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(Please note, this confession was written by Tim Yates. It is not the confession of CRTS. CRTS holds to the Westminster Standards and the Heidelburg Catechism.)
A confession of faithA Statement of Faith as a Model for Bible Application Written by Rev. Dr. Tim Yates, D.Min., Dean of the M.A. in Biblical Counseling at China Reformed Theological Seminary in Taipei Italicized words with an asterisk* indicate that this word is defined in the glossary at the end of the document.
1. We believe that the Bible (the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments) is the only trustworthy authority for what we believe and do because God spoke through his servants in the every word of the Bible, and kept the Bible substantially free from any copying errors since it was first written in order to reflect his faithfulness to his covenant * promises. By the Spirit working through the Word, God reveals enough to trust, know, love and hope in him, to be held accountable to judgment, and to repent of our sins so even little children can understand and believe. 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:3-4, 20-1; Isa 40:8; 55:11; Psalm 12:6; 19:7; Matt 5:19; Heb 6:17-8; 2:1-3; John 12:47-50; 1 Cor 1:18-25; Acts 20:32; Rom 10:17; 2:4; 15:4; Mark 10:14-5 2. We believe in the Triune God* : God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all sharing the same attributes .* The three persons of the Trinity all work together in everything that God does. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit co-operate to choose a people to bring glory to his own name, to create all things, to save his people from their sins and to completely fulfill all his promises until the world ends. The Triune God does everything to reveal his perfect, infinite attributes. God created us to be in communion with each person of the Trinity *, and imitators of all his perfect, infinite attributes *in derivative * and finite ways. God judges us as sinners if we do not imitate him. While the persons of the Trinity all co-operate in everything, each person of the Trinity fulfills different roles in completing God's will: The Father is the original cause (he ordains), the Son is the creative cause (he accomplishes) and the Holy Spirit is the perfecting cause (he applies) [see IX]. Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 2:18; (for example all persons of the God head share the attribute of goodness --Psalm 118:1-2; Matt 19:17; Gal 5:22-3; 1 Tim 4:4; 6:13, 18; Titus 1:8; Rom 3:12; 2 Tim 3:3); 1 John 1:3; John 17:1, 5; Rom 1:1-4; 8:29; 11:36; 2 Cor 3:18; Eph 1:3-14; 4:13, 24 (for example all persons of the God head share in the work of creation --Gen 1:1-2; Psalm 33:6; 104:30; Heb 1:2-3; 1 Cor 8:6); Rev 1:4-6 3. We believe God is one all-glorious God, from everlasting to everlasting, incomprehensible, unchanging, all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere present, holy, good, righteous, loving, gracious, merciful, patient, just, self-existing in three persons, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God does not need or derive any glory from his works of creation, providence * or redemption * but rather reveals his glory to his creatures (in all his works as explained by his Word & messengers), upon his creatures (by declaring them justified *), in his creatures (by renewing their minds to delight in his glory), and by his creatures (by their declaring & reflecting the image of his glory * within the church and the world), that He as Triune God * might draw his elect saints* into eternal communion ,* even as He does within the relations of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 4. We believe the Triune God wants us, both individually and corporately as a church, to be like Christ. We are to imitate the communion* of Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit (a communion in which we, as believers, glorify, know, love, delight in, honor, testify to, reveal, possess, inhabit (with you), indwell (in you), listen, work together with, praise, and give to all the persons of the Trinity, even as the Triune God communes with us in the same ways, especially seen in John's Gospel). We also must imitate Christ as he relates to the written Word, the Ten Commandments, creation, angels, his own physical body, his enemies and his church. Eph 4:13, 24; Rom 8:29; Col 1:28; 2 Cor 3:18; Gal 4:19; John 17:1-6; 16:8-15; 14:26; 10:15; 14:10, 20; 3:35; 5:20; 6:27; 5:37-8; 8:16, 18, 26; 8:29; 14:16; 5:23; 11:41-2; John 12:47-50; Heb 2:13, 17; 4:14-16; 10:5-10, 38; Matt 4:4-11; 5:19, 43-8; 16:18-28; Mark 3:5; Luke 19:41; Eph 