Statement of Faith
Over at Backwoods, Ben has posted his preliminary statement of faith, it got me working on updating my own and I've incorporated a great deal from his while also trying to keep my own's uniqueness. My previous one focused squarely on Jesus and did not deal alot with the Trinity, or the Scriptures themselves.
So without further ado...
- I believe that the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation to be the inerrant and holy Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and practice for all true believers. Man's works, councils. or synods shall never overrule the authority of Scripture.
I believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the original authors to write the perfect infallible Bible so that humanity can know God. This means that books of the Bible in their original form are without error.
- I believe in the Doctrine of the Trinity as spoken in the confessions and drawn from the Scriptures. The Trinity consists of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This means that Jesus, Holy Spirit, and The Father are all equal and all God but at the same time separate and individuals.
I believe that without Jesus there would be nothing. The Gospel of John tells us that through him all things were made by the Father. This means that everyone and every thing in the universe are here because of the work of Jesus Christ, the son of God who while man, is also God. Everything around us is here because of him.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one, no matter how good they may appear can come to the Father and therefore receive eternal life apart from Faith in Jesus Christ alone. He is the connection to God that humanity needs to be redeemed from original sin.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of Israel born of the virgin and while fully God, he is also fully man. He is Immanuel or God with Us.
I believe that Jesus brings truth to the world and through him the world of believers may be saved from themselves. All of humanity, created first perfect in Adam and Eve, shares in their rebellion to God’s perfect will. It is only through Christ's sacrifice that we are freed from the punishment for this rebellion.
- I believe that Jesus will return physically and bring about the end of history as we know it as the Book of Revelation reveals in its prophesies as well as other parts of Scripture. And at that time, I believe that Jesus will act as judge over all of humanity.
I believe that God brings believers to himself and that none will truly believe except for those that he chooses by his grace and not by the works done. This means that no one can choose to save themselves.
Labels: Christianity, Religion
posted by Gary @ 3:18 PM
16 Comments
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16 Comments:
Looks Good. Liked your words on the Trinity.
Pretty good. I'm not sure "separate" is as good a word as "distinct" in your Trinitarian passage. It also needs some words on eschatology to round it out.
Thanks guys.
Eschatology is kinda tricky. I'm not sure which of the millennians I am. I find that I like two of them. Amil and Postmil. So I need more information before I decide which I agree with.
I recommend Kim Riddlebarger's "Man of Sin" or "A Case for Amillennialism". The second work turned me into an Amillenialist and the first one confirmed it.
I don't think you need to have a fully formed millenial position just yet. Just an assertion that Jesus will return physically and end history as we currently know it would probably help your statement.
Thank you for the two book recommendations Ben. Geneva has the Man of Sin one so I'm going to go down there over the next couple of days and take a look at it.
And thank you Brian for showing me the proper wording for avoiding the millennialisms.
:D
Well,you can only be a panmillennialist* for so long. But unless pressed, you don't have to decide for now.
*panmillennialist= It will all pan out in the end.
Is this just your statement for coming under care, or is it for licensure?
Its actually for including with my resume when I make some pitches to teach(part time) a course I'm working on.
I haven't actually approached my church yet about coming under care because I wasn't actually an offical member until after I was accepted at seminary. I was still a member of the Reformed Presbyterian church even though I had been attending my current church for a while.
I didn't want to appear that I was only becoming a member to get money from the church and one of the elders when I met with the session actually appeared to oppose my becoming a member because I was going to seminary. He thought I wouldn't be around so why become a member. My answer was I'm still going to be around. PTS is only an hour away.
Now my pastor knows because when I met with him about finally officially becoming a member I told him I was going to seminary and I thought that if I was going to be ordained I ought to be an offical member in the denomination I agreed with and he laughed and said makes sense and he got together several transfer families and did the class that transfers do with him.
Oh. Okay. Then your statement is probably quite sufficient for that purpose.
B
Gary,
Just a question here, but it's one I'd be asking as a member of a candidates and credentials committee who was examining you to receive you as a candidate.
Do you find anything disorderly or improper about the way you're going about things?
Deciding unilaterally that you're called to ministry. Choosing a seminary and then enrolling in it (and one which many PCA guys might have concerns about you attending) and then joining the denomination and asking to be taken under care?
I mean Paul had a direct revelation of the risen Christ, was told that he was going to be the apostle to the Gentiles, was attested to by miraculous signs, and even he didn't send himself out, but waited for a local body of elders to commission them for ministry:
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Acts 13:1-2
I feel called to be a Professor. Not a minister. A minister has to have a stronger stomach than I. I have passed out when I was in a hospital visiting a sick relative because all the wires going into their veins. That to me says I would not be a good minister because they have to visit hospitals.
I am in PTS's MA in Theological Studies program not the M.Div program. If my church is interested in ordaining me I will switch to the M.Div program. But as it is now, I am in the MA program which is for those that want to teach at the college, university, Seminary level and will move on into a PhD program if I successfully complete the MA.
And I think God has been telling me I need to make a change. Four years of unemployment and four years of sending out resumes only to receive no interviews after graduating with awards and a 3.92 QPA.
I had also been told to go to Seminary by my professors at Geneva. I think the entire Bible Department pushed me to go. I resisted.
My own plan was to continue the job hunt and go to seminary in the evening after being hired somewhere.
Last year, I had a dream one night. It said I was accomplishing nothing and I should go to seminary now so I went to my old professors and asked them if they thought I should go and if so would they write me references. They did and would and I applied the next day. The next Sunday I talked to my pastor about everything and moving my membership and the "if I'm ordained" conversation.
A few months later, I was accepted and have a promise of a job at the seminary. It was the first positive thing that's happened to me in four years. So I'm going to seminary.
It was then time to meet the session and become a member.
I have not asked the church or the denomination for money. I have not asked them to ordain me. If they do, then its God's will. If they don't, then its not. I've told them I don't see myself as a minister. I see myself as a professor. But God has the final say. All I've asked for is prayer.
What will you teach?
My history degree was focused on Church History and secondly on Ancient Near Eastern History.
I will be focusing on Old Testament Studies because an elder told me that's what I should focus on because there are a lot of failed pastors teaching NT and not alot of OT professors.
Very good. I understand your situation more clearly now, and my question was unwarranted.
Peace.
B
No problemo. I just made some additions that I think was lacking before. Notably the escataology of judgment and the choosing by grace and not by works part.
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