So…what do I believe? What does my belief statement look like?<\/p>\n
I believe the Holy Scriptures, composed of the thirty-nine books\u00a0of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, are the\u00a0verbally inspired Word and Revelation of God. I’m open to us not having a perfect canon–maybe we have too many books–but we have what is necessary. The Bible is inerrant,\u00a0infallible and\u00a0God-breathed. Divine inspiration applies to the original autographs and though there is not a preserved text today, we are always getting closer to the original text with our multifaceted versions.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you want a label, I believe in verbal, plenary, innerant inspiration.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Luke\u00a024:13-28; John 16:12-16; Psalm 12:6-7; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 138:2.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n II. I believe in the Trinity <\/strong><\/p>\n I believe in the Triune God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: God the Father, God the Son, and God\u00a0the Holy Spirit-coequal and coeternal. Each has His individual identity and\u00a0separate responsibilities for the purposes of redemption, yet perfectly united\u00a0as three Persons in One. Although the term “Trinity” doesn’t occur in Scripture, it does teach it<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you want a label, I’m Trinitarian who agrees with the filoque.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 1 John 5:1-8; John 16:7-18; Matthew 28:19}}; Genesis III. I believe in the deity and the virgin birth of Christ <\/strong><\/p>\n I believe in Deity of Jesus Christ. He is the only begotten, virgin\u00a0born Son of God, the second Person in the Blessed Trinity, God the Son, God\u00a0manifest in the flesh, two natures, the God-Man. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1 Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-14; John 14:9; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; John 10:36.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n IV. I believe in blood atonement <\/strong><\/p>\n I believe in the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.\u00a0He, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, and all must be born again\u00a0or be forever lost.<\/em>. The Lord’s atonement was not limited with\u00a0respect to whom God’s salvation is offered. His shed blood is sufficient\u00a0for all sin and, therefore, “whosoever will” may believe and be\u00a0saved to the uttermost. \u00a0Also,\u00a0<\/span>the text “with His stripes we are healed” speaks of God’s remedy for\u00a0the sin-sick soul through the suffering and substitutionary sacrifice of the\u00a0Lamb of God, and is not referring to the healing of the body.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In other words, I don’t agree with Calvinism’s particular redemption even if I agree with the language of substitution..\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hebrews 2:9; John 6:44-69; John 3:16-18; Romans 3:25; Revelation\u00a01:5; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19;\u00a01 John 2:2; Hebrews 7:22-25; Revelation 22:17;\u00a0Isaiah 53:4-6<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n V. I believe in the physical, bodily resurrection of Christ<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe in the physical resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u00a0He ascended bodily into the heavens and is now at the right hand of God as our\u00a0Mediator, Priest, and Advocate. In the same way he left he will return.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Acts 3:12-26; John 20; Hebrews 9:24; 1 Corinthians\u00a015:12-28; 1 John 2:1.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n VI. I believe in the premillennial Second Coming of Christ<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe in the Rapture-the personal, premillennial,<\/em> <\/p>\n I’d say I’m a premilennialist, a post-tribulationalist, and a dispensationalist of the progressive dispensationalist order.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n {{1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:6-10}}; {{1 Corinthians\u00a015:50-55}}; {{Acts 1:11}}; {{Titus 2:13}}. {{Jude 14,15}}; {{Matthew 25:31-46}}.\u00a0{{Isaiah 11:1-16}}; {{Revelation 19:19-20; 20:1-6}}.\u00a0\u00a0{{Revelation 20:11-15}}; {{Matthew\u00a07:21-23}}. {{Revelation 20:10}}.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n VII. I think Satan really exists\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe that Satan is real. <\/em>\u00a0I believe a lot that we think about Satan, we might have incorrectly assumed but I do think certain things are spot on. He is actively\u00a0opposing the cause of Christ on every hand and is the arch enemy of every true\u00a0believer. His warfare incorporates the deception of mixing error and truth as\u00a0<\/em>well as that which is flagrantly vile and evil.\u00a0He marshals\u00a0a host of fallen angels that can also serve to deceive the unsuspecting by “transforming\u00a0themselves into…apostles of Christ [and] ministers of righteousness…”\u00a0These false spirits can influence the unfaithful servant\u00a0to say helpful and even true things and can also themselves energize ones to\u00a0do the miraculous. Therefore, every experience and teaching must be examined\u00a0in light of the Word of God to determine its true source.