Confession of Faith

We believe in the one¹⁾ living and true God, to whom the whole of creation²⁾ so powerfully bears witness — in the immensity of the universe and in the inexpressibly small parts of matter and life, in wise order and wondrous unity within countless diversity and beauty. And the Maker always transcends what He has made. We therefore believe in a God who is humanly unknowable and invisible³⁾, who is omnipresent⁴⁾, almighty⁵⁾⁶⁾, eternal⁷⁾, infinite⁸⁾, unchangeable⁹⁾, all-knowing¹⁰⁾, and absolutely sovereign¹¹⁾. Because of this, human beings can, from creation, discern only a fraction of what God is. He had to reveal Himself to us through Scripture, and only in this way could we also come to know His holiness¹²⁾, purity¹³⁾, perfection¹⁴⁾, righteousness¹⁵⁾, and hatred of sin and sinners¹⁶⁾¹⁷⁾, but also His infinite mercy¹⁸⁾ and love.¹⁹⁾

Within the one God there exist three divine and infinite persons¹⁾, of eternal being and full divine essence — the Father, the Word (or Son), and the Holy Spirit²⁾³⁾ — and each is fully God. Yet each person is also distinct in action and power, while their essence remains one and undivided⁴⁾⁵⁾⁶⁾. And each has a different role⁷⁾⁸⁾ in the salvation of humankind⁹⁾¹⁰⁾. It is only the Word of God in the Bible that reveals to us this knowledge of God.

The universe, the earth, and all of nature are not the product of random physical or chemical processes and blind evolution. We believe that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things visible and invisible¹⁾²⁾³⁾; and that life on earth, in all its variety⁴⁾, was made by the Creator in six days according to His will, exactly as the opening of the book of Genesis describes it to us — and that the whole of creation was very good⁵⁾.

After creating all the heavenly beings and the other creatures, God also created man — man and woman, with an immortal soul and the ability to live in fellowship with God. They were the crown of creation, made in the image of God¹⁾ in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. They had God’s law written on their hearts²⁾, but they had free will, which did not exclude the possibility of a change of heart and turning away³⁾.

Also, that in paradise mankind was given a single prohibition¹⁾: they were not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But the fallen archangel Satan used a cunning serpent, who led Eve into disobedience, and she in turn led Adam²⁾. By this sin, both were cut off from their original righteousness and from fellowship with God³⁾. Their fall into sin and the death that followed struck not only them but also all their descendants — that is, the whole human race⁴⁾. From the moment of the fall, we are all born with a fallen nature⁵⁾⁶⁾, inclined toward disobedience and evil⁷⁾, and spiritually dead toward God⁸⁾. Because of mankind, the whole of creation likewise fell into a state of corruption⁹⁾¹⁰⁾.

The whole Bible — that is, the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament (without the Apocrypha, which is not quoted even once in the New Testament!) — is God-breathed¹⁾ and written speech from God to mankind²⁾³⁾⁴⁾, which alone, in its original languages, is the accurate, sufficient, unchanging, inerrant, and final norm for all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience leading to Christ⁵⁾. Any additions, deviations, or unbiblical practices always rob Scripture of its full truth and authority.

The authority of Scripture comes from God, who is truth¹⁾; His Word, too, is in every respect truth, independent of the opinions and teachings of men or of churches. Scripture alone reveals to us, in its full wholeness and inerrancy, the complete disclosure of the one way of salvation for mankind through Christ²⁾. Its authority is confirmed by the Holy Spirit within the hearts of God’s children³⁾.

Only in the holy Scriptures of the Bible is the promise of salvation¹⁾ in the Messiah — Christ — progressively revealed, and the accomplishment of that salvation is fully shown in the gospel²⁾³⁾⁴⁾. This is the final message of the possible rescue⁵⁾ of sinners from God’s judgment, and the call⁶⁾ to repentance and a return to God. The gospel alone⁷⁾, together with the working of the Holy Spirit⁸⁾, is fully sufficient for people to be born again, made alive, and restored to a life for God’s glory⁹⁾. This core of the gospel can be understood in every translation of the Bible.

Through His Word, God also revealed His moral law as part of His covenant with the nation of Israel, summed up in the Ten Commandments¹⁾²⁾. But that same law was already written on people’s hearts at their creation. Under the New Covenant³⁾, fulfilling and keeping the law is no longer a condition of salvation for Christians — the Lord Jesus accomplished everything for us through His holy life and His sacrifice⁴⁾. Today, the Ten Commandments serve Christians as a picture of what God is like and how believers ought to live. And whoever is in Christ will, out of joy and love for Him, strive with full devotion to do so⁵⁾.

