Statement of Faith

  • The Holy Scriptures –

    I believe that the Creator of the Universe has revealed Himself to mankind authoritatively in the Holy Scriptures. I believe that the Bible (the 66 canonical books of Holy Scripture) is the inspired Word of God. I further believe that God has preserved His Word (for English speaking people) in the form of the King James Bible. The King James Bible is my sole authority of faith and practice.

    •  The Bible is verbally and plenarily inspired by God. II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:21
    •  I believe that the thirty-nine Old Testament books and the twenty-seven New Testament books alone comprise the inspired Word of God. Mark 12:36, II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 3:15-16
    •  I believe that God has preserved His Word (from the original manuscripts, which are accurately represented in the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Received Text) until today as He promised. Psalm 12:6-7
    •  The evidence overwhelmingly convinces me that the King James Bible is the preserved Word of God for English speaking people.
    •  I believe that the Word of God is “quick and powerful”; that is to say it is alive and is used by the Holy Spirit to convict and teach. John 14:26, Hebrews 4:12
  • The True God

    I believe the existence of the True God is evidenced by the wonders of creation. (Psalm 19:1-3; Romans 1:20) The Bible is God’s authoritative revelation of Himself to mankind. (II Timothy 3:16) It is in the Bible that the specific facts about God are made known. My beliefs about God are based solely on the clear teaching of His Word.

    •  God is a Spirit; He is immaterial in substance. John 4:24, Colossians 1:15
    •  God is uncaused and eternal; He has never had a beginning, nor will He ever cease to exist. Psalm 90:1-2, Isaiah 57:15, Exodus 3:14
    •  God is infinite; yet He is a distinct personal Being. Genesis 1:1, Exodus 3:14
    •  God is self-existent; He does not depend on anyone or anything to sustain Himself. Exodus 3:14, Acts 17:24-25
    • God is immutable; He will never change in His nature or attributes. Malachi 3:6, James 1:17
    • God is triune; He is one Being that subsists in three distinct, coequal Persons (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; equal in nature, distinct in person, and subordinate in their order). Genesis 1:26, Genesis 11:7, Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, John 1:1-3, John 14:9, Acts 5:3-4, Hebrews 1:8, I John 5:7
    • God is omniscient; everything (including all future events) is known by Him. Isaiah 40:28, I John 3:20
    • God is omnipotent; His power is unlimited. Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:27, Isaiah 44:24, Matthew 19:26
    • God is omnipresent; He is not confined by space, time, or matter. Psalm 139:7-12, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Colossians 1:17
    • God is perfect in holiness and righteousness; He is completely holy and His nature precludes Him from the possibility of any moral imperfection. Psalm 116:5, Isaiah 6:3, Isaiah 57:15
    • God is perfect in love and mercy; His love has no limit, and His mercy “endureth forever.” Psalm 103:8, John 3:16, II Peter 3:9, I John 4:8
    • God is sovereign; yet He has given man a free will. Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 46:9-10, John 3:15-16, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:11
    • God created everything that has begun to exist. Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:26-27, Colossians 1:16
  • The Lord Jesus Christ

    I believe that Jesus Christ is God because of the clear teaching of the Scriptures.

    • Jesus Christ is coexistent and coequal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. John 1:1-2, John 8:58, I Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:8, I John 5:7
    • Jesus Christ is the Creator and Sustainer of every created thing. John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17
    • Jesus Christ came to this earth and was born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 1:18, Matthew 1:23
    • Jesus Christ, at the time of His incarnation, was truly God, and truly man. Isaiah 9:6; Luke 2:40,52; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11; I Timothy 3:16
    • Jesus Christ was “tempted in all points… yet without sin.” II Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:14-15
    • Jesus Christ voluntarily laid down His life (by submitting to death on the cross) as the efficacious sacrifice for the sin of mankind. Isaiah 53:6,  John 10:17-18, Romans 4:25, Romans 5:8, Hebrews 9:28, I Peter 3:18, I John 1:7, I John 2:2
    • Jesus Christ paid the sin debt of each person who has ever, or will ever exist when He shed His blood and physically died on the cross. John 1:29; Romans 5:8-9; I Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 9:12, 10:10-14; I John 2:2
    • Jesus Christ, after His physical death on the cross and subsequent burial, resurrected bodily from the dead. Matthew 28:6, Luke 24:39, John 20:27, I Corinthians 15:3-4
    • Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven and is currently seated at the right hand of the Father where He “ever liveth to make intercession for us.” Mark 16:19,  Acts 1:9-11, Romans 4:25, Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 8:1
  • The Holy Spirit

