Dan's Revolution!: January 2008

Friday, January 4, 2008

A Minigesis of Romans 12:1-2

INTRODUCTION
In 1813 King Frederick William III of Prussia instituted what would become one of the most prestigious military awards a soldier could receive: the Iron Cross. There is a story, perhaps not historically accurate but illustrative nonetheless, that the first recipients of the Iron Cross were not soldiers, but the patriotic women of Prussia. The financing of war and country and proven too big a burden for the nation’s treasury, so the king called upon the ladies of the land to donate their jewelry of gold and silver, which would then be melted down and used to serve the greater good of the country. In return for their patriotic actions the women would be given an iron cross. King and country had served the citizens well, and in light of this Prussia’s women responded in droves, gladly giving up their gold for iron. In fact, fancy jewelry became unfashionable; iron crosses, however, were highly prized.
The call of Christ to his people is not unlike this. Christ the King has given much and cared well for his people, and so He asks his people to turn in their “jewelry,” these ornaments and trinkets of life which human nature and especially American culture highly prizes and receive in its place a gift from the king. To some it doesn’t look like much (an iron cross does not glitter like a gold ring), but for those who know what has been given for them and to whom they are giving, it is highly prized.
Paul, as one sent by Christ the king, brings this message to the believers in Romans 12:1, saying “I beseech you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service of worship.” Just as the women of Prussia had renewed priorities after trading their gold for iron, so too the believer is to have transformed priorities after having presented themselves, as Paul says in the next verse, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and well-pleasing and perfect.” What is so amazing about this passage, beyond the exhortation itself (which is indeed amazing and powerful) is that the power to carry this out, the power to sacrifice what the world has given and received what God has given and so be transformed, is couched in the exhortation itself. To see it though it is important that the reader understand the context.
That this letter was written by Paul is not really up for debate; as proving this is not the point of this paper, it will suffice for now to say that the evidence in favor of Pauline authorship is “overwhelming” (Hendriksen 25). The letter was, as the name implies, written to the church in Rome, which had not been founded by an apostle (Catholic claims not withstanding) and consisted of both Jewish and Gentile believers. These were not easy times for Christians. The believers were unpopular, accused of such things as cannibalism and incest; Tacitus makes reference to Christians in his Annals as “enemies of the human race” (Bruce 19). Besides being assailed from the front by enemies of the church, they are being attacked on the sides by the influences of the world; the inherent tension of integrating two worldviews (Jew and Gentile) into one (Christian) did not make church life any easier. With all the challenges facing the Roman Christians the church was at a pivotal point (Faber 2001).
Paul, too, had reached a pivotal point in his ministry. Dating the letter to AD 57 (Arnold 3), Paul had reached the end of his third missionary journey. “From Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum,” Paul tells his readers, “I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ” (15:19). In his time he has gained knowledge, wisdom, and experience, as well as an unbridled passion for those who would believe, both Jew and Gentile. He, as a “Pharisee of Pharisees” and the “chief of sinners” understands better than most the mercies of God, and Paul, better than most, lived a life demonstrating what it truly means to believe and respond to those mercies; it is this knowledge and passion that Paul tires to communicate to the Roman Christians.

OUTLINE
Paul’s thesis for this letter is that the gospel “is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith” (1:16-17). The first 11 chapters of the book are Paul’s treatise on orthodoxy, an examination of this gospel. The final chapters relate his view of orthopraxy, an explanation of how the righteous will live by faith.
Paul first makes a declaration of guilt, for the Gentiles (ch 1), the Jews (ch 2), and finally the whole world (ch 3). Justification, illustrated by Abraham and explained in Adam take up Romans 3:21-5:21, followed by sanctification in the flesh (ch 6), in the law (ch 7) and by the Spirit (ch 8). Paul then speaks to the scope of God’s redemption (9-11) before finally coming to the second part of his epistle in Romans 12, the fruit of redemption which is service and transformation. Specifically, Romans 12:1-2 looks like this:

Brothers:
I. An exhortation to holy living (12:1-2)
A. Present your bodies as a sacrifice (1)
1. A living sacrifice
2. A holy sacrifice
3. A well pleasing sacrifice
B. Do this because of God’s mercies to you
C. Do this as your act of worship
1. It is a reasonable response
II. A command (2)
A. Stop conforming to this world
B. Keep being transformed
1. By the renewing of your mind
2. So that you can prove the will of God
a. His will is good
b. His will is well-pleasing
c. His will is perfect

Paul finishes his letter by talking about the Christian’s duties in life (12-13),
Christian liberty (14), and final conclusion and salutations (15-16).

EXEGESIS
“Therefore I beseech you, brothers, by the mercies of God”
A famous axiom of Bible study is that whenever the reader encounters a “therefore” he must ask himself what it is there for. In this case, it refers the reader back to the aforementioned mercies in the previous chapters (Phillips 181). These mercies include God’s kindness (2:4), grace (4:16), love (5:5), patience (9:22), and chiefly the message of the gospel itself, namely justification by faith in the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ (3:24-25).
Paul is directly addressing the believers and uses the word parakalw, which can be translated as exhort, beseech, or urge. It is stronger than asking, but it is not a command; God does not compel those whom he loves to respond, and yet, as will be shown later, there is little else to do but respond in love and obedience when considering the mercies of God. “God has saved us from sin, from its penalty and its power. He has saved us from self in all its features and all its forms. He has overruled the destinies of nations. He has triumphed in his grace and multiplied His mercies. He has, as it were, besieged us with His mercies, brought them up against us in countless number, built the bulwarks of His grace against our souls, poured a ceaseless cannonade of kindness in upon the breaches of our hearts” (Philips 181). It is because of these reasons that Paul is driven to beseech and exhort the believers; to “urge” is not the best translation as it does not carry the strength in English to fit the context.
“to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God”
The original recipients of this letter, being either Jewish or acquainted with Jewish practice, would have noted the contrasts between the sacrifice Paul is calling for and the ones they have witnessed or heard about in Jerusalem. First, it is not an animal that is being presented, but the body of the very believer himself. This is at once a harder sacrifice to make, for one is being asked to give up something he dearly loves, for “no one ever hated his own body” (Eph 5:29). It becomes further differentiated from and more difficult than Old Testament sacrifices with the word zwsan, which is translated as “living.” The form of the word (not to mention context) is present and active. Simply put this is a sacrifice that is continual and never dies; one cannot lay it on the alter and be done with it, but rather he must lay himself on the alter again and again and again.
It is not too much of an inference to say that when Paul refers to the sacrifice of the body he means more than flesh and blood. In 13:14 the apostle says to “make no put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.” Perhaps the best picture of the depth and breadth of this sacrifice in 6:11-14, telling his readers, “you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace.”
Such a sacrifice, which includes a death to sin and a life lived for Christ, is both holy and euarestion, which can be translated either as acceptable or well-pleasing. “Well-pleasing” is the better choice as for the English reader what is acceptable in his or her life is not necessarily well-pleasing, yet for God this is not the case.

