We believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

This doctrinal statement reflects a summary of our beliefs at Faith Bible Church of

Prescott Valley as derived from the Holy Word of God. The purpose of this statement, rather

than overshadowing or replacing the Bible, is to submit to and hold up its clear teachings in a

more readily accessible form for the purposes of evaluation, teaching, and edification. Because

the Bible is the reliable source for all knowledge about God, man, and what God requires of

man, Bibliology (or the study of the Bible) is the beginning point for this doctrinal statement.

Bibliology (Study of the Bible)

All 66 books of the Bible constitute the plenary inspiration (equal inspiration in every

part) Word of God (2 Pet 1:20-21). It originated with God Himself and was given through men (2

Pet 1:21), inspired, or God-breathed, (2 Tim 3:16) and recorded exactly as God intended. It is

without error (inerrant) in any part or in the whole in the original documents, and is infallible

(incapable of error in its entirety). It is only these 66 books that make up the complete written

revelation of God to mankind, and together this canon constitutes the only infallible rule of faith

and practice (2 Tim 3:15-17, Heb 4:12, 2 Pet 1:19-21).

Though it is not laid out systematically as a book of theology, it is clear and

understandable as objective, propositional truth from God (1 Thess 2:13). This was

accomplished by the Holy Spirit superintending the human authors such that the human

authors wrote with their own emotion, intellect, style, and personality exactly what and how

God directed to be written. Therefore, as we diligently work to apply the literal, grammatical,

historical method of interpretation under the illumination of the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20), we

can fulfill our responsibility to ascertain the true intent and singular meaning of the Scriptures

as well as proper application of God’s instructions for us.

Scripture describes God, discloses man, displays Jesus, declares the hope of His Gospel,

and directs our lives. Scripture is the basis for our preaching, teaching, singing, meeting, and

counseling; and Scripture is the full and final authority on all matters. (1 John 2:20)

Theology Proper (Study of God)

The Bible clearly reveals God as the one and only true and living God (Deut 6:4, Isa

45:5-7). He is worthy and deserving of worship in spirit and truth because of who He is and

what He has done and continues to do (Ex 34:5-8, Ps 29:1-11, John 4:21-24). Moreover, the

Bible also clearly reveals God as a Trinity; that is, three persons eternally existing in one essence

– revealed as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19,20), having precisely the same

nature, attributes, and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence,

and obedience; each with divine roles that are summarized below.

God the Father

As the first person of the Trinity, the Father orders and directs all things according to His

will and wisdom (Ps 115:3, Rom 11:33-36, Eph 1:11). He is the Creator (Gen 1:1-31), the

Sovereign, Omnipotent Ruler and King (1 Chronicles 29:11-12, Eph 1:11, 1 Tim 1:17), the Judge

(1 Peter 1:17), and He is holy (Lev 20:7, 26; 1 Pet 1:16). He is called Father in three senses: 1)

the Father of all creation in a broad, general sense (Eph 4:6), 2) the exclusive Father of the Lord

Jesus Christ (John 8:12-59), and 3) He is the spiritual adoptive Father of all believers (Rom 8:14,

2 Cor 6:18, Gal 4:5). The Father did not invent or author sin, death, or sickness (Hab 1:13), which

all came about through the sin of Adam (Rom 5:12), yet even these are used as part of His plan

that was formed before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:1-12) for His glory. This plan also

includes His sovereign work of election of undeserving sinners to be saved by His grace.

God the Son

The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, is coequal and coeternal with God the

Father (John 10:30, 14:9-10). He was with God the Father in the beginning working in creation

(John 1:1-3, Col 1:15-16) and is working even now in sustaining all things (Col 1:15-17, Heb 1:3).

In God the Father’s perfect timing, He was born of a virgin (Matt 1:23, Luke 1:26-35). Rather

than ceasing to be God while a man, He took on the additional nature of humanity in Himself,

becoming fully God and fully man; He did not lack any of the essence of either nature in

Himself, nor did the two natures mix (Micah 5:2, John 14:9-10, Phil 2:5-8, Col 2:9).

Jesus Christ revealed Himself as a real person in the incarnation in order to reveal God,

redeem man, and rule over God’s kingdom (Ps 2:7-9, Isa 9:6, John 1:29, Phil 2:9-11, Heb

7:25-26, 1 Pet 1:18-19). He shed His blood in a voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory,

redemptive, and physical death on the cross in order to redeem every person the Father will

give Him, as many as have been appointed to eternal life (John 6:37-40, 10:15-18, Rom 3:21-26,

5:8, Acts 13:48, 1 Pet 2:24). He was then physically, bodily raised from the dead in order to

confirm our justification (Mat 28:6, Rom 4:25), affirm His deity (John 5:26-29, 8:58, Rom 1:4),

and substantiate our hope of future resurrection (Rom 4:25, 6:5-10, 1 Cor 15:1-58). He then

ascended into heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand interceding for believers and reigning

(Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25, 1 John 2:1) until He returns.

Jesus Christ is called Son in three senses: 1) the only begotten Son of God in a unique,

divine sense (John 1:14, 1:18, 3:16), 2) the Son of Man in a unique, messianic sense (Dan 7:13,

Mat 16:27, 19:28, 26:64, and 3) the son of David in a prophetic fulfillment sense (2 Sam 7:14-16,

Mat 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-34). He will judge all people at the end of time (John 5:22-23); believers

(1 Cor 3:10-15, 2 Cor 5:10), those alive on earth when He returns (Mat 25:31-46), and

unbelievers who have passed away prior to His return (Rev 20:11-15). He will return one day to

receive the Church unto Himself at the rapture (1 Thes 4:13-18), and will establish His Millennial

Kingdom on earth in glorification (Rev 20).

God the Holy Spirit

The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is also coequal and coeternal with the

Father and the Son (Heb 10:15-18, Mat 28:19, 1 Cor 12:4-6, 2 Cor 13:14). The Holy Spirit is a

person who exhibits intellect (1 Cor 2:10-13), emotion (Eph 4:30), and will (1 Cor 12:11). He

demonstrates His divinity in sharing the Father’s incommunicable attributes such as eternality

(Heb 9:14), omnipresence (Ps 139:7-10), omniscience (Isa 40:13-14), omnipotence (Rom 15:13),

and truthfulness (John 16:13).

The Holy Spirit was active in creation with the Father and the Son (Gen 1:2), Christ’s

incarnation (Mat 1:18), the inspiration of the Scriptures (John 16:13, 2 Pet 1:20-21), and in the

work of salvation (John 3:5-7). He additionally convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of

judgment, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, and transforms believers into the image of God the

Son (John 16:7-11, 2 Cor 3:18, Eph 2:22). Though the Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament

(Num 27:18, 1 Sam 16:12-13), His work of creating and sustaining the Church began at

Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. His relationship with the Church is now as the sovereign Agent in

regeneration and spiritual baptism into the body of Christ for every believer at the time of

salvation (1 Cor 12:13, Titus 3:5), as well as indwelling, sanctifying, instructing, empowering for

service, and sealing all believers until we are called home (Rom 8:9, 2 Cor 3:6, Eph 1:13).

Although all believers in Jesus Christ are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, believers are also

commanded to be filled with (controlled by) the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9, Eph 5:18, 1 John 2:20-21).

Finally, the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to the church (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Cor 12:1-11,

13:8-10, Eph 4:7-12, Heb 2:1-4, 1 Pet 4:7-11). The miraculous gifts of the New Testament were

genuine and necessary at the time of Apostles for the purpose of pointing to and authenticating

their message. By the end of the first century, the Holy Spirit ceased dispensing the miraculous

gifts including: healings, speaking in tongues, and direct revelatory prophecy, but continues to

grant service gifts to all believers for the edification of one another (Eph 4:7-12, 1 Pet 4:10).

Through these gifts, the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ (John 16:14, Acts 1:8).

Anthropology (Study of Mankind)

Man was created by God on the sixth literal day of creation, in the image of God, for the

glory of God, for fellowship with God, and for obedience to God (Gen 1:27, 2:7, 2:15-25, Isa

43:7, Col 1:16, Rev 4:11). God created man and woman, male and female, distinctly and for

different roles. God created Adam and placed him in the garden to work in it (Gen 2:15), then

He created Eve from Adam’s body in order to help him (Gen 2:18-25). The man and woman

together disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of

good and evil, Eve being deceived by Satan (Gen 3:1-6), Adam eating willingly (Gen 3:6). Though

God’s creation had been very good (Gen 1:31), including man and woman, Adam’s sin brought

lost innocence, spiritual and physical death, God’s wrath upon humanity, inherent corruption

within mankind, and depravity such that no one is able to choose or do good in God’s sight in

his own power (Gen 3:1-19, 6:5-6, 8:21, Rom 3:9-18). Because of this act, sin has been

transmitted to every human being by nature, Jesus Christ standing apart as the only exception,

and all have become sinners by nature and by choice as a result (Ps 14:1-3, Jer 17:9, Rom

3:9-18, 5:10-12).