    I believe that the Holy Spirit is God, according to the clear teaching of the Bible.  Acts 5:3-4; II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:21

    • The Holy Spirit is referred to as a person by the Scriptures. John 14:16-17
    • The Holy Spirit is coexistent and coeternal with God the Father and God the Son. I John 5:7
    • The Holy Spirit’s ministry in relation to all of humanity is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. John 16:8
    • The Holy Spirit indwells the believer at the moment of salvation. Romans 8:9, I Corinthians 3:16, I Corinthians 6:19
    • The Holy Spirit seals the believer and gives him assurance of salvation. Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30
    • The Holy Spirit engages in the progressive work of sanctification in a believer’s life, conforming the believer to the image of Christ. Romans 1:17, Romans 8:29, I Corinthians 6:11, I Corinthians 6:17-20, Philippians 1:6
    • The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to live the Christian life. John 14:26, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:16
    • The Holy Spirit fills and guides those believers who are fully submitted to the Lord for the purpose of serving the Lord. Acts 4:31, Ephesians 5:18, James 4:8
    • The Holy Spirit’s work will be in accordance with the clear teaching of Scripture. God is not the author of confusion. The sign gift of “tongues” mentioned in the New Testament was not unintelligible sounds or a “private prayer language” but rather the Holy Spirit miraculously enabling people to speak in an earthly human language which they had not learned before. Matthew 6:7, I Corinthians 14:17-28
  • Eternity

    I believe that God has created time (Genesis 1:1, 14) and placed mankind in it. Every human being will one day pass into eternity. (Hebrews 9:27) There are only two eternal existences that a person can experience: for the saved – eternal life with God, and for the unsaved- eternal damnation and separation from God.

    • Heaven is a literal place where God the Father and God the Son dwell. Matthew 6:9, John 14:1-3, II Corinthians 5:1, II Corinthians 12:2
      • Heaven is the dwelling place of God the Father and God the Son. It is subsequently free of sin and imperfection. Matthew 6:9, Mark 16:19
      • Heaven is the current destination for all those who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. II Corinthians 5:1, Philippians 1:23, I John 5:12
      • Those who have trusted Christ for salvation, upon their physical death or the rapture of the saints, will “ever be with the Lord.” II Corinthians 5:8, I Thessalonians 4:17
    • Hell is a literal place of physical and spiritual torment.
      • Hell has literal fire. Luke 16:23-24
      • Hell is the current destination for all those who die without having placed their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Psalm 9:17, John 1:12, Romans 6:23
      • After the Great White Throne Judgment, all who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ will be cast into the “lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” for eternity. Revelation 20:10-15, Revelation 21:8
  • Angels

    I believe that Angels exist because of the clear teaching of Scripture.

    • Angels are created beings. Psalm 104:4
    • Angels were created to bring glory to God. Revelation 4:11
    • Those angels that were faithful to the Lord are currently serving the Lord. Isaiah 6, Hebrews 1:13-14
    • Those angels that deliberately rebelled against God were cast from Heaven. Though retaining their nature and abilities, they are serving Satan and attempting to accomplish his purposes of deception. They are referred to in Scripture as “devils” and “unclean spirits”.  Matthew 8:28-33, Matthew 10:1, I Timothy 4:1, Revelation 12:3-4
  • Satan

    I believe that Satan exists because of the clear teaching in the Bible.

