Ordination Document--Ministry Beliefs

This is the final part of my Ordination Document which I submitted for my Pastoral Education class. This will give everyone a basic understanding of what I believe about core Christian teaching. Enjoy!!

Ministry Beliefs

1. The Bible

· I believe that the Bible is the only revelation from God to man. It is inerrant, infallible, supremely authoritative and sufficient for all facets of life.[1] It is inerrant in both word and thought, and this inerrancy extends over the realm of science, history, and any other field of study. The Bible presents literal history, including the 6-day Creation week in Genesis 1-2.

2. Trinity

· God is eternally existent in three distinct Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), yet they together make up one God.[2]

3. God

· God is the only Supreme Being, existing outside time and the known universe. He is the Creator of the universe, and He rules over every detail of history. He is Holy, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent. He is Gracious, Merciful, Kind, and Loving.[3]

4. Jesus Christ

· Jesus Christ is the God-man, both fully human and fully divine. He was born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life. He was crucified, buried, and raised bodily on the third day.[4]

5. Man

· Man was originally created good, but chose to disobey God, and by this disobedience sin entered the world. The effect of sin is deadness of spirit, and a depraved nature passed down to every human born after Adam and Eve.[5]

6. Salvation

· Because of sin’s effect on man’s spirit, it is necessary that he be saved from God’s wrath against his sins. The only salvation available is offered through personal trust in Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Man contributes nothing to salvation, and the faith which brings salvation is a repentant faith in Jesus Christ and his righteous obedience to the law of God. When a man is saved, He is born again of the Spirit of God. This leads to a lifestyle of Spirit-produced fruit[6]

7. Last Things

· Jesus ascended bodily into Heaven after His resurrection. He will return to gather His people together and take them to dwell in Heaven with Himself. I believe He will return to gather the elect to Himself before He returns for a millennium to reign on earth.[7]

8. Final Judgment

· There will be a final resurrection for all people, and they will face judgment for their deeds. Those who have placed their trust in Christ will be welcomed into everlasting life, while those who have rejected Him will be cast into an eternal lake of fire where they will experience eternal, conscious torment as payment for their infinite crimes against God.[8]

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[1] 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 119

[2] Isaiah 45:5, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19

[3] Isaiah 46:9-10, Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:18

[4] John 8:58, John 10:30, Luke 1:35, John 8:46, I Corinthians 15:1-2

[5] Genesis 1:31, Genesis 3, Ephesians 2:1, Romans 5:12-14

[6] John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 20:21, 2 Corinthians 5:21, John 3:3, Matthew 3:8, Galatians 5:22-23

[7] I Thessalonians 4:16-5:2, Revelation 20:1-6

[8] John 5:28-29, Matthew 25:34, Revelation 20:15