“which is your reasonable service of worship.”
The Greek logikhn, which is here translated as “reasonable,” also carries the meaning of “spiritual;” indeed in the only other place it is used in the New Testament it is translated thus, as Peter makes reference to “spiritual milk” (1 Peter 2:2). In the context of 1 Peter the best translation is obvious-the context of the verse doesn’t allow for the English word “reasonable.” The best translation for logikhn here in Romans must likewise submit to context. “The emphasis of 12:1 is on the word ‘Therefore’” (Hendriksen 402), which, as mentioned, refers the reader back to the mercies of God. In light of these mercies, the apostle says, it is only reasonable and rational that the believer should present his whole body to God.
Paul calls this the believer’s latrein, that is, he calls it the believer’s service or divine worship. There are several Greek words for worship, and while each emphasize a slightly different form of worship, each also shares the similarity of “humble service and a total life submitted to God, honoring him with what he values—this is the essence of true worship” (Christian Standard). latrew is the most service oriented of the words, for example true believers “serve (λατρευοντες) by the Spirit of God” (Phil 3:3). All of life is (or should be) an act of worship before God (Arnold 74), and much of American worship, be it traditional, contemporary or blended, is foreign to the Bible.
“And do not be conformed to this world”
“It is one thing to point out a goal to a person and encourage him to try to reach it. Paul has done this in verse 1. It is a different matter to show him what he should do to reach that goal. The apostle does not fail us at this point” (Hendriksen 404). The conjunction kai, translated “and,” links these two thoughts together. The idea of presenting one’s body as a living sacrifice, and the command not to conform but to transform go hand in hand and both are a response to the mercies of God.
Paul chooses to use the word mh, a strong negative, telling his readers to NOT be conformed to the world. Moreover, the word conformed, suschmatizesqe, is in the imperative mood, or mood of command. In other words, Paul is not making a suggestion, nor is he even beseeching as in verse one, but rather he is commanding. What makes this command particularly interesting is that it is in the middle voice (the passive voice is a possibility, but context suggests the middle voice as a better option). The middle voice implies that the readers were not actively conforming, but neither were they actively avoiding. The best translation of this verse would read: “stop allowing yourself to be conformed.” J.B. Phillips puts it this way: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold” (Philips 182). Paul also offers a commentary on himself: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Cor 15:33).
The apostle does not use the simple kosmos, or world, here, but instead says tw aiwni toutw, “to this age.” The culture surrounding the Romans bore striking similarities to today’s American culture in its corruption and immorality (Faber 2001), which can and does subtly makes its way into the church and the lives of those called out for Christ. Not only does yielding to the temptations of the world conflict with the desires of the Spirit and the purpose of the church, it only leads to disappointment and death, for “the fashion of this world is passing away” (1 Cor 7:31).
“but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”
Here the apostle presents a strong contrast: Don’t be conformed, be transformed. The same Greek verb translates as transformed is used also in Matt 17:2 at the transfiguration of Christ, and the transfigured Christ stands in sharp contrast to fallen human nature. Here again is another command, the command to be transformed, and Christians from AD 57 until present day have worked hard to follow this command, finding on one extreme the ascetics, whipping themselves into a renewed mind and on the other end mega-preachers touting the psychological path to “Your Best Life Now.” Both, however, miss what Paul is saying. The verb metamorfusqe (transformed), is first in the present tense, meaning this transformation of which Paul speaks is continual. Second, it is in the passive voice, meaning that the reader, the one being transformed, cannot (nor should he) do this himself. Finally, it is in the imperative mood, the mood of command. The best translation would be “continue to let yourselves be transformed.”
Implied in this command is the amazing power for transformation mentioned earlier, namely, the Holy Spirit. Paul explains, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Cor 3:18). The duty of the Christian is to allow the Spirit to change him, for God will not force change on him, and in allowing the Spirit to work in his life the believer will fulfill the command to stop allowing himself to be conformed.
Paul presents the renewing of the mind as the means by which the transformation takes place (Lenski 515), but to leave it at that is not satisfactory because the rest of scripture rejects intellectual faith as being of much value in and of itself, so it stands to reason that Paul means something more, and indeed while the renewal of the mind begins with right thinking it does not end there. In 7:22-25 Paul relates the mind to the inner man, which “is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16). How is it being renewed? “through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).
“that you may prove what the will of God is”
Here is the reason for the command: that the believer may prove (in themselves) what the will of God is. dokimazein, which can be translated as prove or approve, is in the present, active form, which again stresses an action happening in present time and continuing to happen. This statement of the apostle’s shows that “in order to discern the will of God for their lives the believers cannot just depend on conscience. Conscience is indeed very important, but it must constantly be sent back to the school of Scripture to receive instruction from the Holy Spirit. It is in this manner that the believers become and remain aware of God’s will” (Hendriksen 406). Whole tomes are written on finding the will of God for one’s life, but Paul sums it up in a verse: stop being conformed to the world and allow yourself to be transformed by the Spirit. Then you will know the will of God.
“that which is good and well-pleasing and perfect.”
Just to make it a little easier, Paul tells the reader what the will of God is: that which is good and well-pleasing, and perfect. The word translated as “perfect,” teleion, may also be rendered “complete” or “mature,” all of which would do well here, each implying the other to be true. The goal of a life lived in accordance with God’s will is not salvation, for that has been freely given, but rather it is perfection, as Jesus himself commanded: “you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:48). That this will happen in this lifetime is not likely, that this will happen in the next is a beautiful assurance. “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is” (1 John 3:2).

SUMMARY OF PRINCIPLES
1. The believer is to respond to the mercies God has shown him. “The Christian life does not mean to stand still, but to move from that which is good to that which is better” (Luther 167). To put it another way, “Jesus loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way” (Lucado 15). Much of the focus of the church is on getting people through the door, getting the commitment, and then unfortunately many new believers are then left hanging without discipleship. This is part of the reason for the prevalence of the vending machine god, the god that gives but never asks for anything in return. This is not the God of scripture; while God never asks His people to repay Him (for they never could) He demands that they respond to Him; doing so is the reasonable and rationale thing to do.
2. The believer is to respond with his whole person. Another unfortunate plague of American Christianity cheap grace, which is made possible when one gives only their intellectual consent, agreeing that Christ is who He says He is. As James says, even demons believe that. God asks for the whole person: body, mind, and soul; to submit anything less is to not submit.
3. If the believer does not maintain his guard, he will be just like the world. The Bible says that Christians are sojourners in this world, visitors waiting to go home. It is easy and convenient to adopt the ways of the culture in which one finds themselves, and in fact human nature is to imitate that which is constantly in his presence. Therefore, the believer should see to it that it is Jesus who is constantly in his presence. It is not enough to declare oneself different, one must actively be different.
4. The Spirit does the work if the believer lets him. It is not often that one can say that God is capitulating to the will of man, but in this case it is true. God is ready, willing, anxious, and able to wrought change in the life of His people, and indeed He is the only one who can do it, but He will not do it until the believer is open to it.
5. The will of God is knowable. It is both a grievous sin and intellectual and spiritual laziness when Agnostics say that the will of God is unknowable, and a tragedy when Christians say it. But like the idea of grace freely given, a knowable will of God (and thus a knowable God) is a concept that is hard to accept. But Christians can know the will of God and have peace in pursuing their ambitions when they are open to the transformative work of the Spirit.

