Faith Statement

FAITH STATEMENT

Thursday, April 28, 2011

  WE believe in the following articles of religion:

1. Faith in the Holy Trinity
   • The Father
     • This article emphasizes that God relates to humanity as a father, not a mother
     • This article also asserts that humans are created in the image of God
   • The Son of God
     This article indicates the following beliefs
     • Jesus Christ is the Son of God
     • Conceived by the Holy Spirit
     • born of the Virgin Mary
     • Truly God and truly man
     • He died on the cross and was buried
       Note the assertion of Jesus' physical death prior to burial
       • As a sacrifice both for original sin and all human transgression
       • and to reconcile us to God
     • He rose bodily from the dead
     • He ascended into heaven
     • He intercedes at the Father's right hand
     • Until he returns
     • to judge all humanity
   • The Holy Spirit
     This article asserts the Holy Spirit's role as paraclete
2. The sufficiency and full authority of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation
   This article asserts the following beliefs
   • Sola scriptura
     • Biblical infallibility
     • Biblical inerrancy, including sufficiency in all things necessary for salvation
     • Biblical authority
   • The Bible has been transmitted to the present without corruption of any essential doctrine
   • Christ is the sole mediator between God and humanity
     This directly negates Marian devotions, Intercession of saints, and Worship of angels
     This also directly negates teaching of any other path to God through other religions
   • This article explicitly lists the 66 books accepted as biblical canon OF GOSPEL MESSENGER CHURCH
     This is the same list traditionally accepted by the majority of Protestant denominations, and excludes deuterocanonical and apocryphal texts
3. God's Purpose for Humanity
   This article asserts that everyone should order their entire lives around what Jesus identified as the two greatest commandments (Matt. 22: 36 - 40):
   • Love the Lord your God with all your heart (Deut. 6:5)
   • Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18)
4. Marriage and the Family
   • Reasserts that man is made in the image of God
   • Asserts marriage as designed by God as a metaphor for God's relationship with His covenant people
   • Asserts chastity before marriage, fidelity within marriage
   • Asserts marriages only between one man and one woman
   • Asserts marriage as the intended structure for birthing and raising children
5. Personal Choice
   • Asserts individual choice in making moral decisions
     Thus asserts the Arminian belief in free will and
     Opposes the Calvinist belief in predestination
   • Asserts that free will also implies moral responsibility for the choices we make
   • Asserts that after the fall, humans cannot choose right on their own
     This view of total depravity is common to Arminian tradition
   • Asserts that every person receives prevenient grace, allowing each to choose salvation
     This Arminian doctrine that the individual chooses salvation is opposed to the Calvinist doctrine of irresistible grace
6. The Atonement
   • Asserts the Arminian view that Christ's crucifixion allows redemption for the whole world
     This doctrine negates the Calvinist doctrine of limited atonement
   • Asserts the Protestant belief in solus Christus, that salvation is only found in Christ's death and resurrection
   • Asserts that the atonement covers those who mentally cannot choose salvation
   • Individuals who are mentally accountable must accept the gift of salvation of their own free will
7. Repentance and faith
   • Affirms that salvation is by grace alone
     but must be accepted by the believer
     Denies the Calvinist view of unconditional election
   • Affirms that repentance precedes saving faith
   • Affirms that faith is the only condition for salvation
     Directly negates any need for good works to attain salvation
     Does not negate good works as evidence of salvation
   • Affirms that saving faith publicly acknowledges Christ as Lord
   • Affirms that the saved will identify with the church
8. Justification, regeneration and adoption
9. Good Works
   • Reaffirms that salvation is by faith alone
   • Affirms that good works are evidence of salvation
10. Sin After regeneration
11. Sanctification
    • Initial
    • Progressive
    • Entire
12. The gifts of the Spirit
13. The church
14. The sacraments
    • Baptism
    • The Lord's Supper
15. The Second Coming of Christ
    • Asserts that Christ will return, fulfilling numerous Biblical prophecies
    • Asserts that this certain event should inspire proper living, and evangelization
16. The resurrection of the dead
    • Asserts that all will be raised from dead at Christ's return
    • Asserts damnation for the lost, and life for the saved
    • Asserts that the resurrection body will be a spiritual body, but still personally recognizable
17. The judgment of all persons
    • Asserts a final judgment for all humans before God, regardless of the individual's beliefs
    • Asserts God's omniscience and eternal justice
18. Destiny