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I can happily agree with this dictionary definition of Christianity.
Christian
adj.
1. Following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. Relating to or derived from Jesus or Jesus's teachings.
3. Manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus; Christlike.
4. Showing a loving concern for others; humane.
n.
1. One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.
I believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God and the final authority in matters of faith and practice and am happy to hold to the two earliest creeds put forth by the church, generally known today as the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed:
Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His 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 Hades, on the third day rose again from the dead, ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of His Father, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made, both that are in heaven and in earth; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate and was made man. He suffered and the third day he rose again, and ascended into heaven. And he shall come again to judge both the living and the dead. And we believe in the Holy Spirit.
Hitler could not have said any of that.
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1. We believe the Bible is God’s Word, given by divine inspiration, the record of God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. It is trustworthy, sufficient, without error – our authority and guide for all doctrine and conduct (John 17.17; 2 Timothy 3.16, 17). It is the truth by which God brings people into a saving relationship with Himself and leads them to Christian maturity (John 20.31; 1 John 5.9-12; Matthew 4.4; 1 Peter 2.2).
2. We believe in the one living and true God, perfect in wisdom, sovereignty, holiness, justice, mercy, and love (1 Timothy 1.17; Psalm 86.15; Deuteronomy 32.3, 4). He exists eternally in three coequal persons who act together in creation, providence, and redemption (Genesis 1.26; 1 Peter 1.2; Hebrews 1.1-3).
a. The Father reigns with providential care over all life and history in the created universe; He hears and answers prayer (1Chronicles 29.11-13; Matthew 7.11). He initiated salvation by sending His Son, He is Father to those who by faith accept His Son as Lord and Saviour (1 John 4. 9, 10; John 3.16; John 1.12; Acts 16.31), and He is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4.23).
b. The Son became man, Jesus Christ, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (John 1.14; Matthew 1.18). Being fully God and fully man, He revealed God through His sinless life, miracles, and teaching, and gave us an example by which to live our lives (John 14.9; Hebrews 4.15, Matthew 4.23, 24; Philippians 2.5-8). He provided salvation through His atoning death in our place and by His bodily resurrection, disarming His enemies and triumphing over them by the cross (1 Corinthians 15.3, 4; 2 Corinthians 5.12; Romans 4.13-25; Colossians 2.15). He ascended into heaven where He rules over all creation (Philippians 2.5-11) and intercedes for all believers (Romans 8.34; John 14.23).
c. The Holy Spirit inspired men to write the scriptures (2 Peter 1.21). He convicts individuals of their sinfulness and of the righteousness of Christ, draws them to the Saviour, and bears witness to their new birth (James 1.18; John 16.7-11; 1 Thessalonians 1.5, 6; Romans 8.16). At regeneration and conversion the believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit, who then indwells, seals, and gives spiritual gifts to all believers for ministry in the church and society (1 Corinthians 12.13; Romans 8.9-11; Ephesians 1.13, 14; Romans 12.5-8; 1 Peter 4.10). He empowers, guides, teaches, fills, sanctifies, and produces fruit of Christ-likeness in all who yield to Him (Acts 4.31; Romans 8.14; 1 Corinthians 2.10-13; Ephesians 5.18; 2 Thessalonians 2.13; Galatians 5.16, 22, 23).
3. We believe God created an order of spiritual beings called angels to serve Him and do His will (Psalm 148.1-5; Colossians 1.16). The holy angels are obedient spirits ministering to the heirs of salvation and glorifying God (Hebrews 1.6, 7, 13, 14). Certain angels, called demons, Satan being their chief, through deliberate choice revolted and fell from their exalted position (Revelation 12.7-9). Although disarmed through the cross of Christ, they still tempt individuals to rebel against God (Colossians 2.15; 1 Timothy 4.1; 1 Peter 5.8). Their destiny in hell has been sealed by Christ’s victory over sin and death (Hebrews 2.14; Revelation 20.10).