APPLICATION
“I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me” (Kierkegaard 90). The irony of Kierkegaard’s observation in unmistakable, so too is the sadness. Orthodoxy is useless if not accompanied by right practice, which is probably why the scriptures don’t teach doctrine just for fun. Rather, doctrine is always taught with a mind towards application.
The passage examined above is a command to transform. On it’s face it seems so hard to do; after all, if it were easy everyone would be perfect and mature, and yet no one reaches that goal until they see Jesus. But in fact the command given does not put the burden on the believer but on God-it is He who transforms. What the believer is asked to do, in the end, is simply believe.
In his book Blue Like Jazz Donald Miller relates a statement made by his friend Andrew the Protester, who says “You don’t believe what you say you believe.. you believe what you do.” Christians, especially the good, church-going Christians, speak often about the Holy Spirit and regeneration and transformation and changed hearts, all while warning themselves and their young about the dangers of the world, with its liberal media and sex-saturated ways, and yet very few things change. This is because words don’t equal belief and intellectual consent does not equal faith. There are several applications of this passage, but the most important is this: The believer must open his heart to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and then live as one transformed. Live it, and it will be so.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Faber, Charles. Class Notes: Romans. Boise Bible College. Boise, ID: 2001

Arnold, Clinton. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. Grand Rapids,
Zondervan, Grand Rapids: 2002

Bruce, F.F. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Romans. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans:
1985

Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Romans. Grand Rapids, Baker
Books: 1980

Kierkegaard, Soren. The Essential Kierkegaard. (Edited by: Howard and Edna Hong).
Princeton University Press: 2000

Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans.
Columbus, Ohio: Wartburg, 1945

Luther, Martin. Commentary on Romans. (Translated by J.T. Mueller). Grand Rapids:
Kregal Publications, 1976 (reprint)

Lucado, Max. Just Like Jesus. Thomas Nelson Pub, 1998

Philips, John. Exploring Romans. Moody Press, Chicago: 1969

http://www.christianstandard.com/articledisplay.asp?id=24 Accessed November 28, 2007

Dan's Doctrinal Statement

Ok, I think I'm finally done with this.

PREAMBLE:
I believe in a personal, organized, doctrinal statement as a means of keeping oneself graounded in the faith. Having studied these issues thoroughly and coming to clear conclusions, my personal doctrinal statement serves as a reference in my mind for my theological and ecclesiastical dealings.

I believe that you do not have to share my doctrinal statment to be worthy of fellowship and salvation. I believe that the essentials one must believe to be called a Christian are these: 1. That Jesus is God, that he came in the flesh, that he died on the cross, that he rose again and that he will return. 2. That grace and forgiveness are provided by the blood of Christ. 3. That the Bible is the Word of God and the final standard for Christian faith and practice.

I believe that in doctrinal matters believers should strive for this goal: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love."

DOCTRINE OF GOD:

