Statement Of Faith

One of my favourite teacher, John MacArthur says: “No one claim a theology if he is not an exegete”. It means that no one claim to have any theological positions if he does not interpret the Bible for himself. So, in having this Statement of Faith page, I do not want to give the reader an impression that I have studied the entire bible and know every aspect of it. In fact, I have studied only a handful of books. But with whatever I have studied and learnt, I base my opinions on them, which find expression in this blog. Hence I want the reader to be aware of where I stand with regards to the Bible. So, here are the things I believe in:

1. The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.

2. The Sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgment.

3. The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture (by which we understand the 66 books of the Bible), as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

4. The universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature since the fall, rendering man subject to God’s wrath and condemnation(Hell).

5. Redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death (as our Representative and Substitute) of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.

6. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

7. The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective to the individual sinner, granting him repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ.

8. The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.

9. The only holy universal Church, which is the Body of Christ, and to which all believers belong.

10. The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This Statement of Faith is taken directly from the UESI website, a student ministry through which I came to know the Lord.

I am a Protestant, so I believe in the 5 solas of the Reformation, which, although expressed in the previous list, am stil mentioning below:

1. Sola Fide (By Faith Alone)

2. Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone)

3. Solus Christus (In Christ Alone)

4. Sola Scriptura (Scriptures Alone)

5. Soli Dei Gloria (For God’s Glory Alone)

In addition, to this, I believe in the 5 points of Calvinism (listed below), beautifully explained in the Canons of Dordts (1619)

1. Total Depravity (Radical Corruption of Man)

2. Unconditional Election (God’s Sovereign Choice)

3. Limited Atonement (Christ’s Purposeful Atonement)

4. Irresistable Grace (The Holy Spirit’s Effective Call)

5. Perseverence of Saints (God’s Preservation of  Saints)

I believe in male headship in the Church (1 Tim. 2:11-15; 3:11-13) and in the family (Eph 5:23). I haven’t made up my mind  on Infant Baptism/Adult Baptism issue although I definitely lean towards the latter. In any case, I do not believe that baptism saves anyone.

I am yet to study Revelation, so, I do not have any definite position on end times.

So, thats that. I hope you can identify with much of my beliefs. The stakes are high!

One of my favourite teachers, John MacArthur says: “No one claim a theology if he is not an exegete “. It means that no one claim to have any theological position if he does not interpret the Bible for himself. So, in having this Statement of Faith page, I do not want to give the reader an impression that I have studied the entire bible and know every aspect of it. In fact, I have studied only a handful of books. But with whatever I have studied and learnt, I base my opinions, which find expression in this blog. Hence I want the reader to be aware of where I stand with regards to the Bible. So, here are the things I believe in:

1. The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
2. The Sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgment.
3. The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture (by which we understand the 66 books of the Bible), as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
4. The universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature since the fall, rendering man subject to God’s wrath and condemnation(Hell).
5. Redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death (as our Representative and Substitute) of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
6. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
7. The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective to the individual sinner, granting him repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ.
8. The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
9. The only holy universal Church, which is the Body of Christ, and to which all believers belong.
10. The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. **

I am a Protestant, so I believe in the 5 solas of the Reformation, which, although expressed in the previous list, am stil mentioning below:

1. Sola Fide (By Faith Alone)
2. Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone)
3. Solus Christus (In Christ Alone)
4. Sola Scriptura (Scriptures Alone)
5. Soli Deo Gloria (For God’s Glory Alone)

In addition to this, I believe in the 5 points of Calvinism (listed below), beautifully explained in the Canons of Dordts (1619)

1. Total Depravity (Radical Corruption of Man)
2. Unconditional Election (God’s Sovereign Choice)
3. Limited Atonement (Christ’s Purposeful Atonement)
4. Irresistable Grace (The Holy Spirit’s Effective Call)
5. Perseverence of Saints (God’s Preservation of  Saints) ***

I believe in male headship in the Church ( only men as Pastors; 1 Tim. 2:11-15; 3:11-13) and in the family (Eph 5:23). I haven’t made up my mind  on Infant Baptism/Adult Baptism, although I definitely lean towards the latter. In any case, I do not believe that baptism saves anyone.

I am yet to study Revelation, so, I do not have any definite position on end times.

So, that’s that. I hope you can identify with much of my beliefs. The stakes are high!

*****

** This Statement of Faith is taken from the UESI Website, a student ministry through which I came to Christ.

*** The paraphrases in parantheses are taken from RC Sproul’s book What is Reformed Theology