We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the infallible Word of God, verbally inspired by God¹, and without error² in the original manuscripts.

We believe that God’s intentions, revealed in the Bible, are the supreme and final authority in testing all claims about what is true and what is right. In matters not addressed by the Bible, what is true and right is assessed by criteria consistent with the teachings of Scripture.

We believe God’s intentions are revealed through the intentions of inspired human authors, even when the authors’ intention was to express divine meaning of which they were not fully aware, as, for example, in the case of some Old Testament prophecies.³ Thus the meaning of Biblical texts is a fixed historical reality, rooted in the historical, unchangeable intentions of its divine and human authors. However, while meaning does not change, the application of that meaning may change in various situations. Nevertheless it is not legitimate to infer a meaning from a Biblical text that is not demonstrably carried by the words which God inspired.⁴

Therefore, the process of discovering the intention of God in the Bible (which is its fullest meaning) is a humble and careful effort to find in the language of Scripture what the human authors intended to communicate. Limited abilities, traditional biases, personal sin, and cultural assumptions often obscure Biblical texts. Therefore the work of the Holy Spirit is essential for right understanding of the Bible⁵, and prayer for His assistance belongs to a proper effort to understand and apply God’s Word⁶.

¹2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Peter 3:16; 1 Corinthians 14:37; 1 Corinthians 2:13
²Proverbs 30:5; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 12:6; Hebrews 6:18; Matthew 24:35; Titus 1:2; John 17:17; Matthew 22:29
³1 Peter 1:10-11; John 11:51
⁴2 Peter 3:16; Matthew 4:6-7
⁵1 Corinthians 2:12-16
⁶Psalm 119:18; Psalm 119:12; Ephesians 1:18

We believe in one¹ living², sovereign³, and all-glorious⁴ God, eternally existing in three⁵ infinitely excellent and admirable Persons: God the Father⁶, fountain of all being⁷; God the Son⁸, eternally begotten⁹, not made, without beginning¹⁰, being of one essence¹¹ with the Father; and God the Holy Spirit, proceeding in the full, divine essence¹², as a Person¹³, eternally from the Father and the Son. Thus each Person in the Godhead is fully and completely God.

We believe that God is supremely joyful¹⁴ in the fellowship of the Trinity, each Person beholding and expressing His eternal and unsurpassed delight in the all-satisfying perfections of the triune God.

¹Deuteronomy 6:4
²Matthew 16:16; see also 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Timothy 4:10; Hebrews 3:12; Revelation 7:2
³Job 42:2; Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:25; Daniel 4:34-35; Ephesians 1:11; Jame 4:15
⁴Psalm 138:5
⁵Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
⁶John 1:18; John 5:18; John 6:46; John 20:17; Acts 2:33; Romans 1:7; Romans 15:6; 1 Peter 1:3 Philemon 1:3
⁷1 Corinthians 8:6
⁸John 20:31; John 1:1-3; John 5:18; John 6:46; Matthew 1:23; Matthew 11:27; John 10:30,38; John 12:45; John 14:7; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3,8; 2 Peter 1:1; Revelation 22:13
⁹Colossians 1:15-16; Hebrews 1:5-6; John 1:14, 18
¹⁰John 1:1
¹¹Colossians 2:9
¹²Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; Romans 8:27
¹³John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:13-14; 1 Corinthians 12:11; Ephesians 4:30
¹⁴1 Timothy 1:11; Matthew 25:23; John 15:11; John 17:26; Matthew 12:18; Proverbs 8:27-30

We believe that God, from all eternity¹, in order to display the full extent of His glory² for the eternal and ever-increasing enjoyment³ of all who love Him⁴, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His will⁵, freely and unchangeably⁶ ordain⁷ and foreknow⁸ whatever comes to pass.

We believe that God upholds and governs all things – from galaxies⁹ to subatomic particles¹⁰, from the forces of nature¹¹ to the movements of nations¹², and from the public plans of politicians¹³ to the secret acts of solitary persons¹⁴ – all in accord with His eternal, all-wise¹⁵ purposes to glorify Himself, yet in such a way that He never sins¹⁶, nor ever condemns a person unjustly¹⁷; but that His ordaining and governing all things is compatible with the moral accountability¹⁸ of all persons created in His image.

We believe that God’s election is an unconditional¹⁹ act of free grace²⁰ which was given through His Son Christ Jesus before the world began²¹. By this act God chose, before the foundation of the world, those who would be delivered from bondage to sin²² and brought to repentance²³ and saving faith²⁴ in His Son Christ Jesus.

