DOCTRINE OF GOD

We believe that there is but one living, true, and eternal God, the Father; of whom are all things, from everlasting to everlasting, glorious and unchangeable in all His attributes.We believe that God is the only proper object of worship. The mode of His existence, however, is a subject far beyond the understanding of mankind. There is no thing in all creation that can adequately represent Him. He is the source of all existence, and the Scriptures teach that He is Spirit, present everywhere, all knowing, all powerful, independent, good, wise, holy, just, merciful, redeemer, Saviour, sanctifier, the judge of mankind and all other attributes ascribed to Him in the Bible.

DOCTRINE OF CHRIST

We believe that there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, who was truly God and truly man, whom God freely sent into this world, because of the great love wherewith He loved the world; and Christ as freely gave himself a ransom for all, tasting death for every man; who was buried and rose again the third day, and ascended into Heaven from whence we look for him the second time, in the clouds of Heaven, at the last day to judge both the living and the dead.

We believe that the Scriptures ascribe to Christ all the attributes of God.

DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that there is one Holy Spirit, the precious gift of the Father through his dear Son, who is the divine presence in our lives, who regenerates and sanctifies us, and whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ, and in whom we find our strength and help.

We believe that the Scriptures ascribe to the Holy Spirit all the attributes of God.

DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

We believe that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one God, without beginning or end, who is indivisible in His nature or being.

DOCTRINE OF MAN

We believe that in the beginning God created man in His own image and placed him in a state of glory without the least mixture of misery, from which he voluntarily by transgression fell, and by that means, brought on himself a miserable and mortal state subject to death. Unbelief is the reason why men are condemned in the sight of the just and righteous God.

We believe that the human will is always active and may rebel or respond to the call of Christ in His redemptive offer, that through the grace of God mankind may be saved.

DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church is the body of Christ, all Christians everywhere.

We believe that the local church is an organized body of believers in Christ who statedly assemble to worship God and who sustain the ordinances of the Gospel. The local church does not exist in isolation; rather, those churches who believe and practice the Original Free Will Baptist faith and order join together to form a denominational church. Neither the local church nor the denominational church exists independent of the other.

DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe these are the Old and the New Testaments, that they were written by holy men, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and are God’s revealed word to man. We believe that they are a sufficient and infallibly true rule and guide to salvation and all Christian worship and service.

DOCTRINE OF SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the restoration of man to his right relationship with God.

General Provision: We believe in the doctrine of General provision made of God in Christ, for the benefit of all mankind who repents and believes the Gospel.

We believe that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth, that they might be saved.

We believe that sinners are drawn to God the Father by the Holy Spirit through Christ His Son, and that the Holy Spirit offers His divine aid to all the human family so that they all might be saved, if they accept His divine teaching; and if any fail of eternal life, the fault is completely his own.

Repentance: We believe that the repentance which the Gospel requires includes a deep conviction, penitential sorrow, open confession, decided hatred and an entire forsaking of all sin.

Regeneration: We believe that regeneration is an instantaneous renewal of the heart by the Holy Spirit, whereby the penitent sinner receives new life and becomes a child of God.

Justification: We believe that justification means that persons who accept by faith the atonement of Christ are pardoned and absolved from the guilt of sin and restored to divine favor where once they stood guilty before God.

Sanctification: We believe that sanctification is the setting apart of the believer for continuing growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, for service to God and man.

DOCTRINE OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

We believe that those who abide in Christ have the assurance of salvation. The Christian, however, retains his freedom of choice. Therefore, he should watch and pray since it is possible for him to turn away from God and be eternally lost.

DOCTRINE OF THE ORDINANCES OF THE GOSPEL

Christian Baptism: We believe that this is the immersion of believers in water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in which are represented the burial and resurrection of Christ, the death of Christians to the world, the washing of their souls from the pollution of sin, their rising to newness of life, their commitment to serve God, and their resurrection at the last day.

The Lord’s Supper: We believe that this is a commemoration of the death of Christ for our sins, in the use of bread which He made the emblem of His broken body, and the cup, the emblem of His shed blood; and by it the believer expresses his love for Christ, his faith and hope in Him, and pledges to Him perpetual fidelity.

Washing the Saints’ Feet: We believe that this is a sacred ordinance, which teaches humility, the necessity of the servanthood of every believer, and reminds the believer of the necessity of a daily cleansing from all sin. It was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ as an example on the night of His Last Supper and betrayal.

DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP

We believe that good works are the fruits of saving faith and include being good stewards of all God’s blessings. Christians are to be responsible in the use of their time and talents. Furthermore, Christians are required to be faithful in the use of their finances for the expense of the program of Christ in the world.

The Old and New Testaments teach tithing as God’s financial plan for the support of His work.

*taken from “The Articles of Faith and Principles of Church Government for Original Free Will Baptists (of the English General Baptist Heritage)”