What I Believe
What I Believe / Statement of Faith
(I adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message — but here is my take.)
The Gospel
We, as sinful humans, were destined for Hell and separation from Christ. Jesus was sent (fully God and fully man), born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and paid for the sins of humanity. If we believe in Him (our only source of redemption) to be the Son of God, we have new life here in this life and eternal life when we pass. We are saved by grace through faith alone.
Holy Bible
The Holy Bible is the authoritative word of God, written by man and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the light of the world. He died on the cross to atone for the sins of mankind, rose from the dead on the 3rd day, and now reigns on high at the right hand of the Father. One day He will return in glory to execute Judgement and bring about the new Heaven and new Earth.
The Trinity
God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Any examples or attempts to explain will most likely be heresy.
"That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,
neither blending their persons
nor dividing their essence.
For the person of the Father is a distinct person,
the person of the Son is another,
and that of the Holy Spirit still another.
But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one,
their glory equal, their majesty coeternal."
— Athanasian Creed
Salvation
Upon believing Jesus as the Son of God, we are freed from the weight of sin and death and thus will strive to be like Christ (holy). This is represented (comprehensively, but not exclusively) in the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians) and the call of 2 Peter 1. Upon the true understanding of the price that has been paid, with continued discipline, we will be able to form our desires to that of Christ. Our salvation is a free gift from God, not earned through any good works or human efforts.
Repentance
By believing in Christ as the Son of God, we are forgiven for all past, present, and future sins. The record of our sin is nailed to the cross. We commit to turning away from sin in every area of our lives.
Sacraments
- Water Baptism (The Bible demonstrates baptism through submersion as a public profession of faith)
- Marriage (one man and one woman, who represent Jesus and His church; horizontal covenant that reflects vertical covenant between Christ and the Church)
- The Lord's Supper (taken in remembrance of Jesus's saving work on the cross)
The (Local) Church
A gathering of Christ believers. We do life together, help one another, build one another up, and we have accountability to one another. We gather weekly to worship and recall the good news of the Gospel.
The Kingdom
It is partially already here upon us. The fullness of God's Kingdom will come with Jesus at the end of all things.
Evangelism
Everyone has equal calling and responsibility. We are called to share the Gospel with those next door and those in our community, as well as those around the world.
