Family Baptist Church, in a desire to identify the primary biblical principles on which the Church stands, and to state what the Church believes, hereby declares that:
A. The Bible, the sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is inspired, was without error in its original writing, and is the sole authority for faith and practice.
B. There is one, and only one, living and true God. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, "Father, Son & Holy spirit," equal in essence but having distinct work.
C. The Genesis account of Creation is to be accepted literally, not figuratively. We believe that man was created directly by God in His own image and likeness and did not evolve from lower form of life.
D. Man, although created without sin, fell by Adam's transgression so that all mankind is now sinful by state, disposition, and act, justly under God's condemnation.
E. The only way of salvation for sinners is by grace through faith. Salvation was made possible by the substitutionary death and glorious resurrection of the Son of God. The gospel is the message that salvation is available through belief in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel. It is the duty of all to accept the gospel by faith and all who do so receive all of the benefits of salvation and are eternally secure.
F. Scripture presents the sanctification of believers as occurring in three phases: positionally "at salvation," progressively "by the Holy Spirit and the Word," and is complete "at glorification." The New Testament gifts of tongues, miracles, and prophecy are not given today.
G. Genuine regeneration will manifest itself by righteous attitudes, edifying conduct, and good works to the extent that each believer submits to the influence and leading of the Holy Spirit.
H. A local church is an organized congregation of baptized believers associated together by a common faith and fellowship in the gospel. We believe that each congregation should be self-governing, subject to no external human agency, as it carries out the will of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that Christian baptism symbolizes the individual's identification with Christ and the Christian faith. Christian baptism illustrates the believer's co-crucifixion and co-resurrection with Christ. Christian baptism is immersion of a believer in water. We believe that the Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the death of Christ, shows the believer's devotion to Christ, and affirms the promise of Christ's return.
I. Civil government is of divine appointment, for the good order of human society. Church and state should be separate, the state affording the church protection and full freedom. A free church in a free state is the present ideal.
J. The blessed hope of a believer in this age is the imminent, personal, pre-tribulational premillenial appearance of Christ to rapture His Church. The second coming of Christ concludes Daniel's seventieth week of judgment on Israel and results in the establishment of the Davidic Kingdom on earth. Following the 1000-year reign of Christ, the Great White Throne Judgment will occur at which time the bodies and souls of the wicked shall be reunited and cast forever into the Lake of Fire.