The members of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, in harmony with our historic
position, believing the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible to be our infallible
rule of faith and practice, and feeling our responsibility to make known the divine message of the
Bible, present the following articles as a statement of those basic truths taught in the
Bible which are common to our Christian faith and practice.
THE BIBLE
The Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, verbally inspired in all parts, and
therefore wholly without error as originally given of God (2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21).
GOD THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THE HOLY SPIRIT MAN SALVATION THE CHURCH THE CHRISTIAN LIFE ORDINANCES SATAN SECOND COMING FUTURE LIFE
The One True God existing eternally as three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit
(Luke 3:22, Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14).
His preexistence and deity (John 1:1-13) | incarnation by virgin birth (John 1:14, Matt. 1:18-23) | sinless
life (Heb. 4:15) | substitutionary death (2 Cor. 5:21) | bodily resurrection (Luke 24:36-43) | ascension into
heaven and present ministry (Heb. 4:14,16) | and coming again (Acts 1:11).
His personality (John 16:7-15) | and deity (Acts 5:3-4) | and His work in each believer, baptism and
indwelling at the moment of regeneration (1 Cor. 12:13, Rom. 8:9) | and filling (Eph. 5:18) |
to empower for Christian life and service (Eph. 3:16, Acts 1:8, Gal. 5:22-23).
His direct creation in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28) | his subsequent fall into sin resulting in spiritual
death (Gen. 3:1-24, Rom. 5:12) | and the necessity of the new birth for his salvation (John 3:3-5).
A complete and eternal salvation by God's grace alone, received as the gift of God through personal faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work (Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7, 1 Peter 1:18-19).
One true Church, the body and the bride of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-32) | composed of all true believers of
the present age (1 Cor. 12:12-13) | and the organization of its members in local churches for worship, for
edification of believers, and for world-wide gospel witness, each local church being autonomous but
cooperating in fellowship and work (Eph. 4:11-16).
A life of righteousness, good works and separation unto God from the evil ways of the world (Rom 12:1- 2) |
manifested by speaking the truth (James 5:12) | maintaining the sanctity of the home (Eph. 5:22-6:4) |
settling differences between Christians in accordance with the Word of God (1 Cor. 6:1-8) | not engaging in
carnal strife but showing a Christ-like attitude toward all men (Rom. 12:7-21) | exhibiting the
fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) | and maintaining a life of prayer (Eph. 6:18, Phil. 4:6) | including the
privilege, when sick, of calling for the elders of the church to pray and to anoint with
oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:13-18).
The Christian should observe the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ, which are (1) baptism of
believers by triune immersion (Matt. 28:19) | (2) the threefold communion service, consisting of
the washing of the saint's feet (John 13:1-17) | the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:20-22, 33-34, Jude 12) |
and the communion of the bread and the cup (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
His existence and personality as the great adversary of God and his people (Rev. 12:1-10) |
his judgment (John 12:31) | and final doom (Revelation).
The personal, visible and imminent return of Christ to remove His Church from the earth (1 Thess. 4:16) |
before the Tribulation (1 Thess. 1:10, Rev. 3:10) | and afterward to descend with the Church to establish
His millennial kingdom upon the earth (Rev. 19:11, Rev. 6).
The conscious existence of the dead (Phil. 1:21-23, Luke 16:19-31) | the resurrection of the body
(John 5:28-29) | the judgment and reward of believers (Rom. 14:10-12, 2 Cor. 5:10) | the judgment and
condemnation of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15) | the eternal life of the saved (John 3:16) | and the
eternal punishment of the lost (Matt. 25:46, Rev. 20:15).