What We Believe — A Complete Statement of Faith for First Baptist Church of Fenton

## Statement of Faith — First Baptist Church of Fenton

First Baptist Church of Fenton is a church built on the Bible. Everything we do — how we preach, how we counsel, how we structure our ministries, how we approach every question — flows from what we believe Scripture teaches.

This is not a checklist for membership or a wall to keep people out. It is an honest, plain-language account of the theological convictions that shape this church. We hold these beliefs not because we inherited them casually, but because we are convinced they are true — and because we believe truth matters.

---

## 1. The Bible

**We believe the Bible — both Old and New Testaments — is the verbally inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.**

Every word of Scripture was breathed out by God through human authors, who wrote under the Spirit's guidance, preserving their individual personalities and writing styles while producing exactly what God intended (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21). As a result, the original manuscripts of the Bible contain no error in all they affirm — whether in matters of theology, history, science, or ethics.

The Bible is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. No church tradition, denominational creed, personal experience, cultural norm, or philosophical framework stands above it or beside it as an equal authority. Where human opinion conflicts with Scripture, Scripture wins.

We preach the Bible expositionally — book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse — because we believe the goal of every sermon is not to say something interesting about the Bible, but to let the Bible say what it actually says. When the text speaks, God speaks.

**Key Scriptures:** 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Psalm 19:7–11; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; Hebrews 4:12

---

## 2. God

**We believe in one God who exists eternally as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.**

The one God of the universe is not a force, an energy, or an impersonal power. He is a personal being who speaks, acts, loves, grieves, and pursues. He is infinite, eternal, unchanging, all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. He is completely holy — entirely set apart from sin and moral evil — and completely just, giving to everyone exactly what they deserve. He is also merciful, compassionate, and slow to anger, delighting in steadfast love.

The Trinity is not three gods. It is one God in three persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — who share the same divine essence and are co-equal in power, glory, and honor, yet are personally distinct from one another. This is not a contradiction but a mystery that the Bible teaches clearly across both Testaments and that has been confessed by Christians throughout history.

God is sovereign — meaning He reigns over all of creation, over history, over nations, over individual lives, and over salvation itself. He is not a bystander watching events unfold. He is the Lord and Creator of all things, sustaining the universe by the word of His power.

**Key Scriptures:** Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Isaiah 46:9–10; Exodus 34:6–7; Psalm 115:3; Revelation 4:8

---

## 3. Jesus Christ

**We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man — the eternal Son of God who entered human history through the virgin birth.**

Jesus Christ is not simply a great teacher, a religious reformer, or a moral example. He is the second person of the Trinity — the eternal Word of God — who took on human flesh in a moment of history without ceasing to be God (John 1:1–14; Philippians 2:5–11). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, entering the world without a human father and without the inherited sinful nature that marks every other human being born since Adam.

During His earthly life, Jesus lived in perfect obedience to the Father in every thought, word, and deed — fulfilling the law that every human being has broken (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He performed miracles, taught with unmatched authority, called disciples, and demonstrated the character and compassion of God in human form.

He was crucified under Pontius Pilate — not as a martyr or a victim of circumstances, but as the willing substitute for sinners. On the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of God's wrath against human sin in our place, making atonement through His shed blood (Romans 5:8; Isaiah 53:4–6; 1 Peter 3:18). His death was real, His suffering was real, and His sacrifice was sufficient to pay for the sins of all who would ever trust in Him.

On the third day, He rose bodily from the dead — not spiritually, not symbolically, not as a vision in the minds of grieving disciples, but physically and historically (1 Corinthians 15:3–8; Luke 24:36–43). The resurrection is not a metaphor for new beginnings. It is the central event of human history, the proof that the Father accepted Christ's sacrifice, and the guarantee that all who trust in Jesus will also be raised.

He ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for His people (Hebrews 7:25; Acts 1:9–11). He will return personally, visibly, and bodily — every eye will see Him — to judge the living and the dead and to establish His eternal kingdom (Revelation 22:12; Matthew 25:31–32).

**Key Scriptures:** John 1:1–14; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Acts 1:9–11; Revelation 1:7

---

## 4. The Holy Spirit

**We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity — fully God — who convicts, regenerates, indwells, and empowers.**

The Holy Spirit is not a force or an influence. He is a person — with intellect, will, and emotion — who is fully and equally God with the Father and the Son (Acts 5:3–4; 2 Corinthians 3:17).

