Big's Doctrines, 2005, 1 - Faith and Positions

 2012-3-13 06:49

II. Statement of Faith  A.  Bible

• I believe that God reveals himself through the nature, his creation (Romans 1:l9-20).  God reveals his redemptive plan in the Bible (John 5:39).
• I believe that the Bible contains 66 books of which 39 books are in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.  The Bible contains the books written by prophets or apostles (ex. Prophets, Epistles) (Ephesians 2:20), having internal claim or consistence (John 19:36), and accepted by all the people of God (2 Timothy 3:15).
• I believe that the Bible was inspired by God (2 Peter 1:20-21).  Every word used in the Bible was inspired (Galatians 3:16) rather than dictated (Luke 1:3).  Every part of the Bible is inspired (2 Timothy 3:16).  All of the events in the Bible are historical facts (Matthew 24:37-38).  God preserves his messages in translation (Matthew 4:4, 6, 7, 10).
• I believe that the Bible has the authority of God for man to obey (2 Timothy 3:16), and is worthy to believe (John 5:46).  The Bible contains a complete revelation of the salvation of Christ (2 Timothy 3:15), and the rule of Christian faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  The Bible demonstrates God’s love (Romans 5:8) and the holy life in Christ (2 Timothy 3:16).

  B.  God

• I believe that there is one God (Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4), but God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17).  Each of the three is called God (1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1:8-10; Acts 5:3-4).  The three are associated with equality (Matthew 28:19).  There are plural uses of God (Isaiah 6:8).  There is distinction between God and the Son (Psalm 2:1-9), and between God and the Spirit (Genesis 1:1-3).
• I believe that God is self-existent (Genesis 1:1), able to do what he desires (Genesis 18:14), knowing everything (Psalm 139:1-6, 16), and beyond the limitation of time (Revelation 1:8).  God is also faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9), and just (Exodus 34:7).  God is a spirit (John 4:24) and is invisible (John 1:18).  God is also perfect (Matthew 5:48), love (John 3:16), merciful (1 Peter 1:3), and grace (Ephesians 1:5-8; 2:7-9).
• I believe that God created the universe and all things (Genesis 1; Acts 14:15).  God created all visible and invisible in the universe (Hebrews 11:3) for his own glory (Isaiah 43:7).  God is actively and freely directs some things to happen or to be (Psalm 115:3).  God preserves all creatures (Matthew 5:45), but God allows man to choose to disobey (Genesis 2:17).
• I believe that God reigns on earth (Daniel 4:17, 25-37).   There are five covenants which God made with his certain people: Noahic (Genesis 9:9-17), Abrahamic (Genesis 17:1-27), Mosaic (Exodus 31:12-17), Davidic (2 Samuel 7:16), and New (Matthew 26:28).  Seven redemptive dispensations locate into three categories: Law (Genesis 26:5), Church (Ephesians 2:5, 8) and Kingdom (1 Samuel 8:7).

  C.  Christ

• I believe that Jesus Christ is God and man (Philippians 2:6-8).  Christ is God (John 1:1).  The origin of Christ is from heaven (John 1:15; 3:13).  Christ existed before the creation (John 1:1-3), involved in the creation of God (John 1:3), and exercised what only God can do (John 5:21), but Christ humbled himself before God (Philippians 2:6).  Christ is man (1 Timothy 2:5).  Christ was born (Matthew 1:18, 20, 23), grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52), had physical needs (hungry: Matthew 4:2; thirsty: John 19:28), was seen (1 John 1:1), and died (John 19:34).  Both divine and human natures of Christ fit together in one person perfectly (Philippians 2:6-7).
• I believe that the sonship of Christ is eternal (John 17:15).  His sonship of God is his kingship of God (Matthew17:5).  The Son of God is the God in the human form (Luke 1:35) and the messiah king (John 1:49).  The Son of Man refers to the victorious king (Matthew 13:37-41).
• I believe that at the first coming Christ never committed sin (1 John 3:5), was accredited by his miracles (John 3:2), died for man’s sins (Romans 5:6, 8), and arose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:4, 20).
• I believe that Christ was to establish his kingship of Israel (Luke 1:32) but was rejected by his own people (Matthew 27:34), and was the suffering servant in the prophecy (Isaiah 42:1-4).  On the cross Christ was separated from God (Matthew 27:46), died physically (Romans 5:6-9) and spiritually (Luke 23:46), but brought salvation to the world (1 Peter 2:24).  Christ’s resurrected body is immortal (John 20:19).  His resurrection was the victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:26), and fulfilled his prediction (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
• I believe that in Christ God will justify believers from their sin guilt (Ephesians 1:7).  Christ was voluntary to be the substituting sacrifice (1 Peter 3:18).  The death of Christ was able to pacify God's wrath over man's sin (Romans 3:25), and paid the penalty of sinners (1 Corinthians 6:20).  Christ restores the relationship of God to man from hostility to peace (Romans 5:1, 9).  God declares righteous a believer in view of the righteousness of Christ (Romans 3:24; 5:1).
• I believe that after ascension Christ asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) and prepared a place for his believers (John 14:2).  Christ is now at the right hand of God to intercede for us (Romans 8:34) as our high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), and will come again (Matthew 24:30;) to raise his saint from the dead (John 5:28), reunite with them (Titus 2:14), judge believers and unbelievers (Matthew 25:31-32), and reign on the earth with his saints (Revelation 20:4-6).  Christ will reign forever (Revelation 20:4).

