Statement of Beliefs
Though the list below is not all-inclusive, it does represent the core of my beliefs. As a Southern Baptist, I affirm the entirety of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.
The Bible |
God |
God as Father |
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The Bible is the true and trustworthy, divinely inspired word of God. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error for its content. It is God’s revelation of Himself to man and it is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed, and religious opinions should be tired.
*** Exodus 24.3; Deuteronomy 4.1-2; Joshua 8.34; Psalms 19.7-10; 119.11, 89, 105, 140; John 5.39, 16.13-15, 17.17; Romans 15.4; 2 Timothy 3.15-17; Hebrews 1.1-2 |
God is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being. He is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. He alone is God and is the one and only living and true God. His is infinite in Holiness and all other perfections. He is all powerful and all knowing. His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future. Is the object of our highest love, reverence, and obedience. He is the eternal and triune God and reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
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God the Father reigns with providential care over his universe and creatures, and the flow of human history according to his grace and purposes. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ and he is fatherly in his attitude toward all men.
*** Genesis 1.1, 2.7; Exodus 3.14, 6.2-3; Leviticus 22.2; Deuteronomy 6.4; Matthew 6.99ff; Acts 1.7; Romans 8.14-15; 1 Corinthians 8.6; 1 John 5.7 |
God as SonGod the Son is the eternal Son of God. In his incarnation as Jesus Christ he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying completely with mankind yet without sin. He fulfilled the divine law by his personal obedience, and in his substitutionary death on the Cross, he made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was buried, arose from the grave, and ascended into Heaven where he is now exalted at the right hand of God where is the one mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose person is effect the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power, glory, and honor to judge the world and to consummate his redemption mission.
*** Genesis 18.1; Psalm 2.7; Isaiah 7.4, 53.1-12; Matthew 1.18-23; John 1.1-18; Romans 1.3-4; Galatians 4.4-5; Ephesians 1.20, 3.11; 1 Timothy 2.5-6; Hebrews 1.1-3; 1 John 1.7-9; Revelation 1.13-16, 13.8, 19.16 |
God as Holy SpiritGod the Holy Spirit is God and indwells every believer from the moment of spiritual birth. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures and illuminates the hearts and minds of men to understand the truth. He exalts Christ and convicts men of sin, righteousness, and judgement. He also empowers all believers to pursue Christ and make him known. He is the Father’s seal guaranteeing our eternal inheritance and is the believer’s counselor and comforter, and guide to and teacher of the truth
*** Genesis 1.2; Psalm 51.11; Isaiah 61.1-3; Matthew 1.18; Mark 1.10, 1.12; John 4.24, 14.16-17, 14.26, 16.7-14; 1 Timothy 3.16; Hebrews 9.8, 9.14; Revelation 1.10, 22.17 |
ManMan is the special creation of God, made in his image and for his glory. He created them male and female as the crowning achievement of His creation. In the beginning, man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against Holy God and brought sin into the human race. As a result, his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors of the law and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into his holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God.
*** Genesis 1.26-30, 2.5, 2.7, 2.18-22; Psalm 1; Isaiah 6.5;Matthew 16.26; Acts 17.26-31; Ephesians 2.1-22; Colossians 1.21-22 |
SalvationSalvation involves the redemption of the whole man and is offered freely to all who surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by his own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. Salvation is by grace, through faith. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Apart from personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no salvation.
*** Genesis 3.15; Exodus 3.14-17; Matthew 1.21, 4.17, 16.21-26; John 1.11-14, 1.29, 3.3-12, 3.36; Acts 2.21; Romans 1.16-18, 3.23-25, 5.8-10, 6.1-23, 10.9-10, 10.13, Ephesians 2.8-22; Revelation 3.20, 21.1-22.5 |
The Local ChurchThe Local Church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel. The Lord Jesus is the head of the church and is God’s only plan to fulfill the great commission.
*** Matthew 16.15-19; Acts 2.41-42; Romans 1.7; 1 Corinthians 1.2, 3.16; 1 Timothy 2.9-14; Hebrews 11.39-40; Revelation 2-3 |
The Last DaysThe Last Days will occur in God’s own time and way. Jesus will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.
*** Isaiah 2.4; Matthew 16.27; John 14.1-3; Colossians 1.5; 1 Thessalonians 4.14-18; 1 Timothy 6.14; 2 Timothy 4.1, 4.8; Revelation 1.18, 3,11, 20.1-22.13 |
