![]() |
Personal statement of faith
I will start with mine since I am new. Ya'll can follow suit if ya wanna! I believe totally in Acts 2:38. Still a toss up if everyone will speak on other tongues as initial evidence. I do believe in striving for perfection, perfection being defined as maturing. I do believe in modesty. I believe modesty is a relevant term. I believe salvation is free for us because Jesus paid it all at Calvary. I do not believe there is a min/max amount of church attendance required. I do not believe in a min/max of prayer, fasting , or giving. I do not believe Holiness is defined as a dress code. I believe in the oneness of God. I believe in the man Christ Jesus and I believe in the Holy Ghost. I do not believe if one holds a different view of the GodHead they are lost. I have been UPC for almost 50 years. The church I attend would be considered conservative but not UC. I myself am more liberal.
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
Got it... Let's just throw away all of those unnecessary epistles. Don't know why they were written, all they needed was Acts 2:38. Wow. |
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
This is a good thread, JB. Hopefully it won't be taken off topic.
I've been thinking a lot about this, specifically regarding my family (wife and children). IMO, it's important for every husband and every father to both write down and instruct their wives and children on their faith and doctrine. |
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
Also, you said nothing about the epistles being perfecting. Rather, you stated about there not being min/max on this or that. Which, is in direct contradiction to the Apostle Paul's writings. Let just take two of your examples. You said: "there is no min/max of church attendance required". Paul said: "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together". So, obviously there is a min. You said: "I do not believe Holiness is defined as a dress code". Paul said; "women adorn themselves in modest apparel," So, obviously there is a dress code. And I could go on and on. The issue is that you make such broad sweeping declarations without any scripture to back it up. |
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
It's good to put together a personal statement of faith. It's good to know what you believe. JB's personal statement of faith isn't subject to debate. It's his personal statement. I'm not saying that I agree with it, just let it be what it is. What is your personal statement of faith? I'm working on mine and will post when I'm done. Hopefully it won't be scrutinized as much as JB's! :lol |
Re: Personal statement of faith
I have noticed Joe Bandy says "I believe" or "I do not believe" a LOT. However, seldom offers any scriptures to support his "beliefs". Mostly because there aren't any.
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
No, JB's personal statement of faith is meant as a challenge to anyone who believes differently than he does.
It is fostered in a rebellious nature. DON'T tell me how often I need to go to church. DON'T tell me how much I need to pray. DON'T tell me how much I need to give. DON'T tell me how I need to dress. DON'T tell me trinitarians are lost. JB - I am really sorry if this offends you, but this is what I believe. You need a pastor. |
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
JB questions speaking in other tongues as the evidence of the infilling of the Holy Ghost Wow... |
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
Much better. |
Re: Personal statement of faith
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
1. Jesus Christ is both God, and a man. God is not a trinity, but an omnipresent Spirit who Incarnated as a human being. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and is also the Spirit of God. 2. God is not "outside of time" and static as in the classical view of God. Time exists because God exists. Therefore, God responds to prayer, really does love, and really is angry with the wicked, etc. The future is known with certainty as it truly is - a combination of His decreed purposes and our free will choices. Thus, not all future events are settled and certain from the beginning, some are contingencies and exist as possibilities with varying degrees of probability. 3. Salvation is about being made like God, in order for God to manifest His character through us. That means being conformed to His Word, living by His Word, manifesting His Word in every area of our life. Thus, the Word is the final and sole authority for faith and practice in all things. The church has been given authority to judge situations and apply the Word to them, being given authority to use wisdom in deciding issues with the Word as guide. 4. The church's primary mission is to inform the world and every creature (person) therein of the will of God (revealed in the Word). Every person is accountable to God, both personally and corporately as societies, to obey God and follow His Word. Thus, God's Word is authoritative not only for the individual, but society as well. Society ought to acknowledge Christ as King in all areas, including legislation, jurisprudence, politics, foreign relations, etc. The Word of God is His LAW, that is, His revealed Will, and reveals what is right and wrong. Christ, by His resurrection, has been proven to be the World Sovereign, and all persons, governments, magistrates, families, nations, etc are under His Sovereign dominion and owe Him absolute submission. Christ reigns as King NOW, and all owe Him obedience. 5. The New Covenant was made by Christ, but did not involve an overthrow of the commandments of God. Rather, the commandments of God are now written in the hearts and minds of those who enter the new covenant, and the Spirit empowers the believer to live in obedience to God's will. Thus, for example, the seventh day is still the Sabbath Day and we are as obligated to obey the fourth commandment as we are the other nine. Also, all the commandments and statutes of God are in force as written except as explained by the New Testament (for example, circumcision is still required, but is of the heart not the flesh). The New Testament affirms the continuity of the Sabbath, the distinction between clean and unclean meats, the sinfulness of pagan heathen religious observances (Halloween, Christmas, etc), and the continuance of God's Holy Days in a new covenant Christological context. 