What do you believe?

“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13)

            Like you, I am often asked “What do you believe?” While I subscribe to no creed written by men, I am not personally (and we are not as a local Church) bashful about declaring publicly and dogmatically that which I believe.

The Word of God — I believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God. As such, the Bible alone is the believer’s rule of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Trinity — I believe the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to be the one living and true God, sovereign in his purpose, in creation, in providence, in redemption and in grace (1 John 5:7; Romans 11:33-36).

            The Lord Jesus Christ — I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ: his eternal sonship, absolute and eternal Deity, and true and sinless humanity, his virgin birth, substitutionary death, burial and resurrection, his ascension into heaven and his second coming in power and glory as the one Mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 5:1-14).

The Holy Spirit — I believe in God the Holy Spirit, by whom chosen, redeemed sinners are born again, given faith in Christ and preserved in grace (John 6:63).

The Fall of Man — I believe that all mankind fell in Adam’s transgression and are totally depraved, spiritually dead, and thus without ability of any kind to help themselves toward God (Romans 5:12).

Unconditional Election — I believe in the personal and unconditional election in Christ of a multitude, which no man can number, unto everlasting salvation, an election of pure, free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works in men, an election made before the foundation of the world, by which all the blessings of grace and salvation were bestowed upon and made sure to all the chosen for the glory of God (Ephesians 1:3-5).

Particular Redemption — I believe in limited atonement; that is to say, the personal, particular and eternal redemption of God’s elect from all sin by the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the Son of God actually put away the sins of his people by the sacrifice of himself and effectually obtained their eternal redemption with his own blood (2 Corinthians 5:20-21; Galatians 3:13-14).

Effectual Calling — I believe that every sinner chosen from eternity by God the Father and redeemed at Calvary by God the Son shall be effectually called to life and faith in Christ by the irresistible grace and omnipotent mercy of God the Holy Spirit (John 6:37-40; Acts 2:39).

Final Perseverance — I believe that every sinner saved by grace shall persevere in the state of grace and shall never perish, being kept and preserved by the God of all grace (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

Don Fortner

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