New Members Class - Session 5 - Triage and Confession

Introduction

Today we are going to survey half our Church confession of faith. We have so far spent the majority of our time discussing what is called Church polity and ecclesiology, which is the doctrine of the Church. In that we have covered how the Church functions, who leads the Church, the responsibilities of Church members and so on. Today we will focus on what our Church believes doctrinally.

A Confession of Faith is a standard of belief which a given congregation holds to. It is a collection of doctrinal statements that summarize in brief what we believe the Bible teaches.  A Church is unified around the truth and sound doctrine. Agreement on the essentials of the faith is paramount. Churches split over doctrinal disagreements, and that can be prevented by being up front about theology, which is the goal today.

Theological Triage

Now, I do want to mention what is called theological triage for just a moment. Triage on a battlefield or in a hospital is the act of prioritizing what to treat first. You decide what injuries are most in need of addressing and what are the least important and can wait. Theological triage works the same way; it ranks doctrines from essential to tertiary. It is helpful because it helps us know what to major in and what to minor in. It helps us be loving and charitable (1 Cor 13:4-7) when needed and when to be staunch defenders of the truth when the time comes. It prevents us from disobeying Scripture by becoming quarrelsome (Titus 3:9, 2 Timothy 2:16), and from becoming theological witch hunters so to speak (as many of those who do “discernment ministry” often become).

 I like using a four-tiered system for theological triage.

·      First tier: essential, nonnegotiable, worthy of dividing over, likely heretical if you disagree.

·      Second tier: important, room for disagreement, disunifying, likely would not be able to go to Church together but would still call you a Christian.

·      Third tier: tertiary issue, room for charity, let’s discuss but not divide.

·      Fourth tier: Issue of Christian Liberty, Foolish Debates, Issue of Conscience.

Some examples of what would fall into each tier.

·      First tier: The Gospel, the Trinity, the Incarnation, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Marriage and Sexuality, Attributes of God, Justification, Penal Substitutionary Atonement, Inerrancy, Inspiration, Bodily Resurrection of the Dead, Return of Christ, etc.

·      Second Tier: Baptism (Credo vs Paedo), the Lord’s Supper, Who Can Be an Elder, Issues of Church Government and Polity, etc.

·      Third Tier: Spiritual Gifts, Understanding of the Millenium, Rapture, and Tribulation, Age of the Earth.

·      Fourth Tier: Halloween, alcohol, issues of Christian liberty and wisdom, foolish debates over words (Titus 3:9), etc.

So, for example, certain aspects of how we understand the end times will fall into different tiers. If we disagree about the timing of the millennium that is okay, it’s a third-tier doctrine. However, if you deny the body return of Christ and resurrection of the dead that is heresy, and a first rank issue that we will divide over.

We want to be charitable over third and fourth rank issues, wise and discerning about second rank issues, and stand firm on first rank issues. We want to major on the majors and minor on the minors, not minor on the majors and major on the minors (legalism). Often times in evangelical Churches this four-tier list is flipped where people will go to war over the third and fourth tier. We want to avoid this.

Now the reason we started with triage is because most of what is in our confession statement falls into the first and second tiers when it comes to triage. Again, doctrine unifies a Church, and so it matters we agree on these statements and that for those of you considering joining that we are clear up front about what we believe. This preserves unity and protects the body.

So, what we will do is go through what our Church believes statement by statement, we will look at a few references as we work through the confession statement, and then we will camp out for a while on the final statement.

