Faith Baptist Academy Doctrinal Statement

We are fundamental in doctrine, dispensational in theology, and fully Baptist in polity, church government, and distinction.

The Scriptures

We believe the Bible to be composed of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, and we hold them as the sole authority for our belief and practice. We believe them to be the revealed and inspired Word of God, inerrant, and infallible. We believe that God has preserved His Word (Matt. 5:18; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21).

We believe that inspiration is that special influence that God placed upon the authors of the various books of the Bible (II Tim. 3:16), so that as they recorded His words, they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:21). The words of God are preserved for us today in English in the King James Version of the Bible (Ps. 12:6-7; Is. 40:8).

The God Head

We believe in the triune God existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that each personality is eternal in being, identical in essence, equal in power and glory, and has the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; II Cor. 13:14; Matt. 3:16-17, 28:29).

The Person and Work of Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a Virgin (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23) in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:5-11).

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person and convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth and is the supernatural agent in regeneration, indwelling, and sealing believers unto the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit empowers believers for Soul-Winning and Local Church Ministry. (John 16:8-11; II Cor. 3:6; Rom 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14; Acts 1:8).

Angelology

We believe that Satan is a real and personal being, a fallen angel who is the adversary of Christ and His people, and who deceives, entices, and accuses Christians, and whose end is the lake of fire. The holy angels (Rev. 14:10) are “ministering spirits” (Heb. 1:14) helping Christians and serving God in heaven and on the earth (Heb. 13:2; Is. 14:12-15; II Cor. 4:3-4; I Peter 5:8; Rev. 12:9-10, 20:10).

Man’s Condition

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that he sinned, and physical and spiritual death resulted; that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God and is totally unable to regain its former position (Gen. 1:26; 3:1-24; Rom. 3:23, 5:12; Eph. 2:11).

Salvation

We believe that salvation is a gift of God’s grace to “whosoever will” and is received by repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ whose precious blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Salvation is “by grace through faith” plus nothing and minus nothing (Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 20:21; John 1:12, 3:16; I Peter 1:23).

The Church

We believe that the church is a group of saved, baptized believers gathered into a local congregation for the purpose of obedience to Christ, edification of the saints, and fulfillment of the great commission (Matt. 28:19-20). The word “church” in the New Testament refers to the local church and God’s work today is primarily being carried on through the ministry of local churches (I Tim. 3:15; Matt. 16:18).

Prophecy

We believe in the personal, imminent, and pre-tribulational return of Christ for His saints known as the Rapture, also that Christ will have a personal, pre-millennial return to the earth to reign over a literal earthly kingdom for one thousand years (I Thess. 4:16-18; Acts 15:14-18; Rev. 1:11-16, 20:6; II Sam. 7:12-16; Zech. 14:4-11).

Separation

We believe that the church should be separate from the state (Acts 22:21, Rom. 13:1-4), the believer from the world (II Cor. 6:14-18; Col. 3:1-12), and the church from apostasy (II Peter 2; II Tim. 2; Jude). We believe the Word of God clearly demands that the believer walk in the path of separation from carnal, worldly pleasures and questionable practices which are harmful in their influences and a stumbling block to others. We believe, also, that those desiring to unite with our fellowship should be willing to make their relationship with the following practices a matter of earnest prayer for the will of God through the Word of God. For example, the popular motion pictures, theaters, dancing, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, narcotic drugs, the lottery, dress standards, etc. (II Cor. 6:14-18; Acts 22:21; I John 2:15-17; Rom. 14:21; I Cor. 6:19-20; James 5:12).

Ordinances

We believe that there are two Christian ordinances:

Christian baptism was instituted by the command of Christ, and that all believers should be baptized (Matt. 28:19-20); that He set the example for us to follow by being baptized in water, and that our baptism should be by the mode of immersion to testify of our identification with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-4).
The Lord’s Supper, as instituted by Christ, is a memorial, a symbol, and a prophecy to show forth His death until He comes (I Cor. 11).

Sodomy and Homosexuality

Sodomy is not a harmless alternative lifestyle, nor is it “the way God has made some people.” The Scriptures state that sodomy is a sinful practice. In history, when tolerated by society, it came under the judgment of God.

Not only are there grave physical consequences to be suffered, but also spiritual consequences to the individual and our nation. Trying to hold a Biblical view on this matter, we point such individuals to seek salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is able to deliver, change, love, and forgive all who come to Him (Gen. 19; Deut. 28; Judges 19; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; 23:17; Rom. 1:18-23; I Cor. 6:9-13; I Tim. 1:10).

Human Sexuality

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality; including homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1, 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)

We believe that the only Biblical and legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)

For further information on the doctrinal beliefs of Faith Baptist Academy, please refer to the Constitution and Bylaws of Faith Baptist Church of Margate (available upon request in the church/school office).