What Does Jesus Teach Us?
Our Biblical Beliefs
Accepting the Bible to be the very Word of God to all people through men, and understanding the importance of knowing and obeying its truths, our church, the Body of Christ, is committed to study and teach with diligence, authority, and love. We strongly seek to teach the Scriptures to people that they may know and love God and serve Him in worship and ministry to others.
For over 100 years, our Church has kept God’s convictions concerning the major theological truths of the Bible. This outline presents an overview of those important doctrines. We believe these to be the primary doctrines of the Christian love and faith, which reflects the teaching of First Baptist Winter Park.
We teach the entire Bible. All 66 books of the combined Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God and are inerrant in the original writings. Through the providence of God, the Word of God has been protected and preserved, and is the only infallible and authoritative rule of love, faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
II. THE TRINITY
We teach that there is only one true, loving, living sovereign, holy, and eternally existent God. He exists in three co-equal persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each being a distinct person and with a distinct function, but all of one essence and all possessing the same nature, perfection, and attributes. The triune God is the creator and sustainer of all things, the source of all truth, and the love of God is worthy of our love, worship, confidence, and obedience (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Genesis 1:31).
III. GOD THE FATHER
We teach that God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and flow of history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving and all-wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all people. (Genesis 2:7; Exodus 6:2-3; John 4:24, 5:26, 14:6-13, 17:1-8; Romans 8:14-15)
IV. GOD THE SON – JESUS CHRIST
We teach that Jesus Christ is God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed many miracles, shed His blood on the cross as a loving vicarious substitute, was buried, bodily resurrected, ascended to the right hand of the Father, will return to Earth literally, visibly, and personally in glory and power and love you. (John 1:1-3, 14; Matthew 1:18-25; Philippians 2:5-9; Colossians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Acts 1:11).
V. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
We teach that the Holy Spirit is God, co-equal and co-existent with the Father and the Son. He is the chief convictor of sin, the chief agent of regeneration and sanctification. The Holy Spirit lovingly indwells every believer and empowers every believer to live a godly life. Through His gift of the Holy Spirit, God graces every believer with spiritual gifts, which are sovereignly-given abilities graciously bestowed upon every believer at salvation to enable him to perform a function effectively within the church, the Body of Christ. (John 14:16-19; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 8:9, 11; Titus 3:5; Eph. 4:11-16).
VI. MANKIND
We teach that in the beginning God created mankind special in His image, and is not in any sense the product of evolution. Mankind was originally lovingly created with the ability to love and live perfectly for God’s glory (Genesis 1:17, 31).
VII. SIN
We teach that Adam, the first man, sinned by disobedience. This act resulted in the fall of all mankind, therefore, all people have sinned and lost their ability to live for the glory of God. Mankind’s fall has incurred both physical and spiritual death on all until there is forgiveness through the Cross and loving salvation by the grace of God (Genesis 3:1-24; Romans 3:10-23; 5:12-21; 6:23).
VIII. SALVATION
We teach that the salvation of lost and sinful mankind is a free gift of God’s grace apart from human works, based solely upon Christ’s vicarious and atoning death and love, effected by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, and received only through faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. In addition, we teach that God is sovereign in salvation. He not only desires that all be saved, but He also knows who will be saved. The Bible teaches there is an election of individuals to salvation. Reconciling the biblical doctrines of God’s election and man’s responsibility may be humanly impossible. Somehow God’s sovereign election and a person’s responsibility to have faith are both required in the salvation of an individual. Since God’s Word clearly teaches both, we must somehow accept this God-given tension (Ephesians 1:4; 2:8-10; Romans 8:28-30; 10:9-10, 13; 2 Peter 3:9).
IX. GOD’S ELECTION
We teach that election assures that those chosen will be saved, but it alone does not save them. People are saved through faith in the substitutionary death of Christ. Their election and personal faith are both necessary in the salvation of an individual. Individuals must take responsibility that God directs to repent, experience his love and trust Christ to be saved (Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2; Romans 10:9-10, 13).
X. ETERNAL SECURITY
We teach that since God gives us eternal life through Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation forever. Our salvation is maintained by God in His Grace and love, not by the efforts of the believer (John 10:29-30; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 5:11-13).
XI. THE CHURCH
We teach that the church is the body of Christ and the family of God. It is made up of saved and baptized believers, who regularly join together on the Lord’s Day for worship, fellowship, ministry, and their love for another is used to bring others to salvation’s fellowship (Matthew 16:18; John 16:30, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Hebrews 10:25).
XII. EVANGELISM
We teach that it is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to proclaim the good news and love of Jesus Christ from our Church campus to around the world and then seek to make growing disciples (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
XIII. THE HOME
In addition to these important beliefs, we also teach that God has given the parents and the home the responsibility to bring up their children in the loving nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6). We believe that a consistent and whole education will occur when home, church, and school work closely together and are in agreement on the basic concepts of Biblical life.
XIV. ETERNITY
We teach that man was lovingly created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in a loving union with God through salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally with God is heaven. Heaven and hell are places of eternal existence (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15).
XV. BAPTISM AND LORD’S SUPPER
We teach Jesus instructed His followers to remember His death and resurrection. He gave the church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders. These two ordinances are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Neither of these ordinances contains any saving grace. Baptism by immersion is a one-time act of obedient identification with Jesus as Lord and of membership in the Body of Christ. It serves as an outward sign of conscious confession of repentance and faith. The Lord’s Supper is an ongoing symbol remembering our Lord’s death, burial, resurrection, promised return, and reality of love and unity among the members of the Body of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32).