Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 12/6/2004

Question
Dear Pastor Carpenter,

I was lost for a long time and recently I decided to Turn my life over to God again because has we all know that is the true way of life.  Last nite I became a member of a local church and have some questions about their way of membership.
The Pastor read me 13 things listed on piece of paper and ask me if I believed and I agreed.  He read them so fast I was unable to understand what all them meant.
Here they are listed has they had them.
1. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the infallible Word of God, given to man by inspiration of the Holy Ghost.(11 Tim 3:16: 11 Peter 1:21)
2.We believe the Scriptures to furnish an all sufficient rule of faith and practice for Christians in all the world. (Romans 1:17;10:11,12:14 & Galatians 6:16; Phil 3:16)
3. We believe as Christians must look to the New Testament as their only rule of faith and practice.(Hebrews 9:17; Eph 2:15)
4. We believe in only one true and living God, in Jesus Christ is Son, and the Holy Ghost as revealed in the Scriptures of both the old and new Testaments.
5. We believe in the necessity of regeneration of begetting with Word of Truth. (James 1:18; John 1:1,3;1 peter 1:2,3)
6. We believe in the necessity of a New Birth as a means fo entering into the Kingdom of God.(John3:5; Matt7:21)
7. We beileve sin entered the world by one man, Adam and death by sin passed upon all. (Romans5:12,19)
8. We beileve repentance and conversion are essential before baptism. (Acts 2:28, 3:19)
9. We beileve this accomplished by the faithful preaching of the gospel. (Matt 28:19,20, Mark 16:15,16)
10. We believe baptism to be the immersion of a penitent believer in water as a line of distinction between the world and the church.
(mark 1:4,5 Acts 2:38,8:36,39 1 Cor.10:2,12:13;Gal 3:27)
11. We believe in the Lords Supper and feet washing are ordinances of Jesus Christ and commanded by him to be observed by his church till he comes again.(matt26:27;1 cor. 10:2,12:13; Gal 3:27)
12.  We believe in the resurrection of the bodies, both of the just and the unjust, and th ehappiness of one and the punishment of the other will be alike--eternal.(John 5:28;Acts 24:15; Matt25:46; 1 Cor. 15:20,42,44)
13. We believe converted, born again believers in Jesus Christ must be faithful in their stewardship until death or until the Lord returns in order to eternally saved.
(Matt 10:22,24:13;Mark 13:13; 1Cor. 4:2; James 1:12;Rev 2:10,22:14)

I know this is long and I am sorry for that but I wanted you to know all 13 things and the references in the Bible.  My question is that I am unsure if all the references are correct and I don't understand how to make sense of them.  Please e-mail me back and let me know if this was okay or should I have read this first before membership?  

Answer
Hi Rebecca,

Thanks for this great question.  You have a great doctrinal statement!  Your pastor seems to be very careful and accurate about doctrine.  I do not see anything wrong with that statement.

I know that it may be overwhelming to see all of that doctrine.  You do not need to understand every bit of it yet...you will grow into it.  What is very important is that there is not anything with which you absolutely disagree.  Disagreement is much different than simple lack of understanding.  I just preached a 7 month series on our doctrinal statement.... it can be very deep and complecated especially to someone new to the faith...or jest getting back into it.

To summerize, it looks from those 13 things that you are in a good church.  Relax...learn, and grow.  Things will seem clearer as you grow.

In Christ
Pastor Don