^{_{The foundation of true holiness and true Christian worship is the doctrine of the gospel, what we are to believe. So when Christian doctrine is neglected, forsaken, or corrupted, true holiness and worship will also be neglected, forsaken, and corrupted.}}

^{John Owen}

ABOUT

The purpose of this page is to outline my religious and doctrinal convictions about various topics. It will move from general to specific and interact with historical and contemporary doctrinal issues.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Why have a page like this on my ministry profile? Firstly because doctrinal purity and clarity are vital to faithful Christian living. Without a sound knowledge of The Faith (once and for all handed down to the saints – Jude 1:3) and accurate knowledge of the truth, it is not possible to faithfully live in a way that is in line with God’s will.

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, (Titus 1.1)

In his Epistle, to Titus, the Apostle Paul speaks of himself as both a servant of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of “the faith of God’s elect” and their “knowledge of the truth.”  Paul saw himself as a servant of God who was specially commissioned by Jesus Christ for God’s elect people for the sake of their faith and knowledge of the truth.

At the end of this verse, in the last clause, he adds a further statement that these things “accords with ( or lead to NIV) godliness.” This clause indicates the goal of Paul’s apostolic ministration of “the faith” and “knowledge of the truth,” to God’s elect – that it leads to godly living.

The grace of God that comes by means of the truth of the Gospel works powerfully in the believer to transform them into people who live in accordance with God’s character. Godly living or the formation of a godly people for God’s glory and praise in the world is given later in the epistle is as the purpose for which Christ died.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14).

So, in this day and age, where relativistic thinking is trendy and the place of doctrinal clarity in the church is neglected and even maligned in some circles, sound doctrine has taken a backseat to religious experience and feelings. The danger of this kind of Christianity is that it lacks the power of God to transform its adherents and it does not lead to godly character. Sound doctrine leads to a sound life.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS 

CHRISTIAN 

The first religious distinctive I hold to is that I am a Christian. This may seem self-evident on a page like this but it needs to be stated that the first essential characteristic of my faith is that I am a follower of Jesus Christ and that my allegiance is to him and his word before any particular denomination, creed or theological perspective.

When I came to faith after a search through many of the world religions my faith became centred on the life, death, and resurrection of  Jesus Christ as revealed in the New Testament. It was not a particular denomination, creed and theological perspective that saved me but solely the work of Jesus Christ. This is not to say as we will see that my faith has not be strengthened through the help of these but it is Jesus Christ and him alone who has preeminence over all other things. I gladly take the name of Christ as the descriptor of my faith and affirm with the early church that I will gladly suffer for the sake of his name.

THE RULE OF MY CHRISTIAN FAITH

The measure of my Christian faith is the 66 books of the Bible, as recognized at the 397 AD,  Council of Carthage. The Bible is the only inspired and inerrant rule of faith as stated in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. I also affirm historic creeds like:

1. The Apostles Creed
2. The Nicene Creed 
3. The Athanasian Creed
4. The Chalcedonian Creed

PROTESTANT

The second religious affiliation that I affirm is that I am a Protestant, not a Roman Catholic. In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg castle sparking the protestant reformation. The protestant reformation marked a separation from Roman Catholicism based on a rediscovery of biblical Christianity, especially in regard to salvation.

The main characteristics of reformation are found in the five Solas. I affirm the five sola’s as an articulation of what I believe about salvation.

• Sola Fide, by faith alone.
• Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone.
• Solus Christus, through Christ alone.
• Sola Gratia, by grace alone.
• Soli Deo Gloria, glory to God alone.

EVANGELICAL

I am Evangelical in that I believe in the need to trust the Gospel exclusively for salvation and share this with others evangelistically. I consider myself a part of historic evangelicalism as a movement and am aligned theologically with its main tenants.

Historian David Bebbington also provides a helpful summary of evangelical distinctives, identifying four primary characteristics of evangelicalism:

• Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a life-long process of following Jesus
• Activism: the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts
• Biblicism: a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority
• Crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as making possible the redemption of humanity

REFORMED BAPTIST

Baptist

My denominational affiliation is that I am a Baptist. The following are Baptist distinctives that I hold:

• Believer’s Baptism by immersion
• Regenerate church membership
• Local Church Autonomy
• Liberty of conscience
• The priesthood of all believers
• Separation of Church and State
• Congregational church government

Not only am I a Baptist by I am a reformed Baptist that holds to the 1689 second London Baptist Confession of Faith. Historically there have been two types of baptists – General Baptists, and Particular Baptists. Both where 17th-century non-conformists from the Protestant Reformation and should be considered evangelical. They both might even be considered reformed to a degree, in this sense all Baptists are part of reformed evangelicalism. The main thing that separated General and Particular Baptists was their position of the extent of the atonement. General Baptist reject the Reformed doctrine of particular redemption believing that Christ died for all humanity instead of just for the elect.

Reformed

Reformed Baptists affirm all five points of Calvinism which are:

– Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)
– Unconditional Election
– Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Redemption)
– Irresistible Grace
– Perseverance of the Saints

In 1689 The Second London Baptist Confession was created to demonstrate the reformed Baptists agreements and disagreements with the Westminster Confession of Faith. It differs on several points which will not be discussed here.

SECONDARY DOCTRINAL POSITIONS

• THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR TODAY?
• THE BAPTISM/FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
• WOMEN IN MINISTRY
• END TIMES
• GAY MARRIAGE