STATEMENT OF FAITH

BUILT ANEW MINISTRIES

1. That there is but one uncreated, unoriginated, infinite, and eternal Being; the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, God.

2. That there is in this Infinite Essence a plurality of what are commonly called persons, not separately subsisting, but essentially belonging to the Godhead; which persons are commonly called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; or God, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these are generally named the Trinity, which term, though not found in the New Testament, seems properly enough applied, as we never read of more than three persons in the Godhead.

3. That the sacred Scriptures, or holy books which form the Old and New Testaments, contain a full revelation of the will of God in reference to man; and are alone sufficient for everything relative to the faith and practice of a Christian; and were given by the inspiration of God. Ref. John 8:29, Gal. 1:4, 2Tim 3:16-17.

4. That man was created in righteousness and true holiness, without any moral imperfection or any kind of propensity to sin; but free to stand or fall.

5. That man fell from this state, became morally corrupt in his nature, and transmitted his moral defilement to all his posterity.

6. That, to counteract the evil principle, and bring man into a salvable state, God, from his infinite love, formed the purpose of redeeming man from his lost estate by Christ Jesus. 1Cor 3:10-11,  1Peter 1:20.

7. That in due time the Divine Logos, called afterward Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour, etc., became incarnated, and sojourned among men, teaching the purest truth, and working the most stupendous and beneficent miracles. John 1:14, 1Tim 3:16,  Gal 4:4-5.

8. That this Divine Person, foretold by the prophets, and described by evangelists and apostles, is really and properly the Son of God; having, by the inspired writers, assigned to him every attribute essential to the Deity; being one with him who is called God, Yahweh, etc.

9. That he is also perfect man in consequence of his incarnation, and in that man or manhood dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; so that his nature is twofold -- divine and human, or God manifested in the flesh. Eph 2:15, Col 2:9, 1Tim 3:16.

10. That his human nature is derived from the blessed Virgin Mary, through the creative energy of the Holy Spirit. Isa 7:14, Isa 9:6, Gen 3:15.

11. That, as he took upon him the nature of man he died for the whole human race, without respect of persons; equally for all, and for every man. John 3:16-18,

12. That on the third day after His crucifixion and burial He rose from the dead; and after showing himself many days to his disciples and others, He ascended to heaven, where, He continues and shall continue to be the Mediator of the human race, until the consummation of all things. 2Cor 5:14-15

13. That there is no salvation but through him; and that throughout the Scriptures his passion and death are considered as sacrificial, pardon and salvation being obtained by the shedding of his blood, and His resurrection from the dead. Gal 3:13-14.

14. That no human being since the fall either has or can have merit or worthiness of or by himself, and therefore has nothing to claim from God, but in the way of his mercy through Christ; therefore pardon, and every other blessing promised in the Gospel, have been purchased by his sacrificial death, and are given to men, not on account of anything they have done or suffered, or can do or suffer, but for his sake, or through his merit alone. Rom 6:23.

15. That these blessings are received by faith, because not of works, nor of sufferings. Eph 2:8-9, Eph 1:3.

16. That the power to believe, or grace of faith, is the free gift of God, without which none can believe but that the act of faith, or actually believing, is the act of the soul, under the influence of that power. But this power to believe, the gift of God may be slighted, not used, or misused; in consequence of which is that declaration, “He that believeth shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

17. That justification, or the pardon of sin, is an instantaneous act of God's infinite mercy in behalf of a penitent soul, trusting only in the merits of Jesus Christ; that this act is absolute in respect of all past sin, all being forgiven where any is forgiven. Rom 3:25, Isa 43:25, 1John 1:9.

18. That the souls of all believers may be purified from all sin in this life; and that a man may live under the continual influence of the grace of Christ, without sinning against his God, all evil tempers and sinful propensities being destroyed, and his heart filled with pure love both to God and man.

19. That unless a believer live and walk in the spirit of obedience, he will fall from the grace of God, and forfeit all his Christian privileges and rights. Gal 5:4.

20. That the whole period of human life is a state of probation, in every part of which a sinner may repent and turn to God, and in every part of it a believer may give way to sin and fall from grace.

21. That all the promises and threatenings of the word of God are conditional, as they regard man in reference to his being here and hereafter; and that on this ground alone the sacred writings can be consistently interpreted or rightly understood. Col 1:23, John 8:31-32, Rom 11:22.

22. That man is a free agent, never being impelled by any necessitating influence either to do evil or good, but has it continually in his power to choose the life or death that is set before him; on which ground he is an accountable being, and answerable for his own actions; and on this ground also he is alone capable of being rewarded or punished. Phil 2:12, Heb 12:28, Pro 18:21,  Matt 12:36-37.

23. That every human being has his freedom of will, with a sufficiency of light and power to direct its operations; and that this powerful light is not inherent in any man's nature, but is graciously bestowed by Him who is the true light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world. Titus 2:11, Rom 1:20-22.

24. That, as Jesus Christ has made, by his once offering himself upon the cross and in the grave, a sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sin of the whole world; and that, as his gracious Spirit strives with and enlightens all men, thus putting them in a salvable state; therefore every human soul may be saved, and if not, it is his own fault. John 16:8-11.

25. That there will be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. Rom 14:11-12, 2Cor 5:9-10.

26. That there will be a day of judgment, after which all shall be punished or rewarded, according to the deeds done in the body; the wicked being sent to hell, and the righteous taken into heaven. Rev 20:12, Matt 25:32-33.

27. That these states of reward and punishment shall have no end, forasmuch as the time of probation or trial is forever terminated, and the succeeding state must necessarily be fixed and unalterable. Rev 21:6-8.

28. Every sermon reveals the preacher's grasp of "the mystery of Christ." If he has no insight into Christ, he has no call to preach.(from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament).

In the service of Jesus Christ,

The staff; Built Anew Ministries