I believe that one of the greatest problems in ministry is that an honest and concise statement of faith is not the first doctrine presented by the person doing the ministering. I believe that a statement of faith should clearly define the basis of one's belief without compromising the foundation of that belief. This allows someone else to know truthfully what another person believes without deception, confusion, and exhaustive questioning.
Since starting this website I have found that putting my beliefs into words on a page becomes a greater task than simply sitting down at a keyboard and letting it all unfold. However, with God's awesome direction, I have been provided with a few very good examples of Statements of Faith. I want to thank to all of those who have helped to contribute to this page, but most of all I give the whole of my gratitude and appreciation to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for revealing His perfect Word to us all.
What follows should address my immediate concern within ministry. I will try to be as concise as possible and will also have a more in depth study of each section along with more scriptures and scripture references added as soon as I can get it all typed.
What I believe is simply that, "what I believe." I may draw upon others and their works, but this does not mean that anything they present outside of this statement of faith is or is not within the same beliefs that I have. I also draw everything I believe from the entirety of God's Holy Word; for I believe that a balanced study of all the scriptures will provide the most stable insight into God's will, desire, and plan. We must search the scriptures and apply an equal amount of logic, historical background, and respect to best understand them.
Most importantly, anyone who attempts to know God and His Word without approaching Him in prayer and supplication, and with reverence at all times, presents himself vulnerable to his own fleshly desires. I ask you all to pray for me as God continues to expand my ministry and the exposure of this website.
Introduction
I. God
A. God the Father
B. Jesus Christ the Son
C. The Holy Spirit
II. The Holy Bible
III. Creation
IV. Man
V. Salvation
Final Notes: A few final statements and some closing thoughts.
With regard to the Bible, a statement of faith is a human attempt to come to a systematic conclusion on important points within an inerrant, perpetually infallible, and divinely inspired work. Since humans are not inerrant nor infallible, all statements of faith are subject to mistakes. Regardless of this fact, it is essential to give others the opportunity to work out for themselves what they believe and how much of the minister's work they desire to accept. This protects both the ministry and those it speaks to.
I believe that there is only one living, true, and perfect God; that He is a holy, triune God; infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each equally deserving worship and obedience. We are called to worship only Him, for He alone is the creator and sustainer of all things.
A. God the Father:
I believe that God the Father is an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
B. Jesus Christ the Son:
I believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son and is therefore God the Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. I believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, all of His miracles and teachings, His necessary substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth. Jesus Christ, although obedient to the perfect will of God the Father, is also fully equal with the Father, possessing all the divine excellencies, and being in very nature, God. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man, and is the One who will judge all of humanity, both believers and unbelievers. Jesus Christ is the only one true Lord and Savior.
C. The Holy Spirit:
I believe that the Holy Spirit is coequal in all of His divine attributes and being with the Father and the Son. He exists to do many things, ultimately it is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit further brings about the new birth or regeneration, indwells believers, sanctifies believers, empowers believers for ministry and service, intercedes for believers, and seals them until the day of redemption. He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all the Biblical gifts of the Spirit.
Forenote: I believe that the King James Version of the Holy Bible (see Versions of the Bible), that can be found on nearly every bookshelf, is the word of God. It is both illogical and fallible to assume that a Holy God would allow, or be so inept to allow, any deviation or misrepresentation of such a vital work as it transcends through all generations. It is also conclusive, when compared to the scriptures of the Bible, that the deviations within the numerous "modern" Bible versions are bordering on heresy and false doctrine with many of them fully giving themselves over to the deceptive workings of Satan.
I believe that The Holy Bible is the inerrant, perpetually infallible, and divinely inspired word of God given to His creation. The Holy Bible is complete within the 66 books that comprise the Old and New Testament. No other work has transcended so many generations while maintaining such absolute totality, usefulness, revelation, and perfection. Nothing can be added to nor taken away from the word of God. The Holy Bible must be referenced in its entirety and taking bits and pieces of it for ones own needs has the potential to result in false doctrines and teaching. The Holy Bible is the word of God, it is not God but simply His word; therefore, it does not contain the whole of God. We should never be so naive to assume that because one knows the Word of God that they in turn know God.
I pray that we all might be so utterly faithful, and so strongly convicted upon the Word of God that we might be able to declare the absolute, accurate truth of the Bible as John Burgon so eloquently stated:
“Either, with the best and wisest of all ages, you must believe the whole of Holy Scripture; or, with the narrow-minded infidel, you must disbelieve the whole. There is no middle course open to you. . . . He who surrenders the first page of his Bible, surrenders all. . . . No, Sirs! The Bible (be persuaded) is the very utterance of the Eternal; as much God’s Word, as if high heaven were open, and we heard God speaking to us with human voice. . . . The Bible is none other than the voice of Him that sitteth upon the throne! Every book of it,--every chapter of it,--every verse of it,--every word of it,--every syllable of it,--(where are we to stop?),--every letter of it,--is the direct utterance of the most High! . . . The Bible is none other than the Word of God: not some part of it, more, some part of it, less; but all alike, the utterance of Him who sitteth upon the Throne; absolute,--faultless,--unerring,--supreme!”
There is no other doctrine that we lean upon or accept as a revelation of God. The Bible is it! It is where it begins and ends. Period.