The Spirit's work begins before salvation: He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, drawing people toward the truth of the gospel (John 16:8–11). At the moment of salvation, the Spirit regenerates — literally gives new life to — the believing sinner, who without the Spirit's work would remain spiritually dead and unable to respond to God (John 3:5–8; Titus 3:5). Every true believer is permanently indwelled by the Holy Spirit at the moment of faith, never to be abandoned or removed (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13–14). The Spirit is the seal of God's ownership over every believer and the down payment guaranteeing their final inheritance.

The Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture, enabling believers to understand what God has written (1 Corinthians 2:10–14). He produces spiritual fruit in the life of every believer — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — not as religious performance, but as the natural overflow of life lived in step with Him (Galatians 5:22–25). He gifts every member of the church for ministry, giving each believer one or more spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:4–8; Ephesians 4:11–13).

We believe the miraculous sign gifts of the New Testament — including speaking in tongues as a language sign, prophetic revelation, and the gift of healing — served a specific function in the foundational era of the church and are not normative for the church today. We hold this view humbly and recognize that sincere, Bible-believing Christians disagree on this question.

**Key Scriptures:** John 16:8–11; John 3:5–8; Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:22–23; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 1:13–14; Titus 3:5

---

## 5. Human Beings and Sin

**We believe every human being is created in the image of God and therefore possesses inherent dignity and worth — and that every human being is also a sinner.**

God created human beings — male and female — in His own image (Genesis 1:26–27). This means that every person, regardless of race, background, ability, status, or any other factor, bears the image of their Creator and is deserving of dignity and respect. The image of God is the foundation of human worth — not intelligence, productivity, beauty, power, or any other human quality. Every life matters because God made it.

Through the fall of Adam, the entire human race became morally corrupt and spiritually dead toward God (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1–3). We are not sinners because we sin — we sin because we are sinners. Sin is not merely a series of bad choices. It is a fundamental orientation of the human heart away from God and toward self, expressed in thought, word, action, and inaction. Every person born into this world inherits Adam's guilt and a fallen nature that is inclined toward rebellion against God.

The consequence of sin is not primarily social dysfunction or psychological damage, though sin produces both. The ultimate consequence of sin is death — spiritual death now, and physical death followed by eternal separation from God for those who die outside of Christ (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14–15).

This is not a pessimistic view of humanity. It is an honest one — and it is the very reason the gospel is such extraordinary news. God does not save people who have it together. He saves sinners.

**Key Scriptures:** Genesis 1:26–27; Genesis 3; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1–3; Romans 6:23

---

## 6. Salvation

**We believe salvation is entirely by grace — a free gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ alone, apart from any human effort or merit.**

The core of what Christianity teaches about salvation can be summarized in five phrases: grace alone (sola gratia), faith alone (sola fide), Christ alone (solus Christus), Scripture alone (sola Scriptura), and to God's glory alone (soli Deo gloria). These are not Protestant slogans. They are the Bible's own description of how sinful human beings are made right with a holy God.

**Repentance and faith** are both necessary for salvation (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). Repentance is not simply regret or emotional distress over sin — it is a genuine change of mind and direction, a turning away from sin and toward God. Faith is not intellectual agreement with facts about Jesus — it is personal trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, resting the whole weight of one's eternal standing before God on His finished work alone.

**Justification** is the act by which God declares a sinner righteous in His sight. This declaration is not based on the believer's moral performance — it is based on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is credited to the believer's account the moment they trust in Him (Romans 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9). The believer's sins are credited to Christ on the cross; Christ's righteousness is credited to the believer at conversion. This is the great exchange — the heart of the gospel.

**Regeneration** — being born again — is the work of the Holy Spirit by which a spiritually dead person is given new life, new desires, and a new heart (John 3:3–8; Titus 3:5; Ezekiel 36:26–27). It is not something a person does to themselves. It is something God does to a person, and it always results in genuine faith and a changed life.

**Assurance of salvation** is available to every true believer. We do not believe a Christian can lose their salvation. Those whom God has justified, He will glorify — the process of salvation from beginning to end is secure in God's hands (Romans 8:28–39; John 10:28–29; Philippians 1:6). The evidence of genuine salvation is not perfection but perseverance — a life that, despite failures and seasons of struggle, continues to move toward God, hates sin, loves the Word, and holds to Christ.

We believe the gospel is for everyone. There is no sin too great, no past too dark, no life too broken to be beyond the reach of God's grace. "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).