    • Satan was originally created as Lucifer, the anointed cherub. He is a person, and not a force or idea.  Job 1:6, Isaiah 14:12, Ezekiel 28:13-17, Matthew 4:1-11
    • Satan fell from Heaven when he rebelled against God. Isaiah 14:12-15
    • Satan works to deceive mankind. II Corinthians 4:4
    • Satan was defeated through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Colossians 2:15, I John 3:8
    • Satan will be eventually cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 20:10
  • Creation

    I believe that the Bible gives the true account of creation; “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” I reject all unbiblical theories concerning creation such as: Theistic Evolution, the Gap Theory, and the Day-Age Theory.

    • God created everything for His pleasure. Revelation 4:11
    • God created everything from nothing by His own power. Genesis 1:1, John1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17
    • The Bible clearly teaches that God created the universe in six literal, twenty-four hour days. Genesis 1-2, Exodus 20:11, Nehemiah 9:6, Matthew 19:4
    • Human beings were created directly by God, “in the beginning.” Genesis 1-2
    • Living creatures (animals, plants, etc.) were made to reproduce “after their kind.” Genesis 1-2
  • Man

    Concerning man, I believe-

    • Every person is a descendant of the first man, Adam, who was created by God on the sixth day of creation. Genesis 2:7, Genesis 2:23-24, Genesis 3:20
    •  Man is created in the image of God and has an eternal soul. Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:7, Hebrews 9:27
    • When Adam sinned, he died spiritually. He later died physically. This spiritual and physical death has been passed onto all human beings. Romans 5:12
    • Man is born with a sin nature which separates him from God. John 3:36, Romans 5:12
    • Man has been given a free will (the ability to choose to receive Christ and be eternally saved or to reject Him and be eternally lost) by the Sovereign God, as evidenced by the many offers of eternal salvation to “whosoever.” John 3:15-16, Romans 10:13, Revelation 22:17
    • Man was created to bring pleasure to the Lord by seeking after Him. Acts 17:27, Revelation 4:11
    • Unsaved man is guilty before God and is destined for eternal damnation in the “lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.” His only hope is to turn to Christ alone for salvation. Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, I John 5:12, Revelation 21:8
    • God’s design for human sexuality is clearly defined in Scripture. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) Any physical intimacy outside the boundaries of a biblical marriage is condemned by God. Fornication, adultery, pornography, sexual abuse, homosexuality, and all other perversions are clearly forbidden by our Creator. Leviticus 18:1-30, Matthew 5:28, Matthew 19:4-6, Luke 17:2, Romans 1:20-32, Hebrews 13:4
    • Scripture teaches that all human life is sacred and begins at conception. Abortion for any reason is the murder of a human being. The Scriptures also imply that infants and those who do not have the mental capacity to recognize their fallen state and willfully trust Christ for salvation will not be eternally lost. Upon their death, they are immediately in the presence of God. Exodus 20:13, II Samuel 12:23, Psalm 139:13-17, Isaiah 44:24, Luke 18:15-16
  • Salvation

    Concerning salvation, I believe-

    • Man is utterly incapable of obtaining eternal life through any merit or effort of his own. Romans 3:23, Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9
    • The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth for the primary purpose of redeeming mankind from sin and its penalty. Luke 19:10
    • Christ’s vicarious death and the shedding of His blood was efficacious for the payment of man’s sin debt and the satisfaction of God’s perfect justice. Romans 5:8, Hebrews 9:28, I Peter 3:18, I John 1:7, I John 2:2
    • Christ was raised for our justification. Romans 4:25
    • Eternal life is offered to every person. John 3:15-16, Romans 10:13, II Peter 3:9, Revelation 22:17
    • A person is saved by grace alone through faith alone when a conscious decision is made to place complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work for salvation. John 1:12; Romans 4:5; Romans 10:9-10,13; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9
    • A person is born again (regenerated by the Holy Spirit) and becomes a child of God the moment he trusts Christ for salvation.  John 1:12, Romans 8:15-17, Galatians 4:1-6
    • Once a person has been genuinely saved, he cannot lose his salvation and is eternally secure. John 3:16, John 5:24, John 10:27-28, I John 5:10-13
    • Every saved person is called to a life of holiness before the Lord through the enabling of the Holy Spirit. II Corinthians 7:1, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:16, Titus 2:11-13
  • The Church

