WE ARE AN OLD-PATHS INDEPENDENT BAPTIST CHURCH
We do not say that we are "old-fashioned," but timeless in our biblical doctrinal stand. We strive to stick to the "old paths"
of tried and true faith on a tried and true Saviour as revealed in His tried and true Word.
OUR PASTOR
Our Pastor is Bro. Tony Tirse. He was saved in July of 2000 and in 2001 began to serve as Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church of Largo, FL. Beginning in 2002 he served as bus captain and youth leader at Trinity Baptist Church in Bradenton, FL and at Colony Baptist Church in Ellenton, FL. In 2011 he was appointed Youth Pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Brooksville, FL and in 2014 he and his wife, Mia, left to the mission field of the Philippines where he planted the Midway Baptist Church in Babatngon, Leyte and started the Leyte Baptist Bible Institute. In 2019 due to Mia's serious health problems they returned to the United States. In June of 2020 he was called to be our pastor.
The FREEDOM BAPTIST CHURCH was started in April, 1986 in Seffner, FL and moved to its current location in 2001.
Below is a synopsis of our core beliefs, our "Statement of Faith."
1. The Holy Scriptures. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, preserved and God-breathed and, therefore, are the sole authority for faith and practice. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Authorized Version of 1611, King James Bible is the Divinely preserved and perfect Word of God for the English language, and shall be the only Bible used by the church (Ps. 12:6-7; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21). Scripture stands in judgment of men; never do men stand in judgment of it.
2. Dispensations and Biblical Covenants. We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. (Gen. 1:28; I Cor. 9:17; II Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6)
3. The Fall of Man. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19). Because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam’s sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12).
4. The Godhead. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14, John 14:10, 26). There is but one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7, I Corinthians 8:4); infinite, and all-knowing (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14) – each equally deserving worship and obedience.
a. The Person & Work of Christ.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)
i. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; I Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5)
ii. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. We believe that Jesus is our Great High Priest, and we need no other to intercede for us. (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1-2)
b. The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in salvation, regenerating all who believe in Christ, and indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Titus 3: 5; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
i. We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be yielded to the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)
ii. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
iii. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection. (I Cor. 1:22, 13:8, 14:21-22).
c. The Person and Work of the Father.
i. We believe that God the Father is the one and only true and living God. Though distinct among the Godhead, the Father is inseparable and one in nature with the Son and the Holy Spirit. There is absolute unity in the Godhead and therefore those things we attribute primarily to one Person of the Godhead may be applied equally to each Person of the Godhead. (Gen. 1-2; Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Mat. 28:19; Luke 10:22)
ii. We believe that the Father loves all the people of the world and graciously sent His only begotten Son to be the Saviour, the only qualified Mediator between God and man. (John 3:16-18; I John 4:14; I Tim. 2:1-5; II Peter 3:9)
iii. We believe that God the Father reigns over His entire Creation with providential care, holy justice and saving mercy. He mercifully concerns Himself with the affairs of mankind. He is distinct from His Creation but immanently at work in it. We completely reject the idea of a distant, uninterested God such as presented by deist. The Bible and history attest to the fact that God is vitally interested and engaged in the world at large as well as with the individual person. (Psalm 103:7-14; Eph. 3:14-21; Hebrews 12:1-11)
iv. God the Father is neither the author nor approver of sin. His Sovereignty does not negate the responsibility and accountability of individuals. The very fact that God reveals Himself as a Father tells us that He is fatherly in attitude toward all men, but Father, indeed, to those who have been made the children of God through salvation by the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. (James 1:13; I Peter 1:16; Hab. 1:12- 13; John 8:42- 47; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6; I Cor. 8:6)
5. Man. We believe that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9). God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Isa. 43:7; Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11).