I believe that the account of creation in Genesis is the literal, historical account of the creation of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. God created the heavens and the earth in six, literal, 24-hour days. God directly created all plants, animals, and man without any evolutionary process. He created each tree, plant, and animal after its own kind, and He created man in the image of God. I believe that Adam and Eve, who were created on the sixth day, were literal, historical people. This and all true scientific evidence dates the earth as being created around 4,000 years B.C., approximately a total of 6,000 years old.
Regarding modern day "science": As we approach the second coming of Jesus Christ, two verses stand out as a glaring sign of God's warning to us against the so-called "scientists" and "scholars" of our day. 1 Timothy 6:20-21 states, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen." In other words, stand firm upon the foundation of God's Word and what He has proven to be true according to his exceeding love and great mercy. DO NOT doubt God and DO NOT be swayed by the smooth talking deceivers who try to impress you with their titles and then tell you that evolution has anything to do with science or that science has anything to do with evolution. These are false teachers and God says many things about their future. 2 Peter 2:1-3 tells us that there will be "false teachers... among us that shall bring in damnable heresies... and bring upon themselves swift destruction."
If destruction is not a strong enough word then maybe a word picture from Jesus Christ would help to warn all those who teach false science and evolution. Matthew 18:6 says, "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." The word "offend" in the Greek means to entrap, trip up (figuratively stumble or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure). Children are not the only souls at stake here; however, they are the most impressionable. What our so called teachers are doing by leading our children astray from God's Holy Word and teaching them all kinds of lies is sick, immoral, and must stop.
I fully support science as it is defined as, "the systematic study, observation, experimentation, and knowledge of general laws and the natural and physical world." I do not support people making up lies and guessing about things without any reason or proof and then passing them off as truth. God's light has no communion with the darkness of man's lies. 2 Corinthians 6:14 In short, if it goes against God's Word then it is wrong and must be rejected. If you desire to learn more about true scientific evidence which all supports the creation account in Genesis please contact me and I will gladly send you a free DVD.
I believe that man (Adam and Eve) was originally created free from sin, and he was created with a rational nature, intelligence, a will, and moral responsibility to God. Man’s responsibility to God was to bring God glory, obey God’s commands, enjoy God’s fellowship, be fruitful and multiply, and to tend the Paradise God had created for man. Adam’s sin against the commandment of God brought the penalty of spiritual and physical death to the human race. Through Adam, as the head of the human race, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This absolute separation is our own personal condemnation, for all men are sinners by nature and personal choice. Since no man is perfect, no man can save himself or another; therefore, only God can regenerate, by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ then baptizes the seeking believer with the Holy Spirit and power for service, often subsequent to regeneration. This is never man's doing, but instead, is the ultimate grace of God; therefore no man can boast.
I believe that salvation is given by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ as the Son of God; and that no one is, can be, or ever will be justified by works of any kind. Salvation is 100% God's gift and man has nothing to do with it, thereby keeping anyone from boasting (Ephesians 2:7-9). There is no other way to the Kingdom of Heaven, but through Jesus Christ. As the hymn states, "What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." The foundation that supports the whole of Jesus Christ's gift of salvation (grace through faith) is humility.
Biblical salvation, being a gift, must also be received with a humble heart and represented through a humble life. Salvation in a sense is a place on the map of a Christian life. Repentance by conviction through humility is the way or the road that leads to it, through it, and beyond it. Salvation is fully contingent upon genuine repentance. A simple belief in Jesus Christ does not constitute Christ's salvation, one must live a repented life. If someone's life does not reflect Christ then they might not be saved at all. The devil and his demons believe in Jesus and they even fully know the scriptures; however, they are not saved. There are many who profess a belief in Jesus Christ or claim to have faith in Him; but they are not living a repented life and they will not be known to the One True Lord and Savior (Matthew 7:21-23). Genuine repentance is the heart of true Biblical salvation. Sorry is NOT sufficient!
I believe in the universal Church, the living spiritual body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and all regenerated persons are members. Church is not a building, it is the body of Christ, therefore the body must govern itself as God has directed through His Word.
I believe that Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the church and all believers. All believers should be baptized and participate in communion. The baptisms of the New Testament were done by immersion and all believers should strive to follow the example of Jesus and His disciples. Baptism symbolizes the washing away of sins, burial with Christ in His death and resurrection with Him into new life (Rom 6:3-4), and the putting on of the new man. Communion is also vital in remembering the price that has been paid to save man from sin. It is symbolic of Christ's death upon the cross and the kingdom yet to come; and it is open to all believers. All believers are called to partake in communion as long as they are not partaking of it unworthily (1 Cor 11:23-29).
I believe in the personal, visible return of Christ to the earth and the establishment of His Kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless suffering of the wicked.
Finally, I believe that Revelation is an accurate and factual account of the end times that are yet to come, Pre-Millennialism. There is nothing to imply that any part of Revelation could not be possible. Men have simply misunderstood or failed to understand God throughout the entirety of our existence. For example, the disciples believed that Jesus was there to set up a new kingdom and rule all of His people at the moment that He came. The Pharisees and Sadducees did not and could not understand all that the prophets had written about concerning the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. No one believed what God told Noah, in fact, they mocked him. These are just a few examples.
We will never know the full will of God. Also, we as humans, a creation, can never fully understand God, the creator; therefore to imply that any portion of the Bible is less useful, inaccurate, or more important than the next is simply human error and should be avoided. I will leave you all with the final warning presented in Revelation 22:18-19. "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." God and His Word stand alone, nothing more, nothing less.