Tweetable Ministerial Convictions

PREFACE: These convictions are based upon, but not restricted to, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, and are limited to 140 characters or less (excluding scripture references). They are purposefully brief in order to provide an abstract of my personal ministerial convictions. While not all-inclusive, these capture an essence of my positions on the theological and practical. Admittedly, many of these convictions are complex and nuanced, requiring elaboration beyond what can be articulated here. The vast majority of these are essentials of the Christian faith, however, there are some in which biblical faithfulness could yield varied positions. The exercise of distilling complex ideas into concise statements of conviction was profitable for my personal growth, and when read with charity, will hopefully give the reader an idea of where I stand on many issues.

  1. The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect testimony to Christ. (Ex 24:4, Ps 19:7-10, Luke 24:44-46, John 5:39)
  2. The Holy Bible is inerrant & sufficient, profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. (2 Tim 3:16)
  3. There is only one true holy God. He reveals Himself as eternal triune Father, Son, & Spirit.  He is omnipresent, omniscient, & omnipotent. (Duet 6:4, Matt 28:19, Ephesians 4:6, Col 1:15, 1 Tim 1:17, 1 John 5:7)
  4. God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, & human history according to the purposes of His grace. (Gen 1:1, Ex 15:11-27, 1 Corinthians 8:6)
  5. Christ is the eternal sinless Son of God: Conceived of the Spirit, born of a virgin, died as a substitute for sin, & resurrected to reign.  (John 1:1-18, Matt 1:18-23, 1 Pet 2:21-25, Rev 19:16)
  6. The Holy Spirit is the fully divine Spirit of God. He inspired the Scriptures, & illuminates them still. He indwells & gifts every believer. (Gen 1:2, 2 Pet 1:21, 1 John 4:13)
  7. The work of God the creator ensures that all image bearers know of Him. (Rom 1:19)
  8. The Word Incarnate, revealed in the Word Inscripturated, preached obediently for response in faith, ensures all mankind can know the Father. (John 1:1, 3:16-17, Rom 10:13-15, Ephesians 1:13)
  9. Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male & female.  The gift of gender is goodness in God’s creation. (Gen 1:26-30, 2:18-22)
  10. In the beginning Man was innocent of sin and endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. Man sinned & brought sin into the human race. (Gen 3, Rom 5:19)
  11. As a result of original sin, Man’s posterity inherits a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. As soon as morally capable they sin. (Rom 1:19-32, 3:23, Ephesians 2:1-3)
  12. Only the grace of God in Christ can bring man into holy fellowship. Christ died for man, so every person possesses full dignity & worth.  (Col 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22)
  13. Salvation involves the redemption of man, & is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord, who by His blood obtained redemption. (John 3:36, Romans 3:23-25, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Galatians 3:13, 1 John 1:6-7)
  14. The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for the sin of all & his grace is efficacious for those who believe. (John 1:11-14, 3:14-17, 5:24, Acts 2:21, Ephesians 1:3-14)
  15. Salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, & glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Christ. (Titus 3:5, Romans 5:1, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Peter 1:2, Acts 4:12)
  16. Election is the gracious purpose of God, consistent with the free agency of man & God’s sovereignty thru the person of Christ. (Ephesians 1, Romans 8:28-39)
  17. A New Testament church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated in the faith and fellowship of the gospel.  (Matt 16:15-19, Matt 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 7:17)
  18. A New Testament church must include: Gathered believers, the Right preaching of the Word, & the rightly administered ordinances. (Acts 2:41-42, Acts 6:3-6)
  19. The Church is ruled by Christ, governed by the congregation, led by pastors, & served by deacons to worship God and advance the gospel.  (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:19-22, Acts 6:3-6, 1 Tim 3:1-14, 1 Peter 5:1-4)
  20. The Local Church must be pastor led & deacon served, with the numerical size of both offices commensurate with the needs of the body. (1 Tim 3:1-13, Acts 6:3-4, Phil 1:1)
  21. Pastors of the local church are only to be men, meeting all of the character qualifications of Timothy & Titus, who teach the body. (1 Tim 2:12, 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9)
  22. Deacons of the local church are normally men, meeting all of the character qualifications of Timothy & Titus, who serve the body. (1 Tim 3:8-13, Acts 6:3-4)
  23. The Universal Church is the Body of Christ which includes the redeemed of all the ages, believers f/every tribe, tongue, people, & nation. (Matt 16:18, 28:19-20, 1 Tim 3:15, Ephesians 4:4-7)
  24. Believers’ baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the triune God; an act of obedience symbolizing their faith.  (Matt 3:13-17, Matt 28:19-20, Col 2:12)
  25. Believers’ baptism is a church ordinance-governed/observed corporately by the church. Fellowship in the body begins with baptism. (Matt 28:19-20, Acts 2:41)
  26. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience to memorialize the death & anticipate the second coming of the Redeemer.  (Matt 26:26-30, 1 Corinthians 10:16,21)
  27. The Lord’s Supper is a church ordinance.  As church discipline is implied, ideal observance should be corporate & of local believers. (Matt 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
  28. The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ & should include exercises of worship. (Matt 12:8, 28:1-10 & 17, Romans 14:5-10, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2)
  29. The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe & His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him. (Gen 1:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Matt 3:2, John 3:3)
  30. God, in His own time & in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. Jesus Christ will return personally & visibly in glory. (1 Corinthians 15:24-28, 1 Peter 2:4-10, 1 Peter 4:13, Revelation 11:15, Revelation 21-22)
  31. Upon Christ’s return, His Church & the dead in Christ will be raptured; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. (Acts 17:31, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)
  32. In His eternal judgment, the unrighteous will be consigned to Hell & the righteous to their heavenly reward in glorified bodies. (Matthew 16:27, Romans 14:10, 2 Peter 3:7-18, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 20:1-22:13)
  33. The Great Commission is the mission.  It is the duty & privilege of every follower of Christ to endeavor to make disciples.  (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Acts 10:42-48, 2 Timothy 4:5, Hebrews 11:39-12:2)
  34. Evangelism is the first element in disciple making. The Spirit uses the preaching of the Word to draw men. Men must believe to be saved. (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2, Romans 10:9-15)
  35. In Christ abide all wisdom/knowledge. All sound learning is part of our Christian heritage, an aspect of disciple making & for His glory. (Proverbs 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Colossians 1:18-19, Matthew 28:20)
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