    Concerning the Church, I believe-

    • The term, “church” (ecclesia), as it is used in the New Testament, almost always refers to a local, independent, called-out assembly of believers with the Lord Jesus Christ as its head.  From the time when our Lord Jesus Christ started the first church during His earthly ministry until the rapture of the saints (which can occur at any time), local, autonomous churches remain the focal point of God’s plan for the propagation of the Gospel and the equipping of the saints for His glory.  Acts 2:46-47, Acts 8:3, Acts 9:31, I Corinthians 1:2, I Corinthians 14:33, Colossians 1:18, Revelation 1:11
    • The purpose of the local church is to bring glory to God by diligently propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ and faithfully teaching the whole counsel of God. Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 20:20-21, 27; Colossians 1:23-28; Titus 2:1
    • The Bible must be the sole authority of faith and practice for all New Testament churches. Joshua 1:8, II Timothy 3:16
    • The local church must be autonomous; that is, free from outside control or influence. Matthew 18:15-17, I Corinthians 5:13
    • The local New Testament church is to practice ecclesiastical separation with regard to cooperation, affiliation, or alliances with all denominations, religious and political movements, and other religious and para-church organizations. Amos 3:3, John 18:36-37, Acts 20:28-30, II Corinthians 6:14-18, II John 9-11
    • The membership of a local New Testament church should be comprised of only saved and baptized believers as per biblical precedent. Acts 2:41
    • The local church, though comprised of imperfect believers, should strive for Christ-honoring purity and practice church discipline biblically. The local church should maintain a godly testimony before the lost world. Special care should be made to protect all who interact with the local church from any type of spiritual, emotional, or sexual abuse.  Matthew 5:16, Mark 9:42, I Corinthians 5:1-5, 13; Ephesians 5:25-17;  II Thessalonians 3:6; I Timothy 5:17-22
    • The two ordinances of a local church are baptism (by immersion after salvation) and the Lord’s Table. Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 22:19
    • The two offices of the local church are that of Pastor (Elder, Bishop) and Deacon.  I Timothy 3:1-13, I Peter 5:1-4
  • Israel

    Concerning Israel, I believe-

    • The promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, Israel, and David concerning the nation of Israel and her land shall be fulfilled. Genesis 12:1-3, II Samuel 7:4-17, Romans 11:1-36
    • Due to her corporate rejection of the Messiah (The Lord Jesus Christ), the Nation of Israel as a whole has been temporarily set aside by God in favor of the Local Church during this dispensation. However, local New Testament Churches have not replaced Israel. The Jewish people remain God’s chosen people. Hosea 3:4-5, Romans 9:1-18
    • While each individual Jew (like every other person) has the responsibility to personally turn to Christ for salvation today, the Scriptures plainly state, that eventually, during the Tribulation period, “all Israel shall be saved.” Jeremiah 30:7, Romans 11:25-26
    • In the Millennial Reign of Christ, Israel will peacefully inhabit the land promised to her by God. II Samuel 7:4-17, Jeremiah 31:6-12
  • Last Things

    I believe that the Scriptures clearly outline major end time events, in order-

    • The Rapture of the Saved into Heaven is imminent. I Corinthians 15:51-53, I Thessalonians 4:13-18
    • The Judgment Seat of Christ takes place immediately after the rapture. Romans 14:10, I Corinthians 3:13-15
    • The seven year Tribulation period will follow the Rapture. Revelation 6-18
    • Christ will return to earth at the end of the Tribulation and bind Satan for 1,000 years. II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 19:11-16, Revelation 20:2
    • Christ will establish a kingdom on earth that will last for 1,000 years. Revelation 20:1-6
    • At the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, Satan will be loosed for a season to gather an army to fight against the Lord. Then, Satan will be cast in the Lake of Fire for eternity. Revelation  20:7-10
    • Every person that is not saved will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment and then cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. Revelation 20:11-15
    • After the Great White Throne Judgment, all the saved will enter into eternity with the Lord and enjoy a new heaven, a new earth, and New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:1-5, 10-25; 22:5
  • Why I am an “Independent Fundamental Baptist”

    By God’s marvelous grace, I am foremost a Biblicist. The Bible is my sole authority of faith and practice. It is my conviction that those now known as Independent Fundamental Baptists have historically been the believers most aligned with this position. It is because of this conviction that I unashamedly identify as an Independent Fundamental Baptist. However, this name means different things to different people. Some who claim to be an “Independent Fundamental Baptist” have different convictions and a different philosophy of ministry than what I hold to. Furthermore, some who claim to be Independent Baptist have been culpable in egregious scandals that have spiritually wounded more than a few victims. The Lord helping me, I resolve not to engage in any behavior (such as covering up sexual sin or criminal activity in the local church, or demanding unquestioned loyalty to myself as a spiritual leader) that would bring shame to the name of Christ and hurt to God’s people. When I say “I am an Independent Fundamental Baptist,” I am using the term insofar as it comports to what I understand it to mean: that the Holy Scriptures rightly divided are my sole authority of faith and practice, that I am committed to fundamental Biblicist doctrine, and that I hold to a New Testament or “Independent Fundamental Baptist” view of church polity. By the grace of God, I am seeking to follow and honor Christ as I implement what I understand from the Scriptures to be a biblical philosophy of ministry. As I labor to communicate the Gospel of Christ and plant biblical churches here in South Korea for the glory of God with my precious family, I am committed to the idea that the Scriptures —not the traditions of men— must be our sole authority of faith and practice. I am convinced that the local church must be truly autonomous and properly patterned after the local church that Christ built during His earthly ministry. Any organization that seeks to usurp the authority of Christ and cause a local church to give up any of its God-ordained autonomy in the name of cooperation is in violation of the clear teaching of Scripture. Therefore I reject any effort to unite local churches into a denominational organization, cooperative, or organized fellowship. Based upon my understanding of the Word of God, I reject the authority and legitimacy of all religious denominations. I believe the Roman Catholic Church to be an abominable religion that preaches a false gospel. I am not a Protestant nor an Evangelical. I stand against New Evangelicalism, Modernism, Postmodernism, Cultural Marxism, the Emergent Church, all forms of the so-called New Apostolic Reformation Movement, the Ecumenical Movement, and any other movement or philosophy that is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. I believe that the local church belongs to the Lord and therefore that it is not a for-profit business nor a means by which the pastor can control the saints in his care. I believe that the mission of the local church is to glorify God by seeking to biblically communicate the Gospel of Christ to the lost and to become a gathering of saved, baptized, and Holy Spirit-filled saints who are growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I reject unscriptural philosophies and methods of evangelism. I condemn the Charismatic Movement and its false teachings as being profoundly unbiblical. I reject the teachings of Reformed Theology (Calvinism) and also of those who claim that a true child of God could in any way lose his salvation or “leave his faith.” I oppose all so-called “Christian” entities that pervert the Gospel or teach anything that is contrary to the truth clearly revealed in Scripture. I praise the Lord for anyone who biblically preaches Christ and I endeavor to treat everyone (particularly brothers in Christ) graciously; however, in the course of ministry it is my practice to always refrain from partnering or cooperating with churches, organizations, and ministers who are not Independent Fundamental Baptist. Though I am merely a weak sinner saved by the grace of God who is far from perfect, I desire to live a life of holiness as the Holy Spirit accomplishes His work of sanctification in my life. I desire to faithfully (both fervently and accurately) communicate the Gospel of Christ to the lost and also to teach the whole counsel of God to those whom the Lord uses me to lead to Christ. By the grace of God, I desire to fulfill the ministry that I have been called to with both boldness and meekness for the glory of God. As the Holy Spirit guides me, I desire to walk in truth in the areas of Bible doctrine, philosophy of ministry, and personal ethics. I desire to bring glory to our Lord by “speaking the truth in love” as I “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.” Colossians 1:18, Galatians 1:8, Ephesians 4:14-15, Titus 2:1, I Timothy 4:1,16; II Timothy 4:2, Revelation 22:17, Jude 3, II Corinthians 6:17, I Peter 3:15, II Thessalonians 2:15