Article One: Scripture

The Bible is the infallible word of God, the supreme rule for faith and practice.

The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament came from the very mouth of God and are without error in the originals. Scripture is therefore the unique and supreme guide for all it affirms, including both belief and behavior.

The teachings of the Bible are sufficient for salvation and sanctification. While there are questions of meaning and application over which we may agree to disagree, there is nothing for which we are responsible to God in terms of our salvation and sanctification that is not expressed in Scripture, either in precept or principle.

The most consistent approach to interpreting the Bible is using a redemptive-historical hermeneutic.

From these convictions flow the following articles of faith.

It is correct in everything it speaks about or touches on. In matters of theology, science and philosophy, it is without error. As an example, it is true that, Genesis chapter one teaches a literal, ~24 hours a day, creation week. It does not support biological, cosmic, or chemical macro-evolution in any way. God created from nothing all things that were made. To give another example, it is biblically sound and wise to affirm the Chicago statement on biblical inerrancy, in it’s entirety.

Article Two: The Trinity

There is one God, infinitely perfect, without change, creator of all yet not created, distinct from His creation yet everywhere present, perfectly balanced in all His attributes, omniscient over all time, wholly sovereign. He alone is the sole object of worship.

The one being of God exists in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-equal in essence and divine perfection, all three uncreated, co-equal, co-eternal, executing distinct but harmonious offices. This is tri-unity, or trinity.

Article Three: God the Father

God the Father is an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of his creation, hearing and answering prayers, saving from sin all who come to him through Jesus Christ. All life is to be lived ultimately for his glory.

Article Four: God the Son

God the Son is truly God and truly human, without confusion or mixture, the unique and only Son. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, could not sin, died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, was physically raised from the dead as prophesied, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for the saints as the sole mediator. He will return to earth and ultimately every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Article Five: God the Holy Spirit

God the Spirit is sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He fully indwells every true believer as a guarantee of their inheritance, guides and empowers them, interceding in accordance with the will of God. He gives gifts to believers.

In regards to spiritual gifts, the most consistent teaching of the Bible would be a picture of an optimistic cessationist or a pessimistic continuationist. Tongues refers to human languages, not an angelic one. Angels, any time the Bible records them speaking, is in the language of the hearer, never a “heavenly” language. In short, the apostolic age was a special time of signs and wonders to confirm the message of the Apostles.

Article Six: Anthropology (Doctrine of Man)

About 6,000 years ago, Adam and Eve were both created in the image of God, Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from his side. They disobeyed God and died, spiritually and physically. Mankind’s will became enslaved to sin, but still possesses a creaturely freedom. Therefore, all people are objects of wrath, sinners by nature and by choice. They are dead in their sins and incapable of pleasing God. Without the direct intervention of God, they will live separated from God, die in their sins, and receive the condemnation that their sin deserves. God of His own free will, sovereignly shows special grace to some, causing them to possess a fear of God.

Due to us being radically depraved, man cannot understand the Scriptures or spiritual matters without God’s enlightenment. Every man knows about the one true God, but they suppress that truth. Only repentance and faith in Christ will restore right thinking about God. Therefore, giving or using evidence as the sole basis for apologetics is futile and pragmatic at best. The most biblically consistent approach to defending the faith is one where the God of the Bible is presupposed to exist and the Bible is the only readable ultimate authority from God. God is the ultimate authority and there is no truth without God. We are not to reason to God, but reason from God.

In short, the most biblical apologetic approach would be, presuppositional apologetics (not evidentialism). The Bible presupposes God's existence, so should every Christian.

Article Seven: Soteriology (Doctrine of Salvation)

Salvation from sin and access to God is available only through the work of Christ on the cross, given by God’s grace, mercy, and love, received solely by faith. Salvation is monergistic, not synergistic. Jesus died only for the elect and thereby purchased their saving faith. In conversion, the believer is drawn by God to Himself, redeemed from his sins, declared wholly righteous, born again, made alive in Christ as a new creature, reconciled to God, becomes a child of God, and is filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit through whom he is empowered for a life of obedience. Jesus intercedes for His sheep only, securing their salvation and giving them supernatural power to carry out His work. There is an external and internal call of the gospel. Ultimately and mysteriously, it is only the elect who will truly respond to the gospel invitation. The elect are those chosen before the foundations of the world, not based on foreseen faith, but on God’s good pleasure.

Article Eight: Sanctification (Doctrine of Holiness)

God’s will for every believer is their sanctification. It is the necessary and certain fruit of salvation, yet not meritorious; it is God alone who saves. Through the work of the Spirit, saints are called and enabled to live lives of holiness, “in” but not “of” the world, fully dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ, persevering to the end. Sanctification (progressive) is synergistic, not monergistic. Disciples are declared to be sanctified through the work of Christ and are also called to become sanctified in the experiences of life.

One of the many results of sanctification is the desire to share the gospel with sinners; evangelism grows out of an awareness of what Christ has done for you and what He can do for sinners.

Article Nine: Ecclesiology (Doctrine of the Church)

The church consists of all true disciples of Jesus Christ. All things exist under the supremacy of Christ, and therefore Christ and Christ alone is the head of the church. The local expression of the church is comprised of disciples gifted for the work of building up the body of Christ. While different local expressions may have different emphases, all are commanded to make disciples, which includes both evangelism and teaching obedience to all that Jesus taught. The church is to be committed to the reading of Scripture, the exhortation to obedience, and teaching of the doctrinal truths of Scripture, as well as to all that is necessary for the edification of the body, including worship, singing, prayer, and service, all to the glory of God. Only qualified men can hold the office of Elder/Pastor.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be valued and observed. They are visible signs representing spiritual truths; they do not accomplish salvation. Baptism is the washing of the believer (credo-baptism), signifying that in conversion he has died to his old life and has been raised with Christ into a newness of life in which the power of sin is broken. It is not required for salvation. The Lord’s Supper is the present proclamation of Christ’s atoning death, and looks forward to his return. It must be taken in a worthy manner by believers only, which means the one partaking of it must examine himself or herself prior to participating.

Article Ten: Eschatology (Doctrine of Last Things)

Jesus will return—personally, physically, visibly to all, suddenly—and all saints (i.e., Christians) living and dead will be bodily caught up to meet Him. At the final judgment, the unrepentant will be raised to the resurrection of judgment and everlasting punishment in hell. Believers, while already having passed from darkness to light, will be raised to the resurrection of life and will enjoy the everlasting, personal presence of God in His heavenly kingdom. God’s plan of creation, redemption, and glorification will be complete.

This is the hope for which we long, which helps to motivate us now toward godly living, and which propels us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world.

In short, Amillenialism is the most biblically consistent view of the millennium.

End Notes

See the 2nd London Baptist Confession for other details.

Same beliefs since, Tuesday, Jul 29, 2014, 11:07 PM.