Statement on the Nature, Person, and Role of Jesus Christ
The Forgiven Christian Community
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
+ + +
The Forgiven Christian Community adheres to the ancient statements of faith - the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Chalcedonian Creed - and believe and hold sacred s the historic Christian faith as expressed in the five solas of the Reformation, and the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 – and believe and hold sacred the contemporary expression of biblical inerrancy as expressed in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, 1978.
The ultimate authority in all matters of Christian faith, order, and morals is the Bible alone, which the London Baptist Confession and the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy clearly state. We subscribe to these creeds and confessions not as inspired documents nor as laws to bind our consciences, but as man-made guides in articulating historic and contemporary Christian theology, and as a standard in setting doctrinal controversies and examining prospective church leaders.
This is what we believe, and on this we step out in faith to proclaim: mainly, the central message of the New Covenant - to the regenerate and the unregenerate – to repent and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins, and to gain life everlasting. On this we stand firm, that our salvation granted us through Jesus Christ incarnate, crucified, dead and buried, risen from the grave victoriously over eternal death and the power of Satan - is the glorified Son of God.
Believing that God calls His people into communities of faith to advance His earthly kingdom, we then, as members of the body of Christ, locally called, the Forgiven Christian Community, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, set forth and believe and hold sacred this Statement on the Nature, Person, and Role of Jesus Christ. This is the foundation of what we believe. To God be the glory for all that grows from this bedrock of our faith.
This is what we believe and hold sacred about Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior . . .
Article One
We believe and hold sacred that Jesus is the incarnation written of in Old Testament history, and is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is the Christ, God’s promised Messiah.
We reject as false the claim that Jesus Christ is a mere man or was a fictional creation of the early Christian church.
Psalm 110:1; Matthew 3:17, 8:29, 16:16; Mark 1:1, 11, 15:39; Luke 22:70; John 1:1, 4, 4:25–26; Acts 5:42, 9:22; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 5:7; 1 John 5:2
Article Two
We believe and hold sacred that in the unity of the Godhead the eternally begotten Son is consubstantial (homoousios), coequal, and coeternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
We reject as false that the Son is merely like God (homoiousios) or that He was simply adopted by the Father as His Son. We reject as false the eternal subordination of the Son to the Father.
Matthew 28:19; John 1:18, 3:16–18, 10:30, 20:28; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18
Article Three
We believe and hold sacred with the Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds, that Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly man, two natures united in one person forever.
We reject as false that the Son was created. We reject as false that there was ever a time when the Son was not divine. We reject as false that the human body and soul of Jesus Christ existed prior to the incarnation of the Son in history.
See also Luke 1:35; John 10:30; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 3:18
Article Four
We believe and hold sacred the hypostatic union, that is the two natures of Jesus Christ, human and divine, are united in His one person without mixture, confusion, division, or separation.
We reject as false that to distinguish between the two natures is to separate them.
Matthew 16:16–17; Luke 1:35, 43; John 1:1–3, 8:58, 17:5; Acts 20:28; Romans 1:3 9:5; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 3:18; Revelation 1:8, 17, 22:13
Article Five
We believe and hold sacred that in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, His divine and human natures retain their own attributes. His divine nature remains omniscient and His human nature is still subject to limitations in knowledge. We believe and hold sacred that the attributes of both natures belong to the one person Jesus Christ.
We reject as false that the human nature of Jesus Christ has divine attributes or can contain the divine nature. We reject as false that the divine nature communicates divine attributes to the human nature. We reject as false that the Son laid aside or gave up any of His divine attributes in the incarnation.
Matthew 9:10, 16:16, 19:28; John 1:1, 11:27, 35, 20:28; Romans 1:3–4, 9:5; Ephesians 1:20–22; Philippians 2:5–7; Colossians 1:16–17, 2:9–10; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:3, 8–9; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Peter 1:1
Article Six
We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ is the visible image of God, that He is the standard of true humanity, and that in our redemption we will be ultimately conformed to His image.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ was less than truly human, that He merely appeared to be human, or that He lacked a reasonable human soul. We reject as false that in the hypostatic union the Son assumed a human person rather than a human nature.
Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 4:4–6; Ephesians 4:20–24; Colossians 1:15–16; Hebrews 1:3–4
Article Seven
We believe and hold sacred that as truly man, Jesus Christ possessed in His state of humiliation all the natural limitations and common infirmities of human nature. We believe and hold sacred that He was made like us in all respects, yet He was without sin.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ sinned. We reject as false that Jesus Christ did not truly experience suffering, temptation, or hardship. We reject as false that sin is inherent to true humanity or that the sinlessness of Jesus Christ is incompatible with His being truly human.
Micah 5:2; Luke 2:52; Romans 8:3; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:5–8; Hebrews 2:17–18, 4:15
Article Eight
We believe and hold sacred that the historical Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, was miraculously conceived, and was born of the Virgin Mary. We believe and hold sacred with the Chalcedonian Creed that she is aptly called mother of God (theotokos) in that the child she bore is the incarnate Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ received His divine nature from Mary or that His sinlessness was derived from her.
