Below are the First Baptist Church of Tellico Village’s basic beliefs. We invite you to read The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 for a more comprehensive explanation of Our Doctrinal Beliefs.
Explore Our Beliefs
God
There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all-powerful and all-knowing, and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him, we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
God The Father
God, as a loving Father, governs and takes care of His universe, all creatures, and the course of human history according to His gracious purposes. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise. To those who accept Jesus Christ by faith, God becomes their true Father. He also has a fatherly attitude towards all mankind.
God The Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. The story of God’s redemption culminates with Jesus who is God himself, taking on human form. He was born to a virgin named Mary, lived a life of perfect obedience to God, died a terrible death on the cross in our place for our sins, was buried, and then rose again bodily to new life. After his resurrection, he ascended into heaven and will one day return. The redeeming work of Jesus is a work of grace alone, by Christ alone, and can be received by anyone who confesses and repents of their sins, expresses true faith in Jesus, and submits to Him as the Lord of their life.
God The Holy Spirit
According to the Bible, after Jesus ascended, He sent a Helper—the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, co-equal in power and existence, and a personal being, not a force. His work is essential for lost and sinful people to receive salvation through Jesus. As the Helper, the Holy Spirit assists those who have accepted Jesus’ work to understand God’s Word, empowers them to live in obedience to God’s commands, and guides them until the day of Jesus’ return.
The Bible
The Bible is the word of God, and it was given to us as a perfect guide for divine instruction. It only contains truth without any mixture of errors. All Scripture can be completely trusted and true. The Bible reveals the principles that God uses to judge us and will remain until the end of the world as the true center of the Christian union and the supreme standard by which all people’s conduct, creeds, and religious opinions will be measured. All Scripture points to Christ, who is the focal point of divine revelation.
Man
God created man in His own image, as both male and female, to be the pinnacle of His creation. Man was initially sinless but chose to sin against God, bringing sin into the world. Consequently, every person becomes a sinner, in need of God’s grace to fulfill His purpose. The sacredness of human life lies in God’s creation of man in His image, and Christ’s death for man. Therefore, every individual, regardless of their race, possesses full dignity and is deserving of respect and Christian love.
Salvation
Salvation is the act of redeeming the whole person and is freely offered to all who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Through His own blood, Jesus obtained eternal redemption for believers. Salvation encompasses a broad range of experiences such as regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. It is important to note that personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord is essential for salvation.
A. Regeneration is a divine work of grace where believers are transformed into new beings in Christ. The Holy Spirit brings it about through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance and faith. Repentance involves turning away from sin and towards God. Faith entails accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
B. Justification is the gracious act of God acquitting repentant sinners who believe in Christ, bringing them into a peaceful and favored relationship with Him.
C. Sanctification is the process that begins with regeneration, and it involves the believer’s separation for God’s purposes. Through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, the believer is enabled to progress towards spiritual maturity. This growth occurs as the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer
D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
The Church
The Church is made up of people who have been saved by the work of Jesus from every tribe, tongue, and nation. As a local church, we should be a living testimony to the power of Jesus in our community. The Church should be led by qualified men, called Pastors who are responsible for equipping the members of the Church for ministry. We observe the two ordinances of the Church: believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
The Mission
Before Jesus ascended, He gave a commission to His Church. The Church is to live in the world as Jesus lived in the world, make disciples who make disciples, and take the Gospel to the ends of the earth in fulfillment of Jesus’ commands. At FBCTV, we believe that this is our mission as a church and as individuals who comprise the church.