Following is the last installment of my personal credo. This is not to say there aren't other doctrines central to our faith; these are just a few that I believe we must be in agreement on for the Church. It is not a must that we articulate these doctrines as I have articulated them in this credo, but we need to be in agreement on the basic principles.
As always, I invite your feedback.
"I believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Spirit of God, the authoritative Word of God for the Church. As the cultural norms of our society shift and change, the Bible has proven over time to be, "useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Tim. 3:16) The Scriptures are the primary means through which God instructs His Church. From the opening verses of Genesis to the closing words of John in Revelation, they tell the amazing story of God's plan of redemption for the world in Christ.
"I believe there is one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul says we are "dead in our transgressions and sins (Eph. 2:1)," unable to save ourselves. In baptism, whether infant or believer's baptism, we are marked with an outward sign of God's inward call in our lives. This call must be confirmed for each person, as Jacob wrestled with God at Peniel (Genesis 32:28), or as Paul's eyes were opened suddenly on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), or even as Timothy accepted the Gospel as a young man, after he was raised and nurtured in the faith throughout his childhood by his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 5). Ultimately, it is not we who save ourselves; it is God who calls, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies us (Romans 8:30)."
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