5:22-33; 1 Cor 15:49 5. We believe that the Triune God created the universe out of nothing in six days to reveal his eternal power and divine nature and made living species separately according to their kinds by commanding it to happen. Man was formed from the dust of the ground, and woman from the rib of man. We must imitate Christ as he relates to this created world--as stewards over it, content with what we have, thankfully enjoying its pleasures as a gift from God, seeing aspects of his image (especially his goodness and inseparable love) reflected in every earthly situation to draw us into communion with himself, freely sharing with those in need, but not loving the world, worshiping it, coveting more of its temporary treasures, being enslaved to it, or legalistically regulating the use of it. Heb 11:3; Gen 1-2; Col 1:16; 1 Cor 8:6; Psalm 33:6; 104:30; Exod 20:11; Rom 1:20; Gen 1:26-8; 1 Tim 6:6-10; 1 Tim 4:4-5; Rom 8:28-38; Matt 6:33; Acts 20:33-5; 1 Cor 7:31; 1 John 2:15-17; Rom 1:25; Matt 4:4-10; 5; 1 Cor 6:12; Phil 3:19; Col 2:20-23; Matt 15:10-14 ; 23:23-4 6. We believe that the Triune God sustains the world and all life by his miraculous power each moment to reveal his glory so that people might seek him. We believe God in the past did, and still does many unusual, miraculous things. These unusual miracles are not against "nature," but rather against the effects of sin and God's curse on the sinful world--miracles pointing to promises of both salvation and judgment. These miracles are representative of what the Triune God is doing all the time. God does miraculous things, not to make faith unnecessary because our eyes have just seen, but to require a faith-response in the true God because our eyes have just seen what the Triune God has done in faithfulness to his saving and judging promises. As we observe daily "usual" or "unusual" miracles with faith in the Triune God, we rejoice that the kingdom rule of Christ is extending and defeating the effects of the curse on man and the world. We praise God for the reality of unusual miracles through God's people and through elect angels in the world today, and humbly pray that God would show the power of his glory through even more miracles done in Jesus' name. Since Jesus' perfect obedience to the Father has earned all the promised blessings of the gospel, curse-reversing miracles in a sinful world can only be accomplished in Jesus' name. Yet we do not seek more miracles as a requirement for saving faith or the extension God's kingdom. Ordinarily, God's messengers preaching and teaching about the miracle of Christ's resurrection with the anointing of the Holy Spirit* is sufficient to bring the new life of faith to sinners. Rom 1:20; Acts 17:24-27; 14:17; Col 1:17; John 9:3-5; Psalm 104-106; Heb 1:13; John 17:1; Matt 6:9-10; Acts 3:6, 11-16; Acts 4:30; Matt 16:1-4; Rom 10:9-10, 15-17 7. We believe in the existence of angels and seek to be like Christ in his relation to both elect and evil angels. Elect angels* will strengthen us in trouble, assist us in exalting God, and guard us from God's holy wrath. God reveals his love, grace and mercy to his people through his elect angels. We believe there is a God-limited arch-angel named Satan along with all his evil angel followers whom God uses to reveal his patience, justice, wrath and power, both through them and upon them. We understand that all his attacks are trying to tempt us to imitate himself: his self-seeking, flesh-pleasing, body-afflicting, man-fearing, man-trusting, God-hating, truth-twisting, church-attacking, Christian-persecuting character. Satan has been defeated by Christ, and in Christ, by Christ's intercession for us, we can stand against Satan's trickery and imitate Christ's relationship to the Devil and his angels. We will resist their temptations, reject their lies and accusations, have no fear of their threats, and prepare to judge them. Matt 18:10; Luke 22:43; Heb 1:14; Rev 4-5; Isa 6:2-7; Gen 3:24; Gen 3:1-6; Psalm 2; Isaiah 14; Matt 10:28; 15:22; Psalm 118:6-12; Jer 17:5-6; Luke 4:31-6; 10:18-20; 11:20; 22:1-6, 31-2; John 17:15-7; James 3:13-4:10; 1 John 2:15-23; 4:1-6; Rev 12:10-12, 17-18; 16:13-14; 20:7-10; Matt 4:4-10; 16:23; Job 1-2; Rom 8:31-39; Rev 12:17; Eph 6:12; 1 Cor 6:3 8. Because of his sin in the garden of Eden, we believe that the curse on Adam, as representative head of the human race, means that every one of his descendents is under the curse of sin and they all could justly be punished by God for this original sin* as well as for their own sins. Through the sin of man, God reveals his grace, mercy, love, patience, power, justice and wrath and commands us to be humbled because of our many offenses against God, repent and seek God's grace and mercy. We believe we experience the effects of the curse daily by our own sin, other's sins against us, sickness, sorrow, deprivation, disaster, not knowing the best time to act for successful results, and death. These effects of the curse will never be completely removed until the Second Coming of Christ and often lead us to cry out, "Meaningless!" Until then, the normal result of the curse in the lives of believers is reversed. Formerly, as unbelievers, we experienced of the effects of the curse confirming our separation from God. Now, as believers, the effects of God's curse draw us closer to God and help us imitate Christ during his earthly ministry. Christ our High Priest* ministers grace and mercy to us because of what he already learned through suffering: sending his comforting presence by the Holy Spirit, sending elect angels to help us, giving grace to continue to witness for God in physical weakness, strengthening faith in God's promises as we are tested by persecution and loneliness and deprivation, increasing our desire to glorify and worship God, helping us gladly submit to God's will while suffering, helping us repent and hate sin more than suffering, leading us to diligent use of the means of grace (the Bible, prayer, sacraments, fellowship, fatherly discipline of suffering), reminding us of Christ's own sufferings, delivering us from evil (physical affliction, mental deception and pleasurable temptations), strengthening patience , enabling us to entrust our enemies to God's just judgment and rejoice when they are justly punished, assuring us of God's love and of our pure faith, and fixing our hope on God-centered joy as our inheritance, on our heavenly ministry as kings and priests, and on the complete removal of the curse and its effects. As Christ's sufferings flow over into our lives, so the comfort of the Father of all compassion comforts us. In the process, we are able to comfort others with the comfort we have received from God. Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-19; Hosea 6:7; Rom 3:10-18, 23; 5:12-19; 8:20; 1 Cor 15:56; Heb 9:27; Rom 3:25-6; 5:8; 9:14-23; 1 Tim 1:12-17; Titus 2:11; James 4:6-10; Ecclesiastes; Rom 8:18-39; Heb 4:14-16; 2:17; 5:7-10; John 14:16-18; Heb 1:13; Luke 22:43; 2 Cor 12:7-10; James 1:2-4; 1 Pet 1:3-9; John 16:32; John 17:1-5; Matt 26:42; Heb 12:2-4; 2 Cor 8:9; 2 Tim 4:17-18; Matt 6:13; Rom 5:1-5; 1 Pet 2:23; Rev 18:20; 19:1-3; Rom 8:39; Rev 20:4-6; 2:26; 3:21; 21:3-7; 22:3; Phil 3:10-11; 2 Cor 1:3-11 9. We believe that every person inherits a sin nature* , which cannot love God or the truth as God does, or hate sin and self-righteousness as God does. Every person is unable to repent or see his own evil in God's sight unless the Holy Spirit gives a person new spiritual life and faith through hearing or reading the Bible's message about God's holy character and his salvation. Christ was tempted in every way that we are, and is able to be our merciful and faithful high priest in cleansing us from sin by his own blood. Because Christ had no sin, we do not image him when we repent of sin , though the attitudes of hating sin and loving God and righteousness are like Christ and are necessary to truly repent.After the Holy Spirit gives new life, every person is responsible to repent, fight against this sin nature (unbelief, fear, lust, pride) and seek to kill its power by following the leading of the Holy Spirit [see XXII]. Rom 1:30; Eph 2:1-9; 2 Cor 4:4-6; Titus 3:1-7; Heb 2:17-18; 4:14-16; 2 Thess 2:10; 3:5; 2 Tim 3:1-4; 1 John 1:7-2:2; 2:15-17; 5:1-4; Rom 8:9-13; Gal 5:22-6 10. We believe in the grace of the Triune God in the Gospel: Whatever God commands us to do (summarized in the command to be like Christ in loving God & neighbors), he will accomplish in us. The Triune God plans the way to re-create us in his image by an eternal covenant, fulfills the commands for us by Jesus' obedient incarnate life, absorbs the cost of our sin-debt by Jesus' death on a cross, exalts Christ to the highest place of authority to be our mediator and advocate with power to send the Spirit to accomplish the plan of salvation, sends his servants to proclaim his written record of salvation to us, imparts his life in us and unites us to fellowship in the Trinity by the Spirit through our faith [see IV, XI], pardons our failure to image him by our faith in Christ's death on a cross, credits Jesus' righteous image, roles, names or derivative names to us, does with us (partnership-union in his work--so our Triune God fights sin, obeys and prays in us as we do these things), reveals