¹2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 3:11; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8
²Romans 11:36; see also Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14; Isaiah 60:21; Isaiah 43:7; John 12:27-28; John 17:1; John 17:4; Philippians 2:11
³Psalm 37:4; Philippians 4:4; Matthew 25:23; Revelation 21:4
⁴1 Corinthians 2:9; Romans 8:28
⁵Ephesians 1:11
⁶Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29
⁷Isaiah 46:9-10; Proverbs 16:33; Proverbs 19:21
⁸Isaiah 41:21-23; Isaiah 42:8-9; see also Genesis 15:13, 40:13,19; Exodus 3:19; Deuteronomy 31:16; Psalm 34:20; Isaiah 44:6-8, 44:24-28, 45:11, 45:20-21, 46:8-11, 48:1-6; Zechariah 12:10; John 6:64, 19:36-37
⁹Job 9:7; Isaiah 40:26
¹⁰Matthew 10:29-30; Colossians 1:16-17
¹¹Job 37:6-13; Psalm 147:15-18; Mark 4:39-41
¹²Psalm 33:10-11; Amos 3:6; Lamentations 3:37-38; Genesis 50:20
¹³Revelation 17:16-17; Proverbs 21:1; Proverbs 16:33
¹⁴Proverbs 20:24;Proverbs 16:9
¹⁵Psalm 104:24; Romans 16:27; 1 Corinthians 1:21
¹⁶Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 John 1:5; James 1:13; Romans 3:4
¹⁷Romans 1:20; Romans 2:11-12; Daniel 4:37
¹⁸Romans 3:19
¹⁹Romans 9:11-18; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; John 10:25-29; John 17:6; John 6:37-39; Romans 8:28-30
²⁰Romans 11:5-8
²¹2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:4
²²Romans 6:17; Romans 8:2
²³2 Timothy 2:24-25; Acts 11:18
²⁴John 6:44; John 6:65; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8-9; Matthew 11:27; Matthew 16:17; Acts 16:14

We believe that God created the universe¹, and everything in it², out of nothing³, by the Word of His power. Having no deficiency in Himself, nor moved by any incompleteness in His joyful self-sufficiency⁴, God was pleased in creation to display His glory⁵ for the everlasting joy⁶ of the redeemed, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation⁷.

We believe that God directly created Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from his side. We believe that Adam and Eve were the historical parents of the entire human race⁸; that they were created male and female equally in the image of God⁹, without sin¹⁰; that they were created to glorify¹¹ their Maker, Ruler, Provider, and Friend by trusting His all-sufficient goodness, admiring His infinite beauty, enjoying His personal fellowship, and obeying His all-wise counsel; and that, in God’s love and wisdom, they were appointed differing and complementary roles in marriage as a type of Christ and the church.¹²

¹Genesis 1:1
²Psalm 24:1-2
³Hebrews 11:3; Hebrews 1:2; John 1:1-3
⁴Exodus 3:13-14; Psalm 50:9-15; Acts 17:25
⁵Isaiah 43:7
⁶Isaiah 35:10; Matthew 25:23
⁷Revelation 5:9; Revelation 7:9-10
⁸Genesis 2:7; Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:21-22; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 5:14
⁹Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6; James 3:9
¹⁰Genesis 1:31
¹¹See note on 7
¹²Ephesians 5:22-33; Genesis 2:18

We believe that, although God created man morally upright, he was led astray from God’s Word and wisdom by the subtlety of Satan’s deceit¹, and chose to take what was forbidden², and thus declare his independence from, distrust for, and disobedience toward his all-good and gracious Creator. Thus, our first parents, by this sin, fell from their original innocence and communion with God³.

We believe that, as the head of the human race, Adam‘s fall became the fall of all his posterity, in such a way that corruption, guilt, death, and condemnation belong properly to every person.⁴ All persons are thus corrupt by nature⁵, enslaved to sin⁶, and morally unable⁷ to delight in God and overcome their own proud preference for the fleeting pleasures of self-rule.

We believe God has subjected the creation to futility⁸, and the entire human family is made justly liable to untold miseries of sickness⁹, decay¹⁰, calamity¹¹, and loss¹². Thus all the adversity and suffering in the world is an echo and a witness of the exceedingly great evil of moral depravity in the heart of mankind; and every new day of life is a God-given, merciful reprieve from imminent judgment, pointing to repentance¹³.

¹Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 3:1; Genesis 3:13; 2 Corinthians 11:3
²Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:6
³Genesis 3:7-8; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:21
⁴Romans 5:12-19
⁵Ephesians 2:2-3
⁶Romans 6:16, 20
⁷1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 8:7-8; Deuteronomy 29:4
⁸Romans 8:20
⁹Romans 8:23
¹⁰2 Corinthians 4:16
¹¹Romans 8:35-36
¹²1 Thessalonians 4:13
¹³Romans 2:4

We believe that in the fullness of time¹ God sent forth His eternal Son as Jesus the Messiah², conceived by the Holy Spirit³, born of the virgin Mary⁴. We believe that, when the eternal Son became flesh⁵, He took on a fully human nature⁶, so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one Person, without confusion or mixture. Thus the Person, Jesus Christ, was and is truly God⁷ and truly man⁸, yet one Christ and the only Mediator between God and man⁹.

We believe that Jesus Christ lived without sin, though He endured the common infirmities and temptations of human life¹⁰. He preached and taught with truth and authority unparalleled in human history¹¹. He worked miracles, demonstrating His divine right and power over all creation: dispatching demons¹², healing the sick¹³, raising the dead¹⁴, stilling the storm¹⁵, walking on water¹⁶, multiplying loaves¹⁷, and foreknowing what would befall Him and His disciples¹⁸, including the betrayal of Judas¹⁹ and the denial, restoration, and eventual martyrdom of Peter²⁰.

