Theological Method: Webster defines the evangelical as one who emphasizes “salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual.” Indeed, my own theological method is dependent on Jesus Christ (Jn 14:6), the Word of God (Rev 19:3), revealed in and through the Holy Scriptures (Jn 5:39), as being the ultimate and final authority (Mt 28:18). All studies in theology need to be based upon and in check with the Word of God, understood by aid of the Holy Spirit (Ac 4:31), and within the context of the Church (Col 1:18). I personally come from a non-denominational church, Reformed in leadership, yet somewhat Congregationalist in lay activity.
Doctrine of Scripture: “Scripture is the clothing in which Jesus comes to us” John Calvin. Revelation is Jesus Christ speaking through the Bible, and this is the foundation of the church (Eph 2:20). The Word of God is made up of 66 books, including the 39 Old Testament Jewish Scriptures and 27 New Testament pieces, chosen by the early church through the criteria of inspiration by and reality of the Holy Spirit, as well as apostolic sanction, authorship, and approval. This canon is not closed theoretically, but practically. All of Scripture is inspired, verbally (the words themselves) and plenary (as a whole). Though given to the Church, Scripture’s authority (2 Ti 3:16) is self-evident to the believer through its own self-authentication (Heb 4:12, Ps 19:7-10, 2 Co 4:4-6). This text is without deceit as a norm over all things (2 Ti 3:16, Jn 10:35), and is inerrant, “not in the sense of being absolutely precise by modern standards, but in the sense of making good its claims and achieving that measure of focused truth at which its authors aimed,” Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.
Doctrine of God: Christian theism is not polytheistic, pantheistic, nor monistic. God is one independent, self-sufficient (Jn 5:26, Heb 7:16, Ps 36:9), and infinite being (1 Ti 1:17, Jude 24-25). His attributes interpenetrate each other (Ac 17:29-30), as he is omnipresent (2 Ch 2:6, Gal 4:4--can enter space, reveals Lordship over space), omniscient (Heb 4:13, Eze 11:5, Isa 42:9), and omnipotent (Da 4:35). God is also the Holy One who loves us (1 Ti 6:16, Isa 6:3-5, 1 Jn 4:8-11. God is revealed himself through what is called the Trinity. He is fully one in unity (Dt 6:4, Ex 3:6, 20:3), yet the three persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit) and distinct as well as equal (Heb 1:3 Col 2:9). The Council of Nicea presented that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father, yet the Father, Son, and Spirit are one divine essence (Col 1:15, 1 Jn 2:23, 1 Jn 4:2ff, 1 Co 2:14). These three are eternal modes: “hypostases” or “subsistences”; God is always Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Creation: Whether or not the world was created in six days is not the purpose of the creation story in Genesis--the real issue is to explain in other ways how God created. Creation ex nihilo includes that God is the one and only cause of creation (Ps 33:6, Ps 95:3-5) and that this purposeful creation is also distinct and different from God himself (Ac 17:25). As a result, because creation has its source in God, who is good, nothing in creation is intrinsically evil (Ge 1:31, Ps 92:15, 1 Ti 4:4-5). Creation must also be understood through faith (Heb 11:3). The providence of God is through God’s upholding creation (preservation, Col 1:16-17, Ac 17:28, Mt 6:25-31) and God’s guiding creation toward a goal (government, Ps 103:19, Mt 10:28, Pr 16:33, Ac 14:16, 1 Co 10:13). Miracles over creation are used for the purpose of challenging our understanding of God and this world (Mk 5:25-34, Mt 9:28ff, Ac 14:8ff).
Anthropology: The issue of how God created man is not clearly laid out in Genesis 1-3, but the fact that he is the creator, through the use of supernatural and/or natural means, is definite. The imago dei (Ge 2:17, 3:19, Eph 4:24, Col 3:10, Ps 8:4-8) is a relational aspect of humans which has been lost in our corruption, which is a result of the fall (Ge 3, Ro 5:19). The fall also resulted with death (Ge 1:29-30), the de facto ruling of Satan in this world (Jn 8:34, 2 Co 4:4), and original sin (inherited accountability), the total depravity (inability) and punishment put upon us (Ro 5:12-21). Our status is guilty, our state is corrupted, and our acts are sinful. Though Adam is united with the whole race through a corporate personality, at the same time no one excused of their own falling short (Ro 3:23).
