What do you believe?

Since I started working for the Lord about twenty years ago I have seen many Christians and even many ministers struggle to define what Christianity is and what they believe.

It wasn’t until a few years ago, getting involved wth more charismatic structures that often lacked the definition and clarity of their more reformed counter parts and the more established denominations I grew up in, that I felt the need to put my own faith down on paper.

I believe that it is necessary for every Christian to develop a healthy and well defined theology – a balanced, well-reasoned and clear understanding of God and His Word.

This is, of course, an ever ongoing process just as our theology is every evolving and our faith is ever growing as we strive towards maturity in the imitation of Christ.

Below I will share mine with you. Feel free to use this however and wherever you see fit.

 

Also on this page you will find The Apostles Creed, which I feel is the foundation of a good and healthy theology. Along with the Word of God, it serves as a yardstick against which I measure my own beliefs.

Statement of Faith

 

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the inspired and living Word of God. It has been God-breathed and is a revelation to mankind. It is authoritative and applicable to everyday life. The Bible is the infallible rule of faith – superior to reason and conscience, but not contrary to it. It is the our main point of conscious contact with God and an absolute necessity for Spiritual Growth and Maturity. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

We believe in the innerancy of Scripture, that  all Scripture is inspired, and that the Word is living and active – that ALL Scripture is therefore useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16, Heb 4:12). We therefore also strive to make sure that it is always brought in context and with wisdom. His Word is a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105) and should not be obscured by the reasoning and opinions of man. Through His Word we grow in Christ-likeness and maturity.

God the Father

We believe that God is the Creator and Father of all things – omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent – and revealing Himself as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1; Leviticus 19:2; Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Isaiah 5:16; 6:1–7; 40:18–31; Matthew 3:16–17; 28:19–20; John 14:6–27; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:4–6; Ephesians 2:13–18; 1 John 1:5; 4:8).

God the Son

We believe that Jesus was fully man and fully God – that the fullness of the Godhead was in Him, revealed in the flesh. (Colossians 2:9) He is the LOGOS – the purpose, the plan and living Word of God made flesh – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. In Him and through Him all things were created. All things were created through and for Him and continue to exist in Him. He became flesh. God Himself took on the form of the Spotless Lamb to reconcile us to Himself. (Colossians 1:15-20)

God the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Revelation of God in and through us. The Holy Spirit is not a person or entity separate from God the Father – but the person (attribute) through which God expresses Himself in us and through us. The Holy Spirit is also fully God.

The Holy Spirit is the comforter and advocate. The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit, manifesting externally as a life of righteousness and true holiness – not holiness through works – but through faith in the goodness of the grace of God.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire is a gift from God to all believers as promised by Jesus in John 13. This is distinct from the New Birth or being Born Again. The Baptism of the Spirit is to empower the believer to be an effective witness for Christ. (Acts 2) and to live a holy life.

Original Sin and Actual Sin

We believe that sin came into the world through the disobedience of our first parents, and death by sin. We believe that sin is of two kinds: original sin or depravity, and actual or personal sin.

We believe that original sin, or depravity, is that corruption of the nature of all the offspring of Adam by reason of which everyone is very far gone from original righteousness or the pure state of our first parents at the time of their creation, is averse to God, is without spiritual life, and inclined to evil, and that continually. We further believe that original sin continues to exist with the new life of the regenerate, until the heart is fully cleansed by the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

This Original Sin differs from actual sin in that it constitutes the inherited propensity to actual sin for which no-one is accountable until its divinely provided remedy (Salvation through Jesus and the infilling of the Holy Spirit) is either neglected or completely rejected.

Actual or personal sin is a voluntary violation of a known law of God by a morally responsible person. It is therefore not to be confused with involuntary and inescapable shortcomings, infirmities, faults, mistakes, failures, or other deviations from a standard of perfect conduct that are the residual effects of the Fall. However, such innocent effects do not include attitudes or responses contrary to the spirit of Christ, which may properly be called sins of the spirit. We believe that personal sin is primarily and essentially a violation of the law of love; and that in relation to Christ sin may be defined as unbelief.

Sin separated us from God, (Isaiah 59:1-2) but Jesus reconciled us through His death on the cross – taking our judgement upon Him – He died for us that we may live. Through His resurrection from the dead we have been given victory. Man’s only hope for salvation is through the blood shed by Jesus on the cross and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (being born again).

Water Baptism

We believe in the water baptism by full immersion as a public declaration of repentance and acceptance of Christ Jesus as our Saviour. It identifies the believer, with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection.

Miracles Signs and Wonders

We believe that miracles, signs, and wonders are a reality and manifestation of the Spirit of God moving in our midst. We believe that God is still speaking to His bride and empowering her through the Spirit for supernatural ministry in Jesus name. Jesus promised in John 14 that signs would follow believers and that they would do even greater works than He.

The Imitation of and Obedience to Christ

We believe that our identity is in Christ, and that our identity – and therefore – the purpose and meaning of our lives – can only be realized by becoming imitators of Jesus Christ, as small children, doing our best to become less ourselves and more like Him. (Ephesians 5:1)

We believe that it is each believer’s ministry to live the great commission as given by Jesus Christ, to become disciples, grow to maturity through prayer, meditation and study of the Word and striving to live a Spirit-led live – raise up more disciples.

The Apostles Creed

 

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy apostolic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Amen.