FREE
WILL BAPTIST DOCTRINE
1.
The Bible. The Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments were given by inspiration of God and are our infallible rule of faith
and practice.
2. God. There is one living and true God, revealed in
nature as the Creator, Preserver, and Righteous Governor of the universe: and in
the Scriptures as Father, Son and Holy Ghost; yet as one God, infinitely wise
and good, whom all intelligent creatures are to love, adore, and obey supremely.
3. Christ. Christ is God manifest in the flesh, in His
divine nature truly God, in His human nature truly man. The mediator
between God and man, once crucified, He is now risen and glorified and is our
ever present Savior and Lord.
4. Holy Spirit. The Scriptures assign to the Holy
Spirit all the attributes of God.
5. The Government of God. God exercises a wise and
benevolent providence over all beings and things by maintaining the constitution
and laws of nature. He also performs special acts, not otherwise provided
for, as the highest welfare of men requires.
6. The Sinfulness of Man. Man was created innocent, but
by disobedience fell into a state of sin and condemnation. His posterity,
therefore, inherit a fallen nature of such tendencies that all who come to years
of accountability, sin and become guilty before God.
7. The Work of Christ. The Son of God by His
incarnation, life, sufferings, death, and resurrection effected for all a
redemption from sin that is full and free and is the ground of salvation by
faith.
8. The Terms of Salvation. The conditions of salvation
are:
(a) Repentance or sincere sorrow for sin and
hearty renunciation of it.
(b) Faith or the unreserved committal of one's
self to Christ as Savior and Lord with purpose to love and obey Him in
all things. In the exercise of saving faith, the soul is renewed by the
Holy Spirit freed from the dominion of sin, and becomes a child of God.
(c) Continuance in faith and obedience until
death.
9. Election. God determined from the beginning to save
all who should comply with the conditions of salvation. Hence, by faith in
Christ, men become His elect.
10. Freedom of the Will. The human will is free and
self-controlled, having power to yield to the influence of the truth and the
Spirit or to resist them and perish.
11. Salvation Free. God desires the salvation of all; the
Gospel invites all; the Holy Spirit strives with all, and whosoever will may
come and take the water of life freely.
12. Perseverance. All believers in Christ, who through grace
persevere in Holiness to the end of life, have promise of eternal salvation.
13. Gospel Ordinances. Baptism, or the immersion of believers
in water, and the Lord's Supper are ordinances to be perpetuated under the
Gospel. Feet Washing, an ordinance which teaches humility and reminds the
believers of the necessity of a daily cleansing from all sin, is to be
ministered to all true believers.
14. Tithing. God commanded tithes and offerings in the Old
Testament; Jesus Christ endorsed it in the Gospel (Matthew 23:23); and the
apostle Paul said, "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay
by him in store, as God hath prospered him." (I Corinthians 16:2)
15. The Christian Sabbath. The divine law requires that one
day in seven be set apart from secular employments and amusements for rest,
worship, holy works and activities, and for personal communion with God.
16. Resurrection, Judgment, and Final Retribution. The
Scriptures teach the resurrection of all men at the last day. They that
have done good will come forth to the resurrection of life, and they that have
done evil into the resurrection of damnation; then the wicked will "go away
into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
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