Statement of Faith
The following represents my statement of faith concerning the major areas of theology:
Bibliology
I believe the Bible is the revealed word of God in which God gives knowledge about Himself which we could not otherwise know. (John 3:12, 3:34) Further, I believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, accurate, reliable and without error. (2 Tim 3:15-17, Matt 5:18, 24:35, John 10:35) I believe in Dual Authorship of the Bible and that the Holy Spirit guided the Bible authors to write the divine Word of God transcribed accurately and without error. Lastly, I believe the 66 books of the Bible are complete, and the criteria used to choose the Canon accurate.
Theology Proper
I believe God is Omnipotent (Gen. 1:1-2, Matt 19:26), Omniscient (Psa 147:5, Matt 6:8), and Omnipresent (Psa 139:7-10, John 14:23, Rom 8:9). Further I believe in God’s absolute attributes of Love, Holiness, and Goodness. God is spirit, Person (Self-Aware, Intellect, Emotion, Volition) (Ex 3:14), Life, Self-Existent Being (Ex 3:13-15), Unity, Immutable (Heb 6:17) and Eternal. I believe in the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in nature, distinct in person and subordinate in duties. (Gen 1:1-2, John 1:1-2, 1:14)
Christology
I believe Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God sent to earth to die for the sins of the world. (John 1:1-32) I believe in the Hypostatic Union that Jesus was at the same time man and God. I believe in the Kenosis. I believe Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, was sinless, was crucified, died, was quickened, resurrected, and ascended to Heaven and was glorified. (Matt, Mark, Luke, John) I believe Jesus’ blood sacrifice satisfied the demands of the law and reconciled man to God. (Mark 14:1-72, 15:1-47, 16, 1-20) Finally, I believe Christ’s death was a final judgment on Satan. (Gen 3:15)
Pneumatology
I believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (Gen 1:1-2, Acts 1:8). I believe the Holy Spirit indwells a man when he is regenerate or born again.(John 7:39) I believe the Holy Spirit works daily in the lives of believers to convict of sin, restrains sin, reveal scripture, and provide spiritual fruits and spiritual gifts to the believer. (Matt 28:18-20, John 16:7-15, 1 Cor 12:1)
Angelology
I believe there are angels. I believe they are spirit beings, incorporeal beings, personal beings, Holy beings, Deathless beings created by God. I believe in the works of the angels as described in scripture. (2 Kings 19:35, Luke 1:11-20, 1:26-38, Heb 12:22)
Satanology
I believe in Satan. I believe he was cast out of Heaven, taking a third of the angels with him. (Isa 14:12-15) I believe Satan is a thief, liar, deceiver and worse. I believe Satan’s fate was sealed in the Garden of Eden and fulfilled with the crucifixion of Christ on Calvary.(Gen. 3:15) I believe Satan works to keep man from God. (1 Ths 2:18)
Demonology
I believe in demons and consider them the fallen angels who aligned with Satan in Heaven (Matt 25:41). I believe they are powerful, organized, intelligent, yet like Satan, do the will of God wittingly or unwittingly. I believe Hell was created for Satan and his demons (Matt 25:41). I believe demons attempt to discourage believers and drive a wedge between believers and God, as well as blind non-believers from the truth.
Soteriology
I believe salvation is an act of grace given to us by God through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. (John 5:24, 10:10-18, 14:6, 19:30, Titus 2:11) I believe in the four aspects of receiving salvation: knowledge of the need for salvation; knowledge of the penalty of sin; knowledge of God’s provision; and man must respond to the Good News. I believe once a man accepts Christ as his Lord and Savior he is regenerated, justified, and sanctified, as well as adopted by God as a true son. I believe salvation cannot be lost once gained unless the believer himself renounces his salvation and rejects Christ.
Hamartiology
I believe in immediate imputation of sin in that we all sinned in Adam. (Gen. 2:17, 3:6-20, Rom 5:12) I believe every man – regenerate or not – contains a sin nature against which he must fight while on earth. (Rom 3:19, 3:23) I believe sin is uncoerced, willful rebellion against God’s laws. I believe there are sins of commission and sins of omission, as well as presumption and ignorance. I believe sin does not cause us to lose salvation, but damages our relationship with God. Man must repent of his sins to God to maintain a relationship with God. (Luke 17:1-4, John 14:6)
Anthropology
I believe God created man in his image a little lower than the angels. (Gen 1:26-31, Psa 8:5) I believe God intended for man to have a unique place in Creation, and was made in the image and likeness of God. I do not believe in a preexisting race of man before Adam. I believe the Bible teaches man is dichotomous. I agree that the Heart of a man I the seat of mans’ immaterial nature.
Ecclesiology
I believe the church is the body of Christ and has life and spirit as such. (1 Col 12:27). I believe the church consists of “called out ones” who serve God in fellowship with one another. I believe a church is an assembly of professing believers with the indwelling of Jesus Christ (1 Col 12:13) under the authority of the Word of God organized to carry out the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), as well as to administer the ordinance of Baptism and the Lord’s Table, and that a church reflects spiritual gifts. Lastly, I believe the church began at Pentecost.
Eschatology
I believe the book of revelation is a prophecy and Jesus Christ’s revelation of things yet to come. (Rev 1:1) I am a premillenialist (1 Cor 10:32, Rev 20:1-10) and a pre-Tribulationist in that I believe in the future millennial kingdom of Christ 1,000-year reign (Rom 20:1-10), and I believe that the church will be raptured before the beginning of the Tribulation. (Ezk 37:11-14, 1 Cor 15:50-58, 1 Ths 1:10, 4:15-17, Rev 3:10) I agree that the Tribulation is designed for Israel, not the church. As noted earlier, I believe in Hell and that those who choose not to be saved will go to Hell with Satan and his demons.
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