6. Salvation. We believe that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19). This forgiveness of sin is called the new birth (John 3:3), and all who are truly born again are kept by God. We believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; I Pet. 1:18-19; Matt. 12:31-32; I John 1:9).
a. Sovereignty, Foreknowledge, Election & Predestination. We teach that sovereign election does not contradict or negate the responsibility of man to repent and trust Christ as Saviour and Lord (Ezek.18:23, 32; 33:11; John 3:18-19, 36; 5:40; Rom. 9:22-23; II Thes. 2:10-12; Rev. 22:17).
i. We believe that the sovereignty and foreknowledge of God, along with predestination are clearly taught in Scripture (Rom. 8:28-30). Because God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, He knows all, sees all and governs all. We believe that there should be no teaching that minimizes or eliminates God’s sovereignty.
ii. We believe that election should not be looked upon as based merely on abstract sovereignty. God is truly sovereign, but He exercises this sovereignty in harmony with His other attributes, especially His omniscience, justice, holiness, wisdom, grace, and love (Romans 9:11-16). This sovereignty will always exalt the will of God in a manner totally consistent with His character as revealed in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:25-28; II Timothy 1:9).
iii. We reject all five points of the T.U.L.I.P. as unscriptural. We judge fatalism and Calvinism to be an overemphasis and an exaggeration of the sovereignty of God to the point that it eliminates human responsibility in salvation, making it unscriptural.
b. Justification. We believe that justification before God is an act of God (Romans 8:33) by which He declares righteous those who, through faith in Christ, repent of their sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; Romans 2:4; II Corinthians 7:10; Isaiah 55:6-7) and confess Him as Lord (Romans 10:9-10; I Corinthians 12:3; II Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 2:11). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (Romans 3:20; 4:6) and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; I Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 5:21). By this means God is enabled to “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
c. The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.
i. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Pet. 1:4-5)
ii. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
7. The Church. Freedom Baptist Church is a fundamental, independent Baptist Church. The term fundamental means that we believe in ministry based upon the Scriptural precepts and patterns of the New Testament. This fundamental approach places a strong emphasis on: the inspiration, preservation and reliability of the Scriptures in the King James text, God’s Simple Plan of Salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the straight forward, plain preaching and teaching of Bible precepts and principles, and the responsibility of believers to be obedient to God’s commands. Independent refers to the fact that our church is self-governing and is not a member of any convention, association, or fellowship that might usurp the headship of Christ over His local church. Though distinct, our church has many like-minded churches with which we fellowship. As far as the name Baptist, it is not to signify a denominational affiliation but rather to identify us with the historic Baptist distinctives of doctrine and conduct.
a. We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons (I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27).
b. We believe that the church is thus a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ (Ephesians 2:11-3:6). The church is distinct from Israel (I Corinthians 10:32), a mystery not revealed until this age (Ephesians 3:1-6; 5:32).
c. We believe that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:23, 27; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:1) and that New Testament believers are directed to join themselves together in local assemblies (I Corinthians 11:18-20; Hebrews 10:25).
d. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).
e. We believe that the One supreme authority of the church is Christ (I Cor. 11:3; Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) and that church leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures. The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are pastors (also called bishops, elders and pastor-teachers; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11) and deacons, both of whom must meet biblical qualifications (I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-5). We believe that pastors lead or rule as servants of Christ (I Timothy 5:17-22) and have His authority in directing the church. The congregation is to submit to their biblical leadership (Heb. 13:7, 17).
f. We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the only scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age and that the Lord's Supper is to be restricted to the membership of the church administering the ordinance (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
g. We believe that the purpose of the church is to glorify God (Eph. 3:21) by building itself up in the faith (Eph. 4:13 16), by instruction of the Word of God (II Tim. 2:2, 15; 3:16-17), by fellowship (Acts 2:47; I John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38, 42) and by advancing and communicating the gospel to the entire world (Mat. 28:19; Acts 1:8; 2:42).
h. We believe the church is to obey God as He accomplishes His purpose in the world. To that end, He gives the church spiritual gifts. He gives men chosen for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:7-12), and He also gives unique and special spiritual abilities to each member of the body of Christ (Romans 12:5-8; I Corinthians 12:4-31; I Peter 4:10-11).
