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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
What is our Statement of Faith?

 Session 1

Introduction

You may be wondering why we would begin Membership Matters with a class reviewing our Statement of Faith.  I mean, does anyone really use these things anymore?  Aren't they a bit antiquated, useful for theologians perhaps, but irrelevant in our every day Christian lives? 

I don't think so.  The single most important thing about a church is what it believes.  The only reason this church exists, the only reason I'm standing before you now is because this statement is true; because what we believe matters.  What we believe, in fact, is a matter of life and death.

Now some Christians are opposed to statements of faith.  Christian revelation, Jesus, they say, is too great to be reduced to mere mechanical formulas.  In one sense this is true.  No statement of faith can perfectly plumb the depths of God's knowledge and purposes.  And yet the good news of Jesus Christ is nonetheless about news, about truths - propositional truths about God, ourselves, and Christ.  What's more, these truths must be understood, believed, and lived out if we are to have any hope in this life and the life to come.  So what we want to do in the next few minutes is consider what it is that we as a church believe.

Before we begin, a few general words about statements of faith.  First, they are biblical.  We see them in Scripture.  For example, we read Paul in 1Cor 15 saying, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day."  Then Paul goes on to list more factual statements about the gospel that the church in Corinth knew from Paul, Jesus and the apostles -  truths they must maintain in order to be faithful.  Statements of faith are also biblical in an obvious second sense, in that they are summaries of the Bible's (as opposed to man's) teachings.

Second, they are historical.  That is to say, they've been used widely by the church since the 1^st Century to clarify the Bible's teaching and thereby build unity and guard against heresy, or false teaching.  So we think of the Nicene Creed, written in the fourth century to guard the church against teaching that suggested Jesus could not be both fully man and fully God. 

Now you might be surprised to learn that historically, Baptists have had more statements of faith than any other group.  It's been said that Baptists "have no creed but the Bible."  Actually, that was Alexander Campbell in the 18^th Century who said that over and against the Baptists and all their confessions of his day.  Our statement of faith, otherwise known as the New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1853), is the most widely used Baptist confession amongst English speaking churches.

Third, confessions, or creeds (either can be used interchangeably) are mere statements.  They are not meant to be exhaustive statements of doctrine, but rather summaries of some essential elements of the Christian faith laid out in Scripture.  So while I hope you believe all that is here (and if you choose to join this church, we will ask you to sign this statement) I hope this statement is not all that you believe.  For example, I hope you believe that God knows the future, that he is not limited by time, and yet our statement doesn't make any explicit comment on the matter.  In this sense confessions are minimalist documents.  They are thorough enough to establish clarity and therefore build unity around our common faith, and yet not so specific that they would cause unnecessary division over tertiary matters such as eschatology, your view of the end times (pre-millenialist, amillenialist, post, etc.).

So we're going to proceed by reading through each article and taking questions.  If you take out this chart (chart explaining divisions), you'll see we've grouped our 18 articles into 4 categories.  First, there are those articles classified as Historically Christian.  So these are articles that would be affirmed by any historic Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox or Protestant church.  And you'll notice that that is the majority of articles in our statement. 

You'll notice that I said historically Christian. That's because there have been two great divides in Christianity in the past 1,000 years.  The first was the Reformation in the 1500s which would lead to the recovery of the gospel and a split between Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church.  The second was a liberal/conservative divide - not in a political sense, but in regards to Scripture and authority - during the Enlightenment of the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  During this period there was a move away from traditional conservative beliefs that the Bible is God's inerrant Word - fully trustworthy and sufficient in all its teachings.  And in its place people began to believe and teach that our final authority is not Scripture, but human reason.  Human reason, not divine revelation, would become the guiding principle.  This divide affected almost every Christian church.  So whereas in 1700 no Christian church would deny that Christ was born of a virgin, by 1900 reason has taught us that such supernatural occurrences don't happen, and so Christian churches across the board would no longer affirm such a statement.  For our discussion, we're concerned with that which is historically Christian, leaving aside the confusing mess that liberalism has brought in the last 2 centuries.  So again, the majority of our statements are historically Christian statements that any historically Christian church, whether Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant would affirm.

Then there are a number of articles classified as Evangelical.  These are the articles that mark us out as a Protestant church, over and against our Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox friends.  We love and care for them, but feel they have made some crucial errors in these specific matters, such as justification, that cannot be overlooked. 

