Statement of Faith

I believe that for one to arrive at a personal statement of faith, it takes years of study and experience. No one has all of the answers, and if we're all honest with each other we would have to admit that sometimes we all waffle a bit on where we stand on some issues from time to time. What seemed like black and white then may be shades of grey now or vice versa. We all grow from "grace to grace." Paul wrote to the Ephesians that one day we'll all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). Until that time comes, we press into His Word and allow it to conform us to His image day by day.

Essentials

In regards to the essentials, I often refer to the below as the Five Fundamentals of the Faith.

1. I believe in the Virgin Birth. If Christ was not born of a virgin, he would have been conceived in sin and Mary was an adulteress. Therefore, we would need to be looking for another savior.  

2. I believe in the Blood Atonement. That means that Christ’s blood was sufficient to cover all of our sins and it cannot, nor indeed need be improved upon by any works of righteousness on our part. Anyone who believes he can lose or gain his salvation by works does not clearly understand this doctrine.

3. I believe in the Return of Christ. He will return someday for his Church in what is called the Rapture and again seven years later in what is called the Second Coming.

4. I believe in the Inerrancy of Scripture. That means that there are no mistakes in the Bible. I believe in the plenary (all) verbal (words) inspiration of the Scriptures. With that said, I don't think that it's possible to embrace the inerrancy of Scripture without addressing the preservation of Scripture.

5. I believe in the Deity of Christ. Jesus was and is God, the Second Person of the God-head.

Non-Essentials

In regards to the non-essentials, below are listed my personal convictions. These are not litmus tests for salvation or necessarily fellowship, just my personal convictions and I can still be your friend if you disagree.

1. I am Dispensational in that I maintain a consistently literal interpretation of Scripture and make a distinction between Israel and the Church.

2. I am Premillennial in that I believe Jesus will return after a seven year period called the Tribulation to set up his literal Millennial Reign upon earth.

3. I am Pretribulational in that I believe that the Church will be raptured out of this earth before the Tribulation and the revealing of the man of sin who is called the Antichrist.

4. Based on 2-4, I categorically reject Reformed Theology.

5. I am slowly becoming a Cessationist. Historically, I have found all arguments for the cessation of the sign gifts (tongues, knowledge, prophecy) to be weak, and there is no doubt in my mind that there is an unscriptural emphasis on them that has led to undermining of Scripture in favor of emotion. However, I am beginning to realize that those gifts were retracted once the Kingdom offer was rejected by the nation of Israel.  

6. I believe in Biblical Separation. Christians should look and act like such and only “yoke” themselves with those who do the same.