Bibliology – The Doctrine of Scripture:
I believe the Bible, consisting of thirty-nine books in the Old Testament and twenty-seven books in the New Testament, to be the written Revelation of God. The Scriptures are fully inspired by God and inerrant & infallible in the original writings. God intends that His Revelation be understood by humanity, and, therefore, normal rules of language should be used in the understanding of the Bible. The Bible is sufficient for religious instruction, is the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and is of supreme and final authority regarding all matters upon which it touches. In matters not touched upon by the Bible, what is right and true must be assessed in a manner consistent with the teachings of the Scriptures.
Theology Proper - The Doctrine of God:
I believe in one, and only one, true and living God. He is the Triune God; eternally existing in one essence and being, yet three co-equal and co-eternal persons share this same essence and being; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is, by His nature and works, worthy of all glory, honor, obedience, and praise, and God alone is worthy of worship. He is the Creator of all that exists in Heaven and Earth, and His sovereign decrees determine all that comes to pass, and the end of all things glorifies Him. In all of His attributes, God is absolute perfection. He has absolute knowledge, wisdom, and power and is perfect in holiness, righteousness, justice, love, grace, and mercy.
Christology - The Doctrine of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ:
I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, through whom all things were created, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and, without ceasing to be fully God, became fully man. He perfectly fulfilled God’s righteous law, was without sin, and is the perfect revelation of God to man. Christ died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin, and as the propitiation of the wrath of God toward all who trust in Him. He was buried, was raised from the dead on the third day, and appeared to His disciples for forty days after His crucifixion before ascended to His Father. He is now seated at the Father’s right hand, where He presently intercedes for His people. At the end of the age, He will return in power and glory to judge the living and the dead.
Pneumatology – The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit:
I believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine and eternal Spirit of God, equal with God the Father and God the Son, of the same nature, and possessing all the same attributes. He was active in creation and inspired the writing of the Scriptures. Glorifying Christ, He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, making alive the spiritually dead, bringing them to faith, and baptizing them into the Body of Christ. He indwells, sanctifies, and instructs all the redeemed; empowers them for service; and seals them unto the day of redemption.
Angelology – The Doctrine of Angelic Beings:
I believe that angels are spiritual beings, each individually created by God to serve Him, having no progenitors nor progeny. Angels were created before man and are not the glorified spirits of man. Angels carry God’s messages, minister to His people, carry out His will, and are agents both of His blessing and His judgement. Angels worship God and are not to be, themselves, worshipped by man. Though most angels remain obedient to God, were confirmed in their holiness, and carry out His will, others, fallen angels, also called demons, lead by Satan, disobeyed, fell from their holy position, and now stand in active opposition to the work and plan of God. Though opposed to God, fallen angels are still subject to His will and will be objects of His wrath on the day of judgment.
Anthropology – The Doctrine of Man:
I believe that man is the special creation of God, created in the image and likeness of God, and created free from sin. Adam, the first man and the federal head of all humanity, sinned against God and brought sin to the human race and the curse of death on all creation. All born of Adam’s seed inherit a nature that is corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are sinners by imputation, by nature, and by conduct, and are under God’s just condemnation without any defense or excuse. The sinful nature affects the whole man, and all his desires, thoughts, and actions are corrupted. Man, of himself, is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
Soteriology – The Doctrine of Salvation:
I believe that the salvation of sinful man is a gift of God’s grace alone, and is received by faith alone in the finished redeeming work of Christ alone, and not on the basis of any human works or merit. Salvation is solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the Word of God when the elect sinner, chosen for salvation by God in eternity past, is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and responds in faith. At that instant, the sinner is declared justified by God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and kept secure in Christ forever by the power of God. By the sanctifying power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, the saved sinner will exhibit progressively greater personal holiness in living, until, at death or the Lord’s return, the elect, regenerate, justified, and sanctified sinner is glorified in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Ecclesiology – The Doctrine of the Church:
I believe that the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ, is a unique spiritual entity comprised of all of those redeemed by Christ in this present age. It began on the Day of Pentecost and will be completed at the Rapture. The Church is distinct from Israel. Its purpose is to glorify God, to teach His Word, and to communicate the gospel to the whole world; its ordinances are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; and its officers are Elders and Deacons. The local Church body is autonomous, free from any external authority or control by any hierarchy or organized body, and is accountable only to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures.
Thaumatology – The Doctrine of Miracles:
I believe that miracles are direct acts of divine intervention by God; unmistakable displays of His supernatural power that are distinct from divine providence, wherein God works to accomplish His will concurrently with natural processes and creaturely actions. Miracles are extraordinary events that are not now, and never have been, normative in the lives of God's people. Miracles are not merely arbitrary displays of God's power, but serve as signs to authenticate agents of divine revelation or as acts of divine judgement. With the close of the canon of Scripture, these miraculous signs have ceased, having served the purpose for which God intended them.
Eschatology – The Doctrine of Last Things:
I believe that, upon death, the souls of those who have come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith for salvation go immediately to be with Him, and consciously enjoy His presence until the resurrection of the body at His coming, when soul and body shall be reunited. But the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious torment until the soul and body are reunited before the final judgment, after which they shall be cast, body and soul, into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting destruction.
I believe in the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation to catch away His church, both the living and the dead, from this earth. Immediately following the removal of the church, the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world, climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth, the resurrection of the redeemed Old Testament and Tribulation saints, the judgement of the living, the binding of Satan, and the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom; a time of peace, justice, and righteousness, when the Lord Jesus Christ shall reign from David’s throne in Jerusalem for one thousand years, in fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and the faithful people of Israel. The Messianic Kingdom shall end with the release and final defeat of Satan, the resurrection and judgment of the unbelieving dead, the dissolution of this present earth, and the establishment of the new heavens and new earth, wherein we shall enjoy the glory and presence of God forever.