himself through us, strengthens through the means of grace (the Word, prayer, sacraments* , fellowship, elect angels and the fatherly discipline of suffering), encourages through hope in his promises and character, preserves from the Devil's destruction, and completes us unto perfection when he returns. Our conscious, daily faith in our gracious God fills us with wonder, adoration, worship, thanksgiving, glad submission (in both comfort and affliction) and expectant hope towards God, teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly lusts, and makes us like Christ: gracious, merciful, gentle, meek, patient, self-controlled, hopeful, prayerful, encouraging and generous towards people because we have abundantly received from God all we need. John 15:1-3, 26; Matt 4:19-20; 9:4-7; 38; 10:20; 28:18-20; Rom 3:25; 4:5; 10:14-5; 15:4, 13; 1 Cor 15:10, 24-28; 2 Cor 8:7-9; 12:9-10; 13:4, 14; Gal 1:3-4; 2:20; 3:10-13; 5:5-6; Eph 1:3-23; 2:4-10; 4:8-16, 20-24; Phil 1:3-11; 2:9-11, 12-13; 1 Tim 1:14, 17; 2:5; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Titus 2:11-13; Heb 2:13-18; 4:14-16; 6:13-20; 7:25-28; 8:12; 10:17-18; 12:4-14; 13:21; 1 Peter 1:1-9; 2 Peter 1:1-11; 1 John 2:1; 3:1-3; Jude 1:3; Rev 5:9-14 (Note: an example of "derivative names" means Jesus is called "the Vine," we are called "branches," John 15:5) 11. We believe it is our privilege and joy to grow in the knowledge of God and his work that our faith might be strengthened, our love for him increased and our hope secured. We believe people can only be saved by faith in our Triune God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, who is revealed in the Old and New Testaments. We are saved by faith in each person AND the particular work that each person of the Trinity does for our salvation. Faith in the Father means believing that he is the origin of the plan of our salvation. He appointed Christ as High Priest and Savior. He sent Christ to become incarnate, to live a life of perfect righteousness and to die on a cross. We believe that the Father raised Christ from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father gives a people to Christ by his sovereign choice* and raises them from the dead. Faith in Jesus the Son means believing Jesus is fully God because he was pre-existent with the Father in an affectionate relationship as eternal, divine Son before his incarnation, the "I am!" Jesus came to this world, born from the virgin Mary* by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is fully man, the second Adam. He is the perfect revealer of the Father's glory by creation, providence, Scripture, Old Testament appearances, incarnate life, and as exalted Son, sending the Spirit on his elect and interceding for them. Jesus is our perfect representative head. Through faith in the work of Jesus--died on a cursed cross, raised himself from death and intercedes as our heavenly High Priest--the Father forgives sinners and declares them righteous in his sight, which is called our justification. By virtue of his exaltation to the Father's right hand, Jesus has authority to send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers. He will come again and raise our bodies on the Last Day. Faith in the Holy Spirit , means believing in him as the third person of the Trinity, receiving him as the Comforter and Counselor, and believing his Word spoken through Scripture. We believe that the Spirit raised Christ from the dead. He applies all the righteousness of Christ to us, regenerates us to new life and faith, testifies with us that we are God's children, preserves us from Satan's destruction, leads us in worship and completes unto perfection at the return of Christ. It also means we follow his leading, commune with him, and do not grieve, quench or blaspheme him. 2 Pet 3:18; Matt 28:18-20; John 17:3; 16:8-16; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 2:18; 4:1-3; 1 John 1:3; Faith in the Father : Eph 1:3-14; John 5:21, 24; 6:44; 10:29; 12:44-45; 13:20; 14:1; 17:3; Acts 2:36; 13:48; Rom 8:29-30; 10:9-10; 1:4; Phil 2:9-11; Psalm 2, 110; Heb 7:28; 1 Thess 4:14; Faith in the Son: John 1:1-2, 12, 14; 8:24, 28, 58; 18:6; 6:54; 3:16; Isaiah 43:10-13; Gal 4:4; Heb 1:8-9; Luke 1:34-35; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 21-22, 45; Rom 5:15-19; Col 1:16; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 1:11; Luke 10:21-24; Heb 2:14-17; Phil 3:20-21; Eph 1:13; 2:8-9; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 9:24-26; 12:2, 24; 1 Thess 4:16; John 2:19; Gal 2:16; 3:2, 5, 11-14, 22, 26; 5:5-6; Matt 28:19; Acts 2:33 Faith in the Holy Spirit: John 14:16-18; 16:8-15, 33; Heb 3:7-19; 