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n {{2 Corinthians 11:1-15}}; {{2 Peter\u00a05:8-9}}; {{Revelation 12:9-10}}; {{Matthew 4:2-11}}; \u00a0{{John 8:24}}.\u00a0({{2 Corinthians 11:31}}). ; {{1 John\u00a04:1}}.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n VIII. I believe in a real Heaven to be embraced and \u00a0a real Hell to be shunned<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe that Heaven is a real place of eternal blessedness prepared\u00a0by God for those whose garments have been “made white” through faith\u00a0in the shed “blood of the Lamb.” Hell is a real place of eternal suffering\u00a0for those whose names are not written in the “book of life.” I don’t think that there\u00a0<\/em>is an intermediate state in which a person atones for sins. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n John\u00a014:1-6}}; {{Revelation 7:13-17; 20:11-15; 21:22-27}}; {{2 Corinthians 5:1-10}}; {{Luke 16:19-31}}.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n IX. I believe in a Biblical Creation and historic fall of Man with an actual Adam<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe God created all things in a time frame of six<\/em> <\/p>\n {{Romans 5:12-21}}\u00a0{{Ezekiel 18:4}}; {{Romans 3:10-26; 6:23}}; {{Psalm 51:5}} {{Genesis\u00a01-3}}.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n X. I believe in Justification by Faith alone\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe that man is justified on the single ground of faith in<\/em> <\/p>\n {{Romans 5:1}} {{Ephesians 2:8-9;\u00a0Galatians 1:6-10}}; {{Romans 1:16}} {{1 Corinthians 15:1-4}}; {{John XI. I trust in Eternal Security <\/strong><\/p>\n I believe in the eternal security of all believers in our Lord Jesus\u00a0Christ. Once a lost sinner has become a “new creature in Christ,”\u00a0he can never lose that new relationship in the family of God which is based\u00a0upon God’s imputed righteousness and not his own. The life that God imparts\u00a0<\/em>to the believing sinner is not “eternal life” if it can be terminated.\u00a0\u00a0Sin in the life of the believer affects\u00a0his fellowship with the Father not sonship. All who are truly born of the Spirit\u00a0and who continue in sin will be dealt with by the chastening hand of God.\u00a0All who are in Christ are\u00a0sealed unto the day of redemption and will be glorified. We are to “work\u00a0out” our salvation not “work for” our salvation.\u00a0Texts used to teach one can lose his salvation are speaking\u00a0of loss of reward, not the loss of salvation or the right to be called a child\u00a0of God.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2 Corinthians 5:14-21}}; {{John 10:25-29}}.\u00a01\u00a0John 1:5-10; Hebrews 12:6-13 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. \u00a0{Philippians\u00a02:12}}. {{1 Corinthians 3:8-15}}; {{2 John 8}}; {{Revelation 3:11}}; {{Romans 8:29-30}}; {{1 Timothy\u00a01:12}}; {{Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30}}.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n XII. I believe in The Holy Spirit within the Body, which is the Church, of Christ <\/strong><\/p>\n I believe all regenerated people are baptized into the Body<\/em> <\/p>\n 1 Corinthians 12:13}}; {{1 Corinthians 10:32}}; {{Ephesians\u00a02:13-18}}. {{Acts 15:6-11}}; {{Galatians 3:2,14}}; {{Romans\u00a010:13-17}}; {{Romans 8:9}}. {{Romans\u00a08:14-27}}; {{James 1:18}}; {{John 1:12}}; {{1 Corinthians 1:2}};\u00a0{{Matthew 16:16-16}}.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n XIII. I believe in some level of separation <\/strong><\/p>\n I believe that all Christians are first to be separated wholly unto\u00a0the Lord, and as a necessary result, they must be:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1) Separated from sinful practices. They are to be holy,\u00a0even as He is holy, and this desired behavior will often be diametrically opposed\u00a0to the course of this present age.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2) Separated from apostasy and unbelief. A believer must not be “unequally\u00a0yoked together with unbelievers,” thereby being identified with unbelief\u00a0by association in worship. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1 Peter 1: 13-16}}; {{1 Corinthians 6:19-20}};\u00a0{{Romans 12:1-2}}; {{1 John 2:15-17}}.{{2 Corinthians 6:14-18}}; {{1 Timothy 6:3-5}}; {{2 Timothy 2:19-22; 3:1-5; Amos 3:3\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n XIV. I have ideas about The Local Church and Its Mission <\/strong><\/p>\n I believe God has ordained the ministry of local, independent, indigenous\u00a0assemblies of believers to accomplish His work in this dispensation extending\u00a0<\/em>from Pentecost to the Translation of Christ’s Body at His appearing. I believe even though those assemblies are independent, they should be in active fellowship to maintain discipline and discipleship. The church’s\u00a0membership is to be composed of regenerated, baptized believers. The two ordinances\u00a0<\/em>of the local church are believer’s baptism by immersion, and the memorial of\u00a0the Lord’s supper until He returns. The church is to be missionary and evangelistic\u00a0in spreading the Gospel into all the world while simultaneously exemplifying Kingdoms under the rule of God.