i. We believe that there were two kinds of gifts given the early church: miraculous gifts of divine revelation and healing, given temporarily in the apostolic era for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of the apostles’ message (Hebrews 2:3 4; II Corinthians 12:12); and ministering gifts, given to equip believers for edifying one another. With the New Testament revelation now complete, Scripture becomes the sole test of the authenticity of a man’s message, and confirming gifts of a miraculous nature are no longer necessary to validate a man or his message (I Corinthians 13:8-12). Miraculous gifts can even be counterfeited by Satan so as to deceive even believers (I Corinthians 13:13 14:12; Revelation 13:13-14). The only gifts in operation today are those non-revelatory equipping gifts given for edification. (Romans 12:6-8)
j. We reject the Health, Peace and Prosperity philosophy that is prevalent among those who identify themselves as Charismatics. It is not always God’s will to deliver us from sickness, sorrow and death but it is always His will to use these trials to strengthen us and prepare us to minister to others (I Peter 5: 10; II Cor. 1: 4-6). We believe that no one possesses the gift of healing today, but that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith and will answer in accordance with His own perfect will for the sick, suffering, and afflicted. (Luke 18:1-6; John 5:7-9; II Cor. 12:6-10; James 5:13-16; I John 5:14-15)
k. We believe the Scriptures teach that the believer should be separated from apostasy as seen in ecclesiastical organizations which include radicals, liberals, and those who sanction theological compromise. This doctrine is based upon God’s eternal principle of division between truth and error and His specific command to be separate from unbelievers and disobedient brethren. This truth is to be practiced with an attitude of devotion to God, humility, compassion, but with conviction. We believe the ecumenical evangelism violates the principle of separation taught in God’s Word. As a church we will not cooperate with those who deny or minimize the fundamental doctrines of the Bible. We believe that this movement is an attempt to unite the different faiths and religions on the basis of the lowest common denominator. It emphasizes love at the expense of truth. It is not the unity of believers based upon the sound doctrine of the historic Christian Faith or the Bible. We reject all cooperation with this movement. (I John 4:1-3; II Pet. 2:1-2; II Cor. 11:13-15; II Tim. 4:6-8; I Cor. 5:1-13; II Cor. 6:14-18; Rev. 18:4)
8. Sanctification/Separation. We believe that separation from sin is clearly commanded throughout the Old and New Testaments, and that the Scriptures clearly indicate that in the last days apostasy and worldliness shall increase (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy 3:1-5). We believe that all Christians are called from a life of worldly and sinful practices, to be separated unto God and to a life that is useful unto Christ. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord or their church. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances, piercings, and bodily markings (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; Lev. 19:28; I Cor. 6:19-20).
a. We believe that every believer is sanctified (set apart) unto God by justification and is therefore declared to be holy and is therefore identified as a saint. This sanctification is positional and instantaneous and should not be confused with progressive sanctification. This sanctification has to do with the believer’s standing, not his present walk or condition (Acts 20:32; I Corinthians 1:2, 30; 6:11; II Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 3:1; 10:10, 14; 13:12; I Peter 1:2).
b. We believe that there is also, by the work of the Holy Spirit, a progressive sanctification by which the state of the believer is brought closer to the standing the believer (positional sanctification) enjoys through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17, 19; Romans 6:1-22; II Corinthians 3:18; I Thessalonians 4:3-4; 5:23).
c. We believe that, out of deep gratitude for the undeserved grace of God granted to us, and because our glorious God is so worthy of our total consecration, all the saved should live in such a manner as to demonstrate our adoring love to God and so as not to bring reproach upon our Lord and Saviour. We also believe that separation from all religious apostasy and worldly and sinful practices is commanded of us by God (Romans 12:1-2, I Corinthians 5:9-13; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11).
d. We believe that every saved person is involved in a daily conflict – the new creation in Christ doing battle against the flesh – but adequate provision is made for victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The struggle nevertheless stays with the believer all through this earthly life and is never completely ended. All claims to the eradication of sin in this life are unscriptural (Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Philippians 3:12; Colossians 3:9-10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9).
9. The Rapture of the Church. We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; I Thes. 1:10; I Thes. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
We reject the mid-tribulation, post-tribulation and pre-wrath rapture views as unscriptural. Each of these views respectively insist that saints await the coming of Antichrist instead of Christ. This false teaching leaves no room for the “at-any-moment” return of Christ for His church. The blessed hope of the church is the coming of Christ.
10. The Tribulation Period. We believe that following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:1-3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; 12:1; II Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matthew 24:27-31; 25:31-46; II Thessalonians 2:7-12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Daniel 12:2-3; Revelation 20:4-6). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:15-31; 25:31-46).
