baptism and communion), fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world in fulfillment of the command of Christ to make disciples of all believers (Ephesians 5:23;Romans 12:1; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18-20). Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church – under the oversight of elders and other supportive leadership. The church’s members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ (Ephesians 4:16).
OUR DISTINCTIVES
THE 5 SOLAS
As Protestants, we emphasize the "5 Solas" of the Protestant Reformation. These crucial doctrines provide a robust and biblical understanding for salvation, the Christian life, and worship. The word "Sola" means alone in Latin, and describes the priority and preeminence of these doctrines.
Sola Scriptura (The Scriptures Alone)
As the Scriptures are God’s inspired and perfect Word, they alone are the Christian’s ultimate authority (2 Tim 3:15-17). All things must be compared to the Scriptures, and where there is disagreement with the Scriptures, the Scriptures prevail; the Scriptures themselves contain the message of salvation (Mt 22:29-31; Eph 2:20; Acts 28:23). This does not mean the Christian cannot benefit from the work of faithful men in ages past and present, but that these secondary writings are subordinate to the written Word of God.
Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone)
Our salvation is solely according to God’s grace. No person could merit God’s favor, forgiveness, or salvation (Gal 3:10-14). Instead, our salvation is God’s gracious gift, rooted in His own character and purpose (Rom 3:23-25; Gal 3; Eph 2:8-9)
Sola Fide (Through Faith Alone)
We receive the righteousness of Christ and are justified solely by faith alone (Gen 15:1; Jn 6:29; Rom 1:17, 4:1-25). Faith does not merit justification but is the channel by which that righteousness is received. Faith itself is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). Works (good deeds, baptism, communion, church membership, etc) do not merit salvation; the gift of salvation is only received through faith alone.
Solus Christus (In Christ Alone)
Jesus Christ is the only way, mediator, and accomplisher of our salvation (Lk 24:47; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim 2:5-6; Heb 8). By His perfect life, His substitutionary death, and His victorious life, He alone has obtained salvation for His people (Jn 14:6; Heb 7:25-26; 1 Jn 2:1-2). He alone provides access to God and serves as their Prophet, Priest, and King (Ps 110; Rom 5:2; Eph 2:18, 3;12) .
Sola Deo Gloria (For God’s Glory Alone)
The ultimate end of our salvation is God’s glory— Because salvation is His sovereign gift of grace, He alone receives the credit and the glory, and the purpose of the entire Christian life is the glorify God in all things (Jer 9:23-24; 1 Cor 1:18-31; 10:31; Eph 1:3-14; Col 3:17). Our salvation and life is not man centered, but God centered.
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE
We believe and teach the Doctrines of Grace. These doctrines, drawn out of Scripture, reveal the abundant and sufficient grace of God for the salvation of sinful people. These doctrines result in all glory being given to God.
Radical Depravity
Though Adam was created in righteousness and uprightness, due to his sin in the Fall, mankind has received not only his guilt but his sinful and corrupt nature (Rom 5:12-21). Therefore, though man can perform beneficial actions, all of his faculties are corrupted by sin. He is darkened in his knowledge of God and understanding of truth and seeks to reject God’s revelation of Himself in order to continue living in his sin (Rom 1:18-31). Man is born spiritually dead as children of wrath and wickedness (Eph 2:1-3; Tit 3:3). No person naturally seeks after God (Rom 3:9-20).
Unconditional Election
According to His mysterious will and gracious purposes, God chose individuals unto salvation from before the foundation of the world (Eph 3:4-5). This is what the Bible calls “election” or “predestination.” God makes this choice based not upon any unforeseen knowledge of what man will do or how man will respond to the Gospel, but upon His sovereign will (Rom 8:28-30, 9:11-18). A believer in no way merits his election. God does not start with humanity and condemn some to Hell before they were born and designate others to heaven; instead, God shows mercy to some and leaves others in their natural state of rebellion and sinfulness; this magnifies both His mercy and His justice (Rom 9:22-23; Jude 4). Furthermore, this doctrine of election should not hinder nor produce apathy in the Christian life but rather encourage it (2 Pet 1:3-11).
Particular Redemption
Christ’s death on the cross accomplished salvation for the elect rather than a potential salvation for an undefined number of people ( Mt 20:28; John 10:15; Acts 20:2; Eph 5:25). This is not to say that Christ’s death isn’t powerful enough to save the entire world, but rather that the atoning work of Christ’s death and the life-giving power of His resurrection are applied only to those who believe; those who believe are those who have been predestined to believe by God. Christ does not intercede for the whole world as high priest, but is a high priest on behalf of God’s covenant people (Heb 2:10-18).
The Spirit’s Effectual Call
The Gospel is to be proclaimed to the entire world (Acts 1:7-8). In this sense, there is a general calling found in the Scriptures: all men everywhere are commanded to repent and believe in Jesus (Acts 17:30-31). However, because of man’s deadness in sin and radical depravity, he cannot and will not respond to the Gospel in faith unless God effectually calls Him. God effectually calls His elect to salvation (John 10:1-42, Rom 8:30). This gracious calling does not leave the choice in man’s hands, but rather is God’s sovereign work in making His people alive with Christ upon hearing the Gospel (Eph 1:13, 2:4-6). In this way, the Spirit enables and causes the sinner to cooperate, believe, repent, and come freely and willingly to Christ. No-one can come to Christ apart from God’s drawing (John 6:44).
God’s Preservation of His People
God’s elect are kept by God’s preservation though the divine gift of faith (1 Pet 1:7). All whom the Father has given the Son will be brought by His providence and care to the end of their lives remaining in their salvation (John 6:44, 10:1-42). God promises to complete the good work begun in His people at their salvation (Phil 1:6). The Bible doesn’t teach that anyone who makes a mere profession of Christ can then live as they want and still expect salvation; instead, the Bible teaches that God will work in His people to produce fruits of righteousness (Gal 5:22-25; 2 Pet 1:3-11). Those who make professions of faith in Christ but then reject Him and apostatize were not recipients of His saving grace, but merely false converts (1 Jn 2:19).