Christ eternally pre-existed as divine Son before his incarnation
Free Will Baptists affirm that Jesus Christ, as the eternal Son of God, pre-existed before his incarnation. The Treatise of the Faith affirms Christ's eternal divinity and his role as the divine Son through whom God created all things. The Word (Logos) identified in John 1:1–3 with Jesus reveals that the historical person who walked the earth is the same eternal divine being who existed 'in the beginning' with God.
Eternal sonship distinguishes the Free Will Baptist position from adoptionism (the view that Jesus became the Son of God only at his baptism or resurrection). The pre-existence of Christ is affirmed as essential to understanding his identity and his redemptive work. It is the eternal Son of God who became incarnate, died, and rose for the salvation of humanity.
The pre-existence of Christ also grounds the universality of redemption in Free Will Baptist theology. Because Christ is the eternal Son of God, his death is of infinite value, sufficient to atone for the sins of all humanity. While not all will be saved (only those who believe), the atonement is universal in scope — offered to all because it is the Son of God who died.
Key Distinctions
- Preexistence affirmed:
- affirmed — the Son eternally pre-existed the Incarnation
- Eternal nature:
- the Logos active in creation; identified with Christ
Scripture References
Sources
- Treatise of the Faith (NAFWB doctrinal standard)
- Free Will Baptist confessional statements