We believe that His life was governed by His Father‘s providence with a view to fulfilling all Old Testament prophecies concerning the One who was to come²¹, such as the Seed of the woman²², the Prophet like Moses²³, the Priest after the order of Melchizedek²⁴, the Son of David²⁵, and the Suffering Servant²⁶.

We believe that Jesus Christ suffered voluntarily²⁷ in fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan²⁸, that He was crucified under Pontius Pilate²⁹, that He died³⁰, was buried³¹ and on the third day rose from the dead³² to vindicate the saving work of His life and death³³ and to take His place as the invincible, everlasting Lord of glory³⁴. During forty days after His resurrection, He gave many compelling evidences of His bodily resurrection³⁵ and then ascended bodily into heaven³⁶, where He is seated at the right hand of the Father³⁷, interceding for His people³⁸ on the basis of His all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, and reigning until He puts all His enemies under His feet³⁹.

¹Galatians 4:4
²John 3:16-17; Matthew 16:16
³Luke 1:34-35
⁴Matthew 1:23; see also Luke 1:34-35
⁵John 1:14
⁶Hebrews 2:14; Hebrews 2:17
⁷John 1:1
⁸Philippians 2:6-8; see notes 5 and 6
⁹1 Timothy 2:5
¹⁰Hebrews 4:15
¹¹John 7:46; Mark 1:27; Matthew 22:16
¹²Mark 1:27
¹³Matthew 4:23
¹⁴Matthew 11:4-6
¹⁵Mark 4:39
¹⁶Matthew 14:25
¹⁷Matthew 14:19-20
¹⁸John 13:19
¹⁹John 6:64; John 13:21; John 13:26; Matthew 26:2; John 13:27
²⁰Luke 22:31-34; John 21:18-19
²¹Luke 24:25-26
²²Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20
²³Deuteronomy 18:18; Acts 3:20-23
²⁴Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:5-6
²⁵Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 1:1; Matthew 22:42
²⁶Isaiah 52:13, 53:3-6; Mark 10:45
²⁷John 10:18
²⁸Acts 2:23
²⁹Acts 4:27-28
³⁰John 19:30; 1 Corinthians 15:3
³¹John 19:40-41; 1 Corinthians 15:4
³²1 Corinthians 15:4; Matthew 28:6
³³Romans 4:25
³⁴Philippians 2:9-11; Acts 17:31
³⁵Acts 1:3
³⁶Acts 1:9-11
³⁷Luke 22:69; Acts 2:33; Acts 5:31; Colossians 3:1
³⁸Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:14; 1 John 2:1
³⁹1 Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 1:13

We believe that by His perfect obedience to God¹ and by His suffering and death² as the immaculate Lamb of God³, Jesus Christ obtained forgiveness of sins⁴ and the gift of perfect righteousness⁵ for all who trusted in God prior to the cross⁶ and all who would trust in Christ thereafter⁷. Through living a perfect life and dying in our place, the just for the unjust, Christ absorbed our punishment⁸, appeased the wrath of God against us⁹, vindicated the righteousness of God in our justification¹⁰, and removed the condemnation of the law against us¹¹.

We believe that the atonement of Christ for sin warrants and impels a universal offering of the gospel to all persons, so that to every person it may be truly said, ― God gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life¹². Whosoever will may come¹³ for cleansing at this fountain, and whoever does come, Jesus will not cast out¹⁴.

We believe, moreover, that the death of Christ did obtain more than the bona fide offer of the gospel for all; it also obtained the omnipotent New Covenant¹⁵ mercy of repentance¹⁶ and faith¹⁷for God‘s elect. Christ died for all, but not for all in the same way. In His death, Christ expressed a special covenant love to His friends¹⁸, His sheep¹⁹, His bride²⁰. For them He obtained the infallible and effectual working of the Spirit to triumph over their resistance and bring them to saving faith²¹.

¹Romans 5:18-19
²1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 3:24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Romans 5:6; Romans 8:34; Romans 14:9; Galatians 2:21
³John 1:29
⁴Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Acts 13:38
⁵2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:21-22
⁶Romans 4:3; Romans 3:25-26
⁷Romans 3:26; Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16
⁸Romans 8:1, 3; Galatians 3:13
⁹Ephesians 2:3-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9
¹⁰Romans 3:25-26
¹¹Colossians 2:13-14; Galatians 3:13
¹²John 3:16; Matthew 28:19; Colossians 1:23; Acts 1:8
¹³Revelation 22:17; John 4:14
¹⁴John 6:37
¹⁵Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:15; see also Hebrews 12:24; Hebrews 13:20-21
¹⁶2 Timothy 2:24-25; Acts 11:18
¹⁷John 6:44; John 6:65; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8-9; Matthew 11:27; Matthew 16:17; Acts 16:14
¹⁸John 15:13
¹⁹John 10:14-15
²⁰Ephesians 5:25
²¹Revelation 5:9; John 17:6, 9, 19; John 11:51-52; Romans 8:32

We believe that the Holy Spirit has always been at work in the world, sharing in the work of creation¹, awakening faith in the remnant of God’s people², performing signs and wonders³, giving triumphs in battle⁴, empowering the preaching of prophets⁵ and inspiring the writing of Scripture⁶. Yet, when Christ had made atonement for sin, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, He inaugurated a new era of the Spirit by pouring out the promise of the Father on His Church⁷.

