Elder Affirmation of Faith

1.1 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 God,¹ and without error² in the original manuscripts.

1.2 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.

1.3 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 1 Pet. 1:10–11 John 11:51. 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 2 Pet. 3:16 Matt. 4:6–7.

1.4 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 Bible 1 Cor. 2:12–16, and prayer for His assistance belongs to a proper effort to understand and apply God's Word Ps. 119:18 119:12 Eph. 1:18.

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¹ 2 Tim. 3:16 2 Pet. 1:21 3:16 1 Cor. 14:37 2:13 Matt. 22:43–44 John 14:26 16:13–14

² Prov. 30:5 Num. 23:19 Ps. 12:6 Heb. 6:18 Matt. 24:35 Titus 1:2 John 17:17 Matt. 22:29

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

2.1 We believe in one Deut. 6:4 living,¹ sovereign,² and all-glorious Ps. 138:5 God, eternally existing in three Matt. 28:19 2 Cor. 13:14 infinitely excellent and admirable Persons: God the Father,³ fountain of all being 1 Cor. 8:6; God the Son,⁴ eternally begotten Col. 1:15–16 Heb. 1:5–6 John 1:14, 18, not made, without beginning John 1:1, being of one essence Col. 2:9 with the Father; and God the Holy Spirit, proceeding in the full, divine essence,⁵ as a Person,⁶ eternally from the Father and the Son. Thus each Person in the Godhead is fully and completely God.

2.2 We believe that God is supremely joyful⁷ 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.

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¹ Matt. 16:16 2 Cor. 6:16 1 Tim. 4:10 Heb. 3:12 Rev. 7:2

² Job 42:2 Ps. 115:3 Dan. 4:25 4:34–35 Eph. 1:11 James 4:15

³ John 1:18 5:18 6:46 20:17 Acts 2:33 Rom. 1:7 15:6 1 Pet. 1:3 Philem. 1:3

⁴ John 20:31 1:1–3 5:18 6:46 Matt. 1:23 11:27 John 10:30 10:38 12:45 14:7 Rom. 9:5 Col. 2:9 Titus 2:13 Heb. 1:3 1:8 2 Pet. 1:1 Rev. 22:13

⁵ Acts 5:3–4 1 Cor. 3:16 2:10–11 Rom. 8:27

⁶ John 14:26 15:26 16:13–14 1 Cor. 12:11 Eph. 4:30

⁷ 1 Tim. 1:11 Matt. 25:23 John 15:11 17:26 Matt. 12:18 Prov. 8:27–30

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

3.1 We believe that God, from all eternity,¹ in order to display the full extent of His glory² for the eternal and ever-increasing enjoyment³ of all who love Him 1 Cor. 2:9 Rom. 8:28, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His will Eph. 1:11, freely and unchangeably Num. 23:19 ordain Isa. 46:9–10 Prov. 16:33 19:21 and foreknow⁴ whatever comes to pass.

3.2 We believe that God upholds and governs all things – from galaxies Job 9:7 Isa. 40:26 to subatomic particles Matt. 10:29–30 Col. 1:16–17, from the forces of nature Job 37:6–13 Ps. 147:15–18 Mark 4:39–41 to the movements of nations,⁵ and from the public plans of politicians Rev. 17:16–17 Prov. 21:1 16:33 to the secret acts of solitary persons Prov. 20:24 16:9 – all in accord with His eternal, all-wise Ps. 104:24 Rom. 16:27 1 Cor. 1:21 purposes to glorify Himself, yet in such a way that He never sins,⁶ nor ever condemns a person unjustly Rom. 1:20 2:11–12 Dan. 4:37; but that His ordaining and governing all things is compatible with the moral accountability Rom. 3:19 of all persons created in His image.

3.3 We believe that God's election is an unconditional⁷ act of free grace Rom. 11:5–8 which was given through His Son Christ Jesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1:9 Eph. 1:4. By this act God chose, before the foundation of the world, those who would be delivered from bondage to sin Rom. 6:17 8:2 and brought to repentance 2 Tim. 2:24–25 Acts 11:18 and saving faith⁸ in His Son Christ Jesus.

