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of faith
Statement of Faith of the
Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
1. The Bible.
The Word of God, the sixty-six Books of the
Old and New Testaments, verbally inspired in all parts, and therefore
wholly without error as originally given of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter
1:21).
2. The One True God.
Existing eternally as three persons the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; Matthew 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
3. The Lord Jesus Christ.
His pre-existence and deity (John 1:13), incarnation
by virgin birth (John 1:14; Matthew 1:1823), sinless life (Heb. 4:15),
substitutionary death (2 Cor. 5:21), bodily resurrection (Luke 24:3643),
ascension into heaven and present ministry (Heb. 4:1416), and coming
again (Acts 1:11).
4. The Holy Spirit.
His personality (John 16:715), and deity (Acts
5:34), and His work in each believer: baptism and indwelling at the
moment of regeneration (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9), and filling (Eph.
5:18) to empower for Christian life and service (Eph. 3:16; Acts 1:8;
Gal. 5:2223).
5. Man.
His direct creation in the image of God (Gen.
1:2628), his subsequent fall into sin resulting in spiritual death
(Gen. 3:124; Rom. 5:12), and the necessity of the new birth for his
salvation (John 3:35).
6. Salvation.
A complete and eternal salvation by God's grace
alone received as the gift of God through personal faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ and His finished work (Eph. 2:89; Titus 3:57; 1 Peter
1:18-19).
7. The Church.
One true church, the body and the bride of
Christ (Eph. 1:2223; 5:2532), composed of all true believers of the
present age (1 Cor. 12:1213); and the organization of its members in
local churches for worship, for edification of believers, and for worldwide
gospel witness, each local church being autonomous but cooperating
in fellowship and work (Eph. 4:1116).
8. Christian Life.
A life of righteousness, good works and separation
unto God from the evil ways of the world (Rom.
12:12), manifested by speaking the truth (James 5:12), maintaining
the sanctity of the home
(Eph. 5:226:4), settling differences between
Christians in accordance with the Word of God (1 Cor. 6:18), not engaging
in carnal strife but
showing a Christlike attitude toward all men
(Rom. 12:1721), exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:2223), and
maintaining a life of prayer
(Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6), including the privilege,
when sick, of calling for the elders of the church to pray and to anoint
with oil in
the name of the Lord (James 5:1318).
9. Ordinances.
The Christians should observe the ordinances
of our Lord Jesus Christ which are (1)baptism of believers by triune
immersion (Matt. 28:19) and (2)the threefold communion service, consisting
of the washing of the saints' feet (John 13:117), the Lord's Supper
(1 Cor. 11:2022, 3334; Jude 12), and the communion of the bread and
the cup (1 Cor. 11:2326).
10. Satan.
His existence and personality as the great
adversary of God and His people (Rev. 12:110), his judgment (John 12:31),
and final doom (Rev. 20:10).
11. Second Coming.
The personal, visible, and
imminent return of Christ to remove His church from the earth (1 Thess.
4:1617) before the tribulation (1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10), and afterward
to descend with the Church to establish His millennial kingdom upon
the earth (Rev. 19:1120:6).
12. Future Life.
The conscious existence of the dead (Phil.
1:2123; Luke 16:1931), the resurrection of the body (John 5:2829),
the judgment and reward of believers (Rom. 14:1012; 2 Cor. 5:10), the
judgment and condemnation of unbelievers (Rev. 20:1115), the eternal
life of the saved (John 3:16), and the eternal punishment of the lost
(Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:15).
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