Theological Profile

This information is to help the reader establish the theological context of my writing and preaching.  This is not intended to be a systematic theology, for I do not offer here an analysis of my viewpoints.

I BELIEVE:

That the Bible is the revelation of God’s mind as inspired by the Holy Spirit.  It is not of human origin and has not been corrupted by man’s opinions, cultural views or errors.

That the authority of Christian doctrine and practice is the New Testament of Christ.  This authority is discerned by careful analysis of text, respect for apostolic teaching and example and drawing conclusions that are necessarily implied from the language.

That the Old Testament, specifically the Law of Moses and the Prophets, was God’s covenant with the posterity of Abraham, the Jews.  Both the Jewish people and their Law were designed to introduce Jesus Christ to the world.  His authority and law supersede the Law of Moses, and the Jews as a class no longer have special standing in the scheme of God.  However, any human being, Jew or otherwise, can be saved and incorporated into the family of God through obedient faith in Jesus Christ.

That Jesus is co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit and that he shared both the nature of God and man in His incarnation.  Jesus died as the atonement for all the sins of mankind; He was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven where He now reigns on the throne of God.

That Jesus accomplished His mission in fullness.  He established His rule and kingdom.  The church is the citizenship of the kingdom, not some alternative or temporary substitute.  When Jesus returns, He will not set up a kingdom but will bring all things to an end.

That the Holy Spirit is not currently active in this realm in a miraculous way. The miraculous gifts of the Spirit were designed to verify the divine authority with which apostles and prophets originally revealed the word of God.  These gifts were temporary and faded away after their purpose was realized.  The changes wrought in the hearts of God’s people are a result of the Spirit’s work through His divine revelation.  This places a premium on our study of that word, on our private and public devotion to and worship of God and on our mutual edification and correction as we serve God day by day.

That the goal of modern-day Christians is to replicate the church faithfully according to the instructions in the New Testament.  In doing so, there must be discernment between those things which are specific and demanded and those things which are general and subject to human judgment.  Each true church of the Lord may display minor differences according to culture or circumstance, but various essentials will be present because of the respect for the authority of God’s word.

That salvation is not determined solely on the basis of a mental exercise, neither is it a unilateral gift of God irrespective of the response of the human heart.  Justifying faith is a comprehensive concept involving trust, obedience, love and constant attention to a consecrated life before God.  Such faith appeals to Jesus’ sacrifice for atonement, thus securing the grace and mercy of God via forgiveness in His blood.  Faith is not an unfailing constant; the New Testament is replete with warnings to the believer about abandoning Christ and returning to a state of unbelief.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of my perspectives, but it gives an overview of concepts which influence my theological framework.