Gospel Confession
The South Australian Collegiate of Confessing Pastors Gospel Confession September 2, 2019
1. The Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ - We believe that genuine faith begins with the Resurrection of Jesus, and centres on his cross as witnessed to by the Scriptures. While Jesus gave an impeccable example of love by going to the cross, more importantly he died in our stead as a sacrifice of atonement for sinners. His death, therefore, was not a mistake or merely an inevitable outcome of his ministry but was sovereignly planned by the Father with the Son from eternity. It was willingly entered into by Jesus himself in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit. This was to fulfil what was proclaimed by the Old Testament prophets. We believe that because Jesus was raised from the dead, his death is revealed as God’s victory over sin, death and Satan. We believe that Jesus died, was buried and after three days was uniquely and miraculously raised from the dead at a point in time. His resurrection is therefore bodily and historical, witnessed by five hundred people including the Apostles themselves. He was raised by God never to die again. The word of the gospel, therefore, is based not on philosophical speculation nor community faith stories, but the historical and powerful action of God as the Creator, the giver of life. We believe the resurrected Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, revealing his authority as Lord and Christ over all things. He will come to judge the world at the end of the age.
2. The Deity and Humanity of Christ - We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, truly human and truly divine, united in one person forever. We believe the pre-existent Son - the Word - became flesh through conception by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary. We deny any view of Christ that reduces or rejects his eternal deity. We also affirm that faith in the humanity of Christ - like us in every way, yet without sin - is essential to faith in the gospel.
3. The Trinity - We believe in the one true uncreated eternal God who created all things (seen and unseen) as good, and who is sovereign over it. He is revealed in the New Covenant as one God in three distinct eternal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Three are One, and each person is unique in their relations with the others. The Father eternally begets the Son; the Son eternally delights in obeying the Father; the eternal Spirit, who is “the Spirit of the Father,” and “the Spirit of the Son,” is sent by the Father through the Son, revealing and effecting the will and work of the Father and the Son. These are not philosophical categories, but the gift of God’s wisdom, embryonic in the Old Testament and fulfilled in Christ, giving true knowledge of himself to the world.
4. Humanity - We believe God created mankind in his image and likeness, to have dominion under God, and for ultimate glorification. Mankind is in essence one, yet two distinct persons, male and female, each unique in their relation to each other. This is for the purpose of fulfilling God’s creational mandate. Mankind, together with all creation, is declared by God to be “very good”. 1 of 2 However, when Adam sinned, all mankind sinned with him, because he is our representative head. Consequently, all are guilty before God, and therefore defiled, in slavery to sin, spiritually blind and dead to God, following Satan the god of this world. Therefore every person, from conception, is alienated from God and faces the certainty of eternal punishment.
5. Salvation - We believe that in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ God saves sinners, giving forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Salvation means rescue from sin, death and Satan. This deliverance involves the gifts of justification and reconciliation to God, with regeneration, sanctification and adoption into his family. Therefore, in this age God gives joy, peace, freedom, transformation of character and relationships, and the guarantee of complete glorification at the future resurrection of the body. We are justified by faith alone, and the salvation faith brings is by grace alone, through Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Salvation is received through the gift of faith, expressed in repentance and submission, and acknowledges that Jesus was raised from the dead and is Lord and God. Salvation also includes the reconciliation and renewal of ‘all things,’ the hope of a new creation in a new age without sin, sickness and death.
6. The Church - We believe that the church is the family of the Father, the body and bride of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit of all those saved by God. Our unity is a gift of grace in the reconciling work of Christ as the outworking of the oneness of the Father, Son and Spirit. We believe that the church is called to the worship of God the Father in Christ by the Spirit; confession of the gospel; prayer and praise; apostolic teaching - encouragement and exhortation of God’s word; and the sharing in the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. We believe the church is called to participate in God’s mission by unceasingly proclaiming the gospel of his redemptive love in Jesus Christ to his world, as he commanded: “Make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. We believe the church is created to serve God in his kingdom, submitting at all times to his sovereignty, judgments and saving acts.
7. The Scriptures - We affirm that in the Scriptures - consisting of the given text of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments - God has given us the authoritative disclosure of his character and will, his redemptive acts and their meaning, and his mandate for global mission. We believe the Bible is fully and uniquely the word of God, completely reliable, perfect and unambiguous in conveying truth to those of faith. It is written by men in human language but originated and inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures, as the written word, witness to the living Word, Jesus Christ. They are self-authenticating, affirmed by the Holy Spirit’s inward witness and revelation to those of faith. We believe the Bible, which must be read and understood as having its own inherent progressive revelation, is trustworthy in all matters of faith and conduct.
• Randall Lawton (Aldinga Community Church)
• Darian Jones (Waikerie Uniting Church)
• Daryl Mark (Bridge Evangelical Christian Church)
• James Krieg (Bethel Christian Church - Norwood)
• Siew Kiong Tham (Bethel Christian Church - Norwood)
• Montaz Ali (Living Word Church - Modbury)
• Troy Kammerman (One Church - Keith)