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¹ 2 Tim. 1:9 Eph. 3:11 1:4 1 Pet. 1:20 Rev. 13:8

² Rom. 11:36 Eph. 1:6, 12, 14 Isa. 60:21 John 12:27–28 17:1 17:4 Phil. 2:11

³ Ps. 37:4 Phil. 4:4 Matt. 25:23 Rev. 21:4

⁴ Isa. 41:21–23 42:8–9 Gen. 15:13 Ex. 3:19 Deut. 31:16 Ps. 34:20 Isa. 44:6–8 Zech. 12:10 John 6:64

⁵ Ps. 33:10–11 Amos 3:6 Lam. 3:37–38 Gen. 50:20

⁶ Deut. 32:4 1 John 1:5 James 1:13 Rom. 3:4

⁷ Rom. 9:11–18 1 Cor. 1:26–31 John 10:25–29 17:6 6:37–39 Rom. 8:28–30

⁸ John 6:44 6:65 Phil. 1:29 Eph. 2:8–9 Matt. 11:27 16:17 Acts 16:14

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

4.1 We believe that God created the universe Gen. 1:1, and everything in it Ps. 24:1–2, out of nothing Heb. 11:3 1:2 John 1:1–3, by the Word of His power. Having no deficiency in Himself, nor moved by any incompleteness in His joyful self-sufficiency Ex. 3:13–14 Ps. 50:9–15 Acts 17:25, God was pleased in creation to display His glory Isa. 43:7 for the everlasting joy Isa. 35:10 Matt. 25:23 of the redeemed, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation Rev. 5:9 7:9–10.

4.2 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 race;¹ that they were created male and female equally in the image of God Gen. 1:27 9:6 James 3:9, without sin Gen. 1:31; that they were created to glorify Rev. 5:9 7:9–10 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 Eph. 5:22–33 Gen. 2:18.

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¹ Gen. 2:7 1:27 2:21–22 1 Cor. 15:22 15:45 Rom. 5:14

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

5.1 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 deceit,¹ and chose to take what was forbidden Gen. 2:17 3:6, 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 God Gen. 3:7–8 Rom. 5:12 1 Cor. 15:21.

5.2 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 Rom. 5:12–19. All persons are thus corrupt by nature Eph. 2:2–3, enslaved to sin Rom. 6:16, 20, and morally unable 1 Cor. 2:14 Rom. 8:7–8 Deut. 29:4 to delight in God and overcome their own proud preference for the fleeting pleasures of self-rule.

5.3 We believe God has subjected the creation to futility Rom. 8:20, and the entire human family is made justly liable to untold miseries of sickness Rom. 8:23, decay 2 Cor. 4:16, calamity Rom. 8:35–36, and loss 1 Thess. 4:13. 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 repentance Rom. 2:4.

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¹ Eccles. 7:29 Gen. 3:1 3:13 2 Cor. 11:3

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

6.1 We believe that in the fullness of time Gal. 4:4 God sent forth His eternal Son as Jesus the Messiah John 3:16–17 Matt. 16:16, conceived by the Holy Spirit Luke 1:34–35, born of the virgin Mary Matt. 1:23 Luke 1:34–35. We believe that, when the eternal Son became flesh John 1:14, He took on a fully human nature Heb. 2:14 2:17, 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 God John 1:1 and truly man Phil. 2:6–8, yet one Christ and the only Mediator between God and man 1 Tim. 2:5.

6.2 We believe that Jesus Christ lived without sin, though He endured the common infirmities and temptations of human life Heb. 4:15. He preached and taught with truth and authority unparalleled in human history John 7:46 Mark 1:27 Matt. 22:16. He worked miracles, demonstrating His divine right and power over all creation: dispatching demons Mark 1:27, healing the sick Matt. 4:23, raising the dead Matt. 11:4–6, stilling the storm Mark 4:39, walking on water Matt. 14:25, multiplying loaves Matt. 14:19–20, and foreknowing what would befall Him and His disciples John 13:19, including the betrayal of Judas¹ and the denial, restoration, and eventual martyrdom of Peter Luke 22:31–34 John 21:18–19.

6.3 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 come Luke 24:25–26, such as the Seed of the woman Gen. 3:15 Rom. 16:20, the Prophet like Moses Deut. 18:18 Acts 3:20–23, the Priest after the order of Melchizedek Ps. 110:4 Heb. 5:5–6, the Son of David Isa. 9:7 Matt. 1:1 22:42, and the Suffering Servant Isa. 52:13, 53 Mark 10:45.