Soteriology (Study of Salvation)

Because of mankind’s sinful, depraved state, and the effect of that sin upon the mind,

emotions, and will of every person, no one is able to save himself through merit or works (Rom

3:20). Therefore, salvation is wholly of God by grace through faith based on Christ’s work alone,

Old Testament saints looking ahead (Heb 11:10) and New Testament saints looking back to His

work. (John 1:12-13, Eph 2:8-10). God’s sovereign work of salvation of sinful man was decreed

by God before the foundation of the world in His election, or choosing those He would redeem

(Rom 8:28-30, Eph 1:4-11, 1 Pet 1:1-2). Sin’s effect includes spiritual death for every person (Eph

2:1-5, Col 2:13) so that he must be made alive in salvation. The Holy Spirit, by way of the Word

of God (John 5:24, Rom 10:17), instantaneously gives life to every person who believes at the

moment of salvation in regeneration (Titus 3:5, John 3:3-7, 2 Cor 5:17-18). At the same

moment, because of God’s sovereign work in the heart to make someone alive through faith,

the person turns from their sin in repentance, believes in Jesus Christ for the source of God’s

required righteousness, and rather than being declared guilty, he is declared righteous in

justification (Rom 3:21-26, 1 Pet 2:24, 2 Cor 5:21). In all this work of God, no one will be

pardoned from judgment due to disbelief because of the excuse of God not working to bring

faith and repentance; every person is commanded to repent and trust Jesus Christ as Savior and

Lord (John 3:18-19, 36, Rom 9:19-23, Rev 22:17). Those who do not will suffer for eternity in the

lake of fire (Matt 25:31-46, Rev 20:11-15). Finally, all whom the Father calls will come, and not

one will be left behind (John 6:37-44, Acts 13:48).

Salvation necessarily manifests itself in the fruit of good works in the life of every

believer (1 Cor 6:19-20, Eph 2:10, 1 John 2:1-6). As the believer submits to the control of the

Holy Spirit through faithful obedience to the Word of God, he becomes increasingly conformed

to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ in sanctification (2 Cor 3:18, Eph 5:17-21, Phil 2:12, Col

3:16, 1 Pet 1:5-11). However, both the desire and the ability to accomplish these good works

originate with God Himself, and He is who receives the glory for them (Phil 2:13, 1 Pet 2:12). We

will not attain perfection or sinlessness in this life, though when we are called home to be with

our Lord for eternity, God will remove all sin and its effects upon us in glorification (Rom 8:17, 2

Pet 1:4, 1 John 3:2-3). While we live on earth, we are to be separate from sin rather than regular

participants in it (Rom 12:1-2, 1 Cor 5:9-13, 1 John 2:15-17, 3:1-10). Finally, every person who is

truly saved is kept by God’s power and is therefore secure in that salvation forever (John 5:24,

10:27-30, Rom 5:9-10, Eph 1:13-14, 4:30, 1 Pet 1:5), though this is not license to live in sin or

worldliness (Rom 6:15-22, 13:13-14, Gal 5:13, Titus 2:11-14).

Ecclesiology (Study of the Church)

The Church is the collection of all believers in Jesus Christ who are truly saved – from

Pentecost through today, even to the time of the Rapture (Acts 2:1-21, 1 Cor 12:12-13,

15:51-52, 1 Thess 4:13-18). These believers in Jesus Christ have been placed into the church by

the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:12-13) and have become God’s people. God has dispensed spiritual

gifts to the members of the church for the edification of the church (Rom 12:5-8, 1 Cor 12:4-31,

1 Pet 4:10-11), which are to be cultivated by pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11-16). The church is

to continue to exist as local gatherings as defined in the New Testament (Acts 14:23, 27, 20:17,

28, Phil 1:1) in faithful attendance by believers (1 Cor 11:18-20, Heb 10:25). However, the

church has not replaced Israel as God has a clear, unique plan for Israel in the future (Isa

54:1-10, Jer 31:37, Rom 11:1-2, Rev 7:1-8).

