Having been led by the Holy Spirit to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior, and on the public profession of our faith and in obedience to Scriptural baptism, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into this Covenant with one another, as one Body in Christ.
We, therefore, agree by the controlling power of the Holy Spirit to walk in love and strive for the advancement of this local church in scriptural knowledge and holiness and to give regularly to the support of its many and diverse ministries. We further agree to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure that reconciliation without delay.
We also agree to maintain family and personal devotion; and to bring up our children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. We further agree to seek the salvation of our family and friends; to be an example in behavior and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the cause of Christ. We also agree that if we move from this place, we will promptly unite with a church of like faith and practice. Humbly acknowledging our own personal sinfulness, we acknowledge the Holy Spirit's presence and power in our lives as more than sufficient to keep this Covenant in letter and in spirit to the glory of God.
The Constitution of the Fredericktowne Baptist Church includes this statement of our Scriptural beliefs. This doctrinal statement comprises those teachings that we consider to be the fundamental foundation for our faith.
We believe that the whole Bible, consisting of 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings, and the Bible is the supreme, complete and final authority in faith and life (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8, Matt. 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Rev. 22:18-19; 2 Peter 1:3).
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that they are equal in every divine perfection, and execute distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (Deut. 6:4-5; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; Mat. 28:19; John 15:16-17, 26).
II.2.1. God the Father
We believe that God is the Father of creation. We believe that He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God did not become the Father of Jesus Christ at Christ's incarnation but the Father/Son relationship has existed from all eternity. We believe that God is the Father of all who believe (Matt. 5:16; 1 Cor. 8:6; John 17:5; 20:17; Col. 1:17; Eph. 1:5; 1 John 3:1-2; Rom. 8:15,23,29).
II 2.2 God the Son: Jesus Christ
We believe that the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, came into this world that He might manifest God to men, fulfill prophecy, and become the redeemer of the lost world. To this end, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner and born of a virgin, having received a human body and a sinless human nature (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; John 1:14; Gal. 4:4; 1 John 5:20).
We believe that He remained a perfect sinless man, yet retained His absolute deity, being at the same time fully God and fully man. We believe that He voluntarily accepted His Father's will and became the divinely provided sacrificial Lamb who took away the sin of the world, bearing the holy judgment against sin which the righteousness of God must impose (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 10:5-14, 1 Peter 3:18). We believe that, according to the Word of God, He arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, and that His resurrection body is the pattern of that body which all believers shall inherit (John 20:20, 1 Cor. 15:3-5, Phil. 3:20-21).
We believe that in His ascension to Heaven He became the Head over all things to the Church which is His body, and in this ministry He does not cease to intercede for believers (Acts 1:9, Eph. 1:22-23, Heb. 7:25, 1 John 2:1, Luke 24:51, Rev. 3:21, Heb. 12:2).
II.2.3. God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature. It is He who convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He is the restrainer of the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled. He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel, and is the agent in the new birth. He is the Comforter sent by the Father to minister to the believer. We believe that the baptism and indwelling of the Holy Spirit occurs immediately upon saving faith. The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance and seals us until the day of redemption. We believe that there are gifts of the Holy Spirit which are given by His sovereign will to assist the body of Christ in its divine growth. We believe that some gifts of the Holy Spirit, commonly referred to as the sign gifts, were temporary in nature and limited to the apostolic age (John 14:16-17; John 16:7-11; Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; 2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Cor. 12:4,11; Acts 4:8,31; Romans 8:23; 1 Cor. 13:8).
We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors, but, through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world system We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power behind apostasy. He is the lord of the Anti-Christ, and the author of all the powers of darkness; destined, however, to final judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire, a place prepared for the Devil and his angels. (Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:14-17; Matt. 25:41; Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 Thess. 3:5; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Cor.11:13-15; 2 Thess. 2:8-11; Rev. 19:11,20).
We believe in the Genesis account of the creation and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; and that man was created directly in God's own image and likeness (Gen. 1:1; Gen. 1:26-27; John 1:1-4; Col. 1:16-17).
We believe that man was originally created in the image and likeness of God, and that by voluntary transgression, being under no constraint and able to obey, he fell from his sinless state. As a consequence of his sin, man's fellowship with God was severed and he became spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. We believe that this spiritual death has been transmitted to the entire human race, the Man Christ Jesus being the lone exception, and therefore every child of Adam is born into the world with a sin nature and is essentially and unchangeably wicked apart from divine grace, when appropriated by the one who, after exercising faith in Christ, is then resurrected from this spiritual death into spiritual life, we call this regeneration. (Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 3:1-6, 24; Psalm 14:1-3; 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 3:6; 5:40; 6:53; 12:32; 16:8; Rom. 3:10-19; 5:12,19; 8:6-7; Eph. 2:1,3; Gal. 3:22; 1 Timothy 5:6; 1 John 3:8).
While we believe that by reason of this spiritual death the lost cannot move toward God unaided, we understand the scriptures teach all men are aided, unless rejected by man, in turning toward God a) by being convicted of their sin of unbelief by the Holy Spirit b) by being drawn unto and turning towards the cross by the lifted up Savior c) by hearing the word from whence faith comes d) by the calling of the Gospel e) by the power of the word that’s sharper than any two-edged sword and able to pierce soul and spirit f) by the true Light that enlightens every man coming into the world that all men might believe and g) by the appearance to all men God’s saving grace. We believe the scriptures teach that all men must fulfill the responsibility to obey the Gospel and not resist the truth and that their failure and refusal to do so is the sin of unbelief which, if continued in, deserves condemnation. (John 12:32; John 16:8; John 3; 14.15; Romans 10:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 2:10, 2:14; Hebrews 4:12; Titus 2:11; Hebrews 5:8-9; 2 Timothy 3:8, 9)
We believe the existence of God has been manifested in every person in his unregenerate (unsaved) state by the attributes of God clearly seen in all of His creation so that no one has an excuse for rejecting the eternal Godhead (Romans 1:18) and that every man, knowing good from evil and right from wrong, has a conscience passed on by Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:22)
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of God's grace when received through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By His substitutionary death, Jesus Christ made a full and vicarious unlimited atonement for all – past, present and future – sin to include our sins. No degree of works can provide the sinner with the new life that makes him a son of God through faith. This redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who bore the penalty of man’s sin on the cross. The one who exercises faith in Christ, after hearing and accepting the word and placing their trust in Christ in obedience to the Gospel, is immediately resurrected from spiritual death into spiritual life, pardoned of all sin, declared righteous before God, and given the gift of eternal life. Rom. 3:24-25; Rom. 5:6-9; 1 Peter 1:18,19,23; John 1:12; John 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:1; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:3; Ephesians 1:13, Romans 10:17, John 20:30-31 , Acts 15:7, Mark 4:20, Acts 17:11-12, 2 Tim 3:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:8).
We believe in God's election which is according to foreknowledge; that He chose the believer before the foundation of the world and; that He predestined the believer to be adopted as sons and daughters, joint heirs with Christ, which is in accord with His will. We believe Jesus came to seek and save the lost; all of whom He desires, without exception, to come to the knowledge of the truth and to be saved. We believe that the offer of salvation is made freely available to all sinners by the gospel. We believe the scriptures teach that all men must fulfill their responsibility to obey the Gospel and not resist the truth. The only hindrance to salvation of any sinner is his own inherent depravity and unbelief which, if continued in, merits the just condemnation of a holy God. (Eph. 1:3-12; 1 Thess. 1:4; Col. 3:12; 1 Peter 1:2; Titus 1:1; Rom. 8:28-30; John 3:18,36; Luke 19:10; 1 Timothy 2:4;Hebrews 5:8-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:8,9).
We believe that the salvation of the believer is eternal. The believer is kept by the power of God and is eternally secure in Christ. We believe that salvation is through faith and, being undeserved, is by grace alone and that the believer once saved is kept saved by grace alone (John 5:24; 6:39; John 10:28, Rom. 8:29, 38-39; Eph. 1:5; Heb. 7:25; 1 Peter 1:5).
We believe that justification includes the pardon for sin and the gift of eternal life. We believe that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but, solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us (Acts 13:39; Rom. 8:1; Rom. 5:1; Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 1:17; Rom. 4:1-8).
We believe that God calls all believers in Jesus Christ to sanctification, a life set apart to God. Sanctification is the process from salvation by which God conforms the believers' life and character to the life and character of Jesus Christ. We believe that this is a call to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. The life that is empowered by the Spirit does not fulfill the desires of the flesh (Rom. 6:11-13; 8:2,4, 12-13; Gal. 5:16-23; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 2:1-10; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 2:11; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:4-7; 3:5-9).
We believe that the universal church, the body of Christ, is composed of all born-again believers of this age and that Christ is the only head of that church. We believe that the local church of Christ is an assembly of believers associated by faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, and governed by His laws. We believe the true mission of the church is to follow the great commission, Matt. 28:19-20, to make individual disciples, to build up the church and, to instruct and teach as He has commanded (Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:23-24).
We believe that the ordinance of baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Believer's baptism is a solemn and beautiful emblem of our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. We believe that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of the death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We believe that the elements of the Lord's Supper' the bread and the cup, symbolize the broken body and shed blood of our Lord. The believer is to avail himself of the opportunity to remember the Lord at the communion table (Acts 8:36-39; Rom. 6:4-5; Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 11:23-24).
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the just to everlasting blessedness, and the unjust to everlasting conscious punishment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:22-23; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; Rev. 20:4,11-13).
We believe that at death the souls of those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain until the resurrection of the body to glorification, when Christ comes for His own, at which time soul and body are reunited and shall be with Him forever in Glory. The souls of the unbelieving remain after death in a state of conscious condemnation and in misery until the final judgment of the Great White Throne Judgment which occurs at the close of the Millennium. At this time the soul and body of the eternally lost are reunited and cast into the lake of fire to be punished with everlasting torment (Luke 16:19-26, 2 Cor. 5:8, Rev. 20:11-15, Phil. 3:20-21).
We believe that the return of the Lord will be two-fold. First, He shall appear, prior to the Tribulation, in bodily form in the air to call up to be with Himself the believing church. Believers will then, as the bride of Christ, go into the marriage of the Lamb. The judgment of the believers' walk at the judgment seat of Christ will then follow (1 Thess.4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15; 1 Cor. 3:9-15; 2 Cor. 5:10). The second part of the return of the Lord will be His return to the earth with His church to establish His earthly kingdom, known as the Millennium (Zech. 14:34; 1 Thess. 3:13; Col. 3:4; 2 Thess. 1:7-8).