11. The Second Coming and the Millennium. We believe that, after the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matthew 25:31; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 1:10-11; 2:29-30) and establish His messianic kingdom for 1,000 years on the earth (Revelation 20:1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezekiel 37:21-28; Daniel 7:17-22; Revelation 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Daniel 7:17-27; Revelation 20:1-7).
a. We believe that the kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Isaiah 65:17-25; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Zechariah 8:1-17) to restore them to the land that they forfeited through their disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:1-26), but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:22-32; Romans 11:25-29).
b. We believe that this time of our Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Isaiah 11; 65:17-25; Ezekiel 36:33-38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Revelation 20:7).
12. The Judgment of the Lost. We believe that following the 1,000-year reign of Christ, Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (Revelation 20:9). Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10), whereupon Christ, who is the Judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne Judgment. We believe that this resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (John 5:28-29), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15).
13. Eternity. We believe that after the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (II Peter 3:10) and replaced with a new earth, wherein only righteousness dwells (Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 20:15; 21:1-27; 22:1-21). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Revelation 21-22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (I Corinthians 15:24-28), that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (I Corinthians 15:28).
a. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)
b. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)
c. We believe that all people who reach the age of accountability to God, who reject Jesus Christ as Saviour, go to Hell at death. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Mat. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)
14. The Personality of Satan. We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
15. Angels.
a. Holy Angels – We believe that angels are created beings and are therefore not to be worshiped. Although they are a higher order of creation than man, they are created to serve God and to worship Him (Luke 2:9-14; Hebrews 1:6-7, 14; 2:6-7; Revelation 5:11-14; 19:10; 22:9).
b. Fallen Angels – We believe that Satan is a created angel and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19), by taking numerous angels with him in his fall (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:1-14), and by introducing sin into the human race by his temptation of Eve (Genesis 3:1-15).
16. Creation. We believe the literal, grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture which affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal days (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 31:17). We reject the theory of evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin along with all other unscriptural theories of origin (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11). It is true that the Creation shows amazing intelligent design but to recognize the intelligence and design involved in Creation and fail to acknowledge and worship the God of Creation is a serious issue (Romans 1:19-22; Psalm 19:1-6; Isaiah 40: 26, 42:5).
17. Civil Government. We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14)
18. Human Sexuality.
a. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, transsexuality, pansexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, 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. We believe God created two and only two very distinct genders: male and female; therefore, we reject any attempt to promote effeminacy among men and boys or the masculinizing of women and girls (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Cor. 5:1; 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
b. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman according to God’s will. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; II Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:22-23)
19. Family Relationships.
a. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; I Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
b. We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7)
20. Divorce and Remarriage. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until the death of a spouse. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons who have not remarried may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God in Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. In light of the Scriptural limits regarding pastors and deacons, we believe that great discretion should be followed regarding those who would be allowed to teach or preach. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; I Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
21. Abortion. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
22. Euthanasia and suicide. We believe that life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. We believe that any act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. We believe, however, that the discontinuance of medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome may be refused as over-zealous treatment. (Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17; Job 24:14; Psalm 10:2-14; 94:6; Mat. 5:21-22; 19:18; Rom. 13:9; James 2:11)
23. Love. We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; II Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I John 3:17-18)
24. Lawsuits between Believers. We believe that members are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other members of their church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (I Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
25. Missions. We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. In light of the clear command of Scripture (Acts 1:8), we believe it is our responsibility to reach our Jerusalem (local area) while at the same time reaching beyond our locale into our Judea, Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. We believe in giving financially to support missionaries of like faith and practice both at home and on foreign fields. We believe in supporting missionaries prayerfully. We believe that mission agencies can be a blessing to assist local churches in getting their missionaries to the field and assisting the missionaries both in preparation for the field and continuation on the field, as long as the missionary himself is commissioned and sent out by the authority of a Baptist church of like faith and order. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:20)
26. Giving. We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basic guideline for supporting the ministry of the local church, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of special projects of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 8:12; 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; I Tim. 5:17-18; I John 3:17)
By applying for membership in the Freedom Baptist Church, the candidate affirms that they are in complete agreement with this Statement of Faith and Doctrine. The candidate further agrees that any deviation from this Statement at any time during their membership will be grounds for immediate revocation of their membership from this church.
