What We Believe
The doctrinal foundation of Crusade Free Will Baptist Church
Our Beliefs
Crusade Free Will Baptist Church is grounded in the historic Christian faith and the doctrinal heritage of Free Will Baptists. The following statements reflect what we believe the Bible teaches on the foundational matters of the Christian faith. We are committed to the authority of Scripture and to holding these truths with both conviction and humility.
God
We believe that God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Righteous Ruler of the universe. He has revealed Himself in nature and in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — yet as one God. He exercises a wise and benevolent providence over all beings and things, maintaining the laws of nature and acting for the highest welfare of mankind and His created order.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God's unique Son — the only one of His kind. Scripture teaches that He is God revealed in flesh: in His divine nature truly God, and in His human nature truly man. He was crucified for the sin of mankind, rose from the dead, and is now the glorified Savior and Lord who mediates between God and man. He gives us access to the Father through His intercession. No one can come to the Father except through Him.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that all of the attributes of God are ascribed to the Holy Spirit by the Scriptures. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts and convinces people of their sin, of what is right, and of the coming day of judgment. He comes to live within us at conversion, opens our understanding to the Scriptures, and leads us into truth.
The Bible
We believe that God used holy men to write the Scriptures. Both the Old and New Testaments contain the very words God intended us to have. As given by God, they are without error and are our only rule of faith and practice. Through them we learn truth, are confronted with wrongdoing, are corrected and restored, and are instructed in right living.
Man
We believe that God created man in a state of innocence. Tempted by Satan, man willfully disobeyed God, became a sinner, and incurred God's judgment upon sin. All of Adam's descendants inherit his fallen nature and have a natural inclination toward sin. When a person reaches an age of accountability, he stands guilty before God and in need of salvation.
Salvation
We believe that a person receives pardon and forgiveness for sin when he acknowledges before God that he is a sinner, turns from sin in godly sorrow, and trusts in the work of Christ as redemption for his sin. This involves belief in Christ's death on the cross as man's substitute and in God's raising Him from the dead. It is salvation by grace alone — not of works. It is God's will that all be saved, but because man has the power of choice, God saves only those who repent and believe. Those who refuse to repent and believe in this life have no later opportunity and condemn themselves to eternal separation from God by their unbelief.
Perseverance
We believe there are strong grounds to hope that the saved will persevere to the end, sustained by the power of divine grace. Any saved person who has fallen into sin but desires to repent may do so and be fully restored to God's favor and fellowship. However, because man retains free choice, it is possible — through temptation and the weakness of human flesh — for a person to fall into the practice of sin, make shipwreck of his faith, and be lost.
Gospel Ordinances
We believe the Bible teaches three ordinances for the church to practice: Baptism in water by immersion, the Lord's Supper — to be observed until Christ's return — and the Washing of the Saints' Feet, an ordinance that teaches humility and servant-hearted discipleship.
The Church
We believe that Free Will Baptist churches enjoy local church autonomy — each congregation is self-governing. The local church is the highest authority in the denomination. Local churches voluntarily organize themselves into quarterly meetings, district, state, and national associations for the purpose of promoting the cause of Christ at every level. We also believe that Jesus commanded the church to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
Last Things
We believe the Scriptures teach the resurrection of the bodies of all people, each in its own order. Those who have done good will come forth to the resurrection of life; those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. We believe that Jesus Christ, who ascended on high and sits at the right hand of God, will come again to close the Gospel age, glorify His saints, and judge the world.