We believe that the newness of this era is marked by the unprecedented mission of the Spirit to glorify the crucified and risen Christ⁸. This He does by giving the disciples of Jesus greater power to preach the gospel of the glory of Christ⁹, by opening the hearts of hearers that they might see Christ and believe¹⁰, by revealing the beauty of Christ in His Word and transforming His people from glory to glory¹¹, by manifesting Himself in spiritual gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ¹² and the confirmation of His Word¹³, by calling all the nations into the sway of the gospel of Christ¹⁴, and, in all this, thus fulfilling the New Covenant promise to create and preserve a purified people¹⁵ for the everlasting habitation of God¹⁶.

We believe that, apart from the effectual work of the Spirit, no one would come to faith¹⁷, because all are dead in trespasses and sins¹⁸; that they are hostile to God, and morally unable to submit to God or please Him¹⁹, because the pleasures of sin appear greater than the pleasures of God²⁰. Thus, for God‘s elect, the Spirit triumphs over all resistance²¹, wakens the dead²², removes blindness²³, and manifests Christ in such a compellingly beautiful way through the Gospel that He becomes irresistibly attractive to the regenerate heart.

We believe the Holy Spirit does this saving work in connection with the presentation of the Gospel of the glory of Christ²⁴. Thus neither the work of the Father in election, nor the work of the Son in atonement, nor the work of the Spirit in regeneration is a hindrance or discouragement to the proclamation of the gospel to all peoples and persons everywhere. On the contrary, this divine saving work of the Trinity is the warrant and the ground of our hope that our evangelization is not in vain in the Lord. The Spirit binds His saving work to the gospel of Christ, because His aim is to glorify the Christ of the Gospel²⁵. Therefore we do not believe that there is salvation through any other means than through receiving the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit²⁶, except that infants and people with severe intellectual disabilities and minds physically incapable of comprehending the gospel may be saved²⁷.

¹Psalm 104:30; Genesis 1:2
²Romans 8:7-9
³Judges 14:6
⁴Judges 3:10
⁵1 Samuel 10:6
⁶2 Peter 1:21; Matthew 22:43, referring to Psalm 110:1
⁷Luke 24:49; Acts 2:33
⁸John 16:13-14; John 7:39
⁹Acts 1:8
¹⁰Romans 15:18-19; Acts 16:14; John 3:8
¹¹2 Corinthians 3:17-18
¹²1 Corinthians 12:7-10; Hebrews 2:4
¹³Hebrews 2:3-4
¹⁴Acts 1:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Romans 15:18-19; Acts 13:2; Acts 4:31
¹⁵Jeremiah 31:33-34; Jeremiah 32:40
¹⁶2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:21
¹⁷2 Timothy 2:24-25; Acts 11:18; John 6:44; John 6:65; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8-9; Matthew 11:27; Matthew 16:17; Acts 16:14
¹⁸Ephesians 2:4-6
¹⁹Romans 8:7-8
²⁰Mark 4:19
²¹Romans 6:17; Romans 8:7-9
²²See note 18
²³2 Corinthians 4:4-6
²⁴Acts 16:14; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:4, 6
²⁵John 16:14
²⁶Acts 4:1; 1 Timothy 2:5; Romans 3:19-22; Ephesians 3:6; Romans 1:5; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 10:13-15
²⁷Romans 1:19-20

We believe that in a free act of righteous grace God justifies the ungodly by faith alone apart from works¹, pardoning their sins², and reckoning them as righteous and acceptable in His presence³. Faith is thus the sole instrument⁴ by which we, as sinners, are united to Christ, whose perfect righteousness and satisfaction for sins is alone the ground of our acceptance with God⁵. This acceptance happens fully and permanently at the first instant of justification⁶. Thus the righteousness by which we come into right standing with God is not anything worked in us by God, neither imparted to us at baptism nor over time, but rather is accomplished for us, outside ourselves, and is imputed to us.

We believe, nevertheless, that the faith, which alone receives the gift of justification, does not remain alone in the person so justified, but produces, by the Holy Spirit⁷, the fruit of love⁸ and leads necessarily to sanctification⁹. This necessary relation between justifying faith and the fruit of good works gives rise to some Biblical expressions which seem to make works the ground or means of justification¹⁰, but in fact simply express the crucial truth that faith that does not yield the fruit of good works is dead, being no true faith¹¹.