6.4 We believe that Jesus Christ suffered voluntarily John 10:18 in fulfillment of God's redemptive plan Acts 2:23, that He was crucified under Pontius Pilate Acts 4:27–28, that He died John 19:30 1 Cor. 15:3, was buried John 19:40–41 1 Cor. 15:4 and on the third day rose from the dead 1 Cor. 15:4 Matt. 28:6 to vindicate the saving work of His life and death Rom. 4:25 and to take His place as the invincible, everlasting Lord of glory Phil. 2:9–11 Acts 17:31. During forty days after His resurrection, He gave many compelling evidences of His bodily resurrection Acts 1:3 and then ascended bodily into heaven Acts 1:9–11, where He is seated at the right hand of the Father,² interceding for His people Rom. 8:34 Heb. 4:14 1 John 2:1 on the basis of His all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, and reigning until He puts all His enemies under His feet 1 Cor. 15:25 Heb. 1:13.

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¹ John 6:64 13:21 13:26 Matt. 26:2 John 13:27

² Luke 22:69 Acts 2:33 5:31 Col. 3:1

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

7.1 We believe that by His perfect obedience to God Rom. 5:18–19 and by His suffering and death¹ as the immaculate Lamb of God John 1:29, Jesus Christ obtained forgiveness of sins Eph. 1:7 Col. 1:14 Acts 13:38 and the gift of perfect righteousness 2 Cor. 5:21 Phil. 3:9 Rom. 3:21–22 for all who trusted in God prior to the cross Rom. 4:3 3:25–26 and all who would trust in Christ thereafter Rom. 3:26 3:28 Gal. 2:16. Through living a perfect life and dying in our place, the just for the unjust, Christ absorbed our punishment Rom. 8:1, 3 Gal. 3:13, appeased the wrath of God against us,² vindicated the righteousness of God in our justification Rom. 3:25–26, and removed the condemnation of the law against us Col. 2:13–14 Gal. 3:13.

7.2 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 life.”³ Whosoever will may come Rev. 22:17 John 4:14 for cleansing at this fountain, and whoever does come, Jesus will not cast out John 6:37.

7.3 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 Covenant⁴ mercy of repentance 2 Tim. 2:24–25 Acts 11:18 and faith⁵ for 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 friends John 15:13, His sheep John 10:14–15, His bride Eph. 5:25. For them He obtained the infallible and effectual working of the Spirit to triumph over their resistance and bring them to saving faith.⁶

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¹ 1 Cor. 15:3 1 Pet. 2:24 3:18 Rom. 3:24–25 2 Cor. 5:14 Rom. 5:6 8:34 14:9 Gal. 2:21

² Eph. 2:3–6 1 Thess. 1:10 Rom. 5:9 1 Thess. 5:9

³ John 3:16 Matt. 28:19 Col. 1:23 Acts 1:8

⁴ Luke 22:20 1 Cor. 11:25 Heb. 8:6 9:15 13:20–21

⁵ John 6:44 6:65 Phil. 1:29 Eph. 2:8–9 Matt. 11:27 16:17 Acts 16:14

⁶ Rev. 5:9 John 17:6, 9, 19 11:51–52 Rom. 8:32

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

8.1 We believe that the Holy Spirit has always been at work in the world, sharing in the work of creation Ps. 104:30, awakening faith in the remnant of God's people Rom. 8:7–9, performing signs and wonders Judg. 14:6, giving triumphs in battle Judg. 3:10, empowering the preaching of prophets 1 Sam. 10:6 and inspiring the writing of Scripture 2 Pet. 1:21 Matt. 22:43 Ps. 110:1. 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 Church Luke 24:49 Acts 2:33.

8.2 We believe that the newness of this era is marked by the unprecedented mission of the Spirit to glorify the crucified and risen Christ John 16:13–14 7:39. This He does by giving the disciples of Jesus greater power to preach the gospel of the glory of Christ Acts 1:8, by opening the hearts of hearers that they might see Christ and believe Rom. 15:18–19 Acts 16:14 John 3:8, by revealing the beauty of Christ in His Word and transforming His people from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3:17–18, by manifesting Himself in spiritual gifts (being sovereignly free to dispense, as he wills, all the gifts of 1 Corinthians 12:8-10) for the upbuilding of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12:7–10 Heb. 2:4 and the confirmation of His Word Heb. 2:3–4, by calling all the nations into the sway of the gospel of Christ,¹ and, in all this, thus fulfilling the New Covenant promise to create and preserve a purified people Jer. 31:33–34 32:40 for the everlasting habitation of God 2 Cor. 6:16 Eph. 2:21.