CONFESSION OF FAITH

1. THE WORD OF GOD

We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of

the New Testament, is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original

manuscripts, written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and is the perfect

revelation of heavenly instruction and witness; that the Triune God is its author, the glory of

God is its goal, salvation is its message, and it contains truth without error for its matter; that it

reveals the principles by which God will judge us, and therefore is, and shall remain to the end

of the world, the true center for Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human

conduct, doctrines, and opinions should be measured. (Isaiah 8:20; Mark 13:31; John 8:31, 32;

John 20:31; Acts 20:32; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20, 21)

2. THE TRINITY

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons – Father,

Son and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute

distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption; that God

is the Maker and Supreme Ruler of all of heaven and creation; that God is inexpressibly

glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, trust, love, and worship. (Genesis 1:1, 26;

Exodus 15:11; Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 1:1-3; 4:24; Romans 1:19, 20;

Ephesians 2:18; 4:5, 6)

3. GOD THE FATHER

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in all His attributes

including holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that all things are out of the Father; that He

infallibly foreordained all that comes to pass; that He concerns Himself mercifully and justly

in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death

all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Matthew 23:9; Luke 10:21,22; John 3:16; 6:27;

Romans 1:7; I Timothy 1:1, 2; 2:5, 6; I Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6)

4. GOD THE SON

We believe in God the Son, same in essence and all divine perfections from eternity with the

Father, through whom all things exist; that God the Son added to His divinity humanity in

Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles,

and teachings; in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven,

perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth; that His titles, Lord,

Jesus, and Christ, refer to His deity, humanity, and His continuing existence as Eternal God

and perfect man, two natures in one person; that He is eternally enthroned in heaven; and that

uniting His human sympathies and divine perfections is the only and eminently suited One to

be a compassionate and all-sufficient Savior. (Matthew 1:18-25; 20:28; Luke 1:26-38; John

1:1; 20:28; 20:30, 31; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9, 10; 8:46; 9:5; II Corinthians 5:21;

Ephesians 1:4; 2:8; Colossians 2:9; I Tim. 3:16; Hebrews 2:10-18; 7:25; 9:28; I Peter 2:21-23)

5. THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the Holy Spirit, eternally existent as the third person of the One God, eternally

proceeding from the Father and Son, and all things are by Him; that upon the ascension of

Jesus Christ to the heavenly realm, the Father and Son sent the Spirit to convict the world of

sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate the elect, sanctifying, and empowering all

who believe in Jesus Christ; that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer upon faith in Christ;

and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26, 27; John 16:9-

14; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 5:22-26)

6. GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE

We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which He graciously

regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies those He has chosen before time began; that He

does not ordain unto damnation, but must ordain unto salvation because of the intractable

nature of the sinful heart by which all people willingly and happily reject God’s governance

and salvation; that God’s purpose comprehends all the means in connection with the end

through predestination; that grace is a most glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness,

being infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable; that grace excludes all boasting and

promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of His mercy; that it

encourages the necessary use of means; and that it results in the perseverance of the saints in

righteousness and holiness. (Exodus 33:18-19; Romans 3:29; 8:29-30; 9:6ff; Philippians 1:6; II

Thessalonians 2:13-14; II Timothy 1:8-9; 2:10-13; II Peter 1:10-11; Jude 1:24-25)

7. THE FALL

We believe that mankind (male and female) was created by God in His own image in

righteousness and true holiness; that mankind willfully sinned and thereby incurred physical,

spiritual, and eternal death in complete separation from God; that, as a consequence, all human

beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners, not by constraint but by choice being by

nature utterly devoid of that holiness required by God, in hateful rebellion against God, and

positively inclined to evil, and are therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin without

defense or excuse. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3; Romans 1:18-20; 3:23; 6:23; 8:29;

Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:24; Colossians 1:21)

8. SALVATION

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the redemptive and

mediatorial work of the Son of God, who, by the appointment of His heavenly Father, freely

took on Himself human nature, yet without sin; that having fully honored the divine law by

perfect obedience, suffered and died as a sacrifice for sinners, taking God’s wrath upon

Himself that those regenerated by the Holy Spirit, having repented, forsaken sin, and trusted

Jesus Christ as Savior, become new creatures, delivered from condemnation, and receive

abundant and eternal life. (Psalm 51:1-7; Proverbs 28:13; Ecclesiastes 2:11; Isaiah 53:6;

