What We Believe

Foundational Doctrines

The Bible

The Bible is the only revelation of God to man, inspired by God, and inerrant in its original documents. It has been faithfully transmitted to this age and is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

2nd Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

See also: Psalms 19:7-11, 2nd Peter 1:20-21, Psalms 119:105, Romans 10:17, Proverbs 30:5-6

God

There is one God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; this trinity is seen in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples… baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” these three are unchangeable, and equal in power and glory. God created the universe, speaking all things into existence by His own almighty power.

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

See also: Matthew 28:18-19, 2nd Corinthians 13:14, Genesis 1:1, 1st Corinthians 8:6

The Father is unchanging, eternally holy, and wise in all His ways; to Him belongs praise and worship for His glory, honor, majesty and power.

1st Timothy 1:17 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

See also: Romans 11:33-36, Jude 1:25, Ephesians 4:6, James 1:17

The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and sinlessly perfect. By His death as a substitute for sinners, He satisfied God’s justice and accomplished salvation for all who trust in Him. He bodily rose from the dead and ascended to His Father’s right hand where He now mediates as our Great High Priest. He will come again for His church and to receive His kingdom.

Hebrews 1:2-3 “[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

See also: John 1:1-2, John 1:14-18, Matthew 1:18-23, John 5:18, 1st John 3:5, Mark 2:10-11, John 19:33-35, Luke 23:50-56, 1st Corinthians 15:3-6, Mark 16:19, Hebrews 8:1, 1st Thessalonians 4:16-18

The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin. From the moment of faith in Christ, He regenerates and indwells the new believer. He baptizes all believers into the body of Christ and secures them for eternity. He is the believers’ counselor, instructing them in the truth, giving each one spiritual gifts, and empowering them to live a godly life.

Ephesians 1:13-14 “…having believed [in Christ], you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

See also: John 16:7-11, 1st Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:9-16, Romans 8:23-27, John 14:16-17, 26

Man’s Condition

The first human, Adam, was created in the image of God. Through disobedience he sinned, choosing to go his own way. His sins separated him from God; he died spiritually and suffered the corruption of his nature.

This fall took place at the beginning of human history. All individuals born since are fallen and suffer these same consequences because each has sinned. Each individual is justly condemned to eternal punishment for their own sins and is without excuse. All are in need of the saving grace of God.

Romans 5:12 “… through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”

See also: Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:1-19, Romans 1:18-32, Ephesians 2:1-3, Genesis 6:5, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Ezekiel 18:4

Salvation

Salvation is not accomplished by a person’s good deeds. God, out of love for the human race, sent His Son into the world to save sinners. Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for man’s sin, when as a sacrifice He shed His blood and died on the cross. Any person who repents of their sin and trusts in the risen Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope of salvation, receives the gift of eternal life.

Every child of God is a new creation possessing eternal life; and being justified and sealed by the Holy Spirit, is secure for all eternity.

John 5:24 [Jesus said to them] “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

See Also: Ephesians 2:8-10, Isaiah 55:7, Luke 19:10, John 3:16-18, Acts 4:12, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 10:9-13, Titus 3:4-7, 2nd Corinthians 5:17. Ephesians 1:13-14, John 10:27-30

The Church

The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church, His body, which He purchased with His own blood. All believers in the present age are members of the body of Christ, the church universal, and are united to Christ and to one another by the indwelling Spirit.

1st Corinthians 12:12-13 “For as the body is one and has many members, … so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free —and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

The Local Church

The Bible instructs believers to regularly assemble in local churches to worship, pray, teach the Bible, fellowship, and partake of the Lord’s Supper. The purpose of the church is to glorify God, edify the members, and witness to the unsaved world.

Ephesians 4:11-13 “And [God] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God…”

See also: Hebrews 10:23-25, Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:19-22, Ephesians 3:20-21, Ephesians 5:25-27, 1st Timothy 3:1-13

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is a memorial instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ at which believers worship Him and remember His death until He comes again. The Lord chose the bread and wine as symbols of His body and blood to remind us of the price of our redemption. During this time of remembrance, our practice is that men share from the Bible, pray, and lead the church in songs.