The infallible norm for interpreting Scripture is Scripture itself¹⁾. We believe that every passage of Scripture, illumined by the Holy Spirit through other passages of Scripture, has only one correct interpretation²⁾³⁾; it cannot have several mutually contradictory “true” interpretations.

God did not utterly reject fallen and sinful humanity, even though no human being was, or is, able to attain the standard of righteousness that a holy God requires¹⁾, and we all deserve eternal condemnation. Yet God, from before the ages²⁾, out of His love and grace, prepared a plan of salvation for many. From the very time of paradise³⁾, God progressively revealed this plan through His covenants with mankind and through prophecy. And in the fullness of time He carried out the plan of salvation through His second Person — in the incarnation of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ⁴⁾. This grace, given for believers of every age, is described for us in the Scriptures of the gospel. The Lord and Creator of the world humbled Himself and, though He lived a holy life, allowed Himself to be crucified⁵⁾ in order to redeem us⁶⁾ from our slavery to sin and death. By this sacrifice, fully and never to be repeated⁷⁾, He satisfied God’s justice and reconciled us to God⁸⁾; and because of Jesus‘ sacrifice His righteousness was credited to us⁹⁾, and God also became our Father. And the Lord Jesus alone, with no substitute, is the Head of the church¹⁰⁾.

Believers receive salvation by faith¹⁾, that is, by fully relying on the truthfulness of the gospel²⁾ and on the constancy and unchangeableness of God’s word. True faith cannot be “inherited,” nor can it be arrived at merely through reason. Faith is a gift of God’s grace and is entirely unmerited³⁾.

Receiving salvation is also conditioned on repentance¹⁾ — that is, contrition over one’s sins²⁾, asking God for their forgiveness³⁾, and conversion⁴⁾, namely, a resolve no longer to sin and an effort to live for Christ.

An inseparable part of salvation is also the process of sanctification¹⁾. Even a saved believer continues to live in a corrupted body, but sinful desires must be put to death through sanctification²⁾³⁾. Sanctification can begin in a person only when the Holy Spirit is present within them⁴⁾, having given them a new heart and a new spirit⁵⁾. The Holy Spirit leads believers so that sin loses its power in their lives⁶⁾, bodily desires are weakened, and holiness⁷⁾ and the following of the Lord Jesus are strengthened.

God has called believers to do good works¹⁾²⁾, but not as a precondition, a means of favor, or an aid or supplement to salvation. Salvation is given to us entirely free³⁾, by God’s grace through Christ. Believers do good works not in order to be saved, but because they have already been shown grace and want to please⁴⁾ their Lord. Whoever tries to add anything of their own to their salvation falls under a curse!⁵⁾

For God’s salvation to reach its completion, God’s power and help are necessary for our efforts — not only at the beginning of salvation, but God’s saving work continues throughout the whole life of believers, right up until they are called home to heavenly glory¹⁾. This happens through the intercessory prayers of our Savior in heaven²⁾ (not of the saints) and through the working of the Holy Spirit³⁾, chiefly through the influence of the powerful Word of God⁴⁾, and often also through the cooperation of the church and correction through it⁵⁾.

In His wisdom and holiness, and by His own free decision, God has established, determined, and brings about everything that ever happens¹⁾²⁾. Yet He is not the author of any sin³⁾; He does not override the freedom of other creatures, and still He carries His overarching purpose through to its goal. God knows all things, but not because He merely foresees them; He is continually bringing everything about according to His predetermined will⁴⁾. Nothing can happen outside God’s providence; even the consequences of events, “chance,” secondary causes, and misfortunes are subject to God’s purposes, and He uses them according to His will⁵⁾. Even the fall of some of the angels, the fall of mankind, and sin itself are part of God’s eternal purpose, directed toward the salvation and preservation of believers through Christ, and toward the eternal condemnation of Satan and all who remain hardened in sin⁶⁾⁷⁾.

God also predestined some people, even before the creation of the world¹⁾²⁾³⁾, choosing them according to His wisdom and grace to eternal life through Christ, while leaving others to live according to their own will without God, or to follow opinions and teachings apart from salvation in Christ⁴⁾, or to serve God apart from the Holy Spirit⁵⁾. Election is not given on the basis of origin, personal qualities, merit, or upbringing; it is the undeserved and incomprehensible grace of God⁶⁾⁷⁾⁸⁾. The number of the saved is fixed in advance⁹⁾; it includes small children¹⁰⁾ and those unable to understand the gospel.

The question of predestination lies entirely within the authority of God’s providence¹⁾. We human beings see only what is before our eyes and cannot, in this matter, pass final judgment on anyone — not even on ourselves²⁾. Believers experience the assurance³⁾ of the Holy Spirit, yet they must still, to the very end of their lives, continue in humility and obedience in following Christ⁴⁾.

Out of His grace¹⁾, in His appointed time and in His own way, God effectually calls those²⁾³⁾ who have been written from eternity in the book of life⁴⁾. He addresses them through His Word and, through it, by the power of the Holy Spirit, makes them alive⁵⁾ out of the darkness of spiritual death and brings them into light and life with Christ. No one is able, by their own strength⁶⁾, to break free from the darkness of sin, and no one can come to Jesus Christ unless the heavenly Father draws them to Him⁷⁾. No human being seeks God of themselves⁸⁾, and without the gift of faith no one can rightly believe in Him⁹⁾. This, however, does not free Christians from the duty to proclaim the gospel to all people¹⁰⁾; Scripture obligates them to do so.

Scripture speaks of the importance of the human will¹⁾ and human effort. Even people outside of Christ freely do many commendable things. Yet human good deeds still cannot make people righteous before God; justification must be made possible for the human will and for human seeking after God²⁾ (which are also necessary) through the working of the Holy Spirit within a person³⁾. Except for finding the human way back to “paradise, to the tree of life,” and into God’s presence⁴⁾, the natural human will is genuinely free and independent; it is not merely an illusion or a fiction⁵⁾⁶⁾. The human will (assisted by the Holy Spirit) is also necessary for progress in the spiritual life of believers⁷⁾.

A perfectly liberated human will can arise only in the lives of believers¹⁾, who have been delivered from the dominion of Satan and the power of sin²⁾, from the threatening judgment of God³⁾, from the curse of the law⁴⁾, and from the fear of death⁵⁾. And a conscience submitted to the Holy Spirit is also led toward freedom, so as not to be bound by things that in themselves do not contradict God’s laws but can lead to legalism⁶⁾. The one who is set free agrees with whatever proceeds from truth and is bound up with the love of Christ⁷⁾. Yet here too lies the danger of sinning in the name of “Christian freedom”⁸⁾.

God will also keep¹⁾, to the very day of eternity, those whom He has drawn to Christ²⁾³⁾ and whom He has given to Him⁴⁾. Believers may pass through the storms of life and even through falls, but they will repent and return to God, because it is He who, out of His grace and for the sake of His calling⁵⁾, will not let them fall away⁶⁾. In this matter too, God’s ways are often incomprehensible to us; He looks to His own calling more than to the human deeds visible to us⁷⁾.

Those who have only a merely human faith will be let down by it¹⁾²⁾. But those who have received God’s gift of faith love their Savior³⁾ and live in the fear of God and in obedience to His word⁴⁾; they experience the assurance of salvation, which the Holy Spirit confirms within them⁵⁾. This assurance is not based chiefly on human feelings; it rests on the solid facts of salvation⁶⁾ attested by the gospel⁷⁾, on the inward evidences of the gifts of the Holy Spirit’s grace⁸⁾, and on the bearing of His fruit⁹⁾. Even a true believer may not always experience this assurance, especially when going through falls and trials; and before obtaining it, they often must struggle for it for a long time¹⁰⁾. Far more dangerous, however, is presumptuous human self-assurance, which God will not confirm in eternity¹¹⁾.

We believe in the one fellowship of the church¹⁾ — the whole assembly of all the saints²⁾ — and the bride of Christ³⁾, who is submitted to her Head, Christ, serves Him, and prays only to Him and to God the Father in the Holy Spirit and in truth. The church consists only of the elect and of believers from every age who are faithful to the true God and to Christ: those who by faith awaited the promised Messiah still to come⁴⁾; those who believed in Him at the time of His incarnation⁵⁾; and all those who by faith have looked, and still look, for Him, some of whom will still be alive to meet the coming Savior in the clouds⁶⁾.

All the predestined, who have believed and will believe in Christ, who live godly lives according to Scripture and are united by the Holy Spirit, form the fellowship of the body of Christ¹⁾ — His invisible church, which not even the gates of hell will overcome²⁾. Nevertheless, within visible churches and congregations there always have been, and always will be, some members³⁾ who do not belong among God’s redeemed children. They are not sheep who hear the Shepherd’s voice⁴⁾, but have entered the sheepfold of the church by some way other than through Christ⁵⁾⁶⁾. Some will spend their entire lives within the church, while others will, by their deeds, be recognized within congregations and, if they refuse repentance and change, be excluded⁷⁾; but the final and perfect separation of “the wheat from the tares” and “the sheep from the goats” will be carried out only by the Lord of the church Himself at the end of the age⁸⁾⁹⁾. And sadly, it is a sorrowful fact that whole churches and congregations, just like the Jews, can become a synagogue of Satan¹⁰⁾, outside submission to the gospel of Scripture and outside Christ.

Congregational gatherings are to be led by appointed elders, who meet the qualifications given in Scripture¹⁾²⁾ and who have been set apart³⁾ and approved by the congregation for their spiritual ministry. They are to serve the congregation especially through preaching and teaching, according to their gifts⁴⁾. But the task of mutual service, in a great variety of ways, belongs to the other members of the congregation as well⁵⁾ — not only toward one another, but also toward those around them, both in practical service and in the gospel⁶⁾.

From the days of the apostles, believers gathered in local congregations led by elders¹⁾ and formed territorially independent churches²⁾, not hierarchically subordinate to the congregation in Jerusalem or in Rome. The congregations submitted to the unified teaching of the gospel and cooperated with one another³⁾, yet they were independent churches, each congregation possessing all the gifts of the Holy Spirit needed for ministry, governance, and the congregation’s benefit⁴⁾. It was only in the period after Emperor Constantine I that the popes carried out the centralization of the church and gained influence, power, and wealth. Our models, both spiritually and organizationally, are the congregations of the early church.

Since the days of the apostles¹⁾²⁾, Christ’s New Testament church has gathered for worship, thanksgiving, the preaching of the gospel, and the observance of Christ’s ordinances, chiefly on the Lord’s Day — that is, the first day after the Sabbath — the day on which our Lord was gloriously raised³⁾⁴⁾, and on which the Holy Spirit was also sent (on the fiftieth day after the feast of Passover⁵⁾). The keeping of the Sabbath is also the one commandment of the Ten Commandments that the New Testament does not repeat, and therefore does not require. Sunday, then, is not a “Christian Sabbath.”

Without the working of the Holy Spirit in the church, congregations and churches will, in time, become mere “living museums of tradition”¹⁾. We believe, however, that the chief shared goal of the working of Scripture and the Holy Spirit is the transformation of believers‘ personal lives into ever-greater likeness to the Lord Jesus Christ²⁾. We therefore look with distrust on Christian activities aimed at “joyful feelings,” at miracles, at pilgrimages to well-known preachers, and at a longing for “fresher words from God” through the “interpretation of tongues” and for various “extra-biblical” revelations and books — especially when, even after these special manifestations and experiences, no spiritual growth is shown in these believers‘ personal and family Christian lives. So what means God’s Spirit actually uses to build up the church and believers, time itself will show by their fruit³⁾; and the Lord alone will render the final judgment.

Christ commanded that the church observe only these two ordinances¹⁾²⁾.

Baptism is not the gateway to salvation¹⁾²⁾; it is a voluntary act confirming the decision of faith and repentance³⁾ to abandon a life without God and against His commands, to obediently follow Jesus‘ example in baptism as well, and to be joined to the congregation of believers⁴⁾. We do not baptize small children, because they are not yet able to make such a decision.

The baptism practiced by the apostles and the early church was not baptism by sprinkling or pouring, but baptism by immersion¹⁾ (baptisma, to baptize — baptizein). Baptism pictures the “burial” of the one baptized’s sinful nature in the “grave of water,” and their rising with Christ to new life²⁾. That is why we, too, baptize in this way.

The Lord’s Supper is one of the most essential parts of the gathering of believers, because it leads them into thankfulness and into closer fellowship with their Savior¹⁾. It is the most intimate remembrance of our Savior’s suffering²⁾ and a visible depiction of the sacrifice of His body and the shedding of His blood for the cleansing of our sins and as a sufficient ransom before a holy God³⁾. We reject, however, the teaching that the bread and wine are transubstantiated during the memorial (Mass) into the actual body and blood of the Lord. The church celebrates this ordinance in remembrance⁴⁾. And for that reason we also firmly reject the accompanying dogma of a repeatedly occurring sacrifice⁵⁾ of Christ in the Mass.