\u00a0It is to strive\u00a0together for the faith of the Gospel, proclaim and maintain purity of doctrine\u00a0and practice, and worship and serve the Lord in “spirit and truth.”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I come from the Plymouth Brethren tradition so you might notice a lot of that in this paragraph.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Acts 2:41-47; 20:17-32; Matthew 28:16-20; Ephesians 4:11-16;1 Corinthians 11:23-34, Romans 13; 1 Corinthians 7.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n XV. I think we should be doing good works <\/strong><\/p>\n I believe that all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ should maintain\u00a0good works. Works will determine the reward\u00a0or loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ before which every Christian\u00a0<\/em>will stand.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2 Peter 1:3-4;\u00a0Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-14; 3:1-11; 2 Thessalonians 5:23;\u00a01 Corinthians 1:18-29; 3:8-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n XV. I think men and women have a God-given calling in their nature.<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe that since we’re made in the image of God \u00a0we have been built, since creation, with fundamental roles. Those roles don’t change our status as human beings. Men and women are equal in value but differ in responsibility: and in marriage that’s where we will find our greatest joys.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This makes me a complimentarian.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ephesians 5, Gen 1, Gen 2, Col 3<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So…what do I believe? What does my belief statement look like?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nI. I believe in the Inspiration of the Bible <\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1:26.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ “in the air.”\u00a0This has been the “Blessed Hope” of every born-again believer in the\u00a0Church Age. At that time He will receive to Himself the resurrected bodies of\u00a0those who have “died in Christ” and also all those who are presently <\/em>alive and “in Christ.” I hope in a pre-tribulational return but I’m not sure that is textually supportable.He will surely come “with His saints”\u00a0seven years after the man of lawlessness makes a treaty with Israel to execute judgment upon the ungodly nations before the\u00a0inauguration of His earthly millennial reign at His second coming to the earth but that could mean as they meet him after the seven in the air.\u00a0\u00a0The Lord will cast the anti-christ and the false\u00a0prophet into the lake of fire, send Satan into the abyss and establish His earthly\u00a0kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ will reign one thousand years, thus literally
\nfulfilling the covenant promises made to a believing remnant of Israel through\u00a0the Patriarchs of the Old Testament.\u00a0After the earthly reign of one thousand years, He will bring all the unsaved\u00a0dead to the judgment of the Great White Throne and all who stand before that\u00a0Throne will be cast into the lake of fire forever.\u00a0Satan will also be cast into the lake of fire.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n days and am willing to entertain some\u00a0concepts of what that means. I think that Creative Days (with gaps between the days) might be the best way that this actually panned out to integrate with science but that the text isn’t concerned exactly with all those specific details. I believe that the concept of the evolution of Man so that there is not a historical Adam is \u00a0contradictory to the teaching of Scripture. Man was\u00a0created by a direct act of God and subsequently fell into sin in the\u00a0Garden of Eden. I believe in the universality and exceeding\u00a0sinfulness of\u00a0sin. In Adam all have been plunged into the corrupting sickness of\u00a0sin leaving man in its bondage and operating under their own authority. Man, subsequently, of his own accord\u00a0chooses to sin following the corrupt nature within. <\/em><\/p>\n
\n the shed blood and bodily resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The all-sufficient and completed work of Redemption\u00a0accomplished through His death and resurrection is fully appropriated at the\u00a0moment in time by those who receive by faith the free gift of salvation offered\u00a0in the one true Gospel. The adding of works, baptism, sacraments, or any other\u00a0condition placed upon man in order to obtain God’s gift of salvation by faith\u00a0alone in the finished work of Christ results in “another gospel”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
\n5:24}}; {{Ephesians 5:8}}.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n of Christ by the Holy Spirit the moment they receive Christ as their\u00a0Savior. The Holy Spirit indwells all who have been born again from\u00a0above. Also, the baptism of the Spirit is not a separate event apart\u00a0from the reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit upon believing on\u00a0Christ unto salvation.\u00a0The Church which is Christ’s Body consists\u00a0of all those who, in the present dispensation, truly believe having\u00a0pinned their faith and trust on Jesus Christ the Lord.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n