1st Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.”

See also: 1st Corinthians 11:23-29, Luke 22:14-20

Baptism

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded every believer to be baptized. Baptism is a believer’s act of identification with Christ in His death and not a means of salvation. We practice baptism by immersion to signify that the believer has died with Christ, has been buried with Him, and has risen to walk with Christ in new life.

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

See also: Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:35-39, Romans 6:1-11

Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God has bestowed spiritual gifts (such as teaching, shepherding, evangelizing, administrating, or serving) to every believer for the edification of the church until the coming of Christ.

1st Peter 4:10 “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ…”

See Also: Romans 12:4-8, 1st Corinthians 12:4-11, 1st Corinthians 12:27-31, Ephesians 4:11-13

Church Order

We desire to follow the pattern of the early church seen in Acts 2:42 where, “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers.” We have set aside meetings to include each of these important functions. Our practice is that during the church meetings, the men of Fox Valley Bible Chapel and invited speakers lead in teaching and public ministry.

As a symbol of church order, our practice is that men are to have their heads uncovered while women are to cover their heads in the meetings of the church. The practice of headcovering is left to the conscience of the individual members.

See Also: 1st Timothy 2:8-12, 1st Corinthians 14:26-40, 1st Corinthians 11:26-40

Leadership Roles

Church leadership is composed of men enabled by the Holy Spirit and recognized by the local church to be elders and deacons. The work of elders is to teach and shepherd the church, serving as overseers. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28) Deacons serve in a variety of ways to meet the needs of the church.

God has also gifted others (not in leadership as elders or deacons) with shepherding, teaching, administrating, exhorting, evangelizing and other gifts.

See Also: Acts 14:23, 1st Timothy 3:1-16, Acts 20:28-35, Titus 1:5-9, 1st Peter 5:1-4, Romans 12:5-8

Reception

To be in fellowship at Fox Valley Bible Chapel (FVBC), you must be saved, seeking to live a holy life, willing to submit to the spiritual oversight and shepherding of the elders, and not be under church discipline.

Any believer desiring fellowship with FVBC must be in agreement with the foundational doctrines stated at the beginning of this document. Those in fellowship who hold opposing views to the other important statements of faith, should discuss those views with church leadership before teaching them.

2nd Timothy 2:23-25 “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition…”

Those who desire to join FVBC will meet with church leadership and be asked to share their testimony of salvation. The church leadership will explain the privileges and responsibilities of fellowship in the church and make sure that you are willing to accept these responsibilities. They will cover any other subjects deemed appropriate with you and provide an opportunity to clarify any points of confusion.

Romans 15:7 “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.”

Discipline and Restoration

A Christian’s relationship with God is permanent, but fellowship is dependent upon obedience to the word of God. A Christian can, through sin, lose their fellowship, joy, and testimony; and incur both God’s and the church’s discipline.

1st John 1:7-9 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

All individuals accepted into fellowship at Fox Valley Bible Chapel need to be aware of our position concerning discipline in the local church.

Discipline and restoration are practiced as they are taught in the following Bible verses: Matthew 18:15-20, Romans 16:17, Galatians 6:1, 1st Timothy 5:20, 2nd Corinthians 2:1-11, 1st Thessalonians 5:14, Titus 3:10, and other verses that may apply.

Evangelism, Discipleship and Service

The Lord Jesus Christ asked His disciples to take His message to the world. “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18) With the purpose of, “[making] disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:18-20) Every believer today is entrusted with the same commission: evangelism and discipleship.

Our responsibility does not end with proclaiming Christ to the lost, but even after salvation, “We preach [Christ], warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Colossians 1:28) In this way, believers will, “…grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...” (2nd Peter 3:18)

As a response to God’s love, believers are to “…present [their] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is [their] reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) This response demonstrates itself in love and service to believers, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1st John 3:16)

See Also: 2nd Corinthians 5:18-21, Ephesians 4:11-16, 1st John 4:7-11

Future Events

We believe in the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ to rapture His saints within a pre-tribulation, pre-millennial, prophetic timeline.

1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

See Also: Revelation 22:20, Jude 1:14-15, Revelation 20:4-6