Biblical Foundations Statment Form

1. God - The one true and living God revealed in nature as the creator, preserver, and righteous governor of the universe. He is revealed in Scripture as the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the One personal, perfect, infinitely wise and good God existing in three persons.  He is the Redeemer, Savior, Sanctifier, and Judge of men, the only proper object of worship whom all intelligent creatures are to love, adore, and obey.

Scripture References: Gen. 1:1; Ex. 3:14; 31:13; 34:14; Lev. 19:2; Deut. 6:4; 32:4; I Kings 8:27; Ps. 19:1-2; 22:18; 47:7; 90:2; 119:68; 145:10; Mal. 3:6; John 4:24; Acts 15:18; Rom. 16:27; I Cor. 8:4; Eph. 2:4; Heb. 12:23; 1 Jn. 5:7; Rev. 19:6.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists: Part II, Chapters 2-3 and Articles of Faith 2,5.

• Father - He is infinite Spirit, the first person of the Godhead who is self-existent, eternal, unchangeable, everywhere present, all-knowing, all-powerful, independent, good, wise, holy, just, and merciful. He is the fountain of all perfection and happiness, exercising providential care and superintendence over all His creatures and governing the world in wisdom and mercy, according to the testimony of His Word.  He is glorified by the whole creation and is worthy to be loved and served by all intelligence.

Scripture References:  Mt. 5:16, 48; 6:9, 14; 11:25; Lk. 10:21; John 4:23; 17:21; Eph. 4:6; 1 Jn. 5:7.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists:  Part II, Chapters 2-3 and Articles of Faith 2,5.

• Son - Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is one with the Father in His divine nature. He is the second person of the Godhead and fills all the offices and performs the works of God.  While possessing all divine perfections, He was miraculously conceived and born of the Virgin Mary and made of the seed of David according to the flesh, the only begotten of the Father, and the only incarnation of God.  He is, therefore, God manifest in the flesh, in His divine nature truly God and in His human nature truly man, yet without sin.  He is the mediator between God and man, once crucified; He is now risen and glorified, the ever present Savior and Lord.

Scripture References:  Isa. 9:6; Luke 19:10; John 1:1-14; 4:42; 14:20; 16:30; Acts 1:11; Rom. 4:25; 9:5, 3:25-26; 5:18; 1 Cor. 15:22; Eph. 1:7, 17; 4:6; Col. 1:17; 2:8-10; 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:3-10; 2:17; 4:15; 7:25; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Jn. 3:13; 5:7, 20; Rev. 22:13.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists: part II, Chapters 5-6 and Articles of Faith 2, 3, and 7.

• Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is one with the Father in His divine nature. The Bible ascribes to the Holy Spirit all the attributes of God.  The Holy Spirit convicts humanity of its sin and draws all to Christ.  The Holy Spirit indwells and fills the lives of all believers and endows them with spiritual gifts that are to be used in their personal service to God.  There are no particular gifts that serve as visible evidence of the salvation or sanctification of the believer.

Scripture References:  Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4; Isa. 6:8-9; Matt. 28:19; Mark 3:29; John 16:8, 13; Acts 10:19; 13:2-4; 16:6; 1 Cor. 2:11; 6:11; Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Jn. 5:7.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists Part II, Chapter 7 and Articles of Faith 2, 4, 8 and 10.

2. The Bible - The Scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments were written by holy men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. They constitute God’s full and complete word to man, the infallible rule and guide to Christian faith and practice.  They are without error and trustworthy in all matters upon which they speak.

2.1  Special Creation - God created the universe in its present state by His spoken word and for His pleasure and glory and the enjoyment of His creatures.

2.2  Historicity - All historical matters in the Bible are to be considered as an accurate record. Scripture References:  Ex. 4:15; 2 Sam. 23:2; Ps. 32:8; 119:151-160; Jer. 1:9; Matt. 5:17-18; John 10:35; 17:17; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 1:1-2; 2 Pet. 1:18-21.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists: Part II, Chapter 1, Appendix to Chapter 1, and Articles of Faith 1.