Matthew 1:23; 2:11; Luke 1:26-27, 31, 35, 43; Romans 1:3; Galatians 4:4
Article Nine
We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ is the last Adam who succeeded in His appointed task at every point where the first Adam failed, and that Jesus Christ is the head of His people, the body of Christ.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ assumed a fallen human nature or inherited original sin.
Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45–49; Ephesians 2:14–16, 5:23; Colossians 1:18
Article Ten
We believe and hold sacred the active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ, that in His perfect life He completely fulfilled the righteous demands of the law on our behalf, and that He bore the penalty of our sin by His death on the cross.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ at any point failed to obey or fulfill the law of God. We reject as false that He abolished the moral law.
Matthew 3:15; John 8:29; Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 5:8
Article Eleven
We believe and hold sacred that on the cross Jesus Christ offered Himself as a penal substitutionary atonement for the sins of His people, propitiating the wrath of God and satisfying the justice of God, and was victorious over sin, death, and Satan.
We reject as false that the death of Jesus Christ was a payment of ransom to Satan. We reject as false that the death of Jesus Christ was merely an example, merely a victory over Satan, or merely a display of God’s moral government.
Isaiah 53; Romans 3:25–26, 5:6, 8, 15, 6:10, 7:4, 8:34, 14:9-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Ephesians 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:11; Hebrews 2:14, 17, 9:14–15, 10:14; 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18; 1 John 2:2, 3:8, 4:10
Article Twelve
We believe and hold sacred the doctrine of double imputation, that our sin is imputed to Jesus Christ and His righteousness is imputed to us by faith.
We reject as false that sin is overlooked without judgment. We reject as false that the active obedience of Jesus Christ is not imputed to us.
Matthew 5:20; Romans 3:21–26, 4:11, 5:18; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21, 9:9; Ephesians 6:14; Philippians 1:11, 3:9; Hebrews 12:23
Article Thirteen
We believe and hold sacred that on the third day Jesus Christ rose from the dead and that He was seen in the flesh by many.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ merely seemed to die, or that only His spirit survived, or that His resurrection took place merely in the hearts of His followers.
Isaiah 53; Matthew 16:21, 26:32, 28:1–10; John 21:14; Acts 1:9–11, 2:25, 32, 3:15, 26, 4:10, 5:30, 10:40; Romans 4:24–25, 6:9–10; 1 Corinthians 15:3–5; Ephesians 4:8–10
Article Fourteen
We believe and hold sacred that in His state of exaltation Jesus Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection, that He has conquered both sin and death, and that in union with Him we too will be resurrected.
We reject as false that the glorified resurrected body of Jesus Christ was a wholly different body from the one that was laid in the garden tomb. We reject as false that our resurrection is merely a resurrection of our spirits apart from our bodies.
Romans 5:10, 6:4, 8, 11, 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:20-55; 2 Corinthians 1:9, 4:10–11; Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:9, 14; 1 John 3:14; Revelation 14:4; 20:14
Article Fifteen
We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ ascended to His heavenly throne at the right hand of God the Father, that He is presently reigning as King, and that He will return visibly in power and glory.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ was mistaken about the timing of His return.
(Acts 1:6–11). See also Luke 24:50–53; Acts 1:22; 2:33–35; Ephesians 4:8–10; 1 Timothy 3:16
Article Sixteen
We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ poured out His Spirit on the day of Pentecost and that in His present session He is reigning over all things, interceding for His people, and building His church, of which He is the only head.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ appointed the bishop of Rome as His vicar, or that any person other than Jesus Christ can be the church’s head.
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church (Ephesians 1:22). See also Acts 2:33; 1 Corinthians 11:3–5; Ephesians 4:15; 5:23; Colossians1:18
Article Seventeen
We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ will come again in glory to judge all people and will finally vanquish all His enemies, destroy death, and usher in the new heaven and the new earth in which He will reign in righteousness.
We reject as false that the final return of Jesus Christ took place in AD 70 and that His coming and its attendant events are to be viewed as symbolic.
John 12:48, 14:3; Acts 7:7, 10:42, 17:31; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8
Article Eighteen
We believe and hold sacred that those who believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be welcomed into His eternal kingdom, but those who do not believe in Him will suffer eternal conscious punishment in hell.
We reject as false that every person will be saved. We reject as false that those who die without faith in Jesus Christ will be annihilated.
Isaiah 25:6–9, 65:17–25, 66:21–23; Dan. 7:13–14; Matthew 5:29–30, 10:28, 13:41–43, 18:8–9; Mark 9:42–49; Luke 1:33, 12:5; John 18:36; Colossians 1:13–14; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–10; 2 Timothy 4:1, 18; Hebrews 12:28; 2 Peter 1:11; 2:4; Revelation 20:15
Article Nineteen
We believe and hold sacred that all who have been chosen in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world and who are united to Him through faith enjoy communion with Him and with one another. We believe and hold sacred that in Jesus Christ we enjoy every spiritual blessing, including justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ and His saving work can be separated. We reject as false that we can partake of the saving work of Jesus Christ apart from Jesus Christ Himself. We reject as false that we can be united to Jesus Christ and not be united to His body, the church.