4. We believe God created men and women in His own image to have fellowship with Himself and to be stewards over His creation (Genesis 1.26-28). As a result, each person is unique, possesses dignity, and is worthy of respect (Psalm 139.13-17). Through the temptation and deception of Satan, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God; this brought sin and death to the human race and suffering to all creation (Genesis 3; 1 Timothy 2.14; Romans 5.12-21; 8.22). Therefore, everyone is born with a sinful nature and needs to be reconciled to God (Romans 3.9-18, 23). Satan tempts people to rebel against God, even those who love Him (Ephesians 4.27; 2 Corinthians 2.11; Matthew 16.23). Nonetheless, all have been given a free will and are personally responsible to God for thoughts, actions, and beliefs, and have the right to approach Him directly through Jesus Christ, the only mediator (Romans 14.12; 1 Timothy 2.5).
5. We believe salvation is redemption by Christ of the whole person from oppression, fear, sin, and death (Luke 4.18; John 10.10; 1 John 4.18; 2 Timothy 1.9; 1 Thessalonians 5.23). It is offered as a free gift by God to all and must be received personally through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2.4; Ephesians 2.8, 9; Acts 20.21). An individual is united to Christ by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2.20; Colossians 1.27). As a child of God, the believer is acquitted of all guilt and brought into a new relationship of peace with God and with one another (Romans 5.1; Ephesians 2.14). Christians grow spiritually as the Holy Spirit enables them to understand and obey the Word of God (John 14.25; 2 Peter 3.18; Ephesians 4.15; 1 Thessalonians 3.12).
6. We believe the Church is the body of which Christ is the head and all who believe in Him are members (Ephesians 1.22, 23; Romans 12.4, 5). Christians are commanded to be baptized upon their profession of faith and to unite with a local church for mutual encouragement and growth in discipleship through worship, nurture, service, and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world (Acts 2.41, 47; Luke 24.45-48; Hebrews 10.24, 25). Each church is a self-governing body under the Lordship of Christ with all members sharing responsibility. The form of government is understood to be congregational (Matthew 18.17; Acts 6.3-6; 15.22, 23).
7. The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28.18-20). It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection, of the Saviour Jesus Christ (Romans 6.3-5). The Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by believers together as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. It is an act of thankful dedication to Him and serves to unite His people until He returns (1 Corinthians 11.23-26).
8. We believe religious liberty, rooted in scripture, is the inalienable right of all individuals to freedom of conscience, with ultimate accountability to God (Genesis 1.27; John 8.32; 2 Corinthians 3.17; Romans 8.21; Acts 5.29). Church and state exist by the will of God. Each has distinctive concerns and responsibilities, free from control by the other. Christians should pray for civil leaders, and obey and support government in matters not contrary to scripture (1 Timothy 2.1-4; Romans 13.1-7; 1 Peter 2.13-16).
9. We believe Christians, individually and collectively, are salt and light in society (Matthew 5.13-16). In a Christ-like spirit, they oppose greed, selfishness, and vice; they promote truth, justice, and peace; they aid the needy and preserve the dignity of people of all races and conditions (Hebrews 13.5; Luke 9.23; Titus 2.12; Philippians 4.8, 9; 1 John 3.16, 17; James 2.1-4).
10. We believe the Bible teaches that marriage refers to the covenant relationship between one man and one woman, as instituted by God in the beginning, to the exclusion of all others (Genesis 1.20b-24). We affirm the family as the basic unit of society and seek to preserve its integrity and stability (Genesis 2:21-25; Ephesians 6:1-4).
11. We believe God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring all things to their appropriate end and establish the new heaven and the new earth (Ephesians 1.9, 10; Revelation 21.1). The certain hope of the Christian is that Jesus Christ will return to earth suddenly, personally, and visibly in accordance with His promise (Titus 2.13; Revelation 1.7; 3.11; John 14.1-3). The dead will be raised, and Christ will judge mankind in righteousness (John 5.28, 29). The unrighteous will be consigned to everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25.41, 46; Revelation 20.10). The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever with the Lord (Philippians 3.20, 21; 2 Corinthians 5.10; 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18).
(Adapted from the North American Baptist Conference “Statement of Beliefs”).
http://elimbaptistchurch.ca/statement-of-faith/
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