¹Titus 3:5-7; Romans 3:28; Romans 3:23-24; Romans 4:4-5; Galatians 2:16; Romans 5:1; Galatians 3:24; Galatians 5:4; Philippians 3:8-9
²Romans 4:6-8
³2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:21-22
⁴Romans 3:28; Romans 4:4-5
⁵Romans 5:18-19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Jeremiah 23:5-6
⁶Romans 5:1
⁷Galatians 5:22-23
⁸Galatians 5:6; 1 Timothy 1:5; Colossians 1:4-5; 1 John 3:14; 1 John 4:8, 20; 1 John 4:16
⁹2 Thessalonians 2:13; Acts 26:18; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; see also 1 Thessalonians 1:3; James 2:26; Acts 15:9; 1 John 2:3-4; 1 John 5:1
¹⁰Hebrews 12:14; Romans 8:13-14; Galatians 5:21; Galatians 6:8-9; John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Matthew 18:34-35; James 2:21-25
¹¹James 2:17-20, 26

We believe that justification and sanctification are both brought about by God through faith¹, but not in the same way. Justification is an act of God’s imputing and reckoning²; sanctification is an act of God‘s imparting and transforming³. Thus the function of faith in regard to each is different. In regard to justification, faith is not the channel through which power or transformation flows to the soul of the believer, but rather faith is the occasion of God‘s forgiving, acquitting, and reckoning as righteous⁴. But in regard to sanctification, faith is indeed the channel through which divine power and transformation flow to the soul⁵; and the sanctifying work of God through faith does indeed touch the soul and change it into the likeness of Christ.

We believe that the reason justifying faith necessarily sanctifies in this way is fourfold:

First, justifying faith is a persevering, that is, continuing, kind of faith⁶. Even though we are justified at the first instant of saving faith⁷, yet this faith justifies only because it is the kind of faith that will surely persevere. The extension of this faith into the future is, as it were, contained in the first seed of faith, as the oak in the acorn. Thus the moral effects⁸ of persevering faith may be rightly described as the effects of justifying faith.

Second, we believe that justifying faith trusts in Christ not only for the gift of imputed righteousness and the forgiveness of sins⁹, but also for the fulfillment of all His promises to us based on that reconciliation¹⁰. Justifying faith magnifies the finished work of Christ’s atonement, by resting securely in all the promises of God obtained and guaranteed by that all-sufficient work¹¹.

Third, we believe that justifying faith embraces Christ in all His roles¹²: Creator¹³, Sustainer¹⁴, Savior¹⁵, Teacher¹⁶, Guide¹⁷, Comforter¹⁸, Helper¹⁹, Friend²⁰, Advocate²¹, Protector²², and Lord²³. Justifying faith does not divide Christ, accepting part of Him and rejecting the rest. All of Christ is embraced by justifying faith, even before we are fully aware of, or fully understand, all that He will be for us. As more of Christ is truly revealed to us in His Word, genuine faith recognizes Christ and embraces Him more fully²⁴.

Fourth, we believe that this embracing of all of Christ is not a mere intellectual assent, or a mere decision of the will, but is also a heartfelt, Spirit-given (yet imperfect) satisfaction in all that God is for us in Jesus²⁵. Therefore, the change of mind and heart that turns from the moral ugliness and danger of sin, and is sometimes called “repentance,”²⁶ is included in the very nature of saving faith.

We believe that this preserving, future-oriented, Christ-embracing, heart-satisfying faith is life-transforming²⁷, and therefore renders intelligible the teaching of the Scripture that final salvation in the age to come depends on the transformation of life²⁸, and yet does not contradict justification by faith alone. The faith which alone justifies, cannot remain alone, but works through love²⁹.

We believe that this simple, powerful reality of justifying faith is God’s gift³⁰ which He gives unconditionally in accord with God’s electing love³¹, so that no one can boast in himself³², but only give all glory to God for every part of salvation³³. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the decisive agent in this life-transformation, but that He is supplied to us and works holiness in us though our daily faith in the Son of God³⁴ whose trustworthiness He loves to glorify³⁵.

We believe that the sanctification, which comes by the Spirit through faith³⁶, is imperfect and incomplete in this life³⁷. Although slavery to sin is broken³⁸, and sinful desires are progressively³⁹ weakened by the power of a superior satisfaction in the glory of Christ, yet there remain remnants of corruption in every heart that give rise to irreconcilable war⁴⁰, and call for vigilance in the lifelong fight of faith⁴¹.

We believe that all who are justified will win this fight. They will persevere in faith and never surrender to the enemy of their souls⁴². This perseverance is the promise of the New Covenant⁴³, obtained by the blood of Christ⁴⁴, and worked in us by God Himself⁴⁵, yet not so as to diminish, but only to empower and encourage, our vigilance⁴⁶; so that we may say in the end, I have fought the good fight⁴⁷, but it was not I, but the grace of God which was with me⁴⁸.