We do not say that we are "old-fashioned," but timeless in our biblical doctrinal stand. We strive to stick to the "old paths"
of tried and true faith on a tried and true Saviour as revealed in His tried and true Word.
OUR PASTOR
Our Pastor is Bro. Tony Tirse. He was saved in July of 2000 and in 2001 began to serve as Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church of Largo, FL. Beginning in 2002 he served as bus captain and youth leader at Trinity Baptist Church in Bradenton, FL and at Colony Baptist Church in Ellenton, FL. In 2011 he was appointed Youth Pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Brooksville, FL and in 2014 he and his wife, Mia, left to the mission field of the Philippines where he planted the Midway Baptist Church in Babatngon, Leyte and started the Leyte Baptist Bible Institute. In 2019 due to Mia's serious health problems they returned to the United States. In June of 2020 he was called to be our pastor.
The FREEDOM BAPTIST CHURCH was started in April, 1986 in Seffner, FL and moved to its current location in 2001.
Below is a synopsis of our core beliefs, our "Statement of Faith."
1. The Holy Scriptures. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, preserved and God-breathed and, therefore, are the sole authority for faith and practice. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Authorized Version of 1611, King James Bible is the Divinely preserved and perfect Word of God for the English language, and shall be the only Bible used by the church (Ps. 12:6-7; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21). Scripture stands in judgment of men; never do men stand in judgment of it.
2. Dispensations and Biblical Covenants. We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. (Gen. 1:28; I Cor. 9:17; II Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6)
3. The Fall of Man. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19). Because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam’s sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12).
4. The Godhead. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14, John 14:10, 26). There is but one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7, I Corinthians 8:4); infinite, and all-knowing (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14) – each equally deserving worship and obedience.
a. The Person & Work of Christ.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)
i. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; I Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5)
ii. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. We believe that Jesus is our Great High Priest, and we need no other to intercede for us. (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1-2)
b. The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in salvation, regenerating all who believe in Christ, and indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Titus 3: 5; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
i. We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be yielded to the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)
ii. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
iii. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection. (I Cor. 1:22, 13:8, 14:21-22).
c. The Person and Work of the Father.
i. We believe that God the Father is the one and only true and living God. Though distinct among the Godhead, the Father is inseparable and one in nature with the Son and the Holy Spirit. There is absolute unity in the Godhead and therefore those things we attribute primarily to one Person of the Godhead may be applied equally to each Person of the Godhead. (Gen. 1-2; Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Mat. 28:19; Luke 10:22)
ii. We believe that the Father loves all the people of the world and graciously sent His only begotten Son to be the Saviour, the only qualified Mediator between God and man. (John 3:16-18; I John 4:14; I Tim. 2:1-5; II Peter 3:9)
iii. We believe that God the Father reigns over His entire Creation with providential care, holy justice and saving mercy. He mercifully concerns Himself with the affairs of mankind. He is distinct from His Creation but immanently at work in it. We completely reject the idea of a distant, uninterested God such as presented by deist. The Bible and history attest to the fact that God is vitally interested and engaged in the world at large as well as with the individual person. (Psalm 103:7-14; Eph. 3:14-21; Hebrews 12:1-11)
iv. God the Father is neither the author nor approver of sin. His Sovereignty does not negate the responsibility and accountability of individuals. The very fact that God reveals Himself as a Father tells us that He is fatherly in attitude toward all men, but Father, indeed, to those who have been made the children of God through salvation by the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. (James 1:13; I Peter 1:16; Hab. 1:12- 13; John 8:42- 47; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6; I Cor. 8:6)
5. Man. We believe that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9). God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Isa. 43:7; Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11).
