Non- Negotiables of Faith
- Holy Scriptures
- God-breathed
- Infallible and inerrant
- Sufficient
- Authoritative
- Doctrine of God
- All-Knowing
- Is Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth
- Trinity
- God is one in essence
- God is three Persons
- The Persons of the Godhead are one in substance, power, and eternity.
- Creation
- All things were created by God for His own glory and Pleasure
- Man is a special creation, made in God’s image
- Providence
- God sustains His creation now
- God is intimately involved with His creation
- God provides for His creation
- Original Sin
- Adam was and is the representative of all unredeemed people
- When Adam fell, all humanity fell in Adam
- All are sinners by nature
- Man is born dead in trespasses and sin
- By nature man is a child of wrath
- The Holy Spirit
- Is fully God
- Is a Person
- Convicts of sin
- Applies the work of Christ
- Regenerates sinners (absolute necessity for salvation)
- Sanctifies and comforts those who belong to Christ
- Person of Christ
- Was and is eternally God
- Took to Himself human flesh
- His divine Person was joined with a full human nature yet without sin
- Was born of a virgin
- Lived a sinless life
- Is the Messiah and only Savior
- Bodily death, resurrection, and ascension
- The only way to the Father
- Is Prophet, Priest, and King
- Gospel
- All of grace
- Good news
- Christ as a substitutionary sacrifice on the cross
- Christ as a free gift of righteousness
- Christ as the wrath-bearer on the cross
- Christ as Lord
- Christ as High Priest
- Only Mediator between God and man
- Justification
- Forensic (legal) declaration
- Imputation of man’s sin to Christ
- Imputation of Christ’s righteousness to man
- By faith apart from works
- Grace
- God saves by grace alone
- Man does not earn or merit any favor of God
- God saves to the glory of His grace
- Repentance and Faith
- Man must turn from the love of sin to the love of God
- Man must turn from unbelief to faith in Christ
- Man must turn from being lord of his own life to the Lordship of Christ
- Repentance and faith are gifts of God
- Good Works
- Necessarily flow from faith
- Must be there to show love for Christ
- Do not merit grace
- Law
- Must be proclaimed as a tutor to Christ
- Teaches men of sin and so the need of Christ
- Demonstrates God’s holiness
- Humbles and breaks men of self-righteousness
- Church
- Consists of true believers
- Under the Lordship of Christ
- Should be guided by Holy Scripture
- Baptism
- Is for believers only
- Is by immersion
- Is the sign of the New Covenant
- Final Judgment
- Resurrection to eternal life or eternal death
- Resurrection to eternal, conscious torment for the damned
- Resurrection to eternal joy in Christ for the believer
- Evangelism & Missions
- There must be a free proclamation of the gospel to all people
- The gospel should go to all nations
- The gospel should be proclaimed to local people
- Groups of disciples should be gathered in towns and communities
- Disciples and churches should be strengthened