My Christian Faith

Man is unrighteous, unholy, and wholly incapable of pleasing God or performing any good thing without God. All good things derive from a Sovereign God. Man in his fallen and broken state required a subsidiary sacrifice, there is and was nothing we can do to earn redemption, grace, or salvation. Jesus Christ performed that subsidiary sacrifice in his death on the Cross, taking unto himself the sins of God's elect. His resurrection was proof of the metaphysical victory over sin and corruption and the fulfillment of prophecies related to God's plan of grace in our redemptive history. "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6), "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph 2:8-9) "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom 10:9) “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Rom 8:29-30) “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Col 3:12)

My worldview and understanding of ultimate and universal truth as well as my understanding of metaphysics derive firstly and ultimately from the tenets of my faith, listed below.

Read more about the Theological defense of my faith

When I first posted First Principles, Axioms and Syllogisms some assumed, inaccurately, that I arrived at my faith via reason. Just the opposite, I arrived at my faith and understanding and then out of curiosity used faith and reason to ponder other issues.

Sola scriptura: “Scripture alone”
Sola fide: “faith alone”
Sola gratia: “grace alone”
Solo Christo: “Christ alone”
Soli Deo gloria: “to the glory of God alone”

I hold the following as true, I am not a hyper-Calvinist, all of these need explaining, but all are essentially true.

T - Total Depravity: Sin pervades all areas of life, everything of man is corrupt and imperfect. (video)

U - Unconditional Election: God is sovereign and all things are through his will. (video)

L - Limited Atonement: The blood of the Cross is for the forgiveness of believers. (article)

I - Irresistible Grace: God is sovereign, no human can resist his call. (video)

P - Preservation of the Saints: We cannot even abandon it if it is truly received. (video)

Christianity is properly defined through a Covenantal view - this is perhaps controversial to many but I find dispensationalism problematic. I hold that a reformed view is historically but more importantly Biblically correct. (video)

Scripture alone is sufficient for salvation, and the Gospel related to salvation is clear to anyone that reads it. On more complex theological issues, people, even experts, get confused. Two people can and often do read scripture differently, often wrongly. Therefore historic confessions and creeds aid in understanding the message and application. I think a discerning Christian can but look around and see how far short statements of faith and everybody figuring it out for themselves each generation has gotten us. There is something to be said for relying upon the collective wisdom of the ages to help us. Creeds and confessions are more helpful than contemporary writers and celebrities.

I am probably best termed a Presbytist...

I have yet to find anything I can disagree with in the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, I wish there were more Baptists in the world that had read it, worked through it, and understood it. I cannot agree in entirety with the intent of the Westminister Confession concerning family covenant - 80% agree but cannot go all in.

1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith

Others:

As my worldview is shaped by my faith, all of my writing reflects that worldview but the following categories capture things I have written specifically related to Christianity.