6. Salvation. We believe that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19). This forgiveness of sin is called the new birth (John 3:3), and all who are truly born again are kept by God. We believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; I Pet. 1:18-19; Matt. 12:31-32; I John 1:9).
a. Sovereignty, Foreknowledge, Election & Predestination. We teach that sovereign election does not contradict or negate the responsibility of man to repent and trust Christ as Saviour and Lord (Ezek.18:23, 32; 33:11; John 3:18-19, 36; 5:40; Rom. 9:22-23; II Thes. 2:10-12; Rev. 22:17).
i. We believe that the sovereignty and foreknowledge of God, along with predestination are clearly taught in Scripture (Rom. 8:28-30). Because God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, He knows all, sees all and governs all. We believe that there should be no teaching that minimizes or eliminates God’s sovereignty.
ii. We believe that election should not be looked upon as based merely on abstract sovereignty. God is truly sovereign, but He exercises this sovereignty in harmony with His other attributes, especially His omniscience, justice, holiness, wisdom, grace, and love (Romans 9:11-16). This sovereignty will always exalt the will of God in a manner totally consistent with His character as revealed in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:25-28; II Timothy 1:9).
iii. We reject all five points of the T.U.L.I.P. as unscriptural. We judge fatalism and Calvinism to be an overemphasis and an exaggeration of the sovereignty of God to the point that it eliminates human responsibility in salvation, making it unscriptural.
b. Justification. We believe that justification before God is an act of God (Romans 8:33) by which He declares righteous those who, through faith in Christ, repent of their sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; Romans 2:4; II Corinthians 7:10; Isaiah 55:6-7) and confess Him as Lord (Romans 10:9-10; I Corinthians 12:3; II Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 2:11). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (Romans 3:20; 4:6) and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; I Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 5:21). By this means God is enabled to “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
c. The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.
i. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Pet. 1:4-5)
ii. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
7. The Church. Freedom Baptist Church is a fundamental, independent Baptist Church. The term fundamental means that we believe in ministry based upon the Scriptural precepts and patterns of the New Testament. This fundamental approach places a strong emphasis on: the inspiration, preservation and reliability of the Scriptures in the King James text, God’s Simple Plan of Salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the straight forward, plain preaching and teaching of Bible precepts and principles, and the responsibility of believers to be obedient to God’s commands. Independent refers to the fact that our church is self-governing and is not a member of any convention, association, or fellowship that might usurp the headship of Christ over His local church. Though distinct, our church has many like-minded churches with which we fellowship. As far as the name Baptist, it is not to signify a denominational affiliation but rather to identify us with the historic Baptist distinctives of doctrine and conduct.
a. We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons (I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27).
b. We believe that the church is thus a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ (Ephesians 2:11-3:6). The church is distinct from Israel (I Corinthians 10:32), a mystery not revealed until this age (Ephesians 3:1-6; 5:32).
c. We believe that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:23, 27; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:1) and that New Testament believers are directed to join themselves together in local assemblies (I Corinthians 11:18-20; Hebrews 10:25).
d. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).
e. We believe that the One supreme authority of the church is Christ (I Cor. 11:3; Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) and that church leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures. The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are pastors (also called bishops, elders and pastor-teachers; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11) and deacons, both of whom must meet biblical qualifications (I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-5). We believe that pastors lead or rule as servants of Christ (I Timothy 5:17-22) and have His authority in directing the church. The congregation is to submit to their biblical leadership (Heb. 13:7, 17).
f. We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the only scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age and that the Lord's Supper is to be restricted to the membership of the church administering the ordinance (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
g. We believe that the purpose of the church is to glorify God (Eph. 3:21) by building itself up in the faith (Eph. 4:13 16), by instruction of the Word of God (II Tim. 2:2, 15; 3:16-17), by fellowship (Acts 2:47; I John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38, 42) and by advancing and communicating the gospel to the entire world (Mat. 28:19; Acts 1:8; 2:42).
h. We believe the church is to obey God as He accomplishes His purpose in the world. To that end, He gives the church spiritual gifts. He gives men chosen for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:7-12), and He also gives unique and special spiritual abilities to each member of the body of Christ (Romans 12:5-8; I Corinthians 12:4-31; I Peter 4:10-11).