  D.  Holy Spirit

• I believe that the Holy Spirit is a person because he has intelligence (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11), mind (Romans 8:27), and will (1 Corinthians 12:11), and can be obeyed (Acts 10:19-21) and resisted (Acts 7:51).  The Holy Spirit is God because he is self-existent (Genesis 1:2), eternal (Hebrews 9:14), knowing everything (John 16:13), and present everywhere (Psalm 139:7).
• I believe that the Holy Spirit was involved in the creation of God (Genesis 1:3), brought life to creatures (Genesis 6:3), and revealed God’s messages to human agents (Acts 1:16).  The Holy Spirit also equipped individuals for specific tasks (Exodus 31:3-5) and instructed people (Nehemiah 9:20).
• I believe that the Holy Spirit comes to convince the world of sin and judgment (John 16:7-11), and witness Christ (John 15:26),
• I believe that the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and Christ (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7).  For salvation the Holy Spirit regenerates believers (John 3:3-6), gives them a new life in Christ (John 3:3-8), baptizes believers to free them from sin (Matthew 3:6, 11), and intercedes for them (Romans 8:26-27), and becomes believers’ guarantee to the inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30).  For the Church the Holy Spirit also baptizes believer into the Church (1 Corinthians 12:13), and indwells believers (John 14:16-17).  For evangelism the Holy Spirit also teaches believers (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-14), empowers believers to witness (Acts 1:8), guides believers to witness (Acts 8:29), and gives believers the spiritual gifts to edify the church (1 Corinthians 12:4; 11-12).
• I believe that believers will be baptized by the Holy Spirit after conversion (Acts 2:4; 8:17; 10:44).  The conversion of a believer does not have to be followed by a sign of the filling (Acts 2:37-41; 8:35-39).  The filling does not have to come with the gift of tongues (Acts 4:31; 9:17-19).  The tongues are the human languages to preach the word of God (Acts 2:3-6).
• I believe that the spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit at his will (1 Corinthians 12:11) to edify the whole church (1 Corinthians 12:7) with love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 14:1).  Every believer receives at least a gift (1 Corinthians 12:11).  No one gift is given to everyone (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:28-30), and no one possesses all of gifts (1 Corinthians 12:14-21).  Every gift is important to each other (1 Corinthians 12:22-26).
• I believe that the physical healing is one of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians12:9), and provided by the redemptive work of Christ (Matthew 8:16-17).  Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are privileges for the Church in this present age (James 5:14-16).

