Personal statement of faith

[aegsm76]

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.

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by JoeBandy

I believe totally in Acts 2:38. Still a toss up if everyone will speak on other tongues as initial evidence.

And just caught this.
JB questions speaking in other tongues as the evidence of the infilling of the Holy Ghost
Wow...

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by JoeBandy

I will start with mine since I am new. Ya'll can follow suit if ya wanna! I believe totally in Acts 2:38. 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 believe in the oneness of God. I believe in the man Christ Jesus and I believe in the Holy Ghost. I have been UPC for almost 50 years. The church I attend would be considered conservative but not UC. I myself am more liberal.

JB - here I fixed it for you.
Much better.

[Amanah]

• I believe that the Bible in it's original manuscripts is the inerrant word of God John 17:17
• I believe that God is a Spirit John 4:24, there is One Spirit Ephesians 4:4 and the Lord Jesus is that Spirit 2 Cor 3:17
• I believe in the Acts 2:38 salvation of repentance, being baptized in Jesus Name and being filled with the Holy Ghost.
• I believe that the evidence of being filled with the Holy Ghost is speaking with Tongues Acts 10:46
• I believe in worshiping with a local assembly Hebrews 10:25
• I believe in the gifts of the Spirit being in operation in the church 1 Cor 12
• I believe in having a daily time of bible reading and prayer Psalm 63
• I believe that the responsibility of the church is the share the gospel of Jesus' salvation and deliverance to a lost and dying world. Matthew 28:19
• I believe in living a holy and modest life: 1 Cor 6:19-20 1 Tim 2:9-10 1 Peter 3:3-4 Proverbs 31:30 Deut 22:5 1 Tim 2:8-10 1 Peter 3:1-4 1 John 2:16 Matthew 5
• I believe we are to study to show ourselves approved to God 2 Timothy
• I believe Jesus is coming back for us, there will be a resurrection of the righteous followed by a millennial age, followed by another resurrection and then the white throne judgment, and then a new Jerusalem. Rev 20-22
• there are probably other things I can't think of right now, may need to revise later.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Esaias

What is your church's statement, profession, or confession of faith? Here is ours:

...(W)e declare the Gospel which we have received, in which we stand, and by which we are saved:
That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And that he was seen of Peter, then of the Twelve, and then was seen of many faithful witnesses, and of James, and then lastly of Paul.
And we bow the knee, and confess with our mouth, that:
JESUS CHRIST is Lord, the Son of God, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, by whom were all things created that are in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
For unto us a child is born,
And unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His NAME shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. And of the increase of his government there shall be no end.
And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the nations, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Let us endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. For,
There is one Body, and one Spirit, even as we are called in one Hope of our calling. One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all.
Concerning them that are asleep, let us not sorrow as others who have no hope.
For if we believe Jesus died, and rose again, even so them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth;
They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father,
To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Expanding on the above:

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.

[n david]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

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.

No. I didn't get that at all from the OP. It was an invitation for people to post their personal statement of faith, which he did. Nowhere did he issue a challenge. Nowhere did he post that anyone was wrong if they didn't believe as he does.

I believe you're reading too much into it, just IMO.

[JoeBandy]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

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.

I have a pastor. The other part of your post bores me.

[JoeBandy]

Originally Posted by n david

No. I didn't get that at all from the OP. It was an invitation for people to post their personal statement of faith, which he did. Nowhere did he issue a challenge. Nowhere did he post that anyone was wrong if they didn't believe as he does.

I believe you're reading too much into it, just IMO.

Thanks. Exactly how it was meant.

[votivesoul]

I believe the tallest nail gets hammered first.

[Amanah]

My personal Statement of Faith. (Revised)

• I believe that the Bible in it's original manuscripts is the inerrant word of God (John 17:17, 2 Timothy 3:16)
• I believe that God is a Spirit (John 4:24), there is One Spirit (Ephesians 4:4,5 Deut 6:4) and the Lord Jesus is that Spirit (2 Cor 3:17). Jesus is God manifested in the Flesh (1Tim 3:16). The fullness of the Godhead indwells in Jesus bodily (Col 2:9)
• I believe in the Acts 2:38 salvation of repentance, being baptized in Jesus Name and being filled with the Holy Ghost.
• I believe that the evidence of being filled with the Holy Ghost is speaking with Tongues (Acts 10:45,46)
• I believe in worshiping with a local assembly (Hebrews 10:25)
• I believe in the gifts of the Spirit being in operation in the church (1 Corinthians 12)
• I believe that every believer is given power to live a victorious, overcoming life.(I John 5:4-5)
• I believe that divine healing through the redemptive work of Christ is available for every believer.(James 5:14, I Peter 2:24)
• I believe in the table of the Lord commonly called communion or the Lord’s Supper, for believers.(I Corinthians 11:24-28)
• I believe in having a daily time of bible reading and prayer (Psalm 63)
• I believe that the responsibility of the church is to equip the community of believers to share the gospel of Jesus' salvation and deliverance to a lost and dying world. (Mark 16:15-18)
• I believe in living a holy and modest life: (1 Cor 6:19-20 1 Tim 2:8-10 1 Peter 3:3-4 Proverbs 31 Deut 22:5 1 Peter 3:1-4 1 John 2:16 Matthew 5)
• I believe in the Historicist method of prophetic interpretation. Jesus is coming back for us, there will be a resurrection of the just (1 Cor 15) followed by a millennial age, then the resurrection of the unjust (Acts 24:15), the white throne judgment, and a new Jerusalem. (Rev 20-22)
• I believe Parents have a mandate from God for providing a Christian education (Deut 6:6-7) via home schooling or church school.