This is more or less a compilation of “Things I Believe” from papers I have submitted to boards or church leadership. Its format sounds kind of wooden because I am being asked to answer questions or present short views that would be under review and questioning later. Please take this into consideration as I may take time to polish these papers later.
Believing Is An Essential Part Of Life
Belief is essential to life; everyone believes in something or someone. The most personal belief and trust is grounded in faith. We have faith in someone or something because we believe. We have trust because a person has proved themselves repeatedly as trustworthy. We have no doubt, we have complete faith and trust. Having faith in someone or something anchors our faith. Faith, belief, and trust come together in order for us to personally give ourselves over to something or someone. These words are intertwined to complete in my heart what my inner person believes about someone or something.
Faith Is A Gift And Is Not Intuitive
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. This is the very first verse I memorized after I came to know Christ. It explains why I have faith in Christ and where this faith came from. Faith is something that God established in my heart as a gift by hearing God’s Word. Simply, my faith and belief system came alive or was awakened “through the word of Christ”, via the Bible specifically. Upon hearing and then responding to what I heard, I then obtained faith to believe. Romans 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” My heart was awakened, and my response was to receive biblical truth by faith. Had I not heard I would not have had faith to believe.
Everyone believes in someone or something, that is nothing new. What you place your faith in is what you build your belief structure upon, and firmly trust in to guide you through life. The faith that you have personally as a structure to live life, is placed in something or someone, what that something or someone is, is very important, because that faith will become functional as a belief system that guides you through life.
Belief Is The Action Part Of Faith
Belief is the action part of faith; belief is to accept something as the truth unequivocally. Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Faith has an object, so we must determine what that object is. I have faith in my wife and family and other people, but unfortunately, they have failed me at some point, and I them. Happily, and thankfully, God has never failed me, so if Christ is the object of our deepest faith, we are safe, we have no inhibition no worry or concern. The act of believing is done in faith, 2 Corinthians 4:13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak. Faith in what we believe causes us to act or speak out what we believe.
When we mentally give assent to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, and trust in that assent, we are on the path to saving faith. But that mental assent must translate into a belief from the heart, the inner being, and confessed as belief from the heart to complete saving faith. Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
The functioning aspect of faith to believe causes my belief to functionally play out in surrender, and worship, and all sorts of actions directed toward the God that I say that I believe in. Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Faith is more than mental accent, faith functions within my heart, my very personhood, causing my belief by faith to be acted upon in loyalty, love, and complete submission to God. John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments……..23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” To act upon that love for God with my whole inner man. Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ To act upon that love by obedience as an outward show of my relationship with God. 1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. It is interesting to note that when Jesus disciples remembered what He had told them about His resurrection, “they believed the Scripture”. Remembering Scripture brought about belief, their beliefs were informed by Scripture. That is so important to remember. It is not the other way around, my beliefs don’t inform what Scripture speaks to, Scripture speaks to what I am being informed about. A person who says that they have faith and believe, will be compelled to act upon that faith in noticeable tangible ways as they become more like Christ. Faith is active all the time, not part time, not only on Sunday. Faith seeks to always please God, and is rewarded by God by consistent, continual seeking after God. Hebrews 1:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Faith makes it possible to please God, draw near to God and seek God.
Trust Is Not A Passive State Of Mind.
When we decide to choose to trust, our will is surrendered to someone or something volitionally, our desires, choices, wishes, will, motivation in life, is completely given over to that someone or something. My trust is placed in Christ, and my actual surrender to Christ, and present trust in Him as Savior and Lord, is demonstrated in my life by being surrendered to Him, Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Deny self, die to self, and then follow Him. Faith in Christ is full surrender of one’s life to Him, it is fully trusting in Him, it is not passive surrender it is full surrender. Trusting God with our life, as well as how we go about life, is the natural outflow of our faith.
Faith is not primarily in a system, or a religion, or a set of doctrines, it is in a person, Jesus Christ. We trusted in Christ as Savior, and we live in that trust. Everything else flows from our faith in Christ. The distinguishing mark of every believer is a new life in Christ, “a new creation”. Our renewed life in Christ pursues Christlikeness, we have been totally transformed. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. The gospel has a transformational effect upon a person, your life is now in Christ, your heart and mind is singularly focused, Christ is now “your life”, you surrender your life in complete trust in Him to guide you through life.
Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Core Beliefs Are Truths That Are Presented In The Word Of God
Beliefs are the foundation of our faith. What we believe about God, Scripture and God’s redemptive plan for mankind are of utmost importance. Typically, beliefs rarely change, usually they are strengthened as time goes on, however, adjustments in our beliefs can be beneficial if they have biblical warrant. We all have core beliefs about the three principle areas of life, home, work, and church. These are the three principle places we spend the most time in living in. Our faith, belief, and trust, operate within the context of these three areas of our lives. Our faith in God and His Word determines what we trust in as our core beliefs. Scripture is our final authority, our epistemology is based upon God’s Word, therefore, our world view and life are shaped by Scripture. Scripture should have the ultimate shaping influence in our lives.
I believe that my one aim in life and death should be to glorify God, to please Him and enjoy Him forever. That God teaches me how to bring Him glory and please Him in His Holy Word. How do I express this core belief in one sentence? To please God by bringing Him ultimate glory through becoming like His Son.
Pleasing God by bringing Him ultimate glory through becoming like His Son is the ultimate focus and purpose in life. When the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matt3:17, it pinpoints the fact that becoming more and more like Christ pleases the Father as He sees His Son in us. Jesus death was substitutionary, He became sin for us and took our place, 2 Cor 5:21, and now our life is in Him, Col 3:4, Gal 2:20. God is glorified as Jesus life is revealed more and more in us, as He increases and we decrease Jn 3:30. This is God’s kingdom purpose, and if we seek it first, everything else we need in life will be added, Matt 6:33. Everything in life is made up of goals and tasks in some way. Life is a series of conscience decisions we make to accomplish something in order to gain something. People who live with no goals in life really have no direction in life.
Because Scripture reaches the inner man at the heart level, Heb 4:12, and is where true transformation and testing takes place, 1 Thess 1:4, I teach with confidence Jesus’ philosophy of living, Jn 8:28, 29, so that the believer can confidently know “how to walk and to please God”, “more and more”, 1 Thess 4:1. Seeking God’s glory in whatever we do, 1 Cor 10:31, and being confident in God’s unchangeable purpose of conforming believers into the image of His Son, Rom 8:29. This is the answer to life stability, life fulfillment, and the full effects of the gospel in one’s life. The Scripture’s bring us to these conclusions, they give us comfort and peace as well as understanding. They are sufficient for all of life and godliness 2 Pe 1:3,4, not some of life, but all of life. We must believe this and be confident in the sufficiency of Scripture to lead us to please God by bringing Him ultimate glory by becoming like His Son. This is the singular ultimate focus & Purpose in life.
I believe God’s Word to be infallible and inspired by the Holy Spirit, preserved and absolutely sufficient for life and godliness. 2 Tim 3:16, 17, 2 Pe 1:20,21. That the Word of God is objective revelation 1 Cor 2:13, 1 Thess. 2:13, and that the Bible does not merely contain or reflect God’s Word, it is God’s Word in its entirety. That the meditation and thoughts of my heart should be influenced by Scripture, rather than imposing my thoughts and ideas on Scripture.
I believe that inspiration necessitates preservation, that God preserved the Bible in its transmission to our time. God has preserved special revelation in the Bible so that it has not been lost or destroyed. Ps 119:152, Matt 5:18, 24:35, 1 Pe 1:23, Ps 12:6-7, Ps 119:89. I believe that we can confidently say that we possess the very Word of God and can be confident that the Bible accurately conveys God’s Word. I further believe that copies and translations carry the same weight as the original autographs in a derivative sense, that is to the degree that they accurately reflect the original text that they were translated or copied from. That no copy or translation is inspired in the original sense.
I believe that man must be illuminated to the truth of Scripture and that knowledge of Scripture is not intuitive. Illumination is the act of the Holy Spirit whereby He enables regenerate man to understand the true significance of the Word of God Jn 14:26; 1 Cor 2:6-16; 1 Jn 2:20,21, 27. This is necessary because of the noetic effects of sin, or the effects of sin on man’s mind and thinking. The Holy Spirit leads the believer to Truth and gives him the ability to perceive the truth contained in Scripture 1 Jn 2:20-21, 27.
I believe that the Bible is sufficient. When I say that God’s Word is sufficient, I mean that God and His Word is wholly capable to perform a desired end, and that there is no equal to its sufficiency for life and godliness. There are four ways God has testified that His Word is sufficient, wholly adequate for every spiritual need. 1. Scripture Teaches us Truth. 2. Scripture Reproves us of our Sin and Error. 3. Scripture Corrects our Behavior. 4. Scripture Trains us In Righteousness. 2 Tim 3:14-17. Scriptures completely and thoroughly furnish man “unto all good works”. The Word of God, used by the Spirit of God, is sufficient to solve all the spiritual, psychological, and relational problems of the child of God. No other branch of knowledge has the same authority as Scripture, it stands alone and speaks with absolute and final authority.
I believe that God is a Spirit, and that He is triune. God exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and each person is fully God, and there is only one God. 1 Cor 8:6, Eph 4:6 That God became flesh in Christ, the sinless Son of God. Deut. 6:4, Is. 45:5–7, 1 Cor. 8:4, Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14, Jn 1:1,14. That God is uncreated and separate from His creation Isa 55:8-9. Everything that exists has been created by Him and for Him Col 1:16. He created all things out of nothing Heb 11:3 in six literal twenty-four-hour days Gen 1 Ex 20:8-11. Everything which He created was originally good Gen 1:31. Though God’s work of creation has ceased Gen 2:2, He continues to sustain that which He has created Col 1:17. God ordained in eternity past everything that has happened or will happen in conformity with His will Eph 1:11, and according to His own good pleasure Ps 115:3; Isa 46:10. Nothing happens apart from His decree. Nothing can thwart His purposes Isa 46:11.
I believe that God the Father is recognized as Father by the Old Testament saints. Jer. 3:19; Mal. 1:6. He is recognized as Father by the New Testament Matt 23:9, Rom. 1:7; Eph. 4:6, He is revealed as our Heavenly Father by the Son. Mt. 5:16, Jn 14:9-11, He provides authority for the church and participates in the process of church discipline. Mt. 18:18-20, and He is to be addressed as Father in prayer. Mt. 6:6; John. 17:1 The Father has lavished His love upon us 1 Jn 3:1 and manifests His love in us 1 Jn 2: 5, 15.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God the Son, preexistent, coequal, and coeternal with God the Father Jn 1:1, 10:30; Phil 2:6; Heb 1:3. The Son of God is fully human and fully divine without any confusion of the two natures Rom 9:5. Several facts show that He is truly man. He was born Matt 1:1, possessed a body Jn 1:14, grew Lk 2:52 was tempted Heb 4:15, and died Jn 19:30. Several facts show that He is fully God. He is eternal Jn 1:1, holy Heb 7:26, omnipresent Eph 1:22-23, omnipotent Matt 28:18, and omniscient Col 2:3. He was instrumental in the creation of the universe Jn 1:3, 10 and currently sustains all things Col 1:17. Jesus Christ voluntarily gave Himself as a vicarious atonement on the cross, bearing the sin of the world and suffering God’s complete wrath against sin 1 Jn 2:2. His death was genuine Matt 27:50, was in God’s eternal plan Acts 2:23, was substitutionary 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13, expiated man’s guilt Heb 9:26, redeemed man from bondage Matt 20:28, propitiated God’s wrath 1 Jn 2:2, and reconciled man to God 2 Cor 5:18,19. While the death of Christ is sufficient for all men Heb 2:9; 1 Jn 2:2, it is efficient only for those who exercise faith in Him 1 Tim 4:10; Jam 2:14-19. That Matt 7:21-29 best describes who the people are who exercise true faith and repentance unto salvation. I believe that as Jesus Christ came to die for sinners, that He will return a second time in glory to judge the world. 1 Thess. 4:16, Titus 2:13, John 14:1–3, 1 Cor. 15:51–53, 1 Thess. 4:15–5:11
I believe in God the Holy Spirit, equal with God the Father and Son, and the same nature. Jn. 14:16,17,26; Mt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14. That He was active in creation. Gen. 1:1-3. That in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled. II Thes. 2:7. That He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness. Jn. 16:8-11, that He bears witness to and empowers the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony. Jn. 15:26,27; Acts 5:30-32, that His purpose in this age is to glorify the Son. Jn. 16:14, that He is the agent of the New Birth. Jn. 3:5,6, that He indwells, seals, baptizes, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps believers until the day of redemption. Eph. 1:13,14; 4:30; Jn. 14:26; 16:13; Acts 11:16; Rom. 8:9,14,16; II Thes. 2:13; I Pet. 1:2; Rom. 8:26,27, that He gives to the believer at salvation gifts of service according to His will I Cor. 12:11, to be used for the edification of the body of Christ. I Cor. 13:5b; Eph. 4:16 Each member of the Godhead, while fulfilling distinct but complementary roles has precisely the same nature, attributes, and being, and is equally worthy of the same glory and honor, Jn 1:1-4, Acts 5:3-4.