Ezekiel 18:19-20; John 1:13; 3:16; Romans 1:18-20; 3:11-19; 5:19, 24, 30; 7:13; 8: 1, 12;

9:22;10:26; II Thessalonians 1:9; James 1:14; 5:19; I John 1:9; II Corinthians 5:17; Revelation

19:3, 20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:18)

9. FREENESS OF SALVATION

We believe that the blessings of salvation are offered freely to all through the Gospel, creation,

and the conscience; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept this salvation through faith

and repentance, and that nothing prevents the salvation of sinners except their own inherent

depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which rejection results in condemnation.

(Genesis 2:16; Isaiah 55:1; John 3:19-20; 5:40; Romans 1:18-20; 16:25-27; Ephesians 2:8-9;

Revelation 22:17)

10. REGENERATIVE GRACE

We believe that God, eternally knowing the inherent inability of mankind to live righteously

and to trust in Christ, solely based on His grace and no merit inherent in any individual, chose

to set His eternal love on some before the foundation of the earth and to bring them to

salvation through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit; this regeneration unto new birth is

affected by the divine will of the Father through the Holy Spirit in connection with the

proclamation of the Gospel resulting in the awakening of faith and subsequent trust in Jesus

Christ for eternal life and obedience to the Gospel. (John 3:3, 8, 16; Romans 8:29; Galatians

5:16ff; Ephesians 2:8-9; 5:9; 1 Peter 1:22-25)

11. REPENTANCE AND FAITH

We believe that repentance and faith are necessary results of regeneration and are inseparable

graces wrought in the heart by the empowering of the Holy Spirit whereby sinners become

convicted of the utter sinfulness of their hearts, of their danger, guilt and helplessness, and of

Christ Jesus as the only possible means of escape; that the Spirit, through the gift of faith,

reveals the way of salvation by which they turn to God in contrition, confession, and

supplications for mercy, and receive Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King, who is the only

and all-sufficient sacrifice for sin and the Savior from the wrath of God. (Mark 1:15; Acts

2:38; 17:30; Romans 1:16-17; 3:28; Galatians 1:20-21; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Timothy 1:15;

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:17; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 5:5; 22:16)

12. JUSTIFICATION

We believe the right standing of any human being before the holy and righteous God comes

solely through justification, which includes the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life

solely by faith in the sacrificial death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that

justification brings peace and favor with God, securing all spiritual blessings for time and

eternity. (John 1:16; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:20-24; 4:4-5, 25; 5:1-2, 8-9; 8:30; Galatians 2:16)

13. SANCTIFICATION

We believe that sanctification is the gracious work of God by which believers become

partakers of His holiness as the work of regeneration leads to a transformed heart and mind;

that it is a progressive work carried on by the presence and power of the indwelling Holy

Spirit; that it is not completed until the ultimate glorification at Christ’s return; that believers

cooperate through the continual use of the means of the Word of God, fellowship with the

saints, self-examination, prayer and repentance, watchfulness against temptation, participation

in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the renewal of the mind. (Romans

8:5; 12:1-2; Philippians 2:1-5, 12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6; Hebrews 10:25; 1 John 2:29;

3:2-3)

14. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

We believe that the divine purpose of God in election results in the justification,

sanctification, and ultimate glorification of the elect so that those who have truly received

salvation will endure until the end and that their perseverance in Christ Jesus is the mark

which distinguishes them from false professors, for the Holy Spirit who indwells them will

bring about the ultimate and final completion of their faith unto salvation. (John 3:31;

Romans 8:29; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 1 John 2:19; Jude 1:24-25)

Conclusion

That is the first half of what we believe as a Church.

“In the essential beliefs – we have unity. In the non-essential beliefs – we have liberty. In all our beliefs – we show charity (love).”[1]

[1] 101 Class, Pastor Chris Gardner.