¹Acts 26:18; Acts 15:9
²Romans 4:3; Romans 4:5; Luke 7:29; Luke 7:35; Luke 16:15
³1 Peter 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Romans 6:19, 22
⁴Galatians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:21-22; Romans 5:1
⁵Galatians 5:6; 1 Timothy 1:5; Colossians 1:4-5; 1 John 3:14; 1 John 4:8, 20; 1 John 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Acts 26:18; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; see also 1 Thessalonians 1:3; James 2:26; Acts 15:9; 1 John 2:3-4; 1 John 5:1; James 2:17-20, 26; see also Note 1
⁶1 John 2:19; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 2:12-13; Romans 4:3 = Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:19-22 = Genesis 17:17; James 2:21-23, Genesis 22:10
⁷Romans 5:1
⁸Hebrews 12:14; Romans 8:13-14; Galatians 5:21; Galatians 6:8-9; John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Matthew 18:34-35; James 2:21-25; James 2:17-20, 26
⁹Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:21-22; Acts 10:43
¹⁰Romans 4:20-22; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 11:1; Hebrews 3:6; Romans 6:8; 1 Timothy 1:16
¹¹2 Corinthians 1:20
¹²Romans 10:9; 1 John 3:23; Acts 20:21; Galatians 2:16; Colossians 1:4; Colossians 2:5; 2 Timothy 3:15; John 20:31; Philippians 1:29
¹³John 1:1-3
¹⁴Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3
¹⁵Luke 2:11
¹⁶John 13:13
¹⁷Acts 16:7
¹⁸John 14:18; John 14:27; 2 Corinthians 1:5
¹⁹Philippians 1:19
²⁰John 15:13-15
²¹1 John 2:1
²²2 Thessalonians 3:3
²³Romans 10:9
²⁴Philippians 3:15
²⁵John 6:35; 1 John 5:1-4; John 3:19-21; Hebrews 11:1; Hebrews 11:24-26
²⁶Matthew 3:8; Hebrews 6:1
²⁷James 2:17-20, 26; See also Note 1
²⁸Hebrews 12:14; Romans 8:13-14; Galatians 5:21; Galatians 6:8-9; John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Matthew 18:34-35; James 2:21-25
²⁹Galatians 5:6; See also Note 28
³⁰2 Timothy 2:24-25; Acts 11:18; John 6:44; John 6:65; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8-9; Matthew 11:27; Matthew 16:17; Acts 16:14
³¹2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:29-30
³²Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
³³Romans 15:18; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 1 Corinthians 4:7; Hebrews 13:21; Romans 11:36
³⁴Galatians 3:5
³⁵John 16:13-14
³⁶2 Thessalonians 2:13
³⁷Philippians 3:12; 1 John 1:8-10; 1 John 2:1; Matthew 6:11-12; Romans 6:11-13; Galatians 5:16-18
³⁸Romans 6:14, 17
³⁹2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Hebrews 10:14; 2 Peter 3:18
⁴⁰Galatians 5:16-18; 1 Peter 2:11
⁴¹Hebrews 3:12-13; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7-8
⁴²Mark 13:22; Luke 22:31-32; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:30; Hebrews 3:14; 1 John 2:19; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 Peter 1:5
⁴³Jeremiah 32:40
⁴⁴1 Corinthians 11:25
⁴⁵Hebrews 13:20-21
⁴⁶Philippians 2:12-13
⁴⁷2 Timothy 4:7-8
⁴⁸1 Corinthians 15:10

We believe that faith is awakened and sustained by God’s Spirit¹ through His Word² and prayer³. The good fight of faith is fought mainly by meditating on the Scriptures⁴ and praying⁵ that God would apply them to our souls.

We believe that the promises of God recorded in the Scriptures are suited to save us from the deception of sin by displaying for us, and holding out to us, superior pleasures in the protection, provision, and presence of God⁶. Therefore, reading⁷, understanding⁸, pondering⁹, memorizing¹⁰, and savoring¹¹ the promises of all that God will be for us in Jesus are primary means of the Holy Spirit to break the power of sin’s deceitful promises in our lives. Therefore it is needful that we give ourselves to such meditation day and night¹².

We believe that God has ordained to bless¹³ and use¹⁴ His people for His glory through the means of prayer, offered in Jesus’¹⁵ name by faith¹⁶. All prayer should seek ultimately that God’s name be hallowed, and that His kingdom come, and that His will be done on earth as it is done in heaven¹⁷. God’s sovereignty over all things is not a hindrance to prayer, but a reason for hope that our prayers will succeed¹⁸.

We believe that prayer is the indispensable handmaid of meditation, as we cry out to God for the inclination to turn from the world to the Word¹⁹, and for the spiritual ability to see the glory of God in His testimonies²⁰, and for a soul-satisfying sight of the love of God²¹, and for strength in the inner man to do the will of God²². By prayer God sanctifies His people²³, sends gospel laborers into the world²⁴, and causes the Word of God to spread and triumph over Satan and unbelief²⁵.