The Nature of God
I believe that there is only one true God (Deut 6:4, Isa 44:6), who in essence is three persons (Matt 28:29, 2 Cor 13:14). I believe that he is spirit (John 4:24) and is inherently personal (Exodus 3:13-14) and relational (Gen 1:26-27, John 14:21). The Father is God (John 6:27), the Son is God (John 1:2, Heb 1:8), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). I believe that all three are equal (Psalm 90:2, Heb 9:14) and eternal (2 Peter 3:8).
Attributes Unique to God
I believe that God is eternal (2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 90:1-2), self-existent (John 5:26), without limit save those he imposes on himself by his own character (Job 11:7-10, Acts 17:28) with regard to power (Matt 19:26), knowledge (Rom 11:33), and presence (Gen 21:33). He is transcendent above creation (Gen 1:1) and yet present and involved in his creation (Psalm 139:7-10, Acts 17:24). I believe that God is unchanging in his essence, attributes, and characteristics (James 1:17, Exodus 3:14) but free to change without any contradiction of his nature in response to relationships (Isa 59:2) and attitudes (Deut 13:17) I believe that he may rightly be called perfect (Deut 32:4, Matt 5:48); these attributes are essential to God in that they are true of him all the time.
Attributes of God Reflected in Man
Certain attributes of God are communicable in that they can be reflected in man. Among these are his righteousness (Rom 3:25-26), wisdom (Rom 11:33-34), holiness (1 Peter 1:16), faithfulness (2 Tim 2:13), grace (Mic 7:18, Eph 2:4-5), and goodness (Nah 1:7). I believe that in God love is made perfect (1 John 4:8), that he shows love to his creation (Matt 10:29), including every human being (John 3:16), that he shows special love to those that are his (Eph 5:25) and that this special love is conditional (John 15:10, Jude 21). These attributes are essential in that they are true of God all the time. I believe that God, in response to circumstances, shows anger and wrath (Exodus 32:10-11, Psalm 11:4-7, Col 3:6). Anger and wrath are non-essential in that they are true of God only some of the time.
The Work of God
I believe that God has an eternal plan which ultimately can not be frustrated (Psalm 33:9-10, Isa 14:24). This plan was set in place before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4) and he is actively carrying it out (Eph 1:11). I believe that humans are unable to resist in any way some facets of God’s plan (Isa 14:27, Acts 2:23), but other facets are resistible and may be temporarily frustrated through disobedience (Psalm 106:13-15, Acts 14:16). This is not to say that humans can triumph in any way over God’s will; that which is not decreed efficaciously is allowed to happen within God’s sovereignty (Rom 1:21-25).
I believe that God created the universe and all that is in it, both visible and invisible, originally out of nothing (Gen 1, Psalm 33:6, Col 1:16, Heb 11:3) and subsequently out of the material he created (Gen 1:27). I believe that he is sovereign over his creation (Psalm 135:5-7) and that he cares for it and us by his word (Heb 1:3), sovereign decree (Matt 10:29-31) in the godly and ungodly alike (Rom 8:28, Prov 16:4). I believe that as part of God’s divine providence he responds to the prayers of his people (Exodus 3:7, Luke 11:1-13).
I believe that before the foundation of the world God chose, based solely on his glory and purposes, to bestow the blessings of salvation on certain individuals (Eph 1:3-12) that they may in turn serve his plan (Acts 9:15). I believe that for others God chose for salvation those whom he foreknew would make a free-will decision for the blessings of Christ (John 3:16-18, Rom 8:29-30). I believe that human merit and work play no part in obtaining salvation (Eph 2:8-9, 2 Tim 1:9) and that all who do not accept God’s grace through faith will be condemned as the natural consequence for rejecting eternal life (Acts 13:46, Rev 13:8).
God the FatherI believe that the Father is spirit (John 4:24) and that he possess all of the attributes of the Godhead (Eph 3:14-15, 1 Cor 8:6). I believe that out of love for human beings God the Father sent his Son as a propitiation for sin (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2, Rom 3:25) and as a result of God’s work believers are now reconciled to the Father (Eph 2:16). I believe that one can not find distinct roles for each person of the Trinity, including the Father, but that all three persons are in relation to themselves in their roles (Gen 1:26, Psalm 90:2).