i. We believe that there were two kinds of gifts given the early church: miraculous gifts of divine revelation and healing, given temporarily in the apostolic era for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of the apostles’ message (Hebrews 2:3 4; II Corinthians 12:12); and ministering gifts, given to equip believers for edifying one another. With the New Testament revelation now complete, Scripture becomes the sole test of the authenticity of a man’s message, and confirming gifts of a miraculous nature are no longer necessary to validate a man or his message (I Corinthians 13:8-12). Miraculous gifts can even be counterfeited by Satan so as to deceive even believers (I Corinthians 13:13 14:12; Revelation 13:13-14). The only gifts in operation today are those non-revelatory equipping gifts given for edification. (Romans 12:6-8)
j. We reject the Health, Peace and Prosperity philosophy that is prevalent among those who identify themselves as Charismatics. It is not always God’s will to deliver us from sickness, sorrow and death but it is always His will to use these trials to strengthen us and prepare us to minister to others (I Peter 5: 10; II Cor. 1: 4-6). We believe that no one possesses the gift of healing today, but that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith and will answer in accordance with His own perfect will for the sick, suffering, and afflicted. (Luke 18:1-6; John 5:7-9; II Cor. 12:6-10; James 5:13-16; I John 5:14-15)
k. We believe the Scriptures teach that the believer should be separated from apostasy as seen in ecclesiastical organizations which include radicals, liberals, and those who sanction theological compromise. This doctrine is based upon God’s eternal principle of division between truth and error and His specific command to be separate from unbelievers and disobedient brethren. This truth is to be practiced with an attitude of devotion to God, humility, compassion, but with conviction. We believe the ecumenical evangelism violates the principle of separation taught in God’s Word. As a church we will not cooperate with those who deny or minimize the fundamental doctrines of the Bible. We believe that this movement is an attempt to unite the different faiths and religions on the basis of the lowest common denominator. It emphasizes love at the expense of truth. It is not the unity of believers based upon the sound doctrine of the historic Christian Faith or the Bible. We reject all cooperation with this movement. (I John 4:1-3; II Pet. 2:1-2; II Cor. 11:13-15; II Tim. 4:6-8; I Cor. 5:1-13; II Cor. 6:14-18; Rev. 18:4)
8. Sanctification/Separation. We believe that separation from sin is clearly commanded throughout the Old and New Testaments, and that the Scriptures clearly indicate that in the last days apostasy and worldliness shall increase (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy 3:1-5). We believe that all Christians are called from a life of worldly and sinful practices, to be separated unto God and to a life that is useful unto Christ. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord or their church. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances, piercings, and bodily markings (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; Lev. 19:28; I Cor. 6:19-20).
a. We believe that every believer is sanctified (set apart) unto God by justification and is therefore declared to be holy and is therefore identified as a saint. This sanctification is positional and instantaneous and should not be confused with progressive sanctification. This sanctification has to do with the believer’s standing, not his present walk or condition (Acts 20:32; I Corinthians 1:2, 30; 6:11; II Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 3:1; 10:10, 14; 13:12; I Peter 1:2).
b. We believe that there is also, by the work of the Holy Spirit, a progressive sanctification by which the state of the believer is brought closer to the standing the believer (positional sanctification) enjoys through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17, 19; Romans 6:1-22; II Corinthians 3:18; I Thessalonians 4:3-4; 5:23).
c. We believe that, out of deep gratitude for the undeserved grace of God granted to us, and because our glorious God is so worthy of our total consecration, all the saved should live in such a manner as to demonstrate our adoring love to God and so as not to bring reproach upon our Lord and Saviour. We also believe that separation from all religious apostasy and worldly and sinful practices is commanded of us by God (Romans 12:1-2, I Corinthians 5:9-13; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11).
d. We believe that every saved person is involved in a daily conflict – the new creation in Christ doing battle against the flesh – but adequate provision is made for victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The struggle nevertheless stays with the believer all through this earthly life and is never completely ended. All claims to the eradication of sin in this life are unscriptural (Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Philippians 3:12; Colossians 3:9-10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9).
9. The Rapture of the Church. We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; I Thes. 1:10; I Thes. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
We reject the mid-tribulation, post-tribulation and pre-wrath rapture views as unscriptural. Each of these views respectively insist that saints await the coming of Antichrist instead of Christ. This false teaching leaves no room for the “at-any-moment” return of Christ for His church. The blessed hope of the church is the coming of Christ.
10. The Tribulation Period. We believe that following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:1-3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; 12:1; II Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 16), and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matthew 24:27-31; 25:31-46; II Thessalonians 2:7-12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Daniel 12:2-3; Revelation 20:4-6). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:15-31; 25:31-46).