6. Justification is the act of God whereby He pardons or forgives sinners upon the basis of the Atonement or substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. It is not earned, but freely given to all who repent and believe the gospel. Repentance includes a cessation of all known sin (violations of God's commands) and a continuing attitude of obedience and willingness to learn and do the will of God in all things. Repentance is an indispensable condition of being justified. Water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is the event in which God pardons the repentant sinner, is by immersion only, requires faith and confession of Jesus as risen Christ by the one seeking salvation, and must be done "for the remission of sins" as its intended purpose. 7. Sanctification is the act of God whereby He declares and makes us holy or separated unto Him. It begins with His calling via the Gospel and culminates in our conversion, and continues daily in our consecration to Him. Entire sanctification is the complete separation of all our faculties - spirit, soul, and body - to the service of God, is instantaneous, received by faith, accomplished by grace on the basis of the blood of Christ, and is maintained by a continual faith-based reliance on Christ. It manifests in true spiritual obedience to all the will of God, is loving God with all one's being and one's neighbor as oneself, and is perfected or matured over time so that it is the ordinary, continuous experience of the mature saint. It does NOT however mean a perfection of ability to superhuman levels, but rather a perfection of life in manifesting the character of God. Sanctification is also a term used for our loving consecration of ourselves to God, and in that sense entire sanctification is a condition of justification. 8. Regeneration or being born again is accomplished via water baptism and Spirit baptism. Spirit baptism is signified by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance. Regeneration is required in order to enter the kingdom of God. 7. The human soul is not immortal. Eternal life is a gift given to the believer, the wicked will not live for eternity. All will stand before God, and the wicked will perish in judgment (the second death). At death, all become unconscious and are said to "sleep" until the resurrection. 8. Prophecy is the revelation of God's Plan and history is the outworking of God's Plan. Thus, futurism and preterism are both wrong in limiting prophecy to either the remote future or remote past. The 70 weeks were fulfilled already with no gaps, there will be no secret rapture before the Coming of the Lord. Antichrist is a spirit and manifests in all who oppose Christ and the doctrine of His apostles. Christ's coming will be premillennial, bodily, personal, visible, and unmistakable. 9. 501c(3) non profit corporations are not and cannot be the church. Only Christ establishes a church, by His Word and Spirit. Churches ought not to be encumbered with incorporating under the state, which amounts to a type of apostasy from Christ. Every church should have multiple elders who provide the oversight (small churches may only have one). Elders are overseers or "bishops". The only other church office is deacon (servant, or minister). Apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor/teacher are giftings not necessarily offices as bishop and deacon are. Meetings must include the following: corporate prayer, corporate worship, open participatory time for all to be allowed to be used as the Spirit leads, reading and teaching of the Word, and when possible the Lord's Supper, which should be an actual meal. Communion includes a single loaf and single cup shared by all. Foot washing is a church ordinance but the timing is up to the church. Meetings are primarily for building the saints into a strong community of believers, evangelism of the lost should primarily take place outside of the meeting. Meetings should be house to house if possible, children are not to be excluded (no children's church, age segregated worship, etc). Men are to uncover their heads and women are to cover their heads when praying or ministering. Men are to have short hair and women long hair. Cross dressing is forbidden by God, and Christians are not to be slaves to worldly fashion. Dress should be plain, simple, and modest. Jewelry and/or makeup should not be worn by either women OR MEN. Men ought to have full but well-kept beards. Women are not to lead the service or to teach the congregation if men are present, but are responsible for teaching the younger sisters to be godly women. Parents are responsible for teaching their children the Word of God. 10. Parents must either homeschool their children or else see to it they receive an explicitly Christian, Biblical education. Public schooling is a sin, because the secular education of Christian children is forbidden by God. Husbands are to lead the home, parents are to guide the children. Marriage between Christians and unbelievers is forbidden, and eloping against parental consent is sin. Children are required to provide for their parents in old age (even if it means financial hardship). Divorce is a LAST resort, but I'm still figuring out the remarriage thing. |
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
I believe you're reading too much into it, just IMO. |
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
I believe the tallest nail gets hammered first.
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
My personal Statement of Faith. (Revised)
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
WARNING: Do not expect other posters will know what you mean. You will quickly learn that you will need to learn what is called legaleez. Not Latin, but a language which is employed by lawyers to make sure that all bases are covered. You therefore must be absolutely crystal clear. Or else what you post will be taken out of context, or misunderstood, and therefore hijacking an entire thread for pages. Especially if it is something a poster doesn't agree with it. Quote:
Joe, Joe, dearest Joe, this is a religious forum. It has all flavors of religion[s]. It has lovers, and it has haters. Don't assume anything, because you will only be let down. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
Don't take anything too personally, and keep your focus on the one you work for. Jesus Christ our foreman. :thumbsup |
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
|
Re: Personal statement of faith
Quote:
I was taught that the KJV was the most accurate translation. I will typically refer back to the KJV, and also check strong's to make sure I understand what I am reading. I not sure I trust all of the newer translations, but I feel that reading different translations sometimes helps me understand a passage better. |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:40 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2026, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.