8.3 We believe that, apart from the effectual work of the Spirit, no one would come to faith,² because all are dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2:4–6; that they are hostile to God, and morally unable to submit to God or please Him Rom. 8:7–8, because the pleasures of sin appear greater than the pleasures of God Mark 4:19. Thus, for God's elect, the Spirit triumphs over all resistance Rom. 6:17 8:7–9, wakens the dead Eph. 2:4–6, removes blindness 2 Cor. 4:4–6, and manifests Christ in such a compellingly beautiful way through the Gospel that He becomes irresistibly attractive to the regenerate heart.

8.4 We believe the Holy Spirit does this saving work in connection with the presentation of the Gospel of the glory of Christ Acts 16:14 2 Cor. 3:18. 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 Gospel John 16:14. Therefore we do not believe that there is salvation through any other means than through receiving the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit,³ except that infants and people with severe intellectual disabilities and minds physically incapable of comprehending the gospel may be saved Rom. 1:19–20.

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¹ Acts 1:8 2 Thess. 3:1 Rom. 15:18–19 Acts 13:2 4:31

² 2 Tim. 2:24–25 Acts 11:18 John 6:44 6:65 Phil. 1:29 Eph. 2:8–9 Matt. 11:27 16:17 Acts 16:14

³ Acts 4:12 1 Tim. 2:5 Rom. 3:19–22 Eph. 3:6 Rom. 1:5 Acts 17:30–31 Rom. 10:13–15

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

9.1 We believe that in a free act of righteous grace God justifies the ungodly by faith alone apart from works,¹ pardoning their sins Rom. 4:6–8, and reckoning them as righteous and acceptable in His presence 2 Cor. 5:21 Phil. 3:9 Rom. 3:21–22. Faith is thus the sole instrument Rom. 3:28 4:4–5 by which we, as sinners, are united to Christ, whose perfect righteousness and satisfaction for sins is alone the ground of our acceptance with God.² This acceptance happens fully and permanently at the first instant of justification Rom. 5:1. 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.

9.2 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 Spirit Gal. 5:22–23, the fruit of love³ and leads necessarily to sanctification.⁴ 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 justification,⁵ but in fact simply express the crucial truth that faith that does not yield the fruit of good works is dead, being no true faith James 2:17–20, 26.

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¹ Titus 3:5–7 Rom. 3:28 3:23–24 4:4–5 Gal. 2:16 Rom. 5:1 Gal. 3:24 5:4 Phil. 3:8–9

² Rom. 5:18–19 2 Cor. 5:21 Phil. 3:9 Jer. 23:5–6

³ Gal. 5:6 1 Tim. 1:5 Col. 1:4–5 1 John 3:14 4:8, 20 4:16

⁴ 2 Thess. 2:13 Acts 26:18 2 Thess. 1:11 1 Thess. 1:3 James 2:17 2:26 Acts 15:9 1 John 2:3–4 5:1

⁵ Heb. 12:14 Rom. 8:13–14 Gal. 5:21 6:8–9 John 5:28–29 1 Cor. 6:9–10 Matt. 18:34–35 James 2:21–25

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

10.1 We believe that justification and sanctification are both brought about by God through faith Acts 26:18 15:9, but not in the same way. Justification is an act of God's imputing and reckoning;¹ sanctification is an act of God's imparting and transforming.² 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 righteous Gal. 3:5. But in regard to sanctification, faith is indeed the channel through which divine power and transformation flow to the soul;³ and the sanctifying work of God through faith does indeed touch the soul and change it into the likeness of Christ.

10.2 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 faith.⁴ Even though we are justified at the first instant of saving faith Rom. 5:1, 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 effects⁵ 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 sins Phil. 3:9 Rom. 3:21–22 Acts 10:43, but also for the fulfillment of all His promises to us based on that reconciliation.⁶ 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 work 2 Cor. 1:20.