  E.  Angels

• I believe that angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:7, 14).  Angels are invisible normally (Numbers 22:22-31), immortal (Luke 20:36), and numerous (Deuteronomy 33:2).  The redeemed believers will be exalted above angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).
• I believe that angels are persons because they have self-determination (Acts 12:7-8, Revelation 22:8-9), intelligence (2 Samuel 14:20), and desire (1 Peter 1:12).  They are also ascribed by the masculine gender (Revelation 10:1-3).
• I believe that angels serve God (Genesis 3:24).  Angels conveyed the Law to man (Acts 7:53), convey God’s messages to man (Luke 1, 2), execute God’s commands (Genesis 19:13, 15), and fight with the evil spirits (Daniel 10:13).  Angels serve Christ (Matthew 4:11).
• I believe that angels explained the visions (Daniel 9:20-27, 10:10-12:13), and protect believers (Daniel 3, 6:20), provide the physical needs (2 Kings 19:5-7), and direct people (Acts 8:26; 10:3,22).
• I believe that at some time between the creation of goodness (Genesis 1) and the fall of man (Genesis 3) Satan sinned in his pride and self-elevation (Ezekiel 28:17).  Some of angels followed Satan (Revelation 12:4, 7-9).  Fallen angels were cast out of the presence of God down to the earth (Revelation 12:9).  Some of fallen angels were now confined (2 Peter 2:4).
• I believe that Satan is the attempter of sin (Genesis 3:1-6), a murderer (John 3:44), a liar (John 3:44), a deceiver (Ephesians 6:11), and an accuser against believers (Revelation 12:9-10).  Fallen angels make physical disorders (Matthew 12:22).
• I believe that when Christ returns, the fallen angels will be judged (l Corinthians 6:3) and experience the torment (Matthew 25:41).  Satan will finally be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10).

  F.  Man

• I believe that God created man in his image (Genesis 1:26-27).  Adam is the ancestor of all human beings (1 Corinthians 15:22).  According to the book of Genesis the creation of man would happen less than 10,000 years ago, but the biblical genealogies were not written in a strict father-son relationship (Genesis 10:21, 25).
• I believe that man was created with body and spirit (Genesis 2:7).  The spirit of an individual is created by God (Hebrews 12:9).  Man was created good (Genesis 1:28, 2:25).  Man received the commission and command from God (Genesis 1:28-30; 2:15-17).  Man represents God to rule on earth (Genesis 1:26, 28).  The resurrected man will receive a new and immortal body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 52-54).

  G.  Sin

• I believe that God’s creation was good (Genesis 1:10, 18, 21, 25, 31).  Sin is any disobedience to the moral law or will of God (Matthew 7:21).  Evil was originated from pride in the angelic world first (Ezekiel 28:16-17), and later evil was introduced to the human world through temptation (Romans 5:12).
• I believe that all men have sinned (Romans 3:23; 5:12).  All men are charged of the guilt of sin after the first man Adam sinned (Psalm 51:5).  In the same way all believers are attributed the righteousness of Jesus, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 1:30; 15:45).  All men are also guilty of the sin which they committed (Romans 3:19-20; 5:12).
• I believe that the sinful man incurs both physical death (Romans 5:12; 6:23) and spiritual death (Jeremiah 11:11).  Physical death is the cessation of life in the physical body, or the separation of the soul from the body (Luke 23:46).  Spiritual death has two states: lost and eternal.  Those who do not believe in God are in the lost state (Luke 19:10), and those who are separated by God eternally are in the eternal death (Revelation 20:12-14; 21:8).
• I believe that man is totally corrupted and cannot save himself from sin (Romans 3:10, 20; 5:12-14).  Man can be saved only through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-24;).

  H.  Salvation

• I believe that the salvation of Christ is that he who believes the redeeming work of Christ is sin-cleansed by his blood, life-sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and given the heavenly inheritance by God’s grace (1 Peter 1:2-4).
• I believe that the salvation is provided by God’s love (John 3:16), God’s grace (Romans 3:24; 6:23), and Christ’s death (Romans 5:10).  The salvation restores the peace between sinful man and angry God (Romans 5:1, 9-10).  The assurance of salvation is God’s promise (John 5:24), the word of the apostle (John 20:31) and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16).
• I believe that God takes the initiative to invite all people to salvation (Matthew 22:14).  Since men do not respond, God enables the chosen persons to respond his calling (Matthew 22:14).  God declares righteous believers in Christ from their sin guilt (Romans 3:24; 8:33-34), separates believers to himself (1 Peter 2:9), and makes them live a sanctifying life (Philippians 1:6; 2:13) toward the complete holiness (Ephesians 5:26-27).  The Holy Spirit will help the believers to live a holy life (Romans 8:13-14).  Believers should be active to participate this sanctification (Romans 12:1-2).
• I believe that faith held by believers is the hope of divine justice and glory (2 Thessalonians 1:6, 10).  In order to receive the salvation, the one should acknowledge one’s own sin (John 3:18; Acts 20:21; 2 Corinthians 7:10), and trust the salvation of Christ (John 1:12).  The believer in Christ will be justified by Christ’s blood (Romans 3:22-25), given a new spiritual life to a believer (Titus 3:5), baptized into the Church, the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), and adopted as children of God (John 1:12) to have full privileges of a son (Romans 8:17).  Believers shall never perish (John 3:16).
• I believe that if a saved believer sins, the believer should confess sin to God and God will forgive the sin (1 John 1:9).  The dead believers immediately go to a place of joy (Luke 16:22; 23:43) but the unbelievers to a place of torment (Luke 16:22-26).

  I.  Church

• I believe that the universal Church consists of all the believers of Christ who are redeemed by Christ (Acts 20:28).  The Church is to make disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20) toward the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).
• I believe that a local church refers to a group of believers who are gathered (Acts 2:42) to be taught or instructed (1 Timothy 5:17), cared of (2 Corinthians 8:14-15), and worshiping or preaching (1 Peter 1:10-12).  A local church is an autonomous government (Acts 15:3-4, 24), but should have relationship with other churches (2 Corinthians 8:1-3).  A local church should separate from the believers or churches holding corrupted doctrines (2 John 10).  The discipline of the church was instructed by Christ (Matthew 18:15-20) to restore the unrepentant believers (Galatians 6:1).
• I believe that there are two offices in the church (1 Peter 4:11): pastor (or elder and bishop, Acts 20:28) and deacon (Philippians 1:1).  The pastor should be a leader to pray consistently (Acts 6:4), teach and preach the word of God (Acts 6:4), and reprove (Acts 20:35).  The deacon should assist the pastor, and handle the physical needs and interpersonal problems (Acts 6).
• I believe that believers should be enrolled in a local church (Acts 2:41; 6:1; 1 Timothy 5:9).  The members of the church should love one another (John 13:34-35), edify the body of Christ with spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:12, 16), receive the church discipline (Matthew 18:17), be the light (Matthew 5:16) in the spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12-13), and tithe (2 Corinthians 8:14).
• I believe that there are two ordinances in the church: water baptism and communion (the Lord’s Supper).  Ordinances are the symbolic ceremonies which are commanded by Christ (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25), and observed to proclaim the salvation of Christ (Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 11:26).  Water baptism is the identification with Christ (Romans 6:4-5).  The Lord's Supper was to commemorate the saving work of Christ on the cross (1 Corinthians 11:24-26).

  J.  Last Event

• I believe that Christ’s return is imminent (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20) and will be visible (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  God will punish the unbelievers over the earth at the end of this age (Revelation 6-19).  The Church will be kept from this punishment (Revelation 3:10).  Christ will return to reign with His believers over the earth (Revelation 20:4, 6).  Christ’s return is the believer's hope in sacrificial service (Matthew 24:13-14).
• I believe that the second coming of Christ has two phases: before and after tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:16-17; 5:9).  The tribulation will last for seven years (Daniel 9:27).  It begins when Antichrist makes the covenant (Daniel 9:27).  It will become more intensive at the second half of seven years (Matthew 24:9, 21, 29).  It will be worldwide (Revelation 3:10) and the most intensive in history (Matthew 24:21-22).  At the end of the tribulation Satan will be chained (Revelation 20:2).  The purpose of the tribulation is to punish unbelievers (Revelation 4-19), and purify Israel (Daniel 12:1-2).
• I believe that when Christ returns (Matthew 24:9, 21, 29), he will overpower Antichrist (Revelation 19:11-21) and bind Satan (Revelation 20:2).   The millennium has a thousand year long peace (Isaiah 2:4).  Christ (Daniel 2:35b; 7:14) and his saints (Revelation 20:4-6) will reign over the earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-6) from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3).   In the end of the millennium Satan will be released, rise a rebellion, and be defeated (Revelation 20:7-10).  The final judgment of Satan and unbelievers follow (Revelation 20:9, 10, 12-15).
• I believe that the first resurrection is of believers in Christ at the trumpet call (1 Thessalonians 4:16).  The second is of the Old Testament saints and tribulation saints at the beginning of the millennium (Revelation 20:4).  The last is of unbelievers at the end of the millennium (Revelation 20:12-15).
• I believe that there shall be a bodily resurrection of the just unto life (John 5:29;).  There shall be a bodily resurrection of the unjust unto judgment (John 5:29).
• I believe that the believers will be rewarded by Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10).  The eternal state of the believers is the life with God (Matthew 25:46).  Nevertheless, the unbelievers will be judged by the great white throne (Revelation 20:12-15).  The eternal state of the unbelievers is the life of torment (Matthew 25:41, 46).