Then we have our one Baptist article that distinguishes us from the rest of our Protestant brethren, such as Presbyterians, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Methodists, etc.  We love them and have unity on the Gospel and other matters.  We're happy to have a Presbyterian preach in our pulpit and affirm there are many wonderful and godly men and women in such denominations.  And yet we think they have baptism wrong.  We wish it weren't the case, and yet because it affects the very nature of the visible church - who is part of that visible body of Christ and who is not - we feel we cannot ignore the teaching and practice of Jesus and the apostles that baptism is for believers only, not believers and their infants.

Lastly, we are a Congregational church.  Again we have to divide with our other Protestant brethren because we think that the final authority in matters of life in doctrine is not a bishop or priest somewhere (Episcopal), or a General Assembly (Presbyterian), but the local congregation gathered.

Any questions?  Let's begin.

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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Session 1

Appendix 1: Statement of Faith

I.              Of The Scriptures

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of 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 of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

II.            Of The True God

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, whose name is JEHOVAH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love;  that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

III.           Of The Fall Of Man

We believe that Man was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker; but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.

IV.           Of The Way Of Salvation

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God; who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon him our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by his personal obedience, and by his death made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead he is now enthroned in heaven; and uniting in his wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections, he is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all sufficient Saviour.

V.            Of Justification

We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer¡¯s blood; by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.

VI.           Of The Freeness Of Salvation

We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth, but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.

VII.          Of Grace In Regeneration

We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again; that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, and faith, and newness of life.

VIII.        Of Repentance And Faith

We believe that Repentance and Faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King, and relying on Him alone as the only and all sufficient Savior.

IX.           Of God's Purpose Of Grace

We believe that Election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which He graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners; that being perfectly consistent with the free agency of man, it comprehends all the means in connection with the end; that it is a most glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, being infinitely free, wise, holy and unchangeable; that it utterly excludes boasting, and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of his free mercy; that it encourages the use of means in the highest  degree; that it may be ascertained by its effects in all who truly believe the Gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian assurance; and that to ascertain it with regard to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence.

X.            Of Sanctification

We believe that Sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of his holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means, - especially, the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer.

XI.           Of The Perseverance Of Saints

We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

XII          Of The Harmony Of The Law And The Gospel

We believe that the Law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral government; that it is holy, just, and good; and that the inability which the Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its precepts, arises entirely from their love of sin: to deliver them from which, and to restore them through a Mediator to unfeigned obedience to the holy Law, is one great end of the Gospel, and of the Means of Grace connected with the establishment of the visible church.

XIII.        Of A Gospel Church

We believe that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His word; that its only scriptural officers are Bishops or Pastors, and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.

XIV.        Of Baptism And The Lord's Supper

We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, into the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost; to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect, in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is pre-requisite to the privileges of a church relation; and to the Lord's Supper, in which the members of the church by the sacred use of bread and wine, are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.

XV.         Of The Christian Sabbath

We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath; and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes by the devout observance of all the means of grace, both private and public; and by preparation for that rest that remaineth for the people of God.

XVI.        Of Civil Government

We believe that Civil Government is of Divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.

XVII.       Of The Righteous And The Wicked

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death.

XVIII.     Of The World To Come

We believe that the end of the world is approaching; that at the last day Christ will descend from heaven, and raise the dead from the grave to final retribution; that a solemn separation will then take place; that the wicked will be adjudged to endless punishment, and the righteous to endless joy; and that this judgment will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell, on principles of righteousness.

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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Session 1

Appendix 2: Statement of Faith Overview Chart

Most simply, our statement says that CHBC is a Christian, Evangelical, Baptist, Congregational church.  Our statement of faith is divided into eighteen articles, which speak to the fact that we can be called by each of these names.  The Christian articles simply show what Christians have always believed - a issues over which there has traditionally been little dispute in Christendom.  The evangelical category highlights the critical issues related to the gospel that were recovered during the Reformation.  The Baptist and Congregational categories highlight the distinctive features of CHBC.

Take a moment and notice just how much of our Statement of Faith is devoted to stating the essentials of the Christian faith; essentials that we would have little to no disagreement over with any other Christian denomination.  Then notice how in just half a statement we express what signifies us to be a Baptist church.

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