Our Beliefs

A Concise Confession of Faith

Written by Rev. Taylor Kern

We believe along with the universal Church of Christ, from all places and ages, these essential articles of the Christian Faith: 

Article I:  (Prolegomena)

By the order and beauty of the open book of creation, it is plainly declared to all people that there exists only one perfect, simple, eternal, all-powerful, self-sufficient, just, and wise Creator-King, who by the power of his Word created the heavens and the earth and all that in them is and who by His Spirit furnished all things with His perfection. This self-evident truth is sufficient to teach every person what is their purpose and duty in life, as well as to leave all rebels without excuse. 

Article II: 

This Mighty King, whom we call God, is neither so near to His creation as to be one in essence with it,  nor so far from it that He has no relation to it. Rather He always stoops below His majesty to lovingly uphold and govern His Kingdom by means of covenant, that is, a relationship built upon legal agreement. Thus, in order to reveal His full will and to teach us all things necessary to believe for the full reconciliation of covenant breakers, the Holy King exhaled his infallible Word through the writings of men. Together they compose the canonical documents of the covenants, which are the Old and the New Testament of the Bible. These self-testifying writings are the only rule of faith that efficiently constitute the Kingdom of God manifested visibly in the Church. All other writings of men are subservient to the Bible’s Royal authority. 

Article III: (Theology Proper)

These Holy Writings collectively reveal the mystery that although God is one single essence, He is yet ever distinguished in three persons who are truly distinct; namely, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three divine Persons neither divide the Godhead into three parts nor intermix so as to become only one Person, but rather they are mysteriously united as one God. For the authority of God’s Word nowhere teaches that the Father or the Spirit has assumed flesh, but the Son only. Still, the three Persons are so harmoniously united that of each divine project the Father is the source, the Son is the mediator, and the Spirit is the consummator. Since the Father has never been without His Son, or without His Holy Spirit, each Person equally share in the same Royal glory.

Article IV:  (Anthropology)

This Triune God crowned creation by making man in His image and likeness, both male and female. Mankind, male & female, was made into a living being directly by God from the dust of the earth. In order to reflect his Creator-King, man was fitted with the capacity to obey the stipulations of the covenant made with him so he might enter into the promised eternal Sabbath blessedness.

Article V:

Due to the instigation of the devil, however, man willfully rebelled against his Creator-King. The wage earned for this high treason was immediate spiritual death as well as the impending death of his body and soul for all of eternity. Since this historic man was the fountainhead of all humanity according to nature, he legally represented his posterity. Thus, according to that original covenant, his sin is accredited to every individual at conception by which spiritual depravity is conferred to all.  

Article VI: 

         This original sin corrupts every faculty of man rendering him incapable of even cooperating with God’s grace. Therefore, as man was exiled from the garden-temple he was left with no hope in and of himself. But God in his rich grace preached the gospel (good news) to him, specifically, that the Father would send His Son born of a woman as a new covenantal representative for humanity in order to conquer sin, death, and the devil, and thereby redeem a people for Himself. 

Article VII:  (Christology)

         God unraveled the mystery of this promise through the prophets until the Father sent his only begotten Son in history to assume a true human nature via virginal conception by the power of the Holy Spirit. In order to fully represent and save humanity, the Son took on a true human soul and body. Due to this voluntary act of humility, at conception the divine nature of the Son inseparably and inconfusedly united with His human nature in his Person whose title is the Christ or Messiah. This Christ was given the name Jesus at birth because of his salvific mission. 

Article VIII:  (Soteriology unto Eschatology)

         Jesus’ mission culminated at the cross where his perfect vicarious obedience and substitutionary death was accepted by the Father on behalf of the elect whom He came to represent. Three days after his real death and burial the Triune God rose Christ from the dead in his same human nature, which is now gloriously clothed by the Spirit in incorruptibility and immortality and is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven, where He ever lives to intercede for us as our prophet, priest, and king. He shall return bodily to judge the living and the dead, resurrecting reprobates unto an eternal death and His elect unto eternal blessedness.

Article IX: (Ecclesiology)

         In His temporary absence Christ sent His Spirit to apply the redemption He accomplished to the elect. The Spirit applies the King’s benefits according to His institution of visible churches, which are colonies of the Kingdom of God on earth. While men only are called & permitted to serve as elders and ministers, all believers are equipped with gifts to serve & build up the church. The means by which grace is administered are the preaching of the gospel, by which regeneration and faith are worked, and the sacraments, by which faith is confirmed. It is by faith alone in Christ alone that sinners are justified before God.

Article X:  (Sanctification)                                                                    

         The only sacraments instituted by Christ are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These visible words are signs and seals of the covenant of grace that declare to us, namely believers and their children, that we are saved by the once for all sacrifice of Christ on the cross and his resurrection. When sacraments are received by faith the Spirit unites us to Christ who is our Head, to receive from him all His benefits until He returns.