Evangelical
First and foremost, I am an evangelical Christian. At heart, evangelical
Christians are Bible people and Gospel people. This means that we
regard the Bible as the Word of God, supreme in authority on all
matters of faith and life. We believe the
whole Bible is "God-breathed" (2 Tim 3:16). Evangelicals place at the very centre of our beliefs and
how we live, the gospel or "good news" of Jesus Christ. The
Gospel message is that Jesus is the King and Saviour of the world and
through his atoning death on the cross and his victorious resurrection
from the dead, sinful human beings can enter into a new relationship
with God in which they are saved by God's grace (unmerited kindness) alone, through faith
(or trust) in Jesus Christ alone enter a new life as part of God's covnenant family.
Reformed
I am in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation. My beliefs are
strongly influenced by the views and approach of the Protestant
Reformers of the 16th and 17th centuries and their successors in Christian history.
The Five Solas of the Reformation contain truths close my heart:
- Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
- Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
- Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
- Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
- Soli Deo Gloria (God's Glory Alone)
Likewise, I affirm the Five Points of Calvinism:
- Total Depravity – human beings, by nature, are sinful in every part of their being.
- Unconditional Election – the choice of who is saved is made by God for his own glory and is not based on any condition that those who are chosen must meet or are foreseen as meeting. In particular, election is not based on God foreknowing who would believe, nor does election only relate the choice of a group for salvation, it relates to each individual chosen for salvation.
- Limited Atonement – also called 'definite atonement' or 'particular redemption'. This is the view that the atonement of Christ accomplishes the salvation of all those whom it was intended to save (the elect only). Alongside this truth, I affirm that the atonement was sufficient to save all and the free offer of the gospel is made to all.
- Irresistible Grace – when God chooses to save a sinner, his grace toward that person cannot be resisted by mere human will. This does not mean anyone is saved against their will, but rather than their wills are supernaturally changed by God (they are made alive who were spiritually dead).
- Perseverance of the Saints – those whom God has chosen for salvation and saved by Christ and who have come to saving faith, will never be lost and will persevere in faith. This does not mean that a genuine Christian cannot fall for a time into sin, including the sin of unbelief, but they will never fully and finally reject God.
I also accept the concept that the church is to be "reformed and always reforming" and so accept that the Christian theology is always in need of review, refinement and reform in the light of the Word of God.
Missional
I recognise the central importance of the gospel to life, I am
committed to the mission of spreading the Christian gospel through the
world and drawing as many people as possible into the kingdom of God
to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. However, our concern for other
people does not stop with telling them the good news. We believe it
is also vital to show people the nature of the good news by loving
them and caring for them and so I support every kind of effort to reach
people in Christ's name, both in words and in actions.
Covenantal
At the heart of my theology is the central of the importance of the
two-way loving relationship between God and his people, which is usually
described as the covenant in the Bible. This covenant is a bond of
love and friendship with God through Jesus Christ which also creates
relationships between all Christian brothers and sisters in Christ.
In the covenant God promises to love, support, protect and bless his
people and his people seek to live lives of love, thankful obedience
and loyalty to God.
Stemming from this two-way relationship, we understand that God loves
us and is actively involved in the lives of his creatures, affecting
them, but also being affected by them as they return his love for them
with love for him, obedience to him and worship of him.
Relational
The early Church was a real community of love in its worship, learning
and fellowship. I believe that the fuel for mission comes from
enjoying what is at once a very personal relationship with God and a
deep, committed friendship and fellowship with other Christian
believers in the community of faith and beyond it. Both relationships
are developed and nurtured through regularly spending time both with
God and other followers of Jesus. Sharing our whole lives with God and
with each other, befriending one another, learning and worshipping
together, sharing our joys and sorrows and helping one another on the
pilgrimage we are all on in life.
I believe we are called to be community-focused and not restricted to a
"me and Jesus" kind of individualism that has plagued the evangelical
church for far too long.
Political
The Gospel of Jesus Christ always has a sharp political edge to it.
God's plan to renew and restore the whole cosmos has implications for
how we live now in this life. Too often the church has taught
that the only important thing is that knowing that when we die we will
go to heaven, so nothing matters that much here in this world. But
the biblical gospel is bigger and better and more challenging than
that. It is about turning this world upside down and changing people's lives in the here and now.
In New Testament times and Roman Empire in which Jesus and the apostles
lived and worked, to admit "Jesus is Lord" was to a subversive and
radical political view as well as religious one, because you were then
denying that "Caesar is Lord" as Rome proclaimed. For me it is vital
that the resurrection life of the church is lived out in practical ways
that seek to change the world through calling for social justice for
the poor, the weak and the needy, through calling for poverty to be
addressed and fair treatment of workers throughout the world, and by
looking after the environment in a sustainable and sensible way.
Inclusive
I seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ and seek to take the
gospel message to every kind of person in the world. This also means
that the church must be open to and inclusive of everyone who confesses faith in Jesus Christ. There can be
no barriers of age, race, colour, language, gender, class or sexual
orientation to stop people entering the Kingdom of God or from
worshipping or serving God in the church.
Egalitarian
I regard women as equal to men in all respects and that all offices in
Christ's church should be open to women, including positions of
leadership and teaching authority.
By keeping a balance in all these areas of doctrine and practice, I
aim to live a life that and glorifies God and enjoys him in love
forever.
Particular Interests
My particular theological interests include the Trinity and attributes
of God, foreknowledge, predestination and election, creation, providence justification, atonement theory, covenant theology and New
Testament textual criticism.
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