We believe that marriage is an institution of God and, from the very beginning, has been intended only for a man and a woman¹⁾ — that is, only for the two sexes created by God. Marriage was given to mankind for the mutual help of man and woman²⁾, for the legitimate increase of the human race³⁾, and to guard against sexual impurity⁴⁾. The Lord Jesus declared marriage to be a union of one man with one woman and did not approve of divorce⁵⁾. Marriage may be entered into by those who are legally competent to do so, and it should not involve close relatives⁶⁾. Christians should not marry unbelievers⁷⁾, and sex outside of marriage, whether before or during it, is sexual immorality⁸⁾. Through Scripture, God condemns not only homosexual practice⁹⁾ but every other perverse practice as well¹⁰⁾.

Governmental and civil authorities exist in the world by God’s design¹⁾, and believers are to submit to them. We are to respect their ordinances and obey their instructions²⁾, even in an age unwilling to submit to anything. We are also to pray for those in authority³⁾. Submission to authority should begin already within families and in the raising of children (see note 6 above). The one exception permitting disobedience — not only toward civil authorities — is when their commands directly contradict God’s will as revealed in Scripture⁴⁾⁵⁾. But believers should also submit to the leadership of their congregations⁶⁾⁷⁾ and to one another⁸⁾. Likewise, all our words, and also any necessary civil promises or oaths, are always to be truthful — our yes is always to mean yes, and our no, no⁹⁾. A believer is to respect authorities, not for the authorities‘ own sake, or out of fear, but because they are submitting to Christ and to His word¹⁰⁾, which commands it.

We believe that life does not end with death¹⁾. The body decays to dust²⁾, but the human spirit does not disappear³⁾. The spirit of the believer passes into the nearness of God (paradise⁴⁾), where it awaits its full glorification, while the spirit of the unbeliever passes into Hades, a place of tormented waiting⁵⁾ for final condemnation in Gehenna — the lake of fire⁶⁾. The Bible reveals no possibility of a posthumous “improvement” in purgatory.

We believe that at the first resurrection of the dead, the dead bodies of believers will be renewed, transformed¹⁾, and reunited with their spirit. Resurrected bodies will be spiritual²⁾ (and will be like Christ’s present glorified body³⁾). Those faithful ones who are still alive at the resurrection will likewise have their bodies transformed, and together with Christ they will reign for a thousand years⁴⁾. Unbelievers will be raised only after the millennium ends, for final condemnation⁵⁾.

We believe that before the close of the ages the Lord Jesus will come a second time, this time as King of kings and Lord of lords¹⁾²⁾³⁾. He will come in His glory and will reign on this earth for the entire millennium — a thousand years⁴⁾.

We believe that the millennium will not be merely a figurative period of Jesus‘ rule, but His real reign¹⁾ within God’s kingdom on earth. Those who believe in a literal millennium do not, however, agree on the timing of the rapture of the church. We lean toward premillennialism (that is, that the Lord Jesus will rapture the church before the seven-year tribulation that precedes the millennium). Scripture, however, does not clearly reveal the timing of this rapture, and this question should therefore not become a cause of division.

In His sovereignty, God has appointed a day¹⁾ on which He will justly judge the world, the fallen angels, and mankind from the great white throne. He will carry out this judgment through His Son, to whom He has entrusted it²⁾. For after the millennium, Satan will be released and will once again deceive the entire fallen world³⁾. The judgment will take place after the destruction of Satan and the armies of evil at Armageddon⁴⁾. Only after this final victory of Jesus will the general resurrection take place⁵⁾, and people of every age (apart from believers already resurrected and raptured) will be judged before the white throne⁶⁾. All their motives and deeds will be justly weighed⁷⁾, and the verdict will be given according to the names written in the book of life⁸⁾⁹⁾. All who are not found written there will, together with Satan, Death, and Hades, be thrown into Gehenna — the lake of fire. But the pardoned and blessed will joyfully live forever in God’s glory and in the Lamb’s presence in the new Jerusalem¹⁰⁾.

One of the purposes the carrying out of the last judgment is meant to show everyone is God’s sovereign power to accomplish His will¹⁾. It is meant to warn those who, under the influence of God’s Spirit, allow themselves to be warned by the judgment and repent²⁾. It is meant to show God’s incomprehensible grace toward those He has saved through the Lord Jesus Christ³⁾ and to whom He has granted a blessed eternal life in His presence. And it is also meant to demonstrate His justice by punishing every power of evil⁴⁾ and all who, freely and in pride, opposed God’s purposes.

For believers, God’s judgment is also a solemn reminder that God is not only gracious¹⁾ but also a righteous Father²⁾, who does not overlook sin and does not leave His children without discipline — and that none of us who believe may grow slack in watchfulness, obedience, and love, since we do not know when our dear Savior will return again to earth for us³⁾.