Fideles Ministries Statement of Faith
We are Evangelical and Biblically Faithful (Ortho-dox)
Recognizing that from its earliest days the church (God's people) found it necessary to defend and keep pure the message of the Gospel delivered to them, and in dependence upon the Holy Spirit to define as far as was humanly possible the essential teachings of the faith. To that end the early church made use of creeds or statements of Faith such as The Apostles Creed, The Nicene Creed, The Chalcedonian Creed and the Athanasian Creed to defend and positively promote the understanding of the scriptures which had been entrusted to them by Jesus and the Apostles.These beliefs were described in a word formed by a conjunction of two Greek words: ortho (right) and dox (belief) to create the word orthodox or right belief. In more recent times, those seeking to emphasize their living faith in the living message, have chosen to differentiate themselves from those who merely trust in an intellectual or dead orthodoxy, by describing themselves as Evangelicals. The term Evangelical comes from the Greek word for "gospel" or "good news" (evangelion from eu "good" and angelion "message"). Because that message brings new life and a new way of life, Evangelicals consider themselves to be those who are alive by, with, and for the Gospel. The living message proclaimed by Christ and heralded by the Holy Spirit through the Church is the promise of new life through the "new birth", forgiveness of and deliverance from sin through Christ's death and resurrection, and eternal life in the "New Heavens and New Earth". Therefore looking to God in Faith, and together with evangelical and orthodox Christians throughout the Body of Christ,
We affirm the following essential elements as our Statement of Faith:
1. We believe in the one true God: almighty, all knowing, present everywhere, infinitely perfect in holiness and love, eternal, unchangeable, of one essence existing in three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, who created the heavens and the earth out of nothing by His spoken word, and for His own glory. To Him be all honor, glory and praise forever!
2. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, and the supreme revelation of the Person and Character of God, became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God also became true man united in one Person forever. During His ministry on earth, He taught authoritatively, gave us a perfect example to follow, performed many miracles and signs, and established His Church. Through His sinless life and substitutionary death on the cross He paid the penalty for our sins. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead. To His disciples "He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days" Acts 1:3. He ascended into heaven where, took His seat at the right hand of the God where henceforth "All authority has been given to (Him) me in heaven and on earth" Matt.28:18. He now is our Lord, High Priest, Mediator, and friend. He will come again to the earth personally, visibly, and bodily to judge the living and the dead, receive His Church, consummate history, and fulfill the promise of His eternal Kingdom.
3. The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; sent from the Father and the Son has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts and lives. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior, indwelling our hearts. He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.
4. We believe that our historical parents Adam and Eve, were created in Gods image, distinct from all other living creatures, as God's ruler/managers of His creation, and in a state of original righteousness. They sinned by rebelling against God's revealed will and thereby incurred both physical and spiritual death, and introduced death and decay into all creation. That as a result all human beings are born with a sinful nature that leads them to sin in thought, word, and deed.
5. Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon God's initiative to extend His free grace towards us. This He has done in the sending of His Son to accomplish the work necessary for our redemption and in sending the Holy Spirit to accomplish the proclamation of the free offer of this redemption in the Gospel throughout the world. To those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, God graciously gives as gift the righteousness of His Son and thereby justifies them in His sight, forgiving their sins. However, only such as are born again by the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.
6. For those who having been forgiven their sins, had the ultimate power of sin over their lives broken, and have been adopted as children into Gods household, it is their privilege, their well-being , and their duty, hence forth to strive to imitate the good and Holy Character of their Father, to be disciples and servants of their Lord and Brother Jesus, and willing pupils of their companion and tutor the Holy Spirit, to seek to now learn to faithfully carry out through their own lives the good purposes for which The Father created mankind.
7. The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, the Family of God. The Church finds her best visible yet imperfect expression in local congregations where the Word of God is taught in faithfulness, the sacraments are administered with integrity, where scriptural discipline is fostered, and where loving fellowship is maintained. Her Lord Jesus has commissioned her to go into all the world seeking to provide a faithful witness, teaching and preaching the gospel , making disciples of all the nations, seeking good for all men, and yearning for her perfecting at His return.
8. We believe that God has appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world, in righteousness, through Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. In which day all persons that have lived upon the earth shall by the power of Christ, be raised and appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds. Those that are lost unto a resurrection of condemnation, but those who have received and rested on the mercy of God in Christ will be raised up in body and soul to dwell in the presence of God having their original purpose as rulers/managers of His creation restored in a New Heavens and New Earth throughout eternity.
What we believe about the Bible
We believe that the Bible is God's written Revelation of His Will for us.
We believe that God in and through the light of nature, the works of creation, history, and of providence has shown forth His goodness, wisdom, and power, in such a complete way so as to be sufficient to call all men and women to humbly seek after Him; and yet that these means are not able alone to give the knowledge of God, and of his will, which are necessary for salvation and faithful living.
Therefore it has pleased Him to reveal Himself, and to declare his will to all who will listen in writing, that it might be preserved, propagated, and established in this world and for the better establishment and comfort of a people that will honor and obey Him.
Therefore:
As Fideles Christian Ministries
and it all its associated ministries being Christians / disciples of Jesus Christ, we hold to the historic Christian definition and practice of the faith whose sole authoritative foundations are laid out in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments known as Gods Word/Will, the Bible.
These books are:
Books of the Old Testament:
Genesis II Chronicles Daniel Exodus Ezra Hosea Leviticus Nehemiah Joel Numbers Esther Amos Deuteronomy Job Obadiah Joshua Psalms Jonah Judges Proverbs Micah Ruth Ecclesiastes Nahum I Samuel Song of Solomon Habakkuk II Samuel Isaiah Zephaniah I Kings Jeremiah Haggai II Kings Lamentations Zechariah I Chronicles Ezekiel Malachi
Books of the New Testament:
Matthew Ephesians Hebrews Mark Philippians James Luke Colossians I Peter John I Thessalonians II Peter Acts II Thessalonians I John Romans I Timothy II John I Corinthians II Timothy III John II Corinthians Titus Jude Galatians Philemon Revelation.
These are the books and letters that the early Church received as authoritatively representing the same teachings that they had received from Jesus Christ and His Apostles and were moved by the Holy Spirit to bring together into the one book we call the Bible.
We believe that these scriptures and these only, are inspired. That is, that God in the Person of the Holy Spirit, guided and directed the fallible writers of these books, to write infallibly (in God's own Words), inerrantly (without error on the subject or history of which it speaks), and authoritatively (requiring trust, acceptance , and obedience from its listeners). That, "The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture" and that "the infallible rule of interpretation of these Scriptures are found in the Scriptures themselves". Apart from the practice of faith humbly drawn from the Scriptures above, we believe that we are commanded not to add to (additional obedience's or rituals ) or take away from (requiring less than the full flower of faith and practice) to which God has called us. That this pathway of Faith which God has outlined for us constitutes the most secure, happiest, prosperous, and life giving condition that fallen men and women living in a fallen world can hope to experience in this life, and secures and builds our life and estate in the next life in the New Heaven and New Earth.
