- The authority and inerrancy of the scriptures (autographs)
- The Nature of God
- The Trinity
- The Creation
- Humanity
- Sin
- Jesus Christ
- Christ's Death, Burial & Resurrection
- The Holy Spirit
- Salvation
Explanation: The Authority and Inerrancy of scripture
in the original manuscripts. We believe the original copies of
scripture were verbally inspired and without error. Today's Bibles are
copies of copies of copies and are not completely inerrant as were the
originals. By comparing the mistakes in the copies we have today, we
can see that the original manuscripts were inerrant. We do not possess
the originals but the copies we have today are incredibly accurate and
reliable. We believe in Sola Scriptura, which means that the
Bible alone which is general revelation, is all that is necessary for
instruction in faith and practice. Tradition is reliable and helpful
only as far as it agrees with scripture. 'Do not go beyond what is
written.' 1 Cor. 4:6.
Explanation: The Nature of God. God is Spirit
(non-coporeal, immaterial) and is not a material Being. Any
material entity would have to be physically and visably locatable, but
God does not possess a physical body and therefore is not physically,
visibly, or materially locatable. Rather, God transcends location and
time. Time is a measurement for change or decay and God is immutable,
non-changing, and eternal, therefore God is not affected by time and
transcends time and location. God exits in-and-of-Himself (aseity)
and is actively present (omnipresent, emminent) within and to
His entire creation.
Explanation: The Trinity. The Trinity is an
absolute Essential tenant of the Christian faith. There are 3 planks to
understanding the Trinity. 1) We serve One God. 2) The Father is God,
Jesus is God, and The Holy Spirit is God. 3) The Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit are distinct (different) from one another. Direct referral to
the Trinity can be seen in more than 700 places within the Bible.
Trinitarians are Monotheistic in their belief, which means they believe
in One God, revealed in 3 Persons (Triune). We are not Tritheistic
(belief in 3 Gods). We are not modalistic (belief that the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit are different stages of the ontology (Being) of God. We
are not polytheistic (belief in many Gods). We are not pantheistic
(belief that everything is God), and we are not atheistic (belief that
there is no God).
Explanation: Creation. According to the
scriptures, creation took place in time past by God through His Son
Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Creation was completed in 6 days and 6 nights
but whether or not they were 24 hour days or day-ages is an open-house
debate and a secondary though important issue. The basic laws of science
militate against darwinian evolution which opposes creation and are
perfectly suitable and complimentary to special creation. God created
the world and is actively in control of the world.
Explanation: Humanity. God created humans in
His image and likeness. This means humans were created with the communicable
attributes of God. Attributes like speech, rationality, volition,
contemplation, reason, etc. Humans do not possess the incommunicable
attributes of God such as God's intrinsic holiness, omnipresence,
omniscience, omnipotence, perfection, immutability, etc. Humanity is a
created order of being designed by God to receive fellowship and direction
directly from God, its source of creation. Adam, the first human, fell in
sin when tempted by satan and therefore all future generations of humans
are born with a sin nature and doomed to hell. Salvation can be found
only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Explanation: Sin. True sin is the desire to
be independant of God and the determination to fulfill self grandisement.
This sin causes many other small acts we call sins like smoking, stealing,
murder, adultery, bearing false witness, etc. True sin is called iniquity
and it describes the reason why we sin. We sin because we are iniquitious.
We are bent. We are evil. This iniquity comes out in a variety of ways.
Born again believers possess the holiness and righteousness of Jesus
Christ, but that righeousness is ours only in position while practically
we are evil outside of the foreign righteousness of Christ that is
imputed to our account. Born again believers remain sinners as long as
they are alive and believers are commanded in scripture to confess
their sins, thus keeping their communion with God at an intimate level.
Explanation: Jesus Christ. Christology. Jesus
Christ is Theantropas, 'The GodMan.' Jesus Christ is God's Son
and is God by nature existing throughout eternity as Creator. Jesus is
the 2nd Person of the Trinity who came down from heaven to be born as a
human through the Virgin Mary, according to the plan and purpose of God.
Jesus now possesses 2 natures; His Divine-nature, and His human-nature.
Jesus lived a life of sinless perfection and at the proper time was
crucified on a cross for the sins of the world, thus making a way for
the reconciliation of the universe and all creatures. Jesus Christ is
distinct from God and The Holy Spirit and the only Person within the
Godhead who has a material human body.
Explanation: Christ's death, Burial and Resurrection.
Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross between 2 thieves on Friday before
the Sabbath (Saturday) according to the Bible. He was buried and on the
3rd day (sunday) He rose from the grave appearing to many. 40 days later
He permanently ascended to heaven in His human body to sit at the right
hand of God.
Explanation: Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is
God by nature and is distinct in Person from God the Father and Jesus
Christ. The Holy Spirit is active in the world convicting the world of
sin and actively indwelling (relationship) believers. In time past the
Holy Spirit was active in the creation of the Universe. The Holy Spirit
moved the Prophets in the writing of the Holy Scriptures.
Explanation: Salvation. Soteriology. Salvation
can be found for fallen man by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The
ability to find that grace is also a gift of God. Responding to that
grace is a freewill act of man. Grace is an undeserved, unearnable,
free-gift, paid for by someone else and given freely to you. Just because
man was given grace (free-gift) does not presuppose that someone did not
have to pay for that gift. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life for us and
as us, and then paid our debt when our sins were nailed to His cross at
Calvary. There is no other way to be saved except the righteousness of
Jesus Christ be imputed to our lives. Romans 10:9-10 * If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in thine heart
that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the
heart, man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation.