Confessional

Public statements of faith inevitably present the writer with a trilemma between brevity, comprehensiveness, and clarity. Brother Andrew, a Dutch missionary who smuggled Bibles into Communist countries during the Cold War, once mailed a whole Bible to a potential supporter who had asked him for a statement of faith. The Bible is the only comprehensive Christian statement of faith. This one is brief, hopefully clear, and hopefully sheds light on my theological leanings and the hermeneutics I encourage in my classes.

I am:

Christian – I affirm that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

Protestant – I affirm the five “solas” of the Reformation.

Sola Scriptura – governed by scripture alone.

Sola Gratia – saved by grace alone.

Sola Fide – through faith alone.

Solus Christus – in Christ alone.

Soli Deo Gloria – to the glory of God alone.

Evangelical – I believe the gospel (which is the original and truest meaning of “evangelical”).

Unfinished – Though I find great beauty in traditional Protestantism, I realize that in some areas, traditions may not be fully Scriptural. Where that is the case, I am eager to change as the Spirit convicts me through the Word.

Integrative – I affirm that all truth is God’s truth, wherever truth is found. In my work (especially my day job), I consider insights from modern science to the extent that they do not contradict the plain teaching of Scripture.

Curious – I recognize that Christianity, Protestantism, and Evangelicalism are diverse. No one is saved by their theology; they are saved by grace. I strive to respect and learn from my brothers and sisters in the faith, even when we draw different theological conclusions.

Loving – I believe that all people are created in God’s image, and those outside the faith are due equal love and respect from us as those inside the faith. They shall know we are Christians by our love. I pray that through my love, they might experience the love of Christ and that the Spirit would draw them to Him through our love.

Traditional toward Marriage and Gender – I affirm that Biblical marriage is between one biological man and one biological woman. I affirm that the true gender of any individual is that revealed by their anatomy at birth and possession of either xx or xy chromosomes.