FBC Pekin Doctrinal Statement
Adopted 8/2/09
a) Scriptures
We believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, which we call the Holy Bible, are the Word of God. As they were originally written, they were infallible, divinely inspired, and the product of Holy Spirit-controlled men. Therefore, they express truth without any error. We believe that the Holy Bible is the true center of Christian union and the sufficient and trustworthy authority for knowing what to believe and how to live. (2 Tim. 3:16-17), (2 Pet. 1:19-21), (Ps. 68:11)
b.) Trinity
We believe there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three personal distinctions: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit---one in substance, and equal in every divine perfection. (Ex. 20:2-3), (Is. 45:22), (1 Cor. 8:6), (1 John 5:7)
1) God the Father
We believe that God the Father is an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe God’s knowledge is boundless; that He fully knows the past, present, and future, independent of human decisions and actions. The Father does everything in accordance with His perfect will. (1 Cor. 1:25), (Rom. 12:2), (Eph. 1:11)
2) Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is both true God and perfect man; a unique, supernatural manifestation of God in the flesh; born of the Virgin Mary, having been miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit; the only Savior of mankind and the proper object of our worship. (2 Cor. 5:19), (1 Tim. 3:16), (Luke 1:35), (Matt. 1:18-20), (Acts 4:10-12), (John 14:6)
3) Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with the Father and Son, andof the same substance and nature; that He convicts men of sin, righteousness and judgment; bears witness to the truth; and is the agent of new birth. We believe that He seals, induces, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer. The Holy Spirit indwells every true child of God and distributes spiritual gifts to believers as He wills for the common good. (John 14:16-17), (John 16:12-15), (Rom. 8:14-27), (2 Cor. 3:1-3), (Heb 2:4), (1 Cor. 12:4-11)
c) The Devil (or Satan)
We believe in the distinct personality of Satan; that he is the god of this age, author and prince of all the powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Matt. 4:1-3), (Matt. 25:41), (2 Cor. 4:4), (Rev. 20:10)
d) Creation
We believe that God created the heavens and earth, including all life "each after its own kind" by direct act and not by the process of evolution. We also believe that human life is precious and should be protected from beginning, at fertilization, until death. (Gen. 1 & 2 & 9:6), (Ps. 33:6-9), (John 1:3), (Col. 1:16-17)
e) Mankind
We believe God originally created persons, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. We believe all people are sinners by nature and choice and are spiritually dead. We also believe that those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. We believe God established marriage to be a lifelong covenant relationship between one man and one woman. Marriage so defined is the only permissible context for intimate sexual expression and is the foundation for human family. (Gen. 1:27), (Rom. 3:23-24), (Eph. 2:1-2), (2 Cor. 5:17), (Tit. 3:5-6), (Matt. 19:4-6), (1 Cor. 7:17), (Heb. 13:4), (1 Cor. 7:1-5)
f) The Fall of Man
We believe that man in the person of the first Adam was created in innocence but, by voluntary transgression, fell into sin, plunging the whole race into condemnation and death. As a result, all mankind is born in sin and is shaped in iniquity, and become practical sinners with the first expression of personal choice, not only by constraint but by choice, and so are without excuse before God. (Gen. 3), (Rom. 5:10-19), (Eph. 1:1-3)
g) The Atonement
We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the atonement wrought by Jesus Christ when He voluntarily took upon Himself a human body, being made in the likeness of man (Rom. 8:3), (Phil. 2:7), yet without sin and by His suffering, death and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess. (John 3:1-19), (Acts 4:12), (Acts 16:30-33), (2 Cor. 5:17)
h) Salvation
We believe that faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ whose death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father is the only premise for salvation (Eph. 1:7), (Rev. 1:5), (Rom. 10:9-13); that this faith is begotten through hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), (1 Pet. 1:18-25); that it is a free gift of God, wholly apart from human works (Eph. 2:8-9); that by new birth, one dead in trespasses and sin is quickened into eternal life---made righteous, justified (2 Cor. 5:21), (1 Cor. 1:30), (Rom. 3:21-26), and made partaker of the Divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4), eternally secured into the praise of His glory.
i) The Church
We believe that every born-again believer is, by the mystical act of God, accorded a place in the body of Christ, and that this body is biblically identified as "The Church." (Matt. 16:18), (Eph. 3:3-7), (Col. 1:24), (1 Cor. 12:12-13), (Acts 9:31)
We believe that a local church is a congregation of believers associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in it by His word. We further believe that the primary task of believers is to worship and glorify God in their lives, and that their conduct should be blameless before the world. As believers seeking to become fully devoted followers of Christ who love God and people, they should be faithful stewards of their time, talents, and possessions, and seek to share life in a unified community with fellow believers, reach the lost in Christ’s name, and serve others in obedience and worship of our God. (1 John 1:7), (Rom. 15:5-6), (Phil. 2:14-16), (Heb. 13:15-16)
We believe that the local church has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit and it is answerable only to Christ; and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolences the will of the local church is final.(Acts 2:41-42), (1 Cor. 11:2), (Eph. 1:22-23), (Eph. 5:23-24), (1 Tim. 3:1-7), (Col. 1:18), (Acts 20:17-18)
j) Church Ordinances
We believe that there are two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Communion).
1) Baptism
The Pastor (or his appointee, approved by the deacons) shall administer the ordinance of baptism by a single immersion - in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effects in our life of death to sin, and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership. (Matt. 28:19)
2) The Lord's Supper (Communion)
The Pastor (or his appointee, approved by the deacons) shall serve the Lord’s Supper to the congregation at least once monthly. (Matt. 26:26-30), (I Cor. 11:23-32)
k) The last things
We believe in the bodily, personal, and imminent return of Jesus Christ at the end of this age to first take away those who have trusted in Him as Savior and then to come back to judge all others and set up His eternal kingdom. We also believe in the resurrection of the bodies of all people, and that every person will spend eternity either in heaven or hell, depending on whether or not he or she has trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior. (Matt. 25:31-46), (John 5:21-30 & 14:1-6), (1 Thess. 4:13-17), (Rev. 19:11- 20:15)