Third, we believe that justifying faith embraces Christ in all His roles:⁷ Creator John 1:1–3, Sustainer Col. 1:17 Heb. 1:3, Savior Luke 2:11, Teacher John 13:13, Guide Acts 16:7, Comforter John 14:18 14:27 2 Cor. 1:5, Helper Phil. 1:19, Friend John 15:13–15, Advocate 1 John 2:1, Protector 2 Thess. 3:3, and Lord Rom. 10:9. 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 fully Phil. 3:15.

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 Jesus.⁸ Therefore, the change of mind and heart that turns from the moral ugliness and danger of sin, and is sometimes called “repentance,” Matt. 3:8 Heb. 6:1 is included in the very nature of saving faith.

10.3 We believe that this persevering, future-oriented, Christ-embracing, heart-satisfying faith is life-transforming James 2:17–20, 26 Acts 26:18 15:9, and therefore renders intelligible the teaching of the Scripture that final salvation in the age to come depends on the transformation of life,⁹ and yet does not contradict justification by faith alone. The faith which alone justifies, cannot remain alone, but works through love Gal. 5:6.

10.4 We believe that this simple, powerful reality of justifying faith is God's gift¹⁰ which He gives unconditionally in accord with God's electing love 2 Thess. 2:13 Rom. 8:29–30, so that no one can boast in himself Eph. 2:8–9 1 Cor. 1:26–29, but only give all glory to God for every part of salvation.¹¹ 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 God Gal. 3:5 whose trustworthiness He loves to glorify John 16:13–14.

10.5 We believe that the sanctification, which comes by the Spirit through faith 2 Thess. 2:13, is imperfect and incomplete in this life.¹² Although slavery to sin is broken Rom. 6:14 6:17, and sinful desires are progressively¹³ 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 war Gal. 5:16–18 1 Pet. 2:11, and call for vigilance in the lifelong fight of faith Heb. 3:12–13 1 Tim. 6:12 2 Tim. 4:7–8.

10.6 We believe that all who are justified will win this fight. They will persevere in faith and never surrender to the enemy of their souls.¹⁴ This perseverance is the promise of the New Covenant Jer. 32:40, obtained by the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 11:25, and worked in us by God Himself Heb. 13:20–21, yet not so as to diminish, but only to empower and encourage, our vigilance Phil. 2:12–13; so that we may say in the end, I have fought the good fight 2 Tim. 4:7–8, but it was not I, but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15:10.

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¹ Rom. 4:3 4:5 Luke 7:29 7:35 16:15

² 1 Pet. 1:2 1 Thess. 5:23 4:7 Rom. 6:19, 22

³ Gal. 5:6 1 Tim. 1:5 Col. 1:4–5 1 John 3:14 4:8, 20 4:16 2 Thess. 2:13 Acts 26:18 2 Thess. 1:11 1 Thess. 1:3 James 2:17 2:26 Acts 15:9 1 John 2:3–4 5:1 James 2:17–20, 26

⁴ 1 John 2:19 Phil. 1:6 2:12–13 Rom. 4:3 Gen. 15:6 Rom. 4:19–22 Gen. 17:17 James 2:21–23 Gen. 22:10

⁵ Heb. 12:14 Rom. 8:13–14 Gal. 5:21 6:8–9 John 5:28–29 1 Cor. 6:9–10 Matt. 18:34–35 James 2:21–25 2:17–20, 26

⁶ Rom. 4:20–22 Col. 1:23 Heb. 11:1 3:6 Rom. 6:8 1 Tim. 1:16

⁷ Rom. 10:9 1 John 3:23 Acts 20:21 Gal. 2:16 Col. 1:4 2:5 2 Tim. 3:15 John 20:31 Phil. 1:29

⁸ John 6:35 1 John 5:1–4 John 3:19–21 Heb. 11:1 11:24–26

⁹ Heb. 12:14 Rom. 8:13–14 Gal. 5:21 6:8–9 John 5:28–29 1 Cor. 6:9–10 Matt. 18:34–35 James 2:21–25

¹⁰ 2 Tim. 2:24–25 Acts 11:18 John 6:44 6:65 Phil. 1:29 Eph. 2:8–9 Matt. 11:27 16:17 Acts 16:14

