What We Believe










HISTORICALLY CHRISTIAN

Three creeds adopted by the worldwide church centuries ago summarize the most important tenets of our faith.

  • This creed is called the Apostles' Creed not because it was produced by the apostles themselves but because it contains a brief summary of their teachings. A summary of foundational Christian beliefs. It has been used both as a statement of faith and in worship by many denominations. 


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


    We 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.


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



    *that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places

  • Apart from the opening and closing sentences, this creed consists of two parts, the first setting forth the orthodox doctrine of the trinity, and the second dealing chiefly with the incarnation and the two-natures doctrine. 


    Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to the catholic* faith.

    Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will doubtless perish eternally.


    Now this is the catholic* faith:

        

    That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,

    neither blending their persons
    nor dividing their essence.
            For the person of the Father is a distinct person,
            the person of the Son is another,
            and that of the Holy Spirit still another.
            But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one,
            their glory equal, their majesty coeternal.

        

    What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has.
            The Father is uncreated,
            the Son is uncreated,
            the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

            

            The Father is immeasurable,
            the Son is immeasurable,
            the Holy Spirit is immeasurable.

            

            The Father is eternal,
            the Son is eternal,
            the Holy Spirit is eternal.

                

                And yet there are not three eternal beings;
                there is but one eternal being.
                So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings;
                there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.

        

            Similarly, the Father is almighty,
            the Son is almighty,
            the Holy Spirit is almighty.
                

                Yet there are not three almighty beings;
                there is but one almighty being.

            

           Thus the Father is God,
            the Son is God,
            the Holy Spirit is God.
                

                Yet there are not three gods;
                there is but one God.

            

            Thus the Father is Lord,
            the Son is Lord,
            the Holy Spirit is Lord.
                

                Yet there are not three lords;
                there is but one Lord.

        

        Just as Christian truth compels us
        to confess each person individually
        as both God and Lord,
        so catholic religion forbids us
        to say that there are three gods or lords.

        

        The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten from anyone.
        The Son was neither made nor created;
        he was begotten from the Father alone.
        The Holy Spirit was neither made nor created nor begotten;
        he proceeds from the Father and the Son.

        

        Accordingly there is one Father, not three fathers;
        there is one Son, not three sons;
        there is one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.

        

        Nothing in this trinity is before or after,
        nothing is greater or smaller;
        in their entirety the three persons
        are coeternal and coequal with each other.

        

        So in everything, as was said earlier,
        we must worship their trinity in their unity
        and their unity in their trinity.


    Anyone then who desires to be saved
    should think thus about the trinity.


    But it is necessary for eternal salvation
    that one also believe in the incarnation
    of our Lord Jesus Christ faithfully.


    Now this is the true faith:

        

        That we believe and confess
        that our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son,
        is both God and human, equally.

         

        He is God from the essence of the Father,
        begotten before time;
        and he is human from the essence of his mother,
        born in time;
        completely God, completely human,
        with a rational soul and human flesh;
        equal to the Father as regards divinity,
        less than the Father as regards humanity.

        

        Although he is God and human,
        yet Christ is not two, but one.
        He is one, however,
        not by his divinity being turned into flesh,
        but by God's taking humanity to himself.
        He is one,
        certainly not by the blending of his essence,
        but by the unity of his person.
        For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh,
        so too the one Christ is both God and human.

        

        He suffered for our salvation;
        he descended to hell;
        he arose from the dead;
        he ascended to heaven;
        he is seated at the Father's right hand;
        from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
        At his coming all people will arise bodily

        and give an accounting of their own deeds.
        Those who have done good will enter eternal life,
        and those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.


    This is the catholic* faith:
    one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.


    *that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places

  • The Nicene Creed is a statement of the orthodox faith of the early Christian church in opposition to certain heresies, especially Arianism. These heresies, which disturbed the church during the fourth century, concerned the doctrine of the trinity and of the person of Christ.


    We believe in one God,
          the Father almighty,
          maker of heaven and earth,
          of all things visible and invisible.

    And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
          the only Son of God,
          begotten from the Father before all ages,
               God from God,
               Light from Light,
               true God from true God,
          begotten, not made;
          of the same essence as the Father.
          Through him all things were made.
          For us and for our salvation
               he came down from heaven;
               he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
               and was made human.
               He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
               he suffered and was buried.
               The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
               He ascended to heaven
               and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
               He will come again with glory
               to judge the living and the dead.
               His kingdom will never end.

    And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
          the Lord, the giver of life.
          He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
          and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
          He spoke through the prophets.
          We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic church.
          We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
          We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
          and to life in the world to come. Amen.


    *that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places

Convictionally Protestant

Christians are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone. This is a fivefold summary of the foundational theology to come out of the Protestant Reformation. They guard and clarify the Gospel. The word alone is important in the solas. Alone secures the God-centered character of the Gospel and of the Christian life. The five solas do not say all that needs to be said about true theology, faith, and life, but they are a good start and a clear guide to keep us on the right track. 


THE FIVE SOLAS

  • Emphasizes the Bible alone as the source of authority for Christians. By saying, “Scripture alone,” the Reformers rejected both the divine authority of the Roman Catholic Pope and confidence in sacred tradition. Only the Bible was “inspired by God” (2 Peter 1:20-21) and “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Anything taught by the Pope or in tradition that contradicted the Bible was to be rejected. Sola scriptura also fueled the translation of the Bible into German, French, English, and other languages, and prompted Bible teaching in the common languages of the day, rather than in Latin. 

  • Emphasizes grace as the reason for our salvation. In other words, salvation comes from what God has done rather than what we do. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  

  • Emphasizes salvation as a free gift. The Roman Catholic Church of the time emphasized the use of indulgences (donating money) to buy status with God. Good works, including baptism, were seen as required for salvation. Sola fide stated that salvation is a free gift to all who receive it by faith (John 3:16). Salvation is not based on human effort or good deeds (Ephesians 2:9).

  • Emphasizes the role of Jesus in salvation. The Roman Catholic tradition had placed church leaders such as priests in the role of intercessor between the laity and God. Reformers emphasized Jesus’ role as our “high priest” who intercedes on our behalf before the Father. Hebrews 4:15 teaches, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus is the One who offers access to God, not a human spiritual leader.  

  • Emphasizes the glory of God as the goal of life. Rather than striving to please church leaders, keep a list of rules, or guard our own interests, our goal is to glorify the Lord. The idea of soli Deo gloria is found in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 

Great Commission Baptists

Baptist churches have adopted confessions of faith as a witness to the world, and as instruments of doctrinal accountability. We are not embarrassed to state before the world that these are doctrines we hold precious and as essential to the Baptist tradition of faith and practice.We joyfully affirm and teach the truths summarized in the Baptist Faith and Message.


BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE 2000