The Person and Work of Christ: Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is the one who establishes the Kingdom of God (Lk 4:16-21, Mt 12:22-29, Mk 3:23). He is the Messiah, Son of David (Is 9, 11, Jn 6:1-14), Son of Man (Da 7, Mt 8:20, Mk 10:45), and the Son of God (Mt 11:27). He has authority over the law (Mt 5:38, Mk 10:2), establishes his own teachings (Mk 3:28, 9:1), forgives sins (Mk 2:7), and is the one way to salvation (Mt 10:32-33, Lk 21:36, Mt 26:64). In this man, Jesus, we encounter God himself--he is one person, with two natures, fully human and fully God (Jn 1:1, 20:28, 5:26, Mt 14:33, 28:18, Eph 1:22). He is a prophet (Ex 7:1, Heb 1:1-3), priest (Heb 5:1, 2 Co 5:21, 1Jn 2:2), and king (2 Sa 7:16, Col 2:15, 1 Co 15:45-49). Through Jesus Christ’s own person God’s future promises have become a reality in human history. Salvation is brought about through a personal encounter with Jesus that places us into a new situation and relationship. Atonement is unconditionally based on God’s good pleasure (Ac 13:48, Ro 8:27, Eph 1:5,11, 2:8-10, Ro 11:6) in that we must respond to him, but this is still his gift. The elect from all eternity are the ones who are saved (Heb 12:2, Jn 10:15, Eph 5:25, Jn 17:9).
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit: The Spirit of God is the Third Person of the Trinity, fully God (2 Co 13:14, Eph 4:4, 1 Co 3:16). He is the same Spirit of the Lord in the Old Testament and was prophesized by Joel to come (Joel 2:28, Ac 2:16). The Spirit of God was active in creation (Ge 1:2, 2:7), prophets (Ac 4:25, Heb 3:7-11), the life of Jesus (Mk 1:10, 12), and the souls of believers (Ro 8:9). We are to be baptized in the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:7-8, Lk 3:16-17, Ac 1:5), in order to be unified with Christ and all other believers (1 Co 12:13). Being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be glorifying God through displaying the fruits of the Spirit (Eph 5:18-21, Ro 5:1-5, Gal 5:16-24, Php 4:4-9). The gifts of the Spirit are meant for the edification of the Church (Eph 4:4-6) and need always to be checked through Scripture (Ro 12:3-8, 1 Co 12:4-11, 27-31, Eph 4:4-12, 1 Pe 4:10).
The Church: The Body of Christ is a product of Jesus Christ’s person and work, and it is continually sustained by him (Mt 16:18, Eph 1:22, 5:23-25, Col 1:18). It is the place where eschatological and kingdom realities which Jesus established are present (Ac 2, Joel). However, it is not the kingdom which Jesus Christ has yet to bring into completion (Mt 12:22ff). The Church is an instrument as Christ’s witness and an equipping community of gifts (Eph 4:11ff). There is “no salvation outside of the Church.” The “visible” Church is that which can be found on earth at this present time, whereas the “invisible” Church includes all believers of at all times. The structure of the visible Church involves kerygma (proclamation, Ro 16:25), diakonia (service, Eph 4:12), liturgia (worship, Heb 12:28), koinonia (community, Ac 2:42-44), and apostolic ministry (a visible witness). The Church must understand that Christ is the head (Mt 28:18-20), yet there is a need for God-ordained, earthly leaders (1 Th 5:12, Heb 13:17).
The Sacraments: The instruments of God are for our forgiving, saving, and strengthening--they are the “visible forms of an invisible grace.” The Sacraments are divine ordinances instituted by Christ and foremostly include baptism (Mt 28:19) and the Lord’s Supper (Lk 14:14-23, 1 Co 11:23-26). These are not acts which we do for God, rather, they have been given to us by God as means of grace. Baptism is ideally to be done with adults (as opposed to infants) in a clear understanding of what they are participating in, and the Lord’s Supper is to be administered to those who have made that public confession that Christ is their Lord through baptism (1 Co 11:27-32). Though the body and blood of Christ are not physically there, the spiritual reality is present.
Eschatology: Jesus Christ established the Kingdom in part, so there are already qualitative realities in the Church right now. At the same time, the Kingdom of God is not yet fully here--there is a future goal that directs us. Hope for the future is grounded in Jesus Christ, who is our confident hope. We know the future destiny of the world, and because of this we can carry out his imperatives. Most of all, we must realize that “the end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” 1 Pe 4:7. There will be a heaven, a new creation, where humankind will be unable to sin (non posse peccare), and where we will receive impeccability in fullness (Jude 24). At the same time, we will not have a “perfect” (and static) human existence, as we may still grow in knowledge and happiness. There will also be a hell, where retributive punishment takes place; it is irreversible and everlasting, as those who are there remain sinners. In regards to those who never hear the gospel, Scripture is not quite clear, though Christ will finally judge. We trust in a God who has suffered to save us. “Will not the just of the world do right?” Ge 18:25.