Articles of Faith
For additional details please follow link: Bible Fellowship Church Headquarters site
Article 1 – The Holy Scriptures
1-1 The Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired, infallible Word of God, a divine revelation, the original writings of which were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. They are the supreme and final authority of faith and conduct.
Article 2 – The Trinity
2-1 There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, the same in substance, eternally equal in power and glory.
Article 3 – God The Father
3-1 There is but one living and true God, immanent, transcendent, infinite in being and perfection, pure spirit, invisible, immutable, eternal, almighty, all wise, most holy, most free, most loving, most gracious, most merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, and withal most just and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin. He will by no means clear the guilty.
Article 4 – God The Son
4-1 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Word, the eternal and true God who is of one substance and equal with the Father. He took on Himself man’s nature, with all of its essential properties except sin: Being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, He embodied two perfect and distinct natures in one person. He is truly God and truly man, the only mediator between God and man.
Article 5 – God the Holy Spirit
5-1 The eternal Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of the same substance and equal in power and glory with the Father and the Son. By Him the prophets were moved to speak the Word of God, and all writers of the Holy Scriptures were inspired to record infallibly the mind and will of God. He is the only efficient agent in the application of redemption. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, moves them to repentance, and regenerates them by His grace, enabling them to embrace Jesus Christ by faith.
Article 6 – Creation
6-1 The triune God, according to His sovereign will, created out of nothing and out of things that He had made, by immediate and mediate action, the worlds and all that is in them. He is the Governor and Upholder of the creation by His wisdom and by the word of His mighty power.
Article 7 – Satan
7-1 Satan is a created angelic being who fell from his first estate. He is the god of this age, ruling by the permissive will of God. He exercises authority over the unsaved, tempts the believer to sin, and continually accuses the brethren before the throne of God.
Article 8 – Man
8-1 God, by a special, instantaneous act, created man in His image — holy, righteous, and possessing true knowledge — by forming him out of the dust of the earth and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. Thus man became a living soul.
Article 9 – Sin
9-1 Sin is any lack of conformity to the will of God or any transgression of the law of God. Sin separates man from God, incurring His wrath and judgment, and is manifest in the selfishness, rebellion, unbelief and total depravity of man’s being. Sin is the cause of the curse on and defilement of the created universe.
Article 10 – Human Ability and Responsibility
10-1 In his original creation man was endowed with the ability to will and do good or evil and was accountable for his willing and doing. But through the fall of Adam man lost his ability, apart from God’s grace, to will and to do those things necessary for a right relationship with God; however, he is still accountable to God for obedience to all of His commands. Man has not lost his ability to make decisions, but left to himself, he acts only in accordance with his fallen, sinful nature.
Article 11 – Election
11-1 Election is a free act of the sovereign God in which from eternity, for reasons known only to Himself, He graciously chose from among the fallen mankind a people unto salvation, that they might be conformed to Christ’s image. Those so chosen He redeemed by His Son and seals by His Spirit. and apart from any foreseen faith and/or goodness found in man,
Article 12 – Salvation
12-1 Salvation is the work of God in which He reconciles fallen men to Himself, ultimately removes the consequences of the curse, and bestows upon His redeemed Creation the riches of His grace, all to His glory.
Article 13 – Repentance
13-1 Repentance unto life is a gift of God and a voluntary act of man, accomplished by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Repentance consists in a knowledge of sin, a sense of guilt and corruption that results in the confession and forsaking of sin and a turning to God that results in loving, obedient service.
Article 14 – Regeneration
14-1 Regeneration, or the New Birth, is an instantaneous creative act of God through the agency of the Holy Spirit, whereby divine life is imparted to those dead in sin, making them members of the family of God.
Article 15 – Justification
15-1 Justification is the act of God’s grace whereby the sinner is declared righteous solely through faith in the redemptive work of Christ. By this action the righteousness of Christ is imputed, sin is pardoned, and the sinner is restored to divine favor.
Article 16 – Sanctification
16-1 Sanctification is a progressive work of the Holy Spirit in the believer that purifies the life and conforms the whole man to the image of Christ as the Word of God is believed and obeyed. It begins at regeneration, continues throughout the believer’s life on earth, and reaches its completion at the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Article 17 – Perseverance of the Saints
17-1 Salvation is the work of God, from its commencement to its consummation. Those regenerated by the Word of God through the work of the Holy Spirit become partakers of the divine nature. They are preserved by the power of God so that they shall never totally or finally fall away, but shall persevere unto the end.
