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Statement of Faith
The Doctrine of Scripture We believe the Scriptures to be God's complete and final revelation of Himself to man. We believe that the Holy Scripture is the original writings consisting of 66 books of the Old and New Testament.
This doctrine of inspiration preserves the dual authorship of the Bible by the Holy Spirit overshadowing the human instruments. (Luke 24:25-27;Revelation 22:18,19; II Timothy 3:14-17;II Peter 1:15-21; Hebrews 1:1-4; John 10:35; Psalm 119;Deuteronomy 8:3;Luke 4:1-12;Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 5:17-19). We believe the scriptures to be preserved of God. The King James Version is the version of choice of the First Baptist Church of Woodridge for use in all of its teaching and preaching. The proper understanding and interpretation of scripture is established by a dispensational view (Isaiah 40:8; II Timothy 3:16,17; Revelation 22:18,19).
The Doctrine of God the Father We believe that God is the Father of all those who trust in Him. As our Father, He presently indwells us, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, answers our prayer, forgives our sins, chastens us, and is the giver of every good and perfect gift. (I John 3:1,2; John 14:15; John 16:23; I John 1:9; Hebrews 12:5-15; James 1:17)
The Doctrine of God the Son We believe in the eternal deity and virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; that He was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, not having human father, and is true God and true man; that through His vicarious substitutionary death on the cross, He is the atonement for the sin of mankind by the shedding of His blood, He is man’s only hope of salvation from sin, being the only mediator between God and man; that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day for the forgiveness of our sins, according to the Scriptures; that His return for His Church, the body of Christ, which He will take with Himself into Heaven is imminent; and that He will come to this earth to set up His millennial reign. (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-4; John 10:30; John 14:6; I Timothy 2:5,6; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:4-6).
Doctrine of God the Father We believe that the Holy Spirit is co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son; that He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment; that He regenerates, indwells, baptizes, seals, and anoints all who become children of God through Christ; that He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills believers who are continually surrendered to God. (John 3:5, 14:16,17,26; 15:7-14; Romans 8:9, I Corinthians 12:13; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13; 5:18).
The Doctrine of Spirit Beings We believe that Satan is a person. He is a created being, prince of all angels, who sinned and became the archenemy of God and His creation. He is the chief adversary of God’s children. He seeks to keep man from the Lord; when he cannot succeed in this, he seeks to weaken the testimony of Christians. He has at his command a great host of fallen angels to carry out his purposes. The unsaved man may be possessed by one or a multitude of demons, whereas the saved man cannot be possessed but may be influenced. Satan is not omnipotent and can be overcome by the power of God. His doom is sealed in the lake of fire forever and ever. (Ezekiel 28:12-19; Mark 5:1-20; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 20:10).
The Doctrine of Creation We believe the Biblical account of creation; that man and the universe came by direct creation of God and not by evolution (Genesis; I John 1:1-5; Colossians 1: 15-19).
The Doctrine of Sin We believe that God created man in His own image and that man sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is conscious and eternal separation from God. We believe that all men are born with a sinful nature, evidenced by sinful acts; that men are totally depraved, lost, condemned to hell; that to be saved requires the new birth experience of salvation by the grace of God through genuine faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. (Genesis 1: 26, 27; Psalm 51:5, Jeremiah 17:9; Luke 16:23; Revelation 21:8; Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:12; I Corinthians 15:21,22; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:8).
The Doctrine of Salvation We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, and not of works. All three members of the Trinity are involved in our salvation. (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Man receives it by faith, believing that Jesus Christ died and shed his blood for our personal sins, was buried, and bodily rose from the grave as the living Savior. (I Corinthians 15:1-7). The result being, that man possesses eternal life, having been saved from a literal hell. (I John 5:11,12).
All who receive His grace through faith are born again sons of God and are part of God’s power and secure in Christ forever. (John 10:28-30; Ephesians 1:13; John 1:12).
The Local Church We believe that the local Church is a living spiritual body of which Christ is our Head, composed of a local group of believers who are autonomous and self-governing with no ecclesiastical organization in authority over them; who are baptized by immersion; who are organized; who are scripturally bound to give support to the ministry. They have for their officers: Pastor, deacons, and such other leaders as God has given special gifts to render as a ministry to the Church; who meet regularly for fellowship, worship, and Bible study, edification and encouragement of the Saints, who observe the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; and who carry out the great commission. (I Corinthians 12:14; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 16:19; Acts 2: 41,47; I Corinthians 12; Hebrews 10:25; I Corinthians 11:23,24; Matthew 28:18-20).
The Doctrine of Future Events We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulational rapture of the Church to Heaven, followed by a seven-year tribulation upon all the earth. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus shall come to the earth in power and glory with His Church to establish His millennial reign. Satan will be bound, and Israel shall be re-established in the Promised Land. At the end of this glorious reign, Satan shall be loosed and lead a rebellion against Christ, at which time Satan shall be defeated and then banished to the Lake of Fire forever.
Civil Government
We
believe that governmental authorities are the ministers of God, to be terrors of
evil, and to allow us to live a quiet and peaceful life; that they are to be
prayed for, honored, and obeyed except in things contrary to God’s Word. God has
established the Church and the civil government. He gave each its own distinct
sphere of operation; neither shall control the other. (Romans 13:1-7; Daniel
4:17,18; I Timothy 2:2). The Doctrine of Biblical Separation We believe in Biblical separation which encompasses three areas:
We reject the ecumenical movement
joining all Churches into one body regardless of doctrine or practice and the
charismatic renewal movement with its unscriptural emphasis on tongues and
healing; they reject the Bible as the only authority of faith and practice for
they accept visions, dreams, and experiences as revelations from God. We reject
the movement of new evangelicalism: That theological movement of neutralism
affecting orthodox Christianity, designed to close the gap between
fundamentalism and neo-orthodoxy, which is weak in verbal inspiration of the
Bible, enamored of unbelieving scientific scholarship, benevolent towards social
action projects, committed to the inclusive policy, noted for a sympathy toward
neo orthodoxy, characterized by an antagonism toward fundamentalism and pre
tribulation dispensationalism, given to the “dialogue” which means conference
with liberals to learn more of doctrine, and with the Pentecostalists to learn
more about the Holy Spirit, with the cults to broaden their fellowship, with a
corresponding willingness to confer with Jews, Catholics and even other faiths
for possible religious benefit. We reject modernism and liberalism and its
wholesale denial of the Christian faith and all forms of the social gospel.
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