I believe in the existence of angels, finite Matt 24:36, spirit beings Heb 1:14, created by God Ps 148:2, 5, Col 1:16, prior to the creation of the heavens and the earth Job 38:4-7, for the purpose of glorifying Him, Isa 6:1-3; Rev 4:6-11, and ministering for Him Ps 103:20. Angels are spirit beings Heb 1:14, but have occasionally taken on the appearance of humans Gen 18:2, Luke 24:4, and they do not procreate Matt 22:30. Holy or elect angels Mark 8:38, 1 Tim 5:21, serve believers Heb 1:14 in some capacity.
I believe that the literal, grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture, affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal days Gen. 1:31, Ex. 31:17. I believe that the heavens and the earth, and all that are in them, are the work of God, and that He sovereignly directs and governs over all creation, so His creation will fulfill the end for which it was created. Jn 1:3, Col. 1:15–17, Heb. 1:2, Is. 43:7, Col. 1:16, Rev. 4:11
I believe that God created man after His own image, Gen 1:27, I Cor 11:7, and that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species or development through long periods of time from lower to higher forms. Gen 2:7,21-23; Jn 1:3 That it was by willfully sinning against God that man fell into the sin and misery in which we now experience, and that by Adam, the federal head of the human race, sin entered the world and death by sin. Rom 5:12
I believe that Adam was created in a state of innocence Gen 1:31; Eccl 7:29, but fell from this state through one act of disobedience Gen 2:17, 3:6. That as a result of Adam’s original sin, both he and the entire human race were plunged into sin as a result of his federal headship Rom 5:12, 19 and became subject to its effects, including death and separation from God. Gen 2:17; Rom 6:23.
That by nature man is a child of wrath, under the condemnation of God, corrupted, prone to evil, an enemy of God, liable to eternal death. That man is alienated from God Isa 59:2, stands condemned before Him Rom 5:16, is totally spiritually dead Eph 2:1-3, is corrupt and spiritually blinded Rom 1:28-32; Eph 4:17-19, and is completely unable to extricate himself from his condition apart from God’s enablement Eph 2:4-5. Dead is dead, meaning the total absence of life, therefore God must awaken man to salvation and bring life, he cannot be delivered except through the unmerited grace of God our Savior Jesus Christ. Gen. 2:7,15–25, 3:1–19, Jam 3:9, Jn 3:36, Rom. 1:18, 3:23, 6:23, 1 Cor. 2:14, Eph. 2:1–3, 1 Tim. 2:13,14 Therefore, the ability and desire to believe are the gracious gifts of God. Jn 1:12-13, Eph 2:8, 9, Tit 3:5, 1 Pet 1:3 That true believers are those who have come to Christ in true repentant faith 1 Cor 7:10, 11
I believe that the eternal Son of God was virgin born of a woman by the Holy Ghost, that He did die for our offenses and redeemed us. I believe that He bore the penalty due my sins in His own body on the tree and fulfilled in His own person what we could not pay, who became sin for us through His substitutionary death. That by His righteousness, He presents me to the Father with His imputed righteousness. That this was of no merit of man. Is. 7:14, Matt. 1:23,25, Lk 1:26–35, 2 Cor 5:21, Tit 3:3-8
I believe that Jesus Christ was raised again for my justification, and ascended into the heavens, where He sits at the right hand of the Father and continually makes intercession for His people. That He governs the whole world as head over all things for His Church and may definitely know that nothing can separate me from His love because I am eternally secure, because a believer has eternal life already. John 5:26–29, 14:19, Rom. 4:25, 6:5–10, 1 Cor. 15:20,23, John 5:24, 6:37–40, 10:27–30, Rom. 5:9,10, 8:1,31–39, Eph. 4:30, 1 Pet. 1:4,5
I believe that the redemption wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ is effectually working in me by the Holy Spirit, who works faith in me and thereby renews me in the whole man after the image of God, doing a sanctifying work and enabling me more and more to die unto sin and to live unto righteousness. That this gracious work will be completed in me, and I shall see Him in heaven. This great hope encourages me to ever strive to perfect holiness in the fear of God. John 17:17,19, Rom. 6:1–22, 1 Cor. 1:2,30, 6:11, 2 Cor. 3:18, 1 Thess. 4:3,4, 5:23, 2 Thess. 2:13