John 14:20, 15:4–6, Romans 6:1–11, 8:1–2, 12:3–5; 1 Corinthians 1:30–31, 6:15–20, 10:16–17, 12:13-27; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Galatians 3:25–29; Ephesians 1:3–10, 22–23, 2:1–6, 3:6, 4:15–16, 5:23, 30; Colossians 1:18, 2:18–19
Article Twenty
We believe and hold sacred the doctrine of justification by faith alone, that God declares us righteous by an act of His grace alone through our faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone, apart from our own personal merit or works. We believe and hold sacred that to reject as false the doctrine of justification by faith alone is to reject as false the gospel.
We reject as false that we are justified based on any infusion of grace into us. We reject as false that we are justified only once we have become inherently righteous. We reject as false that this justification is now or ever will be based on our faithfulness.
Luke 18:14; Romans 3:24, 4:5, 5:1-10, 8:30, 10:4, 10; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; Galatians 2:16–17, 3:11, 24, 5:4; Ephesians 1:7; Titus 3:5, 7
Article Twenty-One
We believe and hold sacred the doctrine of sanctification, that God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, based on the work of Jesus Christ, delivers us from the reigning power of sin, sets us apart, and makes us holy by conforming us more and more to the image of His Son.
We believe and hold sacred that sanctification is a work of God’s grace and is inseparably joined with justification, although it is different from justification.
We believe and hold sacred that in this divine work of sanctification we are not merely passive, but we are responsible to apply ourselves to the appointed means of grace in our ongoing endeavor to die to sin and live in obedience to the Lord.
We reject as false that a person is justified without immediately bearing the fruit of union with Jesus Christ in sanctification.
We reject as false that our good works, while acceptable to God in Jesus Christ, merit justification. We reject as false that in this life our struggle with indwelling sin will cease, even though sin has no dominion over us.
John 17:17; Acts 20:32; Romans 6:5–6, 14, 8:13; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:24; Ephesians 1:3–4, 3:16–19, 4:23–24; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:10–11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 12:14
Article Twenty-Two
We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and His people.
We believe and hold sacred the mediatorial role of Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King in both His state of humiliation and His state of exaltation. We believe and hold sacred that He was anointed by the Holy Spirit to execute this mediatorial office to which He was called by the Father.
We reject as false that God has had or will have any other incarnations or that there are or will be any mediators of redemption other than the Lord Jesus Christ. We reject as false salvation apart from Jesus Christ alone.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). See also Job 33:23–28; Luke 1:33; John 1:1–14; 14:6; Acts 3:22; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1–4; 5:5–6; 9:15; 12:24
Article Twenty-Three
We believe and hold sacred that as the supreme Prophet of God, Jesus Christ was both the subject and object of prophecy. We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ revealed and proclaimed the will of God, prophesied future events, and is in Himself the fulfillment of God’s promises.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ ever uttered a false prophecy or false word, or that He failed or will fail to fulfill all prophecies regarding Himself.
Matthew 20:17, 24:3, 26:31, 34, 64; Mark 1:14–15; Luke 4:18–19, 21; John 13:36, 21:22; Acts 3:17–22; 1 Corinthians 1:20; Hebrews 1:2; Revelation 19:10
Article Twenty-Four
We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, having made the perfect sacrifice of Himself on our behalf and continuing to intercede for us before the Father. We believe and hold sacred that Jesus Christ is both the subject and object of the supreme atoning sacrifice.
We reject as false that Jesus Christ, being from the tribe of Judah and not from the tribe of Levi, is disqualified from serving as our priest.
We reject as false that He continually offers Himself as a sacrifice in the Mass as victim and priest, even in a nonviolent manner.
We reject as false that He became a priest only in heaven and was not a priest on earth.
Hebrews 9:24–28). See also John 1:36; 19:28–30; Acts 8:32; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 2:17–18; 4:14–16; 7:25; 10:12, 26; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 5:6, 8, 12–13; 6:1, 16; 7:9–10, 14, 17; 8:1; 12:11; 13:8; 15:3
Article Twenty-Five
We believe and hold sacred that as King, Jesus Christ reigns supremely over all earthly and supernatural powers now and forever.
We reject as false that the kingdom of Jesus Christ is merely a political kingdom of this world. We reject as false that earthly rulers are not accountable to Him.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). See also Ps. 110; Matthew 28:18–20; Luke 1:32; 2:11; Acts 2:25, 29, 34; 4:25; 13:22, 34, 36; 15:16; Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 4:7; Revelation 3:7; 5:5; 22:16
Article Twenty-Six
We believe and hold sacred that when Jesus Christ has conquered all His enemies, He will hand over His kingdom to the Father. We believe and hold sacred that in the new heaven and the new earth, God will be with His people, and that believers will see Jesus Christ face-to-face, will be made like Him, and will enjoy Him forever.
We reject as false that there is any other hope for humanity or any name or way in which salvation may be found except in Jesus Christ alone.
Isaiah 65:17, 66:22; 1 Corinthians 15:24–28; Philippians 2:9–11; 2 Peter 3:13; 1 John 3:2–3; Revelation 21:1–5, 22:1–5