DOCTRINE OF CHRIST:
The Person of Christ
I believe that Jesus Christ is fully God, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit as a member of the triune Godhead (John 1:1, 14; John 10:30). Jesus claimed the divine name (John 8:58) as well as equality with God (Matt 28:18-20, John 8:58) and is specifically called God (John 20:28, Rom 9:5). Moreover, Jesus held the prerogatives of God in receiving worship (Matt 4:10, Acts 10:25-26, 1 Cor 1:2), forgiving sin (Mark 2:7, Luke 5:20-24), passing judgement (John 5:26-29), and participating in creation (John 1:3, Heb 1:2).
I believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God, fully human while still fully divine (Col 2:9, Heb 2:14). In so doing the Son of God laid aside his glory and divine lifestyle (John 17:5, Phil 2:5-8), pouring himself into humanity (John 1), submitting himself to the Father (John 4:34), to the leading of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14), and to the Law (Gal 4:4).
I believe that Jesus was born of a virgin (Matt 1:18-25) as a natural human being (1 John 1:1) and grew naturally (Luke 2:40, 51-52), experiencing the gamete of human emotions (John 11:3, John 11:35, Mark 3:5) and physical needs (John 4:5-6, Matt 4:2, Mark 4:38, John 19:32-34). I believe that he is able to fully understand and sympathize with the human condition (Heb 2:17-18, 4:14-15). I believe that Jesus was tempted in every way and yet did not sin (Matt 4:1-11, 2 Cor 5:21, 1 Peter 2:21-23) and thus remained without blemish his entire life (Heb 4:15, 1 John 3:5) I believe that Jesus is God-Man for all time (Col 2:9-10, 1 Tim 2:5) and has a preeminent position over all creation (Col 1:15).
The Work of Christ
I believe that the work of Christ as recorded in scripture began at the creation of the world (John 1:1-3) and that he continues to sustain creation (Col 1:16-17). I believe that the Son of God became incarnate to reveal God (Luke 13:33, John 1:14), redeem the world (2 Cor 5:19, Heb 7:25-27), and leave an example that believers may follow in his steps (1 Cor 11:1, 1 Tim 1:16, 1 Peter 2:21). I believe that the ultimate purpose for Christ’s life was his death on the cross, a substituionary atonement for our sins (Isa 53, Phil 2:8, Rom 3:23-25, 1 Peter 2:21-24) where he himself became the propitiation for sin (Heb 2:17, 1 John 4:10).
I believe that Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave three days after his death (Matt 28:1-8, 1 Cor 15:1-14) and forty days later ascended into Heaven (Luke 24:50-51, Acts 1:9), where he is seated at the right hand of the Father (Col 3:1, Eph 1:20-21). I believe that his work in Heaven continues as intercessor (Rom 8:34), mediator (1 Tim 2:5) and high priest (Heb 8:23-25). I believe that Christ alone is head of the church (Eph 1:22, Col 1:22) and that he is now our king (1 Tim 1:17, 6:15).I believe that in the future the work of Christ will continue when he returns bodily and visibly to Earth (Acts 1:10-11, Rev 1:7) to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42, Rom 2:16, 1 Thess 4:13-18). I believe that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Rom 14:11, Phil 2:11) and that he will continue to rule forever (Rev 1:6).
DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Person of the Holy Spirit
I believe the Holy Spirit is co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son and is a member of the triune Godhead (Gen 1:1, Deut 6:4, Heb 9:14, Acts 5:3-4). I believe he is a person, as opposed to simply a “presence,” “force,” or “it,” as evidenced by his intellect (1 Cor 2:10-11), emotions (Eph 4:30, Rom 15:30), and will (Acts 13:2, 16:6).
The Attributes of the Holy Spirit
I believe the Holy Spirit is all-knowing (1 Cor 2:10), all-present (Psalm 139:7), all-powerful (Luke 1:35), and eternal (Heb 9:14); He possesses wisdom (Isa 11:2) and truth (John 16:13).
The Work of the Holy Spirit
Before the incarnation of the Son, the Spirit was involved in creation (Gen. 1:2, Ps. 104:30), and empowering the prophets and special envoys of God to speak and act for God (Num. 11:25, Judges 6:34, 1 Sam. 16:13, 2 Kings 2:9-15). The Old Testament prophets foretold an outpouring of the Holy Spirit ushering in judgment and the future kingdom of God (Is. 44:3, Ez.ek. 36:27, Joel 2:28).
I believe the Holy Spirit was active in the life of Jesus through his conception (Matt. 1:18, 20), his baptism (Matt. 3:16-17), and his ministry (Matt. 12:28; Acts 10:38).
I believe that the Holy Spirit initiated the church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and that the work of the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer (1 Cor 6:19), on a temporary basis under the Old Covenant (Gen 41:38, Num 27:18, Judges 6:34) and a permanent basis under the New Covenant (Joel 2:28-29,Acts 5:32, Rom 8:9). He convicts the world of sin (John 16:8) and for the believer he is a guide (John 16:13), a source of power (Acts 10:38), a teacher (John 14:26), and a comforter (John 15:26). He grants him discernment (1 Cor 2:14), causes his regeneration (John 3:5-7), seals him for salvation (Eph 1:13-14), serves as a means of sanctification (2 Thess 2:13), and aids in his spiritual life (Romans 8:26-27). I believe that the presence of the Spirit in the believer’s life is made manifest through the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
I believe the Spirit gifts the individual for the purpose of edifying the church (1 Cor 12) and that those gifts commonly called the charismatic gifts exist only so long as they are needed (1 Cor 13:8-11). I believe that not all gifts are given to all people (1 Cor 12:29) and that the gifts that are given are given in proportion to the receptiveness of the believer (Rom. 6:13; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 5:18).
Receiving the Holy Spirit
I believe the Holy Spirit indwells the believer at the new birth (1 Cor. 6:19) and never departs (Rom. 8:9). I believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit is contingent upon salvation (Acts 2:23) and obedience (Acts 5:32) and that it is right and good for the believer to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:11).
DOCTRINE OF MAN
The State of Man and His Fleshly Nature
I believe that man is created in the image of God and was created originally without sin or defect (Gen 1). In disobeying God, Adam and Eve allowed sin and death into the world and the accompanying decay of both the world and man’s nature (Gen 2, 3:1-19, Rom 8). Man’s natural state apart from regeneration is one of hostility towards God (Rom 8:7) and death (Rom 6:23, 8:6). I believe that all have sinned (Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8) and are subject to death and wrath (Gen 3:8-10, Eph 2:3). I believe that man is powerless to change this and apart from Christ is without hope (1 Cor 2:14).
The Definition of Sin
All that misses the mark of God’s perfection is sin (1 John 5:17); it does not consist merely of action committed but also of action omitted (James 2:17).
The Result of Sin
The results of that original sin -- inherited sin nature and imputed guilt -- are transmitted from Adam to the entire human race in the propagation of the person (Rom. 5:12-19). Because of sin man is not only estranged from God (Rom 5:10) but sin also results in the estrangement of men toward each other (Gen. 3:16; Eph. 2:12-16) and the corruption of the whole created order (Rom. 8:21-22).
I believe that all men and women voluntarily and personally disobey God and thus cooperate with this sin nature (2 Chr. 6:36; Rom 3:23; Jas. 4:17). Though each person stands condemned in Adam (Rom. 5:18) each one will be judged in the final day according to his or her own sinful deeds (Ezek. 18:19-20; Rom. 2:5-6).

