What We Believe
Our Statement of Faith
As part of the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada
we embrace their Statement of Faith as our own:
The sovereignty, love, and grace of God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgment.
(Gen 1 –2; Exod 34:6 –7; Deut 6:4 –5; Ps 8; 93 –99; 104 –105; Isa 40 –55; Mark 1:9 –11; 1 Cor 8:4 –6 ; Eph 1:3–23; Rev 21:1–22:5)The divine inspiration of Holy Scripture and its entire trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
(Exod 34:27 –35; Deut 8:1 –10; Ps 1; 19; 119; Prov 30:5 –6; Isa 40:6 –8; 55:10 –11; Matt 5:17 –19; Luke 24:25 –27; Rom 15:1 –6; 2 Tim 3:14 –17; Heb 4:12 –13; 2 Pet 1:16 –21)The value of each human being as created by God. The universal sinfulness of humankind since the fall, which alienates all from God and subjects all to condemnation.
(Gen 1 –11; Pss 14; 51; Jer 17:9; Acts 17:22 –31; Rom 1:18 –3:20; 5:12 –21; Eph 2; 1 Tim 1:12 –17; 1 Pet 4:12 –19; Rev 4:11)The full deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, whose substitutionary sacrifice is the sole ground of redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin.
(Ps 2; 110; Isa 9:1 –7; 11:1 –9; 52:13 –53:12; Matt 1:1 –2:23; 26:26 –30; Mark 10:41 –45; Luke 1 –2; John 1:1 –34, 5:1 –3 0; 8:30 –36; Phil 2:5 –13; Col 1:15 –23; Heb 1:1 –14; 2:14 –2:18; 9:1 –28; Rev 5:6 –14)The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith alone in Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
(Gen 12:1 –3; 15:1 –6; Lev 16; Num 21:4 –9; Ps 32, 51; Zech 12:10 –13:9; John 3:14 –21; Rom 3:21 –26; Gal 2:11 –3:14; Eph 2:1 -10; Phil 3:5 –16; Jas 2:14 –26; 1 Pet 3:13 –22)The illuminating, regenerating, indwelling and sanctifying work of God, the Holy Spirit, in the believer.
(Ezek 36:16 –32; Joel 2:28 –32; John 3:1 –8; 7:37 –39; 15:18 –16:15; Acts 2:1 –47; 10:44 –48; 1 Cor 3:16 –17 ; 6:18 –20; 2 Cor 3; Gal 5:13 –6:10; 1 Pet 1:10 –12; 1 John 3:23 –24)The church as set forth in the New Testament and understood historically by the Baptist community.
(Exod 19:1–6; Jer 31:31–37; Matt 18:15–20; 22:36–40; 28:18–20; Acts 2:43–47; 4:13–31 Rom 6:1–14; 12:1–15:33; 1 Cor 11:17–14:40; 2 Cor 8:1–15; Gal 3:23–29; Eph 3:1–6:20; 1 Tim 3; 5:17–22; 2 Tim 4:1–5; Titus 1:5–9; Heb 11–13; 1 Pet 5:1–5)The expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ, our participation in the resurrection, and the hope of eternal life.
(Ezek 37:1 –14; Dan 7:13 –14; 12:1 –13; Matt 24:29 –31; John 11:1 –44; 14:1 –11; Acts 1:9 –11; 1 Cor 15:12 –58; 2 Cor 5:16 –20; 1 Thess 4:13 –18; Phil 3:17 –21; Col 3:1 –4; Rev 22:12 –17)
Our Covenant
Having been led by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and on a profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now solemnly and joyfully covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in brotherly love, with Christian sympathy and kindness; to exercise a Christian care and watchfulness over one another, and tenderly and faithfully admonish and help as may be needful.
We also engage to walk circumspectly in the world; be just in our dealings; faithful in our engagement and cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech.
We will endeavour to participate in one another’s joys; bear one another’s burdens and sorrows; be slow to take offence and always ready for reconciliation; and, through life, amidst evil report and good report, we will seek to live to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will, when we move from this place, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
The Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds
Many Christians throughout the world recite either the Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed regularly in their statement of beliefs. Following is a short history and recitation of each creed. You may find these surprisingly useful in defining your beliefs, especially as a way to clarify and open discussion on the basics of Christian doctrine.
The Nicene Creed
In the first three centuries, the church was often forced into secrecy and seclusion. As a result, it was fraught with theological disputes, especially concerning the divinity of Jesus Christ.
When Constantine won control of the Roman Empire in 312 A.D., he elevated Christianity to favored status. He soon discovered the fractured state of the church and what it believed. To bring unity, he convened a council in the year 325 that met in the city of Nicaea. Out of that convention came the Nicene Creed, which is still a standard of belief for many Christian churches.
Below is the 1975 ecumenical version agreed upon by the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET), published in the book Prayers We Have in Common.
Nicene Creed:
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed
The origin of the Apostles' Creed is less clear than that of the Nicene Creed. The most common view is that it was originally developed in the first or second century and was influenced later by the Nicene Creed. The earliest historical evidence of the creed's existence is in a letter written by the Council of Milan in 390 A.D.
Almost every denomination has a slightly different version of the Apostles' Creed. Below is the ecumenical version of the English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC).
Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