**Key Scriptures:** Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 3:21–26; Romans 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; John 3:3–8; Romans 8:28–39; John 10:28–29; Titus 3:5; Mark 1:15

---

## 7. The Church

**We believe the local church — a community of born-again believers — is the primary means through which God works in the world today.**

The church is not a building, a denomination, a nonprofit organization, or a weekly religious service. It is a living body — the body of Christ — made up of all who have genuinely trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18). The universal church consists of every true believer in every place and every era. The local church is a specific, gathered expression of that body in a particular place.

The New Testament consistently shows believers organized into local, identifiable communities marked by: **the teaching of Scripture**, **prayer**, **the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper**, **fellowship and mutual care**, **financial giving**, **church discipline**, **accountability and membership**, and **gospel mission** (Acts 2:42–47; 1 Corinthians 5; Matthew 18:15–20; Hebrews 10:24–25).

We believe church membership is meaningful and covenantal — not a formality. When a person joins FBC Fenton, they are not adding their name to a list. They are entering into a mutual commitment with a body of believers: to pursue God together, to hold each other accountable, to serve the church's mission, and to bear one another's burdens.

**First Baptist Church of Fenton is an independent, congregational church.** We are governed locally by our pastors and elders and are accountable to our congregation. We are not answerable to any outside denominational structure or organization. Our identity is shaped by Scripture first, and our historic Baptist heritage informs how we understand and apply it.

We affirm the **priesthood of every believer** — that every Christian has direct access to God through Jesus Christ and does not require a human priest or intermediary (Hebrews 4:14–16; 1 Peter 2:9).

**Key Scriptures:** Acts 2:42–47; Ephesians 1:22–23; Matthew 16:18; Hebrews 10:24–25; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; 1 Peter 2:9

---

## 8. Baptism and the Lord's Supper

**We observe two ordinances given to the church by Jesus Christ: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper.**

These are not sacraments that convey saving grace. They are ordinances — outward acts of obedience that the church performs in response to the commands of Christ, as visible proclamations of the gospel and expressions of faith.

**Believer's Baptism** is the immersion in water of a person who has personally trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Baptism at FBC Fenton is not a rite of passage, a cultural tradition, or a family event. It is a deliberate, public declaration of personal faith — a picture of death to the old life and resurrection to new life in Christ (Romans 6:3–4). We do not baptize infants, because we believe baptism is an outward expression of an inward spiritual reality that the person has already experienced. Infants cannot exercise saving faith. Baptism does not save — it testifies to salvation already received.

If you were baptized as a believer by immersion after trusting in Christ, we fully recognize that baptism. If you were sprinkled as an infant or baptized in a mode other than immersion, we would invite you to consider believer's baptism as an act of obedience to Christ's command and a public witness to your faith. We hold this conviction with gentleness, not pressure.

**The Lord's Supper** (also called Communion) is observed regularly as a congregation — with bread and cup as symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:23–26). The bread and the cup do not become the literal body and blood of Christ. They are memorials — visible proclamations of Christ's atoning death and resurrection, and anticipations of His return. We observe the Lord's Supper with reverence, self-examination, and gratitude for what it pictures.

We practice open communion — any believer in Jesus Christ is welcome to participate.

**Key Scriptures:** Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3–4; Acts 8:36–38; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Matthew 26:26–29

---

## 9. Marriage and Human Sexuality

**We believe marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman, designed by God in creation to reflect the covenant love between Christ and His church.**

This is not a cultural position. It is a theological one, rooted in the creation account of Genesis and confirmed by Jesus Himself (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:22–33). Marriage is the lifelong, exclusive covenant union of one man and one woman. Sexual intimacy is a gift from God designed to be expressed only within that covenant.

We believe God created human beings as male and female — that biological sex is not arbitrary or assigned by culture, but given by God and significant (Genesis 1:27). We hold this conviction with both clarity and compassion.

We are fully aware that these convictions place us at odds with significant currents in contemporary culture. We hold them because we believe they reflect what God has revealed in Scripture — not because we are hostile to people who struggle, question, or disagree. Every person who walks through our doors is made in the image of God, is welcomed as a human being of worth, and is someone for whom Jesus died. We are not a church of people who have everything figured out. We are a church of sinners who have found grace.

The gospel is for everyone. And the same grace that has changed us is available to anyone.