1 Tim 3:16; Rom 1:4; 8:14-16; 15:16; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 4:24; John 6:63-65, 44; 3:6-8; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Cor 12:3, 9; Luke 22:31-32; Phil 3:3; John 4:24; Rom 14:17; Phil 1:6; Gal 5:16, 18, 24; 6:8; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 4:30; 1 Thess 5:19; Matt 12:32 12. We believe in the fellowship of believers in unified communion with the Triune God. In this fellowship we will establish the unity of the Spirit in this particular congregation through our individual and public profession of faith in the Triune God, joining the church as members by our promise to submit to what the Scriptures teach. In order to keep the unity of the Spirit , we will regularly join this congregation in the public worship of God, submit to fellow members, the elders, the church constitution and statement of faith as they faithfully represent God and his will revealed in Scripture, confess our sins to each other, encourage each other to repent of all sins, define each other as new creatures in Christ (rather than define according to the old sin nature), be humbly thankful for each other because we all need God's grace equally, reflect Christ's likeness to each other in speech and actions and enhance Christ's likeness in each other through the use of our spiritual gifts, accept those with weaker consciences on disputable matters, give honor and sympathy to all parts of the body as needed, rejoice when one member is honored, and be prayerfully hopeful that God will complete the work He has begun in each of us. 1 John 1:3-9; Heb 12:22-24; 10:23-5; 3:12-14; Rom 15:4-13; 1 Cor 5:4-5; 12:1-31; James 5:16; 2 Cor 2:5-11, 14-15; 5:16-17; Eph 4:1-3, 11-16; 22-32; 5:1-6:20; Col 3:1-4:6; 1 Thess 1-5; Philemon 1:20; 1 Peter 4:10-11; John 14:27; Rom 14:1; 1 Cor 12:7, 14-26; Phil 1:3-11 13. We believe that there is an unchanging authority/submission pattern modeled for us in the Trinity (the slash /means "has authority over" ) (Father/Christ the Son & Holy Spirit, Christ/Holy Spirit) and by Christ and creation (Christ/church, Christ/creation, Christ/angels, Christ/enemies, Christ/effects of sin & curse) which we are called to image in various human relationships: government/citizens, boss/employees, church elders/church members, husband/wife, parents/children, believers/unbelievers, man/creation. 1 Cor 11:3; 15:24-28; John 14:31, 26; 15:10, 26; Luke 11:13; Phil 2:9-11; Col 1:15-20; Matt 28:18; Eph 5:21-6:9; Titus 1:6; 2:1-3:2; 1 Peter 5:1-5; Heb 13:17; 1 Tim 3:2, 15; Rom 13:1-7; 1 Cor 6:2-3; Gen 1:28 14. We believe in the liberty of our Christian consciences. As we image Jesus in relation to the ten commandments, religious traditions and the world, each person's conscience should be free from the commands of men, tradition or legalistic forms of outward righteousness as a standard for joining the church or remaining in full communing status as a member. We believe that the Triune God curses any legalism that tries to present something or someone other than Christ as the basis of our peace with God and our righteousness. We believe the standards for church membership are found in imaging Christ by receiving and demonstrating the central kingdom principles of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit . Righteousness means a 'righteousness revealed in the gospel' (proving biblical authority), Christ's righteousness as the revelation of the righteousness of God the Father, Christ's righteousness credited to us through faith in his resurrection, repentance from idolatry and false righteousness, and yielding ourselves as instruments of righteousness by the Holy Spirit. Peace means peace with God and peace with man in fellowship with other believers who are in submission to leaders who faithfully represent Scripture. Joy in the Holy Spirit means a joy that is centered on what God is doing to reveal himself and glorify his own name though the unshakable promises fulfilled in our salvation and in the judgment of his enemies--a joy overflowing in all circumstances based on knowing and loving the Triune God, believing the covenant promises, receiving salvation through the work He has accomplished, and hoping for the pleasures of seeing God perfectly glorified in heaven. In other words, church membership standards include submission to biblical authority, professed faith, repentance, unified participation in church fellowship, glad submission to the biblical leadership, teaching, counsel and discipline of the elder(s) and pastor(s) and evidence of preparedness for the return of Christ. Mark 2:23-3:6; Matt 15:1-20; 22:37-40; 23:1-38; Col 2:6-23; Gal 