III. Positions on Special Issues

•   A. Bible
  
  • Contradiction between Genesis One and Two.  I do not accept this so-called contradiction.  Christ accepted the records in Genesis One and Two (Matthew 19:4-5).  Genesis Two focused on things around man.
  • Gap Theory.  I do not accept the gap theory on Genesis 1:1-2.  The creation in Genesis One is one account (Exodus 20:11) even though there might be other creations.
  • Inerrancy.  I believe that there is no error in the Bible, especially in teachings (2 Timothy 3:16).  All of the events in the Bible are historical facts (Matthew 24:37-38).  God preserves his messages in translation (Matthew 4:4, 6, 7, 10) and transmission (Deuteronomy 17:18-19).
  • JEDP Documentary Hypothesis.  I do not accept this hypothesis.  Christ authenticated the authorship of Moses (Luke 16:29).
  • Noah’s Flood.  I believe that Noah’s flood was the universal flood to all men (Genesis 1:28; 9:1-2; 11:4) and the global flood to all earth (Genesis 7:19, 24).
•   B. Christ, Holy Spirit
  
  • Whom Christ Died for.  I believe that Christ died for both believers and unbelievers who live before or after Christ (1 Peter 3:19; 4:6).  Christ died for all men (Colossians 1:20) and the world (2 Corinthians 5:19).  Only the believers of Christ can be saved (Romans 3:26-27).  Those who never hear of Christ will be judged by their conscience (Romans 2:12).
  • Filling with the Holy Spirit.  I believe that the believers filled with the Holy Spirit will understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-16), edify others about God (Acts 2; 4:8, 31), and boldly live a holy life (Ephesians 5:18-21).
  • Spiritual Gifts.  I believe that there are two kinds of spiritual gifts.  Permanent gifts continue edifying the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:11), but temporary gifts are miraculous sign gifts to authenticate the gospel message (2 Corinthians 12:12), and not existent any more (Philippians 2:26-27).
•   C. Man, Salvation
  
  • Constitution of Man.  I believe that man is a unitary being (Matthew 4:4), consists of two parts: the material body and the immaterial soul or spirit (Genesis 2:7), and functions in three aspects: body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
  • Preservation of Salvation.  I believe that the fallen believers will not lose their salvation (1 Corinthians 5:5).  The false believers (Matthew 7:22-23) and the unbelievers (John 3:18) never receive the salvation.  Believers are chosen by God before the creation (Ephesians 1:4), and are God’s workmanship created in Christ (Ephesians 2:10).
•   D. Church
  
  • Marriage.  I believe that a couple is made of a man and a woman (Matthew 19:5).  A couple should not divorce (Matthew 19:5-6) except for fornication (Matthew 5:32) though Paul allowed the unbeliever spouse to divorce (1 Corinthians 7:15).  The divorced should not remarry (Matthew 5:32), but the widow or widower can remarry (1 Corinthians 7:8-9).  Homosexuality is rebuked by God (Romans 1:26-27).
  • Method of Water Baptism.  I believe that the immersion method of baptism is closer to the biblical use (Matthew 3:16).  The baptism candidate should be able to profess the faith (Acts 8:37; 16:31).  The baptism cannot save the baptized but the faith been professed (Galatians 5:5-6).
  • Prayer and Fasting.  Prayer is to submission to divine direction (Matthew 6:33) with praise (Ephesians 5:19-20), and fasting is to confess the misery in divine justice (Daniel 9:3-4).
  • Women in the Ministry.  I believe that women are allowed to pray, prophesy (1 Corinthians 11:5), and teach young women (Titus 2:4) and young children (1 Timothy 5:4).  Though in special occasions God does lift women over men (Judges 4:4, 9), the leadership in the church requires maleness (1 Timothy 3:2, 12), and one of qualifications for office is one-woman husband (1 Timothy 3:2, 12).  Women are not allowed to teach or dominate men (1 Timothy 2:11-12).