The supreme authority for the church is the Head of the church, Christ Himself (Eph

1:22, Col 1:18). The Scriptures explain that His representatives in the church consist of a

plurality of qualified men who lead and rule over the church in humble service (Acts 20:28, Eph

4:11, 1 Tim 5:17-22, Heb 13:7, 17, 1 Pet 5:1-4). These men are called elders, bishops, pastors,

and pastor-teachers today since the terms are used interchangeably in the New Testament (Acts

20:17-28, 1 Pet 5:1-2), and they lead and rule as servants of Christ (1 Tim 5:17-22). Deacons are

also servants of both Christ and His church, though they are not expected to teach regularly as

are elders. Both of these groups of men are to be evaluated in light of biblical qualifications as

laid out in 1 Tim 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9.

The purpose of the church is to glorify God (Eph 3:21) through worship (Heb 12:28) and

by edification in the faith (Eph 4:13-16), by teaching and preaching the Word (2 Tim 2:2, 15,

3:16-17), by fellowship (Acts 2:46-47, 1 John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances (Luke 22:19-20,

Acts 2:38-42), and by making disciples (Matt 28:19-20). The church is the center for discipleship

(2 Tim 2:2), mutual accountability of all believers to one another (Matt 18:5-14, Rom 12:5), and

discipline when required for the purpose of maintaining the purity of the church (Matt

18:15-22, 1 Cor 5:1-13, Titus 1:10-16). The elders of each local church are responsible for the

above, free from external authority or control (Acts 15:19-31, 20:28, Titus 1:5, 1 Pet 5:1-4). The

two ordinances of the church include believer’s baptism by immersion, and the Lord’s Supper

after self-examination (Acts 2:38-42, 8:36-39, 1 Cor 11:28-32).

Eschatology (Study of Last Things)

Old Testament saints who passed away were sent immediately to be with God (Ps

16:10-11, 23:6). When believers today (and throughout the time of the church) pass away their

souls are immediately transported into the presence of Christ (Phil 1:21-24, 2 Cor 5:8) who is

also with God the Father (Heb 1:3, Rom 8:34)

The rapture is Christ’s physical return to earth in the clouds to gather His church to

Himself to be with Him forever (1 Cor 15:35-44, 50-54, 1 Thess 4:13-17). At the rapture each

living church saint will have their physical body changed into an incorruptible body and every

church saint who has passed away will be physically resurrected with an incorruptible body (1

Cor 15:52, 1 Thess 4:13-17) so that we will all meet the Lord in the air; this is the first

resurrection.

Immediately following the rapture, God will begin pouring out His righteous judgment

upon mankind and creation in the tribulation (Jer 30:7, Dan 9:27, 2 Thess 2:7-12). This

seven-year period is the 70th week of Daniel (Dan 9:24-27, Matt 24:15-31), after which God’s

wrath will culminate in Christ’s second coming (Matt 24:27-31). The Second Coming will usher in

the Millennial Kingdom wherein Christ will reign on the throne of David and establish His earthly

kingdom for 1,000 years (Matt 25:31, Acts 1:10-11, Rev 20:1-7). Christ will at this time

overthrow the Antichrist and False Prophet who deceived the world and will imprison Satan for

1,000 years (Dan 7:17-27, Rev 20:1-7). The resurrected Tribulation and Old Testament saints will

reign with Him over Israel and all nations (Ez 37:21-28, Dan 7:17-22, Dan 12:1-2, Rev 19:11-16),

which will also fulfill God’s promises to Israel (Isa 65:17-25, Ez 37:21-28, Zech 8:1-17). Jesus’

reign on earth will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Isa

11, 65:17-25, Ez 36:33-38).

At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released to deceive the nations and gather

them to battle against Christ and the city of His kingdom. The revolt will be crushed when fire

from heaven devours Satan and his army (Rev 20:7-9). Satan, the False Prophet, and all unsaved

people from the Great White Throne judgment will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity (Matt

25:41, Rev 20:10-15). After this, believers of all ages will enter into the eternal state of glory

with God, when creation will be dissolved (2 Pet 3:10) and replaced with a new heaven and new

earth (Rev 21-22). This will be the location of the heavenly city (Rev 21:2) where the saints will

enjoy fellowship with God and one another forever (John 17:3, Rev 21-22). The triune God will

then directly reign over everything in every way forever (1 Cor 15:28).

The unsaved of all times who pass away are kept under punishment until they are

physically resurrected in the second resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment at the

conclusion of the millennium, when they will be judged and cast into everlasting punishment in

the lake of fire, also called Hell (Dan 12:2, John 5:29, Rev 20:13-15).

The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, requires constant expectancy and, as

our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission

(2 Pet 3:8-13).