1:6-9; Acts 15:1, 5-11; Rom 14:1-15:3; [Rom 14:17; righteousness Rom 3:22; 4:24; 10:3-5; 5:18; 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 6:13; peace Rom 5:1; 12:18; joy in the Holy Spirit Rom 15:9-13; 9:22-23; Acts 13:52; John 15:11; 1 John 4:13; 1 Thess 1:6; Luke 10:17-21; 1 Pet 1:3-8; Phil 4:4-13; Rev 18:20] Gal 5:1-4; 1 Cor 6:12; 7:31 15. We believe we are commanded not to murder, and therefore we should respect, protect and defend the lives of all unborn children (regardless of real or imagined physical or mental disabilities from amniocentesis* or ultrasound* ) at any age in the womb, and by all legal, medical, diaconal* and pastoral means try to persuade and educate women and their relatives/boyfriends/husbands not to have abortions, unless the life of the mother is in danger. Exod 20:13; 21:22-24; Leviticus 18:21; Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 31:8-9; Jer 32:35; Luke 1:41; James 1:27; Rom 12:8-20; Eph 5:8-16; Matt 6:19-34; John 9:1-5; 1 Thess 5:14 16. We believe we can pray to all the persons of the Trinity, though we recognize that because Christ and the Spirit submit to the Father, we usually pray to the Father in Jesus name (because of his merits) for the quickening, reviving, and renewing work of the Holy Spirit. As we pray, the Spirit creates and builds us up in faith, love and hope--all aspects of our likeness to Christ. By the work of the Spirit teaching us to pray, we also praise and worship God, pray for the hallowing of God's name by ourselves, his church and by kings and nations of the earth, his kingdom's establishment on earth through his holy visible church and a tolerant civil government, our daily bread (and other physical needs), forgiveness of sins, his help to forgive others, and deliverance from temptation and evil. Matt 6:9; Luke 11:13; John 14:26; 15:26; Eph 1:17-21; 3:14-17; Col 1:9-14; Heb 13:15; 1 Thess 1:3-5 [see XI]; Rom 8:26-7; 1 Tim 2:2; Matt 6:9-11; Heb 4:14-16; 10:19-22 17. We believe Christ gave the church, as his covenant community, two sacraments to conform us to Christ, teach us about his unchanging promises and help us to hate sin and love him more: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Matt 28:18-20; Acts 2:38-39; Luke 24:46-49; Rom 6:1-4; Col 2:11-12; Matt 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-20; 1 Cor 11:23-25 18. We believe that Christ calls us to declare his glory among the nations and make disciples of all nations. We believe we should co-operate with other evangelical church groups, parachurch ministries* and seminaries in fulfilling this mission to Taiwan, China and the world, but only if we are free to graciously speak our understanding of the Bible without doctrinal restrictions* . Psalm 96; Matt 28:18-20; John 17:20-23; Eph 4:1-3, 11-16; 1 John 4:1-6; 2 John 1:10-11; Matt 15:15; 13:24-30; Acts 20:26-27; Ezekiel 2:1-3:11; 2 Tim 2:1-4; 4:1-5; James 3:1 19. We believe that Christ is supreme over every area of life and society. All subjects of academic study are governed by general principles of Scripture and reflect images of God's eternal power and divine nature. Whatever we do, we must do it for the glory of God, with faith -filled eyes to see God's divine nature imaged in all of life, with love -filled minds to turn all experiences into opportunities for worshiping God and serving people, with hope in God for grace to honor him and his commands in our public and private witness, without fear of what people can do to us for obeying God, returning blessing and good for evil, prepared for the return of Christ as diligent servants. 2 Cor 10:4-5; Col 1:18; Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 10:31; Rom 1:20; 8:28-38; 11:36; 12:1-2; 14:23; 15:3-13; Col 2:6-8, 19; 1 Cor 13:13; 15:10; 1 Thess 1:3-5; 2 Tim 4:6-8; Heb 13:5-16; Titus 2:11-13; Dan 1, 3, 6; 1 Peter 3:8-18; 4:1-19; Matt 5:16 20. We believe that assurance of salvation is possible and desirable, and that every believer should seek for full assurance based on his/her continuous, balanced expression of the full range of Scriptural evidences of faith, hope and love. In other words, we believe personal assurance is based on continuous, balanced evidence of being like Christ. This is how the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are his children. 