 

3. Sin - Adam and Eve were created innocent, but by willful disobedience fell into a state of sin and condemnation. Their posterity, therefore, inherits a fallen nature of such tendencies that all who come to moral awareness, sin and become guilty before God.

Scripture References: Gen. 8:21; Ps. 51:5; 58:3; John 1:13; 3:3-6; 6:44; Rom. 5:12; 8:7; 1 Cor. 2:14; Gal. 5:19-20; Eph. 2:3; Col. 1:14; Heb. 12:14; Titus 3:5.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists: Part II, Chapter 4, Section II and Articles of Faith 6.

4. Redemption - The Son of God, by His incarnation, life, sufferings, substitutionary death for sin, burial, and resurrection, effected for all a redemption from sin that is full and free and is the ground of salvation by faith. Jesus Christ died for our sins, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven, where He serves as the only mediator between God and man.  Christ makes intercession for us until He comes again.

        Scripture References:  Rom. 5:9, 18; 8:34; 2 Cor. 5:14; Eph. 1:7; 1 Tim. 2:6; 4:10; Titus 2:11; Heb. 7:25; 9:22-24; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Jn. 2:2.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists:  Part II, Chapters 6, 12, and Articles of Faith 7, 8.

5. Salvation - Individuals, by virtue of any natural goodness and human work, cannot become the children of God. They are all dependent for salvation upon the freely-provided redemption of God that is effected through the blood of Christ, the regeneration of the believer through faith in Christ, and the operation of the Spirit. In salvation the free will of man is retained.  All believers in Christ, who through grace persevere in holiness to the end of life, have promise of eternal salvation.

        Scripture References: Prov. 28:13; Isa. 45:22; Mark 16:15; John 1:7; 3:3-36; 5:24, 40; Acts 16:31; 17:30; Rom. 5:16; 8:16, 38, 39; 10:10; 2 Cor. 7:10; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:29; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Tim. 2:4; Titus 2:11; Heb. 11:1-6; 2 Peter 1:4.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists: Part II, Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Appendix 13, and Articles of Faith 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

6. Satan - Satan, an evil being, is the evil accuser who slanders God to man and man to God. He is the tempter of men who continually solicits men to sin.  He is to be resisted by submitting to God.  Satan’s final destiny is that of a conquered enemy who now abides under a perpetual curse, whereby he is finally to be cast alive into the lake of fire.  There he is to be tormented forever, along with all who refuse repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

        Scripture References:  1 Chr. 21:1; Matt. 13:19; Lk. 4:5-13; John 12:31; 2 Cor. 2:11; 4:4; 11:14; Eph. 2:2; 6:11-18; Heb. 2:14; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 20:2.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists:  Part II, Chapters 4, 19, and Articles of Faith 6.

7. Last Things - The Lord Jesus, who ascended on high and sits at the right hand of God, will bodily return to close the Gospel era, glorify His saints, and judge the world. At the last day there will be a bodily resurrection of the dead, and all men will be judged according to their works.  Following the judgment, the righteous will enter into eternal life, and the wicked will be condemned to a state of endless punishment.

        Scripture References:  Acts 1:11; Matt. 25:31; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2 Pet. 3:3-13; Matt. 24:42-44; John 5:28; Acts 24:15; 1 Cor. 15:22, 23; 2 Tim. 2:18, Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:35-44; Dan. 12:2; Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 15:24; Rev. 10:6; 22:11; 2 Pet. 3:11, 12; Eccl. 9:10.  Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists: Part II, Chapters 20, 21, 22, and Articles of Faith 16.

(A complete disclosure is found in A Treatise of the Faith and Practices of Free Will Baptists, and is available online at http://nafwb.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/FWB-Treatise.pdf)