¹¹ Rom. 15:18 1 Cor. 1:30–31 15:10 4:7 Heb. 13:21 Rom. 11:36

¹² Phil. 3:12 1 John 1:8–10 2:1 Matt. 6:11–12 Rom. 6:11–13 Gal. 5:16–18

¹³ 2 Cor. 3:18 1 Cor. 1:18 Heb. 10:14 2 Pet. 3:18

¹⁴ Mark 13:22 Luke 22:31–32 John 10:27–30 Rom. 8:30 Heb. 3:14 1 John 2:19 1 Cor. 1:8–9 Phil. 1:6 1 Thess. 5:23–24 2 Tim. 1:12 1 Pet. 1:5

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

11.1 We believe that faith is awakened and sustained by God's Spirit¹ through His Word Rom. 10:17 and prayer.² The good fight of faith is fought mainly by meditating on the Scriptures Eph. 6:17–18 Heb. 4:12 Ps. 1:1–3 and praying Ps. 119:36 119:18 86:11 that God would apply them to our souls.

11.2 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 God.³ Therefore, reading Eph. 3:4, understanding Eph. 5:17, pondering 2 Tim. 2:7, memorizing Ps. 119:11, and savoring Ps. 37:4 34:8 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 night Ps. 1:2.

11.3 We believe that God has ordained to bless Phil. 4:6–7 Matt. 7:7–11 and use Rom. 15:30–31 Eph. 6:19 Matt. 9:38 His people for His glory through the means of prayer, offered in Jesus' John 14:13 name by faith James 1:5–8. 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 heaven Matt. 6:9–10. God's sovereignty over all things is not a hindrance to prayer, but a reason for hope that our prayers will succeed Ezek. 36:37–38.

11.4 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 Word Ps. 119:36, and for the spiritual ability to see the glory of God in His testimonies Ps. 119:18 Eph. 1:18, and for a soul-satisfying sight of the love of God Ps. 90:14, and for strength in the inner man to do the will of God Eph. 3:14–16 Col. 1:9–11. By prayer God sanctifies His people 1 Thess. 3:12–13, sends gospel laborers into the world Matt. 9:38, and causes the Word of God to spread and triumph over Satan and unbelief 2 Thess. 3:1.

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¹ 2 Tim. 2:24–25 Acts 11:18 John 6:44 6:65 Phil. 1:29 Eph. 2:8–9 Matt. 11:27 16:17 Acts 16:14

² Mark 9:24 Luke 22:31–32 Eph. 1:18–19 2 Thess. 3:1 1:11

³ 2 Pet. 1:3–4 Heb. 10:34 11:24–26 13:13–14

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

12.1 We believe in the one universal Church, composed of all those, in every time and place, 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 Head.¹ We believe that the ultimate purpose of the Church is to glorify God Eph. 3:10 Matt. 5:14–16 in the everlasting and ever-increasing gladness of worship Rev. 5:9–12.

12.2 We believe it is God's will that the universal Church find expression in local churches Acts 8:1 1 Cor. 16:19 in which believers agree together to hear the Word of God proclaimed Eph. 4:11–12 2 Tim. 4:1–2, to engage in corporate worship Eph. 5:18–20 Col. 3:15–16, to practice the ordinances of baptism Matt. 28:19 and the Lord's Supper 1 Cor. 11:23–26, to build each other's faith through the manifold ministries of love 1 Cor. 12:4–7 14:26 Rom. 12:6–8, to hold each other accountable in the obedience of faith through Biblical discipline,² and to engage in local and world evangelization.³ The Church is a body in which each member should find a suitable ministry for His gifts 1 Cor. 12:13–18; it is the household of God in which the Spirit dwells Eph. 2:20–22; it is the pillar and bulwark of God's truth in a truth-denying world 1 Tim. 3:15; and it is a city set on a hill so that men may see the light of its good deeds—especially to the poor—and Gal. 2:10 Rom. 15:26 Luke 14:13–14 give glory to the Father in heaven Matt. 5:14–16.

12.3 We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord by which those who have repented and come to faith⁴ express their union with Christ 1 Cor. 12:13 in His death and resurrection Rom. 6:3–4, by being immersed in water Acts 8:36–39 John 3:23 Rom. 6:4 in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Matt. 28:19. It is a sign of belonging to the new people of God, the true Israel,⁵ and an emblem of burial Rom. 6:3–4 and cleansing Heb. 10:22, signifying death to the old life of unbelief, and purification from the pollution of sin.

