Statement of Beliefs

09.11.06

Scripture

The Word of God plays a vital role in the lives of all those who seek Christ. It can give “the wisdom that leads to salvation.”¹ Scripture in itself does not give eternal life, rather it tells the story of salvation only available through Christ Jesus.²

We know the Bible is God-inspired, yet God has entrusted it to human hands to preserve and translate for others. Just like any text, it is prone to typos and copy errors.³ These do not diminish the Truth, but make apparent a human influence.

Our perception of the Word is subject to who we are, our culture and experiences, the things that are important to us. Every person has different views, so who will teach us what is true? We need Christ to explain Scripture to us.⁴ The disciples walking with Jesus would have known the sacred writings since childhood, yet the mysteries of Christ remained hidden to them.

The psalmist implores “Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.” and later acknowledges, “You Yourself have taught me.”⁵ We must rely on God for the wisdom to rightly interpret His words.

The Bible is like a love letter from God. His words stir my heart, I long to be by His side.

Trinity

The three Persons of the trinity can be found throughout the Bible. A prime example is the baptism of Jesus⁶ — the Spirit descends and the Father speaks a blessing. For a less obvious occurrence, take Genesis 1:1-3 where we see God (elohiym) and the Spirit of God, but to see Jesus we need to recognize that “All things came into being through Him.”⁷

Moses declares “The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!“⁸ So if God is three, how can He also be one? Jesus says “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”⁹ Jesus does nothing of His own initiative, nor does the Spirit.¹⁰

The Oneness of God goes well beyond unity in human terms. My flesh and spirit wage war over my thoughts and deeds — and I’m a single individual. God is three Persons, yet in complete unhindered unity with Himself. Jesus prayed that we would be one in the same way.¹¹

If there were no trinity, how would we know salvation? The Spirit testifies of Christ, the very Christ who died to bring us to God.¹² As though someone described an abstract painting to me, my mind cannot visualize the wonder of the trinity. Still, I am content in knowing why He must be as He is.

Jesus

I was born a sinner, in the image of my father. As the psalmist writes “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”¹³

While Mary was still a virgin, the angel Gabriel appeared to her, saying “The Holy Spirit will come upon you… and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”¹⁴ Jesus was not born a sinner. Though born into flesh, He remained God.¹⁵

Jesus was a man. He was tempted in all things, yet without sin.¹⁶ Inside Jesus beat the very heart of God; a heart that sought the will of His Father; a heart incapable of sin.

Jesus was filled with compassion. He saw how we lived, He saw our needs, and demonstrated God’s desire to intervene. He brought healing and nourishment, and rescued us from bondage.¹⁷ His greatest miracle would be to take on the sin of the world, paying the punishment of death.

Just as crucial as Jesus’ death, is that He rose again and lives today, just as we too will rise again.¹⁸ He has been given all power and authority; He who sits at the right hand of God. There He intercedes for us until the time comes for His return to judge the world.¹⁹

Salvation

Adam and Eve turned away from God in the garden. Like Adam, “Each of us has turned to his own way.” The result of sin is death, but God in His infinite patience has held back His judgement.²⁰

Life is in the blood, and God gave blood to make atonement. The blood He gave was His own, through Christ Jesus who died to reconcile us with God. God sent His Son for us, who “offered Himself without blemish to God.” Through this act, God is just to justify all who have faith in Christ.²¹

To confess Jesus is Lord is to repent, turning to Christ who is able to save us from the bondage of sin. Righteousness results from faith that God raised Christ from the dead. If God is able to raise Christ, who took upon the sins of the world, He is certainly able to grant us the gift of righteousness.²²

Our own righteousness does not cleanse us — only Christ can cleanse our sins. We are not saved by works. Yet we will be rewarded according to our deeds. Good works are an expression of our faith, faith that Jesus authored and will perfect through the good works He has prepared for us to do.²³

What of those who have not heard of Jesus? How will they be saved? God has been clearly seen, and is not far off.²⁴ Those who seek Him will find Him, whether He reveals Himself supernaturally or through His people. He has saved us so that we can bring His salvation to others.

Holy Spirit

In Ezekiel, God promises to “put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues.” We who belong to Christ have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within us, so that “the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us.”²⁵

Without the Spirit, we would still be living according to the flesh. The flesh is utterly sinful, in total opposition to the Spirit of God. Our human nature, with its’ evil desires, is present in us until the redemption of our mortal bodies. Who can claim to be without sin?²⁶

Yet sin is no longer our master. We set our minds on the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of our mortal bodies, and making our bodies obedient to Christ. Righteousness comes not of ourselves, rather we trust that He is able to bear forth righteousness in our lives.²⁷

Every good gift is from the Father, that includes all of our natural abilities. Paul encourages us to desire the spiritual gifts, though not to pursue them more than love.²⁸ In heaven there will be no need for spiritual gifts — what use will words of prophecy or speaking in tongues be?²⁹ Cessationists interpret this verse as the gifts of the Holy Spirit not being available to us today. I believe that they are, but spiritual gifts are of little value without love — therefore, we must strive to preserve the unity of the Spirit.³⁰

Church

In New Testament times the church would assemble regularly in the homes.³¹ There is also a wider sense, such as the church in Jerusalem, or “the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.”³² We often think of church as a building, but Christ is not the head of a building. He is the head of His church — His church is His body.³³

His body is made up of many members, all of us who believe in Christ. Like a wedding, baptism is a public declaration of our inward love for God. We are as His bride, and one day the multitudes of believers from all time will stand together in the presence of God.³⁴

Communion is symbolic of the new covenant — the provision of salvation through the death of Christ. As we share in the bread, which symbolizes the body of Christ, we are reminded that we are one body.³⁵

Hebrews tells us to continue assembling together, for it is when we are together with other Christians that we demonstrate the unity that is in the body of Christ. We gather together to sing spiritual songs, to equip and build up one another, and share with one another.³⁶

Judgement

While Moses was away, Israel turned away from God, making a golden idol to lead them. Moses left his fury as he climbed back up Mount Sinai; there he pleaded with God to forgive their sins. God’s response was:

“Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book… In the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”³⁷

All have sinned — not one soul would be left in God’s book. “All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment,”³⁸ our own righteousness cannot measure up to the standards of the righteous Judge. Then Jesus declares:

“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life.“³⁹

That sounds more promising, but how does this all fit together?

Revelation speaks of the day of judgement that comes after we die.⁴⁰ The books are open, and the dead are judged according to their deeds. Deeds matter: our works will be tested in fire, and we will be repaid accordingly.⁴¹ Yet there is one book, the book of life that records the destination of each soul.

The book of life is not a record of our deeds, it is a record of receiving salvation. “They overcame because of the blood of the Lamb”⁴² — a gift of new life through the miraculous work of Christ Jesus. Those written there will be given entry into the new city of Jerusalem; those who are not will be cast into the lake of fire.⁴³ The end.