A Clay Jar

Encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thess. 2:12 NIV)

Statement of Faith

This short statement of faith is a reflection of my personal beliefs. It does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the church I fellowship with nor their denomination. The starting point for these statements is grounded in traditional Baptist beliefs, which is where I came from. But over the years, as I have invested much time and prayer in my faith, my own beliefs on what the Bible teaches have sometimes changed. I do believe, though, that they continue to fall well within traditional Protestant orthodoxy.

The Word of God

I believe that the Bible is the Word of God; fully inspired and without error in all it teaches and affirms; written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

The Trinity

I believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection; and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.

God the Father

I believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. I believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of all people; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. I believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. And I believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

The Holy Spirit

I believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.

Humanity

I believe that humanity has been made in the image of God and was created to be in a relationship with God. I believe that humans have both a physical component and a spiritual component. But that these two parts are tightly integrated together into a single entity. I believe that God has a purpose for humanity that extends beyond our human lifetime.

Sin

I believe that the definition of sin is twofold. That it is anything we do that is contrary to God’s will for us. And that it is also a part of our nature that inclines us toward sinful activities. I believe that sin infects all of humanity and that it separates us from God.

Salvation

I believe that salvation is the gracious gift of God to a world fallen into sin. I believe the Holy Spirit enables the sinner to receive this gift. And I believe that those who then repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. I believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. I do not believe that salvation can be lost. But I do believe salvation only comes to those who endure faithfully to the end.

The Church

I believe in the universal church; a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. I believe in the local church; consisting of a community of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. And I believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary tasks of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. And of developing believers as committed disciples of Christ.

The Last Things

I believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth at the end of the age. That this event will lead to the creation of a new heaven and earth. And this new earth will be the home of the redeemed throughout the ages past and present. I believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessedness of the righteous, and the eternal destruction of the wicked.

Disclaimer

The views expressed here are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect those of any other person, group, or organization. While I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions about this post in the comments section below. I am always interested in your feedback.

If you have found value in this post, please consider subscribing to A Clay Jar so that you don’t miss any other posts. 

10 thoughts on “Statement of Faith”

  1. Excellent website and great clear teaching given. You say in your statement of faith:
    “believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessedness of the righteous, and the eternal destruction of the wicked.”

    Your wording the eternal destruction of the wicked….does this imply their ceasing to exist or do you imply and mean to say their eternal conscious separation from God?

    Reply
    • Thanks. While I am not dogmatic about it, I do believe there is more support in the Scripture for a period of punishment followed by destruction (annihilation) than there is for an eternal conscious torment. But whichever the case is, it is eternal, and the Scripture does use the term destruction for it.

      Reply
      • Ok thank you…..your Statement of faith was excellent and I really appreciated it. Thank you for clarifying your understanding of the destruction of the wicked. This is the only thing I would disagree with you on. I believe in the immortality of the soul and the saved live with Christ eternally and the unsaved are separated from Christ in eternal conscious torment. Christ himself taught this and I believe this is the teaching of scripture. The destruction of the wicked, in my opinion, refers to the eternal ruin of their lives which they experience eternally and consciously.

        Reply
        • Thanks

          Jesus taught that the unrighteous are cast into Gehenna, where the fire is not extinguished and the worm does not die. Nothing is said there about the one cast in surviving. Fire and worms consume, so the most logical explanation, at least to me, is that the one cast into Gehenna is consumed.

          Reply
  2. We should each be able to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” [1 John 3:15]. As we are each unique probably each has [slightly] diverse beliefs and some even prepare creedal statements. There remain uncertainties : God’s power/love/inaction, Man: Free/Compatible Freewill (deterministic/responsable), Faith/Works [5 Solas, not 1 alone], Salvation : forever [Ephesians 1:13] / losable [2 Peter 2:21, 1 Timothy 4] on backsliding/apostasy. Hence historic heresies/debates/doctrinal differences [Reformed/Arminian perspectives & TULIP et al].
    Eventually “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me” [Hebrews 8:11, 1 Corinthians 13:12]. O Happy Day !

    Thank you for your web testimony and ministry, and for the Spirit that convicts/convinces/comforts us all meantime.

    Reply
    • There are indeed many differences in belief among us. But that is not always bad. It drives us to spend more time in God’s word seeking the truth.

      I am glad you have found value in this site. I do pray that God will use it as he sees fit.

      Reply
    • I just read Ed Jarrett’s article entitled: Was Jesus Really Dead, and Then Resurrected?

      My thought is that I would think he was really dead. Otherwise, he was buried alive. The living doesn’t need to be resurrected because they are already alive. Only the dead, it seems, would be resurrected in order to restore them to life.

      Reply
      • Yes. As the article pointed out, few serious scholars doubt that he existed and died on a Roman cross. The question they dispute was his physical resurrection. Something that has strong supporting evidence and that is core to our faith as believers.

        Reply
    • I definitely believe that Jesus is returning for his church. But I do not believe it is before a 7-year tribulational period. I believe that dispensational premillennialism is a human invention that distorts what the Bible actually says.

      Reply

Leave a Comment