¹2 Timothy 2:24-25; Acts 11:18; John 6:44; John 6:65; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8-9; Matthew 11:27; Matthew 16:17; Acts 16:14
²Romans 10:17
³Mark 9:24; Luke 22:31-32; Ephesians 1:18-19; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:11
⁴Ephesians 6:17-18; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 1:1-3
⁵Psalm 119:36; Psalm 119:18; Psalm 86:11
⁶2 Peter 1:3-4; Hebrews 10:34; Hebrews 11:24-26; Hebrews 13:13-14
⁷Ephesians 3:4
⁸Ephesians 5:17; Psalm 119:11
⁹2 Timothy 2:7
¹⁰Psalm 119:11
¹¹Psalm 37:4; Psalm 34:8
¹²Psalm 1:2
¹³Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 7:7-11
¹⁴Romans 15:30-31; Ephesians 6:19; Matthew 9:38
¹⁵John 14:13; see also John 15:16; 16:23-24, 26
¹⁶James 1:5-8
¹⁷Matthew 6:9-10
¹⁸Ezekiel 36:37-38
¹⁹Psalm 119:36
²⁰Psalm 119:18; Ephesians 1:18
²¹Psalm 90:14
²²Ephesians 3:14-16; Colossians 1:9-11
²³1 Thessalonians 3:12-13
²⁴Matthew 9:38
²⁵2 Thessalonians 3:1

We believe in the one universal Church, composed of all those who are chosen in Christ and united to Him through faith by the Spirit in one Body, with Christ Himself as the all-supplying, all-sustaining, all-supreme, and all-authoritative Head¹. We believe that the ultimate purpose of the Church is to glorify God² in the everlasting and ever-increasing gladness of worship³.

We believe it is God’s will that the universal Church find expression in local churches⁴ in which believers agree together to hear the Word of God proclaimed⁵, to engage in corporate worship⁶, to practice the ordinances of baptism⁷ and the Lord’s Supper⁸, to build each other‘s faith through the manifold ministries of love⁹, to hold each other accountable in the obedience of faith through Biblical discipline¹⁰, and to engage in local and world evangelization¹¹. The Church is a body in which each member should find a suitable ministry for His gifts¹²; it is the household of God in which the Spirit dwells¹³; it is the pillar and bulwark of God’s truth in a truth-denying world¹⁴; and it is a city set on a hill so that men may see the light of its good deeds—especially to the poor¹⁵—and give glory to the Father in heaven¹⁶.

We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord by which those who have repented and come to faith¹⁷ express their union with Christ¹⁸ in His death and resurrection¹⁹, by being immersed in water²⁰ in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit²¹. It is a sign of belonging to the new people of God and an emblem of burial²² and cleansing²³, signifying death to the old life of unbelief, and purification from the pollution of sin.

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the Lord²⁴ in which gathered believers²⁵ eat bread, signifying Christ’s body given for His people, and drink the cup of the Lord, signifying the New Covenant in Christ‘s blood²⁶. We do this in remembrance of the Lord, and thus proclaim His death until He comes. Those who eat and drink in a worthy manner partake of Christ‘s body and blood, not physically, but spiritually, in that, by faith, they are nourished with the benefits He obtained through His death, and thus grow in grace²⁷.

We believe that each local church should recognize and affirm the divine calling of spiritually qualified men to give leadership to the church through the role of pastor-elder in the ministry of the Word and prayer. Women are not to fill the role of pastor-elder in the local church, but are encouraged to use their gifts in appropriate roles that edify the body of Christ and spread the gospel²⁸.

¹Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 3:6; Ephesians 4:15-16; Ephesians 5:23
²Ephesians 3:10; Matthew 5:14-16
³Revelation 5:9-12
⁴Acts 8:1; 1 Corinthians 16:19
⁵Ephesians 4:11-12; 2 Timothy 4:1-2
⁶Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:15-16
⁷Matthew 28:19
⁸1 Corinthians 11:23-26
⁹1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Romans 12:6-8
¹⁰Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20; 1 Corinthians 5:7, 11-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15
¹¹Colossians 4:5-6; Romans 15:24; 3 John 7-8; Matthew 28:18-20
¹²1 Corinthians 12:13-18
¹³Ephesians 2:20-22
¹⁴1 Timothy 3:15
¹⁵Galatians 2:10; Romans 15:26; Luke 14:13-14
¹⁶Matthew 5:14-16
¹⁷Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21; Galatians 3:26-27; Acts 2:38; Acts 18:8; Matthew 3:6
¹⁸1 Corinthians 12:13
¹⁹Romans 6:3-4
²⁰Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:4
²¹Matthew 28:19
²²See note #19
²³Hebrews 10:22
²⁴See note #8
²⁵1 Corinthians 11:17-20, 22
²⁶See note #8
²⁷1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:53-57, 63
²⁸Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 5:17; Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Acts 6:4; 1 Timothy 2:12-13

We believe that the commission given by the Lord Jesus to make disciples of all nations is binding on His Church to the end of the age¹. This task is to proclaim the Gospel to every tribe and tongue and people and nation², baptizing them, teaching them the words and ways of the Lord³, and gathering them into churches⁴ able to fulfill their Christian calling among their own people. The ultimate aim of world missions is that God would create, by His Word, worshippers who glorify His name through glad-hearted faith and obedience⁵. Missions exists because worship doesn‘t. When the time of ingathering is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and the goal of missions.