I believe that the Church is composed of all those who have been or will be saved during the church age, Lk 16:16, from the first to be saved under the New Covenant until the final rapture of the church. That all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual body, the church 1 Cor. 12:12,13, the bride of Christ 2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:23–32, Rev. 19:7,8, of which Christ is the head Eph. 1:22, 4:15, Col. 1:18, That believers comprise what is referred to as the Body of Christ Eph 1:22-23, 3:2-11; Col 1:18, 24. The building agent of the Church is the Holy Spirit. Spirit baptism is the judicial placement of the believer by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ 1 Cor 12:13. The Church has been given a place of special prominence among the redeemed of all ages Heb 12:23 and is distinct from Israel, the Old Testament people of God 1 Cor 10:32 , in origin, purpose, and destiny.
The visible manifestation of the body of Christ, the church on earth, is the local church. I shy away from the term, universal or invisible church, and use the more biblical term, body of Christ. A local church is a group of believers Ac 2:41 who are submerged in baptism, Matt 28:19,20, Jn 3:23, Acts 8:36-39, Ro. 6:4,5, organized with the offices of elders/pastors and deacons, Ac 14:23; 6:5,6; 15:23; 20:17-28, Phil 1:1, I Tim. 3:1-13, I Pet. 5:1-4, sharing a common faith or body of truth Ac 2:42, Jude 3, observing the ordinances of water baptism Matt 28:19, and the Lord’s Supper Ac 2:42, carrying out the Great Commission Matt 28:18-20, and meeting regularly Heb 10:25; Ac 20:7. The local church is the vehicle God has chosen to accomplish His purposes 1 Tim 3:15.
The true mission of the Church is expressed in the New Testament and abbreviated in Matt 28:19,20, and Eph. 4:11-16. To make individual disciples. To baptize them into a properly organized and functioning local church. To teach them to obey His Word as He has commanded. Therefore, all ministry should be carried out under its auspices, Ac 11:22, 13:3, as mapped out in a Matt 28, Eph 4 type approach.
Initial qualifications for membership in a local church include conversion and water baptism Ac 2:41. The only continuing qualification is an orderly walk. Those who persist in disorderly conduct or open sin are to be dealt with under loving restorative church discipline Matt 18:15-17; 1 Cor 5:1-13. Church discipline is using loving confrontive and corrective measures directed toward an individual, individuals, or a congregation regarding a matter of sin in the life of a believer. In Matthew 18 our Lord explains to His disciples how to respond when a fellow believer sins against them. The primary application of Matthew 18, addresses the personal offense of an individual believer’s sin against his brother, giving the offended brother instructions on how to respond. The Lord clearly teaches here that ultimately the entire assembly of believers has a responsibility to follow through in seeking restoration of a sinning member. The principles Jesus sets forth here are applicable in every situation where sin affects the Body of Christ. Church discipline is not an individual effort, it is a corporate effort, the church is fully engaged and may be called on to respond as an assembly if sin is not dealt with properly. If the person responds, that is the end of the process, but if they don’t respond, each step of church discipline turns up the heat so to speak, to bring them to repentance and restoration. The goal of church discipline is not to throw people out, embarrass them, be self-righteous, play God, or exercise authority and power in some unbiblical manner. The church’s membership is commanded to restore the one overtaken in sin, to help them to clear their conscience before God and man, Gal 6:1, to counsel and admonish one another, Rom. 15:14 as well as many other duties and functions of a local church assembly. The purpose of discipline is to bring people back into a pure relationship within the assembly and usefulness in the local church.