1 John 1-5; 2 Peter 1:3-11; Rom 8:1-16; Gal 5:5-6,16-26 21. We believe in the holy institution of marriage between one man and one woman as God's only legitimate means of expressing one's human sexuality and as a way to image Christ as he relates to the church. A Christian may only marry another Christian. Matt 19:1-12; Eph 5:22-32; 1 Cor 6:9-11; 7:39; 1 Thess 4:3-8 22. We believe God holds our future in his sovereign plan so that we need not worry or fear, but instead we should be filled with hope. We believe that at death, the Christian's soul passes immediately into the presence of God, while the unbeliever's soul is eternally separated from God until final condemnation. Jesus Christ will return to earth, visibly and bodily, at a time when He is not expected, to complete the eternal plan of God. All people will be raised for final judgment. The wicked will be separated eternally from God in the torments of hell while the righteous are justified, given a glorified body and soul like Jesus and united with the Triune God eternally in heaven. The Father will reveal himself to us in the face of the Son and the Son will reveal the face of Father to us by enabling us to know the Father and also see the Father's face in some significant way as Jesus sees his Father's face. The Spirit will reveal the face of the Son and Father to us, even as the Father and Son reveal the Spirit to us. Rom 15:13; Phil 1:23; 3:21; Heb 12:23; Luke 23:43; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 2 Thess 1:1-12; 1 Cor 15:49-56; 1 John 3:2-3; 2 Peter 3:10-18; Rev 22:4; Matt 16:18; Luke 10:22; 2 Cor 4:6; John 17:3; 14:6; Gen 1:2; John 16:14-15, 8; 15:26 23. We believe that we should be prepared for Christ's coming by seeking to be more like Christ each day. We become more like Christ by faith, hope and love being strengthened in us. God strengthens our faith, hope and love by speaking his truth to us in the following ways: teaching us to pray for what God desires, giving us expository Bible teaching and revealing himself as we read the Bible, confirming his promises in the sacraments, ministering his presence, promises, encouragements, warnings and commands through fellowship with other believers, and disciplining us as we share in the sufferings of Christ. 1 John 3:2-3; 2 Peter 3:10-18; 1 Peter 1:1-2:3; 1 Thess 1:3-5; 5:8; Phil 1:9-11; Eph 1:17-21; 3:14-21; Heb 12:1-14; Phil 3:10-11
Glossary of Terms in the Confession of Faith Amniocentesis: medical procedure used on pregnant women to draw some fluid from the watery sac that protects a baby in the womb in order to test for birth defects. Tests are not necessarily accurate. Anointing of the Holy Spirit: a temporary or lifelong gifting by God's Spirit to testify boldly for God and do ministry that God specially blesses. Attributes: words describing the character of God, who he is and what he is like. Communion: (with God or among the persons of the Trinity) the fellowship-relationship that exists between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit or our relationship to the Triune God. Covenant: God's decision to save man and God's promises given to his chosen people to do gracious things for them that they do not deserve and often do not appreciate. It means a one-way promise to act made by God usually in spite of man's rebellion. It is not like a contract when two people agree on the terms and if either one fails then the contract is broken. God promises what he will do. His promises never fail to be fulfilled. Derivative attributes: A way in which we are like Jesus but only partially, rather than completely the same as Jesus. If we exactly became like Jesus we would become gods. Derivative attributes is meant to show that we lack the total perfections and infinite self-sufficiency of Christ's character. For example, God's perfect, infinite attribute of omnipresence is derivatively and finitely imaged by man in Christ through existence in time and space, and through spiritual presence with God in heaven and others through prayer Acts 17:28; Eph 2:6; Heb 12:22-24; 2 Cor 12:1-3; 1 Cor 5:3 OR God is from everlasting to everlasting, and man has a created beginning but eternal life or eternal death. Diaconal: help given by the elected deacons of the church related to the physical needs of the individual. Doctrinal restrictions: in order to cooperate with other churches or Christian groups, certain denomination-specific Bible teachings are suppressed to try to keep the appearance of unity. Elect angels: angels chosen by God who always do what God commands them to do. The have never rebelled against God. They are perfectly holy. Elect saints: the Christians who were chosen by God before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in God's sight. Eternal communion: our relationship to God from now until eternity. High Priest: a specially appointed role to pray for the people of God and offer both regular sacrifices and especially to offer the annual sacrifice that removed guilt and satisfied God's wrath on behalf