Monday, December 18, 2006

Saturate's Statement of Faith

This summer, Friends University, located in the heart of Wichita, Kansas, will be hosting the annual Sr. High Conference for youth and young adults all across the Midwest region. This year's theme is titled Saturate...

This is an incredible oppurtunity for anyone who has the ability to attend. Below is the statement of faith the staff has adopted. I happen to think it is very well said and an extremely important step in spearheading a great conference. If you're interested, check it out.

"We want to provide a statement that portrays the sense of an intelligent conservative theology that people of different denominations can feel comfortable coming together for a week of camp. Let us know what you think. (Adapted from Vertical Ministries)"

2007 Sr. High Conference Statement of Faith
Scripture
We believe that the Bible is God's written revelation of Himself. These Holy Scriptures are perfect as originally given by and from God ("God-breathed"), and are the eternal, inspired, inerrant, infallible, verbal, and plenary Word of God for man. They are the sole authority and truth for all men for all times for all matters of faith and practice. Properly interpreted, it supports and supersedes all that follows.

God
We believe that there is but one living and true God, perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Controller, Judge, and Ruler of all things and beings. He rules and reigns in absolute sovereignty for His divine purposes and glory alone.

Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God and God the Son, both fully God and man, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, crucified, dead, buried, bodily resurrected and ascended into heaven, and is now seated at God the Father's right hand. He is literally coming again to gather His prepared church to be with Him forever, to judge the world, lost men, Satan, and his demons, and to finally and completely establish His kingdom.

Man
We believe that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man lost his original innocence and freedom in Adam's sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, became subject to the wrath of God, and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. Sinful in our natures, depraved and corrupt in all our parts as a result of the original sin and our natural beings, mankind is hopelessly lost apart from God's divine grace. The purpose, happiness, and success of all men are ultimately found only in God's plan and design, for His glory alone.

Salvation
We believe that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His works and shed blood, and not on the basis of any human merit or works. This salvation of man from deserved spiritual and eternal death and wrath is by God's grace alone, through His gift of faith alone, and because of the Person and work of Jesus Christ alone. The ongoing process of sanctification and the future state of glorification are likewise provided and received by grace through faith.

Doctrine
We believe in the doctrinal principles and positions taught, implied, and expressed in the reformation theses of "Scripture alone" (sola Scriptura), "Christ alone" (solus Christus), "grace alone" (sola gratia), "faith alone" (sola fide), and "God's glory alone" (soli Deo gloria).


(More information on this conference will be posted in due time.)

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