The two ordinances of the local church are water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Water baptism was authorized by Christ Matt 28:19, symbolizes our salvation Rom 6:4, was given a command for perpetuation Matt 28:19, and was practiced by the early church Ac 2:41. The only mode of water baptism which adequately symbolizes the truth behind it is immersion. Likewise, the Lord’s Supper was authorized by Christ Matt 26:26-29, symbolizes a saving truth 1 Cor 11:26, was given a command for perpetuation Luke 22:19, and was practiced by the early church Ac 2:42. I believe in “close” communion, not closed communion, as long as each believer participating in the Lord’s supper, examines themselves and personally and privately confesses sin, they may participate in the Lord’s supper. Neither water baptism nor the Lord’s Supper contribute in any way to the salvation of those who participate in them. They are memorials or symbols designed to commemorate the cross work of Christ Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 11:23-26.
I believe that God has established His Church in the world and has given it the ministry of the Word. That ministry of the word is churches privilege to aid the believer in the process of progressive sanctification. Progressive sanctification is the gradual process whereby the believer is set apart more and more from sin to God on a daily basis. It covers the entire earthly life span from justification to glorification and is not to be thought of as just an act (like justification), but a continual process. The believer is active and involved in the sanctification process as in partnership with God. Phil 2:12-13, In the process of moving from salvation to heaven on earth, man is commanded to be growing spiritually in Christ 2 Pe 3:18. It is God’s eternal purpose to conform you into the image of His son Rom 8:29, and God enables us and empowers us for this task 2 Pe 1:3,4.
The local church is vitally involved in the process of Christian maturity as the elder/pastor/under-shepherd equips the saints for the ministry Eph 4:11, 12. Every believer should be under the care and the authority of a local church, so that every privilege can be provided for them that God has made available, as far as gifts, responsibilities, and privileges. The church’s leadership is commanded to Feed the flock of God, Acts 20:28, I Pet. 5:2, mature the saints Eph. 4:11-16, watch over the flock, Heb 13:7, 13:17, and perpetuate the training process, 2 Tim. 2:2. In addition the local church is responsible for maintaining its doctrinal purity. 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; 2 John 9-11; 2 Thes 3:6, 14. Every one of these functions are done under the watch care of the local church and its appointed leadership.
Fourteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament were written by Paul, if you count Hebrews as being written by Paul. Only one, Philemon, was not written to a local church but to a person. All of these books were written for instruction for the saints and leaders of the churches. It is obvious through a casual reading of these books, that God was using Paul to encourage, exhort and instruct the local churches. Believers are vitally and inextricably involved with the local church assembly. The over whelming emphasis in the New Testament is local church ministry from the book of Acts all through the Epistles. In every case without exception, any mention of a Christian in the New Testament, is in the context of being connected to a local church, there is absolutely no model of believers operating outside of the oversight of the local church.
The local church is God’s vehicle to perpetuate the gospel by winning folks to the Lord and then establishing a discipleship center for spiritual growth, Matt 28:19, 20. From my understanding of a Matthew 28 ministry I have developed a biblical value system. I believe that Matt. 28:18-20 embodies all of what the purpose of our ministry should be personally and publicly. This passage is the umbrella under which everything else operates in ministry. We are to aggressively pursue the lost and baptize them, aggressively disciple the new convert, aggressively teach them to observe every commandment, and aggressively reinforce the preservation of His commands by pointing out that they will stand “until the end of the world”. This is done practically through local church ministry, as well as properly through sound biblically doctrinal teaching. I happily encourage church membership and joyfully serve within a local church assembly.
I am growing in my understanding of theology just as anyone should, in depth and in understanding. No statement of faith is complete unless the author is willing to grow in his understanding of Truth, so I commit myself to a lifelong study of understanding and applying what I know about Truth.