of the people. Jesus fulfilled this role through his own death on a cross and now prays for us in heaven. Image or image Christ: to be like Christ in some way, imitating him Infinite attributes: The perfections of God existed from all eternity past and they never end. God has an ultimate completeness that we can never completely share or we would become God ourselves. Justified: Because we believe that the Father raised Christ from death by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' sinless life is credited to us in the legal judgment decision of God the Father. Original sin: the guiltiness and punishment due for the first sin committed by Adam, the representative of the human race, is passed on to all the human race. Thus all humans are guilty as if they had committed Adam's sin themselves. Parachurch ministries: groups of Christians who have started specific ministries, generally operating on donations from other Christians, but are not usually in direct accountability to the local church. Providence: God's power shown in holding the world together and providing for all his creatures according to his sovereign purposes. Redemption: The things God has done, is doing and will do to save sinners and bring them to heavenly glory. Reflecting the image of his glory: we first define the glory of Christ, then we live in a way that shows those same character traits or ways of relating to God and to the people in our lives. Sacraments: Visible ways that God shows his covenant promises to his people and reminds them of his sovereign grace. The evangelical Protestant churches only recognize baptism and the Lord's Supper (or communion) as sacraments. Sin nature: the natural desire in all humans to seek selfish desires and evil pleasures, boast about their accomplishments, protect themselves by any possible means and reject the truth of the Bible. Sovereign choice: God's almighty power to decide what people he will save in order to best display his glory in the world and receive glory for his wonderful wisdom and power. Trinity: a common designation that one God exist in three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. "Tri" means three and "unity" means one. Triune God: a designation that one God exist in three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. "Tri" means three and "une" means one. Ultrasound: A real time movement-capturing image of a baby inside the mothers' womb created by sound waves. Virgin Mary: an unmarried Jewish woman who never had sexual relations with a man whom God chose to carry the Holy Spirit conceived and miraculously implanted God-man Jesus Christ in her womb and 9 months later to give birth to Jesus. Books for Further Study For further reading reference on this statement of faith, for training of new members or elders see 1. Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards, edited and abridged by James Houston (Bethany House 1996)* 2. The Glory of Christ by John Owen (Banner of Truth Puritan Paperback, or vol 1 of The Works of John Owen ) 3. Communion with God by John Owen (Banner of Truth Puritan Paperback, or vol 2 of The Works of John Owen ) 4. Like Christ by Andrew Murray (Whitaker House)* 5. Humility by Andrew Murray (Whitaker House)* 6. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem (parts 2-5, pp. 141-850) 7. Heaven on Earth by Thomas Brooks (Banner of Truth Puritan Paperback) 8. Concise Theology by J. I. Packer (Tyndale House 1993)* 9. Growing in Christ by J. I. Packer (Crossway)* 10. Hot Tub Religion by J. I. Packer (Living Books 1993)* 11. Knowing God by J. I. Packer (IVP)* 12. Pray with Your Eyes Open by Richard Pratt (Presbyterian & Reformed, 1987) 13. Shared Life: The Trinity and the Fellowship of God's People by Donald Macleod (Christian Focus Publications, 1994) 14. God's Passion for His Own Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards by John Piper (Multnomah, 1998) 15. The Pleasures of God by John Piper (Multnomah 1991) 16. A Godward Life by John Piper (daily devotional books 1 & 2) (Multnomah 1996, 1998) 17. Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (Multnomah 2001) 18. Alive in Christ by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (devotional book 1998) 19. The Cross by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Crossway Books)* 20. The Assurance of Salvation: Studies in John 17 by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Crossway 2000)* 21. What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey (Zondervan 1997)* 22. A Body of Divinity by Thomas Watson (Banner of Truth 1986)* * also translated into Chinese
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