12.4 We believe that the Lord's Supper is an ordinance of the Lord 1 Cor. 11:23–26 in which gathered believers 1 Cor. 11:17–20, 22 eat bread, signifying Christ's body given for His people, and drink the cup of the Lord, signifying the New Covenant in Christ's blood 1 Cor. 11:23–26. 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 grace 1 Cor. 10:16–17 John 6:53–57, 63.

12.5 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 gospel.⁶

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¹ Col. 1:18 Eph. 1:22 3:6 4:15–16 5:23

² Gal. 6:1 James 5:19–20 1 Cor. 5:7, 11–13 2 Thess. 3:14–15

³ Col. 4:5–6 Rom. 15:24 3 John 7–8 Matt. 28:18–20

⁴ Col. 2:12 1 Pet. 3:21 Gal. 3:26–27 Acts 2:38 18:8 Matt. 3:6

⁵ Rom. 2:28–29 4:16 Gal. 3:7 Mark 1:4–5

⁶ Eph. 4:11–12 1 Tim. 5:17 Acts 14:23 Titus 1:5 Acts 6:4 1 Tim. 2:12–13

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

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 age Matt. 28:18–20. This task is to proclaim the Gospel to every tribe and tongue and people and nation Rev. 5:9, baptizing them, teaching them the words and ways of the Lord Matt. 28:18–20, and gathering them into churches Acts 14:23 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 obedience Rom. 1:5John 4:23Rom. 15:8–11. 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.

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

14.1 We believe that when Christians die they are made perfect in holiness Heb. 12:22–23, are received into paradise Luke 23:43, and are taken consciously into the presence of Christ, which is more glorious and more satisfying than any experience on earth.¹

14.2 We believe in the blessed hope Titus 2:13 that at the end of the age Jesus Christ will return to this earth personally Acts 1:9–11, visibly Mark 14:61–62, physically Phil. 3:20–21 Luke 24:39–43, and suddenly 1 Thess. 5:2–3 in power and great glory Luke 21:27; and that He will gather His elect Matt. 24:31, raise the dead 1 Thess. 4:15–17, judge the nations, and establish His kingdom 1 Cor. 15:22–24 2 Tim. 4:1 Luke 22:28–30. We believe that the righteous will enter into the everlasting joy of their Master,² and those who suppressed the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1:18 will be consigned to everlasting conscious misery.³

14.3 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.⁴

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¹ Phil. 1:23 2 Cor. 5:1–9 Rev. 6:9–11 2 Cor. 12:2–3

² Ps. 16:11 Matt. 25:23 25:46 19:29 John 3:16 Rom. 6:23 Jude 24–25

³ Dan. 12:2 Matt. 3:12 Mark 3:29 Luke 16:26 Jude 12–13 2 Thess. 1:9 Rev. 14:11

⁴ Eph. 2:6–7 Ps. 16:11 1 Cor. 13:12 2:9

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.

15.1 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.

15.2 Our aim is not to discover how little can be believed, but rather to embrace and teach “the whole counsel of God.” Acts 20:27 Our aim is to encourage a hearty adherence to the Bible, the fullness of its truth Titus 1:1 1 Tim. 6:3–5 4:1, and the glory of its Author. We believe Biblical doctrine stabilizes saints in the winds of confusion Eph. 4:13–14 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 doctrine 1 Tim. 1:5. 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 works Ps. 9:10.

15.3 We believe that the cause of unity in the church Eph. 4:4–6 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 other John 13:34–35 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.

15.4 We do not claim infallibility for this affirmation and are open to refinement and correction from Scripture 1 Cor. 13:12 2 Pet. 3:18. 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 so Acts 17:11. 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.

We affirm that God created mankind in his image as male and female with equal personhood and worth, and that he commissioned them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and to rule and subdue it together. We also affirm that differences between men and women are part of God’s good design and plan Gen. 1:26–28 31.

We deny that male and female are indistinct from or interchangeable with one another, or that the differences are inconsequential Gen. 1:26–27 2:21–24 Matt. 19:4–5.