Resources

The following is not intended to be an exhaustive or formal list of our major or minor beliefs. Similarly, the omission of a doctrine or topic does not imply it is considered less important than those that are included. This doctrinal statement is simply intended to provide a brief summary of some of the fundamental doctrines we believe the Bible clearly teaches and thus are taught at Sudbury Bible Fellowship.

• the Bible teaches that ‘all Scripture is inspired by God’ and, in its entirety, the Bible is the inerrant, complete, sufficient, and divinely authoritative Word of God. We are privileged to benefit from several reliable translations. The Bible is the first and final authority for doctrine, morals, and practice. (Ps. 19:7,8; 1 Th. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16,17; 2 Pet. 1:20,21)
• the Bible teaches that the one living and true God eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that these three possess the same nature, attributes, and glory. (Gen. 1:26; Dt. 6:4; Mt. 28:19; Isa. 9:6; Jn. 1:1; 10:30; 14:1-3)
• the Bible teaches that man was created directly by God in His image, but that by disobedience he fell into sin. Consequently, every member of the human race is born into the world with the same sinful nature, is utterly incapable of saving himself, and is deserving of eternal punishment. (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:7; Rom. 3:10,23; 5:12; Gal. 2:21; Ps. 51:5; Isa. 59:2; 64:6)
• the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is God the Son and that through His virgin birth, true humanity and undiminished Deity were united in one person forever. In incarnation the Lord Jesus surrendered none of the attributes of Deity and was utterly incapable of sin, or any desire to sin. (Mt. 1:18-25; Jn. 1:1,2,14; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3; Titus 2:13; 1 Tim. 2:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 Jn. 3:5)
• the Bible teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross as a full and perfect substitutionary sacrifice for sins, and that His bodily resurrection and ascension to Heaven mark Him as Lord of all. (Jn. 19:30; 1 Cor. 15:3,4; Isa. 53:4-6; 1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:26; 10:12,14; 1 Pet. 1:18,19; Mt. 28:6; Rom. 1:4)
• the Bible teaches that salvation is entirely of God’s grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. This salvation has been genuinely offered to all, but is effective only for those who have trusted Christ for salvation. The believer is forgiven, regenerated, given eternal life, and kept by the power of God to salvation on the sole basis of faith in Christ as his personal Saviour. The believer is eternally secure and cannot lose his salvation. (Eph. 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Jn 3:16,18,36; 5:24; 10:27-29; 14:6; Rom. 3:21-28; 8:35-39; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; 1 Jn. 5:13)
• the Bible teaches the bodily resurrection of the believer to eternal life, and of the unbeliever to eternal, conscious punishment. (Jn. 5:28,29; 14:3; 1 Cor. 15:42-56; Mk. 9:47-48; Rev. 20:11-15)
• the Bible teaches that God the Holy Spirit has united every believer to Christ by Spirit baptism and that He indwells every believer to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to empower and instruct the believer in godly living. The Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts on each believer to equip each one to serve the Lord in a manner of the Lord’s choosing. Some spiritual gifts, like prophecy and tongues, belonged to the foundational phase of the Church and, as such, are no longer in operation today. (1 Cor. 12:13; Jn. 14:16,17; Gal. 5:16,22-25; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; 13:8)
• the Bible teaches that the Church is composed of all true believers and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Head of His Church. (Eph. 3:6; 5:23; Col. 1:18)
• the Bible teaches that the local church is under the direct authority of the Lord Jesus Christ through His Word, independent of any earthly hierarchy, and that, in obedience to Christ, it is to practice believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. Christ’s intention is that all believers in a local church regularly gather together for the purpose of teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. Elders are raised up by the Chief Shepherd to shepherd God’s people. It is the privilege and responsibility of each believer to play a vital role in encouraging, edifying, and living at peace with one another. The New Testament provides the God-given pattern for the proper form, gathering, and functioning of the local church. (Acts 2:41,42; Mt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:2,23-26; Rev. 2-3)
• the Bible teaches the personal, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His Church, His subsequent return from Heaven to reign upon the earth for 1000 years, the literal fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel, and the eternal blessing of Heaven for those who have trusted in Christ for salvation. Believers are to live each moment in light of this blessed hope. (Jn. 14:2,3; Acts 1:11; 1 Th. 1:10; 4:13-5:11; Titus 2:13; Lk. 1:32-33; Mt. 25:31-36; Rom. 11:25-27; Rev. 20:1-7)
• the Bible teaches that believers live in the world under the mandate of the Great Commission, which calls us to bear witness to the Lord Jesus Christ in all the world and disciple new believers. (Mt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20)