Article 18 – The Church
18-1 The Church is the body of which Christ is the head. All those redeemed by His blood and born of His Spirit are members of that body and are in mystical union and communion with Christ and fellow believers. The Church is universal and local, visible and invisible. The visible Church consists of all those professing faith in Christ. The invisible Church is composed of all those born of the Spirit.
Article 19 – The Evangelistic Mission of the Church
19-1 The Church has been commissioned by Jesus Christ to preach the gospel to all nations. Each Particular Church and every believer bear responsibility for this commission.
Article 20 – Ordinances
Baptism & The Lord’s Supper
20-1 Baptism. Water baptism, the immersion of the believer, is a visible testimony to the work of regeneration and a mark of identification and union with Christ. It has no saving or cleansing power, but it is the answer of a good conscience before God; hence, it should be administered only to those who have, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, realized the forgiveness of sins and possess the assurance of acceptance with God.
20-2 The Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, in which, by the giving and receiving of bread and wine, according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, His death is proclaimed. Those who worthily partake in this remembrance of Him feed upon Him to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace, have their union and communion with Him confirmed, and testify and renew their thankfulness and commitment to God and their mutual love and fellowship each with the other as members of the same mystical body.
Article 21 – The Lord’s Day
21-1 The first day of the week has been recognized by the Church as the Lord’s Day since apostolic times. We believe, therefore, that it ought to be observed by all believers, voluntarily and in love, as a continuation of the sabbath principle, a day of remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord from the dead and a day of worship of God, rest from physical toil, service for the Master, and fellowship of the saints. Christians should engage only in duties of necessity and mercy on the Lord’s Day.
Article 22 – Divine Healing
22-1 It is the believer’s privilege to seek the will of the Lord in matters of physical healing. This healing, whether by natural, medical, or supernatural means, must come from the omnipotent God who created the human body. The believer may implore the Lord for physical restoration according to the Scriptures, and if the healing is for the highest glory of God, His power will be displayed.
Article 23 – Civil Government
23-1 God ordained and instituted civil government for the welfare of society, to promote and to protect the good and restrain and punish the evil. It is the duty of Christians to pray3 for those in authority, to render due loyalty, respect, and obedience to them, and to pay taxes and customs demanded of them. Where demands of civil law militate against the supreme and higher law of God, Christians should obey God rather than man.
Article 24 – Resurrection
24-1 The bodily resurrection of Christ is the basis for the resurrection of man. At the return of the Lord the bodies of the righteous dead will be raised, and the living believers will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Believers will, at the resurrection, receive spiritual and immortal bodies like Christ’s own glorious body.
Article 25 – The Second Coming of Christ
25-1 The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the personal visible, bodily return of our Lord to this earth to conform believers to His image and to establish the millennial kingdom. In connection with Christ’s return there will be the resurrection of the righteous dead, the rapture of the saints, the salvation of Israel, the great tribulation, and the inauguration of the millennial reign. Following the millennium will be the resurrection and judgment of the unrighteous. The righteous will be eternally glorified with Him; the unrighteous will be eternally punished.
Article 26 – The Judgments
26-1 The Scriptures enumerate several judgments that differ in time, place, subjects, and results. All judgment has been entrusted to the Son by the Father.
Article 27 – The Millennium
27-1 The Millennium is that aspect of the Kingdom of God that will be ushered in when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the Earth to rule in righteousness. The unfulfilled Messianic prophecies will then be completed. During this period, Satan will be bound and his deceitful activities thus restricted. The created universe will undergo a transformation, with universal prosperity and peace prevailing on earth. The saints will reign with Christ, and the earth will be full of the knowledge and glory of the Lord.
Article 28 – The Eternal State
28-1 There are two final, eternal destinies for man: heaven for the righteous and penitent, and hell for the unrighteous and impenitent.1 At the great white throne judgment, all of the enemies of God will be consigned to the place of eternal conscious punishment, from which there is no escape.2 The new heavens and the new earth shall be created3 as the final state in which the righteous shall dwell forever in the presence of God.4
1 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life (Mat.25:46).
2 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Rev.20:11-15).
3 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness (2Pe.3:10-13).
4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God (Rev.21:3).