This is my confession of faith. This is the statement of faith I am most comfortable with. I wish my profession of faith could be kept this simple.
However, there are those within the body of Christ who value (even require) a more explicit
statement of faith.
Out of respect for them, I have decided to provide my own personal abbreviated statement
of faith.
This will answer those who write asking for my own beliefs.
Though willing to provide a more detailed "personal" statement, I would like
to differentiate this from any organizational statements.
Organizational doctrinal statements have been used not only to affirm faith,
but also to exclude others of differing belief. This is very often reprehensible.
By revealing my own beliefs, I wish in no way to exclude others of any
stripe or belief.
Once again, I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and
Saviour of the world.
MY PERSONAL STATEMENT OF FAITH:
This is, of course, subject to change as God guides into clearer truth.
THE BIBLE:
The Old and New Testaments, were inspired by God and are the revelation
of His will for the salvation of humankind. Under the guidance and testimony of the Spirit of Jesus, they constitute a divine
rule of Christian faith and practice.
DIVINITY:
The Father:
I believe in God, the eternal personal Spirit, Creator and Upholder of all
things.
I believe that God, as sovereign Lord exalted above the world, orders and
overrules all things in it to the accomplishment of His holy, wise, and good
purposes.
I believe that God made man to love and serve Him; that He cares for him
as a righteous and compassionate Father; and that nothing can either quench
His love or finally defeat His gracious purpose for man.
So I acknowledge God as Creator, Upholder, and Sovereign Lord of all things,
and the righteous and loving Father of men.
Jesus Christ:
I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, Who, for us men and our
salvation became man, and dwelt among us.
I believe that He lived a perfect, sinless human life, wholly devoted to
the will of God and the service of man.
I believe that in Him God comes face to face with men; so that they learn
that God loves them seeks their good, bears their sorrows and their sin,
and claims their exclusive faith and perfect obedience.
I believe that in Jesus Christ God acted to save man, taking, at measureless
cost, man's sin upon Himself; that the Cross reveals at once God's abhorrence
of sin and His saving love in its height and depth and power; and that the
Cross is for all time the effectual means of reconciling the world unto God.
I believe that Jesus was raised victorious over death and declared to be
the Son of God with power; and that He is alive for evermore, our Savior
and our Lord.
So I acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God Incarnate, the Savior of
the world.
All who believe in Him are justified on the ground of his shed blood. He
rose bodily from the dead according to the scriptures. He is now at
the right hand of the Majesty on high as our great High Priest, and is the
eternal mediator between God and mankind.
The Holy Spirit:
I believe in the Holy Spirit by whom God is ever at work in the minds and
hearts of men, inspiring every right desire and every effort after truth
and beauty.
I believe that the Spirit of God moves men to acknowledge their sins and
accept the divine forgiveness and grace.
I believe that the Spirit was present with power at the beginning of the
Church, enabling the disciples to bear witness to what they had seen and
heard, filling them with love of the brethren, and hope of the coming Kingdom,
and sustaining them in the sense of Christ's continuing presence in their
midst.
I believe that by the same Spirit the Church is continually guided and empowered,
and her members fortified against temptation, fear and doubt, and built up
in faith and holiness unto salvation.
So I acknowledge the Holy Spirit as the Lord and Giver of life, through whom
the creative, redeeming love of God is ever at work among men.
The Holy Spirit is sent to indwell, guide, teach, and empower the believer.
It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit,
thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service. The
work of the Holy Spirit includes the administration of spiritual gifts for
the edification of the body of Christ.
Man:
Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God.
However, as a consequence of the fall, man became alienated in their mind
from God.
Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation
of man.
SALVATION:
Salvation is by grace through faith. It has been provided through Jesus
Christ. There is no other name given whereby mankind must be saved. He is
the Saviour of all men, especially those who believe. Those who repent and
believe in him are made new by the Holy Spirit and partake of eternal life
now.
PREDESTINATION
Predestination refers to God's placement of all into Christ.
God created all things in, and by Christ.
All things now consist and exist in, and by Christ.
And there is also a restoration of all things in Christ.
God has freely given this salvation to all, in Christ.
Election is the selection of individuals for eternal life, with Christ,
to fellowship with God.
This salvation is by grace, accomplished through the faith of
Christ, resident in him. It is not of ourselves.
There is nothing in an individual that persuades God to grant salvation
to us.
Alienated from the life of God in the mind, because of the
blindness of the heart, we did not respond until assisted to do so.
When we respond to the offer of salvation depends on the prior decision
and initiative of God.
Chosen in Christ, and drawn by Him, the elect do come to faith.
It is not that we who are called are forced to respond affirmatively.
God makes his offer so appealing that we do respond, every man in his
own order.
God's choice is based simply on His loving intention to unite all in
Christ.
ETERNAL SECURITY:
God has provided a complete salvation. Believers can know they
possess this salvation, and that it is eternally secure. The will
of man cannot undo the work that God has accomplished through Christ.
A believer may temporarily forget what God has done.
He may become alienated, in his mind, from the life of God. He is free
to apostatize. Those submitting to the works of the flesh, do not
inherit the kingdom of God.
However, despite this real possibility, the believer need not fear
falling away. Kept by the grace of God, he will successfully endure all
trials and temptations of life. The Lord is able to keep him or her
from falling. Believers are able to rest in the assurance that nothing
can separate them from the infinite and unfailing love of God for all
mankind. There is no fear in love.
This universal salvation, accomplished by God, is eternally secure for
everyone, through the death and resurrection of all, included in
Christ, in his death, and so also, in his resurrection.
ESCHATOLOGY:
There is a resurrection of the just and the unjust, for the former a resurrection
unto life; for the latter a resurrection unto judgment. In the ages to come
God will show the exceeding riches of His grace in his kindness toward us
through Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that he would come again to establish
God's Kingdom of righteousness and peace. According to God's eternal purpose,
every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, and God
will bring all things in heaven and earth under one head, even Christ. Then Christ
delivers up the Kingdom to the Father that God may be all in all, and everything to everyone.
UNITY:
I believe in the spiritual unity of all who truly believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father,
but by Him. A practical unity of all believers is a worthy endeavor,
as a witness to Christ, and to the end that all may be saved by faith in
Him. For Christ is all. God is all. And We are all One.
"In essentials Unity; in non-essentials Liberty; in all things Charity"
captures my sentiments perfectly.
PENTECOSTAL, CHARISMATIC, AND LATTER RAIN MOVEMENTS:
God is using the Charismatic movement to revitalize and empower the church.
God has given gifts to his people to be used for the edification of the church.
The anointed ministry of music and song, and the enthusiastic worship of
Charismatic Christians has been a special blessing to the church.
TESTIMONY:
I came to faith in Christ through
the popular Four Spiritual Laws booklet. Three months later, I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the laying on of
hands. Later that same day the Holy Spirit began to manifest by giving
the ability to speak in unknown tongues. My lifestyle improved, and
both my understanding and experience of Christ intensified. I love
Christ,
and my relationship to Him takes priority in my life.