¹Matthew 28:18-20
²Revelation 5:9
³See note #1
⁴Acts 14:23
⁵Romans 1:5; John 4:23; Romans 15:8-11

We believe that when Christians die they are made perfect in holiness¹, are received into paradise², and are taken consciously into the presence of Christ, which is more glorious and more satisfying than any experience on earth³.

We believe in the blessed hope⁴ that at the end of the age Jesus Christ will return to this earth personally⁵, visibly⁶, physically⁷, and suddenly⁸ in power and great glory⁹; and that He will gather His elect¹⁰, raise the dead¹¹, judge the nations, and establish His kingdom¹². We believe that the righteous will enter into the everlasting joy of their Master¹³, and those who suppressed the truth in unrighteousness¹⁴ will be consigned to everlasting conscious misery¹⁵.

We believe that the end of all things in this age will be the beginning of a never-ending, ever-increasing happiness in the hearts of the redeemed, as God displays more and more of His infinite and inexhaustible greatness and glory for the enjoyment of His people.¹⁶

¹Hebrews 12:22-23
²Luke 23:43
³Philippians 1:23; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:1-9; Revelation 6:9-11. On the issue of whether Paul conceives of the body and soul as separable, see 2 Corinthians 12:2-3
⁴Titus 2:13
⁵Acts 1:9-11
⁶Mark 14:61-62
⁷Philippians 3:20-21; Luke 24:39-43; Titus 2:13
⁸1 Thessalonians 5:2-3
⁹Luke 21:27
¹⁰Matthew 24:31
¹¹1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
¹²1 Corinthians 15:22-24; 2 Timothy 4:1; Luke 22:28-30
¹³Psalm 16:11; Matthew 25:23; Matthew 25:46; Matthew 19:29; John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Jude 24-25
¹⁴Romans 1:18
¹⁵Daniel 12:2; Matthew 3:12; see also Matthew 18:8, 10:28, 12:32, 25:41, 46; 26:24; Mark 3:29, 9:43-48; Luke 16:26; Jude 12-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 14:11; see also Revelation 19:3, 20:10
¹⁶Ephesians 2:6-7; Psalm 16:11; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Corinthians 2:9

We do not believe that all things in this affirmation of faith are of equal weight, some being more essential, some less. We do not believe that every part of this affirmation must be believed in order for one to be saved.

Our aim is not to discover how little can be believed, but rather to embrace and teach ―the whole counsel of God¹ Our aim is to encourage a hearty adherence to the Bible, the fullness of its truth², and the glory of its Author. We believe Biblical doctrine stabilizes saints in the winds of confusion³ and strengthens the church in her mission to meet the great systems of false religion and secularism. We believe that the supreme virtue of love is nourished by the strong meat of God-centered doctrine⁴. And we believe that a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ is sustained in an atmosphere of deep and joyful knowledge of God and His wonderful works⁵.

We believe that the cause of unity in the church⁶ is best served, not by finding the lowest common denominator of doctrine, around which all can gather, but by elevating the value of truth, stating the doctrinal parameters of church or school or mission or ministry, seeking the unity that comes from the truth, and then demonstrating to the world how Christians can love each other⁷ across boundaries rather than by removing boundaries. In this way, the importance of truth is served by the existence of doctrinal borders, and unity is served by the way we love others across those borders.

We do not claim infallibility for this affirmation and are open to refinement and correction from Scripture⁸. Yet we do hold firmly to these truths as we see them and call on others to search the Scriptures to see if these things are so⁹. As conversation and debate take place, it may be that we will learn from each other, and the boundaries will be adjusted, even possibly folding formerly disagreeing groups into closer fellowship.

¹Acts 20:27
²Titus 1:1; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; 1 Timothy 4:1
³Ephesians 4:13-14
⁴1 Timothy 1:5
⁵Psalm 9:10
⁶Ephesians 4:4-6
⁷John 13:34-35
⁸1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Peter 3:18
⁹Acts 17:11

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Ballard Creek Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to its members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Ballard Creek Church or members, agree to and abide by this Statement on Sexuality, Marriage and the Sanctity of Human Life¹.

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ².

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity³. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Ballard Creek Church.

A. Statement on Sexuality
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God⁴. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of God’s design.

B. Statement on Marriage
We believe the term “marriage”, as delineated in Scripture⁵, has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union. We believe that marriage between one man and one woman, for life, uniquely reflects Christ’s relationship with His Church⁶. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other⁷.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, or use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God⁸.

C. Statement on the Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of invaluable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are, therefore, called to defend, protect, and value all human life⁹.

¹Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22
²Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
³Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31
⁴Genesis 1:26-27
⁵Genesis 2:18-25
⁶Ephesians 5:21-33
⁷1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4
⁸Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
⁹Psalm 139:1-24

NOTE: The many Biblical descriptions of God’s work in salvation are diverse. Therefore, similar or identical terms may be used differently in different contexts. Our aim in this affirmation of faith is not to limit how Biblical writers can use the terms we use here, or to say that the terms of this affirmation may not be used differently by the Biblical writers in various contexts, but rather our aim is to claim that the reality described here is in fact Biblical reality.