11. The Second Coming and the Millennium. We believe that, after the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matthew 25:31; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 1:10-11; 2:29-30) and establish His messianic kingdom for 1,000 years on the earth (Revelation 20:1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezekiel 37:21-28; Daniel 7:17-22; Revelation 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Daniel 7:17-27; Revelation 20:1-7).
a. We believe that the kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Isaiah 65:17-25; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Zechariah 8:1-17) to restore them to the land that they forfeited through their disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:1-26), but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:22-32; Romans 11:25-29).
b. We believe that this time of our Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Isaiah 11; 65:17-25; Ezekiel 36:33-38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Revelation 20:7).
12. The Judgment of the Lost. We believe that following the 1,000-year reign of Christ, Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (Revelation 20:9). Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10), whereupon Christ, who is the Judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne Judgment. We believe that this resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (John 5:28-29), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15).
13. Eternity. We believe that after the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (II Peter 3:10) and replaced with a new earth, wherein only righteousness dwells (Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 20:15; 21:1-27; 22:1-21). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Revelation 21-22). Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (I Corinthians 15:24-28), that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (I Corinthians 15:28).
a. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)
b. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)
c. We believe that all people who reach the age of accountability to God, who reject Jesus Christ as Saviour, go to Hell at death. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Mat. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)
14. The Personality of Satan. We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
15. Angels.
a. Holy Angels – We believe that angels are created beings and are therefore not to be worshiped. Although they are a higher order of creation than man, they are created to serve God and to worship Him (Luke 2:9-14; Hebrews 1:6-7, 14; 2:6-7; Revelation 5:11-14; 19:10; 22:9).
b. Fallen Angels – We believe that Satan is a created angel and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19), by taking numerous angels with him in his fall (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:1-14), and by introducing sin into the human race by his temptation of Eve (Genesis 3:1-15).
16. Creation. We believe the literal, grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture which affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal days (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 31:17). We reject the theory of evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin along with all other unscriptural theories of origin (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11). It is true that the Creation shows amazing intelligent design but to recognize the intelligence and design involved in Creation and fail to acknowledge and worship the God of Creation is a serious issue (Romans 1:19-22; Psalm 19:1-6; Isaiah 40: 26, 42:5).
17. Civil Government. We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14)
18. Human Sexuality.
a. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, transsexuality, pansexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, 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. We believe God created two and only two very distinct genders: male and female; therefore, we reject any attempt to promote effeminacy among men and boys or the masculinizing of women and girls (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Cor. 5:1; 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
b. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman according to God’s will. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; II Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:22-23)
19. Family Relationships.
a. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; I Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
b. We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7)
20. Divorce and Remarriage. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until the death of a spouse. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons who have not remarried may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God in Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. In light of the Scriptural limits regarding pastors and deacons, we believe that great discretion should be followed regarding those who would be allowed to teach or preach. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; I Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
21. Abortion. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
22. Euthanasia and suicide. We believe that life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. We believe that any act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. We believe, however, that the discontinuance of medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome may be refused as over-zealous treatment. (Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17; Job 24:14; Psalm 10:2-14; 94:6; Mat. 5:21-22; 19:18; Rom. 13:9; James 2:11)
23. Love. We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; II Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I John 3:17-18)
24. Lawsuits between Believers. We believe that members are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other members of their church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (I Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
25. Missions. We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. In light of the clear command of Scripture (Acts 1:8), we believe it is our responsibility to reach our Jerusalem (local area) while at the same time reaching beyond our locale into our Judea, Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. We believe in giving financially to support missionaries of like faith and practice both at home and on foreign fields. We believe in supporting missionaries prayerfully. We believe that mission agencies can be a blessing to assist local churches in getting their missionaries to the field and assisting the missionaries both in preparation for the field and continuation on the field, as long as the missionary himself is commissioned and sent out by the authority of a Baptist church of like faith and order. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:20)
26. Giving. We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basic guideline for supporting the ministry of the local church, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of special projects of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 8:12; 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; I Tim. 5:17-18; I John 3:17)
By applying for membership in the Freedom Baptist Church, the candidate affirms that they are in complete agreement with this Statement of Faith and Doctrine. The candidate further agrees that any deviation from this Statement at any time during their membership will be grounds for immediate revocation of their membership from this church.
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