**Key Scriptures:** Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:22–33; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20

---

## 10. The Future

**We believe in the literal, physical return of Jesus Christ and in the bodily resurrection of all people.**

History is not an endless cycle or a march toward human progress. It is moving toward a specific destination: the return of Jesus Christ and the consummation of God's eternal kingdom. Jesus Himself promised He would come back — personally, visibly, and in bodily form — and the angels at His ascension confirmed it (John 14:1–3; Acts 1:11; Revelation 22:12).

**The Resurrection of the Dead:** We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people — both the righteous and the unrighteous (John 5:28–29; Daniel 12:2). Those who have trusted in Christ will be raised to glorified, physical bodies to dwell with God forever in the new creation — a renewed, perfected, physical universe where there is no death, mourning, pain, or sin (Revelation 21:1–5; 1 Corinthians 15:42–44). Those who have died apart from Christ will also be raised and will face judgment before God, resulting in eternal, conscious separation from Him in a place of punishment that Scripture calls hell (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:11–15).

We believe in the reality of hell not because we find satisfaction in it, but because Jesus taught it clearly and consistently, and because we take His words seriously (Mark 9:43–48; Matthew 25:41–46). The reality of hell is one of the reasons the church exists — to tell people the truth about their condition and the way of rescue.

**End-Times:** We believe Jesus will return before the millennium (pre-millennialism), and we believe in a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth as described in Revelation 20. On the specific sequence of events surrounding the rapture, the tribulation, and the millennium, we hold our views with conviction but without making them a test of fellowship. Sincere, Bible-believing Christians have disagreed on these details for centuries. What we hold with certainty is this: Jesus is coming back. The dead will be raised. History has a destination. And our hope is not in this world.

**Key Scriptures:** John 14:1–3; Acts 1:11; John 5:28–29; Revelation 21:1–5; 1 Corinthians 15:42–58; Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20; Revelation 22:12

---

## 11. Missions and Evangelism

**We believe every follower of Jesus is called to share the gospel and that the local church has a responsibility to take that mission seriously — both locally and globally.**

The Great Commission is not optional and not outsourced. Before He ascended, Jesus gave His church a mandate: go into all the world, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything He commanded (Matthew 28:18–20). This is the defining mission of the church.

Evangelism is not a personality type or a spiritual gift reserved for the especially bold. It is the responsibility of every believer — to tell the truth about Jesus in their ordinary relationships, workplaces, neighborhoods, and families. It does not require a script or a program. It requires an honest life, a willingness to talk about what you believe, and trust that the gospel is powerful enough to do the work (Romans 1:16).

FBC Fenton is committed to missions — both local and international. We support missionaries and ministry partners in Pakistan, India, and Thailand who are taking the gospel to places where it is rare, costly, and desperately needed. We believe the local church is not just a receiving station for Christian consumers — it is a sending church, equipping and releasing people for the mission of God.

**Key Scriptures:** Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:13–15; Isaiah 6:8; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20

---

## 12. Christian Living

**We believe that genuine salvation produces genuine change — and that Christians are called to live in a way that is distinctively different from the surrounding culture.**

Salvation is not the end of the story. It is the beginning. Those who have been justified by faith are also being sanctified — made progressively more like Jesus in their character, desires, and conduct — through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, prayer, accountability, and life in community with other believers (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 1:6).

We do not believe Christians earn or maintain their salvation by how they live. But we do believe that a genuine encounter with the grace of God produces a genuine change in the direction of a person's life. A faith that produces no change is not saving faith (James 2:14–26). The goal is not religious performance — it is growing love for God that naturally overflows into love for neighbor, resistance to sin, generosity, honesty, compassion, and a life shaped by the values of the kingdom of God.

We are under no illusion that Christians are perfect. We are a church full of people in process — struggling, failing, getting up, and pressing on. The Christian life is not a highlight reel. It is a long obedience in the same direction, sustained by grace.

**Key Scriptures:** Romans 8:29; Galatians 5:22–25; James 2:14–26; Philippians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:1–17

---

## Questions?

These convictions are not held lightly — they have been tested, studied, and prayed over. But we also hold them with the humility to know that we are finite people studying an infinite God, and that growth in understanding is part of the Christian life.

If you have questions about what we believe — whether you agree, disagree, or are simply curious — we would genuinely love to talk with you. No question is too basic or too hard.

**[Book an appointment with Pastor James Bell](/book-appointment)** | **[Contact us](/contact)** | **[Plan your first visit](/visit)**