DOCTRINE OF SALVATION
The Possibility of Salvation
I believe that because of sin all men face eternal death (Rom 3:24), but God desires that all men be saved (John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9). To this end he sent his Son as a substitutionary atonement (Isa 53:3-12, 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18) for our sin, satisfying divine justice as the propitiation of the wrath of God (1 John 4:10) and thus redeeming us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:10, 13) and condemnation (Rom 8:1).
The Means of Salvation
I believe that men are saved by grace through faith, totally apart from any works or merit on his part (Eph 2:8-9). God has made his grace available to everyone through Christ's atoning sacrifice (Tit. 2:11) and has invited everyone to respond in faith to his offer (Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 10:13-17). I believe that man is called on to respond to the work and grace of Christ by belief in his message and sacrifice (Acts 8:36-37, Rom 10:14, Heb 11:6), repentance of (the turning away from) sin (Mark 6:12, Luke 13:3, Acts 3:19, 2 Cor 7:10), confession of Christ (Rom 10:9-10) and baptism into his death and resurrection (Acts 2:38, Rom 6:4, Col 2:12, 1 Peter 3:21). Man is unable to do this on his own but must be drawn by God (John 6:44) and led to repentance (Rom 2:4).
I believe God has elected some to salvation based solely on his divine will (Gen. 12:1-3; Gal. 1:15) and others based on his foreknowledge (Rom 8:29). I believe those who have been set apart by God unto salvation (1 Cor. 1:2) are progressively sanctified by the Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 1:2), in cooperation with their own will (Phil. 2:12-17; Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 1:14-16), from sin and unto good works (Rom. 6:4-8; 8:12-14). It is the believer’s task in this life to seek Christ-likeness, a goal which can begun to be met in this life but only completed when one stands complete before Christ (Gal. 5:16-18; Eph. 5:26-27; Phil. 3:12-14).
The Results of Salvation
I believe that when one is saved he becomes a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and experiences justification, in which his sins are placed on Christ (John 1:29; Rom. 3:24-26), and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him (Rom. 5:18-19; 2 Cor. 5:21). The sinner is thus declared by God to be righteous (Rom. 4:1-5) and thereby freed from the penalty of sin (Rom. 8:1), united with Christ (Eph. 2:5), and an made heir of the kingdom of God (Rom. 8:16-17) and his salvation is evidenced by the fruits of repentance and godly living (Luke 3:8, Eph 2:10, Phil 2:12) by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:23). Upon death, the believer passes into the presence of Christ (Luke 23:43, 2 Cor 5:8) where he awaits his final judgment and reward (Matt 25, Rev 20:12).
The Fate of the Unbeliever
I believe that upon death the unbeliever will pass into torment (Luke 16:23) where he will await final judgment and punishment (Matt 25, Rev 20:12) and will henceforth dwell in hell (Rev 20:15).

DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH
The Universal Church
I believe that the universal church was a mystery looked forward to in the Old Testament (Joel 2:28-32; Eph. 3:4-7) and prophesied by Jesus (Matt. 16:18-19; Acts 1:5). The church age began at Pentecost and consists of those who are called by God to be members of his household (Eph 2:19-22). The church age will last until the return of Christ (Acts 1, Rev 5:9). Until that time the church is to act as the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27) and a beacon of God’s truth (Matt 5:13-14). As the Body of Christ, the purpose of the church is to be the representation of Christ hereon earth (John 17:18; 2 Cor. 5:17-20; Eph. 1:22-23), bringing glory to God (Eph. 3:20-21) through worship (John 4:23-24; Rom. 15:5-6; Col. 3:16-17), through the edification and fellowship of the saints (Acts 2:41-42; Heb. 10:24-25), instruction in the scriptures (Eph. 4:11-13; Col. 1:28-29), and the spread of the gospel (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).
The Local Church
I believe the church is best thought of as a community of Christ-followers who strive to align their lives according to the example of Christ (Eph. 3:10-12; Col. 1:13). The local church is the manifestation of the universal church, characterized by unity that springs from diversity (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:22-23). It is organized (1 Cor. 14:40), local (Acts 11:22; 13:1), autonomous, and interdependent with other local assemblies (2 Cor. 9:1-5; Phil. 4:15; 3 John 5-8). It is incumbent on the believer to participate in a local community of believers (Heb. 10:24-25), and to exercise their spiritual gift for the welfare of the body (1 Pet. 4:10).
I believe that the characteristics and tasks of the local church are to study the scripture, fellowship with one another, share in communion, and pray (Acts 2:42). I believe that Christ has commanded that the local church shall practice communion often (Matt 26:26-29, Acts 2:42, 20:7), that it shall practice baptism by immersion (Acts 8:38) as the initiatory ordinance of the church, functioning as a confession of faith for a new believer (Acts 2:37-41; Acts 16:14-15), and as a public identification, both with Jesus Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:5), and with his church (Acts 2:41; Gal. 3:27-28), and that through discipleship it shall seek to create worshipers of God (Matt 28:18-20, John 4:24).
The Leadership of the Church
I believe that Christ and only Christ is the head of the church (Matt 16:17, Eph 1:22-23). He has ordained offices in the church for the benefit and edification of his followers (1 Cor 12:28, Eph 4:11-12) who serve with their fellow members under a plurality of elders (1 Tim 4:14, 5:17, Titus 1:5, James 5:14, 1 Peter 5:5). The offices are elders (for spiritual oversight of the body) and deacons (for service of the body). They are to be appointed by the body according to their spiritual qualifications (1 Tim. 3:8-13; Tit. 1:5-9).

DOCTRINE OF LAST THINGS
Individual Eschatology
I believe that death entered into the world at the Fall (Gen. 3:22-24) as a consequence of sin (Rom 5:12) and that apart from those who are alive at the return of Christ all shall face death (1 Cor. 15:22; Heb. 9:27). At death there is a temporary separation of the material and immaterial parts of the person (Matt. 10:28, James 2:26). The saved pass immediately into the presence of Christ (Luke 23:42-43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23-24) while the spirit of the unrighteous enters Hades, a place of confinement and torment (Luke 16:19-31, 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 20:13-14). This intermediate state is a conscious existence for all who die as they await their bodily resurrection, the righteous unto imperishable, glorified bodies (Rom. 8:10-11; 1 Cor. 15:24-54; Rev. 20:6), while the unrighteous will be resurrected unto eternal disgrace and corruption (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29).
I believe that at the end of the intermediate state all will face judgment, the righteous will be judged and rewarded according to their works (1 Cor. 3:12-15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10) and reign with Christ in the millennium (Rev. 20:4-6), while the unrighteous will be cast into the lake of fire for eternal punishment and separation from God (2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:11-15).
General Eschatology
I believe that Jesus will return personally (Acts 1:8), visibly (Rev. 1:7), unexpectedly (1 Thess. 5:2), and with great glory and power (Matt. 24:30). When he returns, he will establish His millennial kingdom and reign over the earth with his people for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:4). During this time Satan will be imprisoned (Rev. 20:2), there will be peace and righteousness (Isa. 11:1-16), and every person will acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:11). At the end of this period Satan will be released for a short period (Rev. 20:2-3) of time and defeated after attempting to lead a rebellion against God (Rev. 20:7-10).
The Final State
I believe that those who have been declared righteous will be resurrected at the beginning of the millennium (Rev. 20:4) and the unrighteous at the end of the millennium (Rev. 20:5). Believers will be raised with resurrection bodies that are both spiritual (1 Cor. 15:44) and physical (John 20:27), recognizable (Luke 24:16, 31), and is also imperishable, glorious, and powerful (1 Cor. 15:42-43). The final judgment will take place at the end of the millennium and Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10), death will be ended (Rev. 20:14), and unbelievers will be condemned (Rev. 20:15). The righteous will be judged (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10), held accountable (Matt. 18:23-35), and rewarded (Col. 3:24). They have no need to fear this judgment (Rom 8:1). Finally, the renewal will be complete (Rom. 8:19-23) by bringing in the new heavens and the new earth (2 Pet. 3:12-13; Rev. 21:1-22:5) and God’s family will live with him forever in the eternal state (John 5:24; Rom. 5:9; 8:1; Rev. 21-22).

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