RealApologetics.org Statement of Faith
We believe in one true and eternal God, unchanging and unchangeable. We believe God is the Creator of all things that exist, whether things that are accessible to human experience or not. This Creator of the universe is unique, and as such is unlike anyone or anything else in all the universe: He is Triune, where singularity and plurality are equally ultimate. There is one being of God, yet there are three Persons who share this one being of God: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Each Person is fully and completely God, each is described in Scripture as possessing the attributes of God. The Father, Son, and Spirit have eternally existed in the relationship described by the term “Trinity.” God has all power, all knowledge, all wisdom, and is due all glory, honor and praise. All that comes to pass does so at the decree of God. All things will, in the end, result in the glory of God.
We believe the Bible is the written revelation of God. The Bible is fully sufficient and fully authoritative, for it is the very out-breathing of God. And since they are the very Words of God, there is no higher standard upon which to judge, validate, or invalidate the Scriptures.
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, meaning that human beings are like God in every respect that it is possible to be like God. But man fell into sin; the creature, rebelled against God, His Creator. “Sin” is therefore disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. As a result, man became spiritually dead, totally unwilling and incapable of seeking after God. God, being transcedent of time and having foreordained all things, joined a certain people to Christ Jesus, so that He might redeem them from their sin and in so doing bring glory to Himself. Jesus the Christ died in the place of these chosen people, providing full and complete forgiveness of sins by His death upon the cross. No other work can provide for forgiveness of sins, and no addition can be made to the completed and finished work of Christ.
We believe that God, in His sovereign grace and mercy, regenerates sinners by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by any action of their own. This brings them to new life, with new desires and new abilities to love God; God grants to them the gifts of faith and repentance, which they then exercise by believing in Christ and turning from their sins in love for God. As a result of this faith, based upon the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, God makes righteous (“justifies”) the one who believes. Furthermore, these new abilities to love God are manifested in good works, and therefore flow from true, saving faith and are not to be considered necessary for gaining of justification.
We believe Jesus Christ established His Church, which is made up of all the elect of God. His Church, as an obedient bride, listens to His Word as found in the Bible. All who believe in Christ are placed in His body, the Church. The Church is not dependent upon any cultural context, any physical structure, or organized institution to exist, worship, and serve God as God desires. Rather, the Church, as an assembly of believers, is oriented towards the proclamation of the gospel to the world (evangelism), to others (discipleship), and back to God Himself (worship). This three-fold mission of the church could not occur without being intentionally committed to the Word of God.
We believe that Christ is coming again to judge the living and the dead. Until His return, believers are to live lives that bring glory to God through Jesus Christ, which means consciously living in God’s likeness and image. The Church is to continue to proclaim and teach the pure, uncompromising Gospel of Christ from the Word of God.
Confessional Standards of RealApologetics.org
The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith
