RTM Confession of Faith

Preface:

Below is the confession of faith for Reformed Truther Ministries. This confession has been written by Joe Harper to serve as the doctrinal statement for the ministry. The confession expresses historic Particular Baptist theology. Reformed Truther Ministries has found great helpfulness in past Baptist confessions such as the First London Baptist Confession, Second London Baptist Confession, Goat Yard Declaration, and the Gospel Standard Articles but have found none of them perfect for expressing the theological beliefs of RTM. This has led to the writing of this confession.

The document is 17 paragraphs long. Most of the paragraphs have been taken from John Gill's Goat Yard Declaration of Faith. These paragraphs are numbers 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, and 17, Some minor changes have been made to these paragraphs in wording to fit better suit our modern day without changing their actual theology. Paragraph 5 is taken from the Gospel Standard Articles because the paragraph provided an excellent summary of the doctrine of total depravity. Paragraphs 1, 4, 9, 12, 13, 16 have been written by Joe Harper. The Scripture references have also been chosen by Joe Harper. We believe that this confession provides a thorough summary of our beliefs. We hope the confession will also prove to be approachable for students of theology.

Confession of Faith:

1.      We believe in the divine inspiration and infallibility of the Holy Scriptures. The Scriptures, composed of the books of the Old Testament and New Testament, is the true word of God. The Scriptures were originally inspired in the languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The Scriptures are to be faithfully translated by the Church into all languages for the nations to be blessed. The Scriptures are the supreme authority in all matters of faith, doctrine, and practice.

2 Tim. 3:16-17, Psa. 19:7-10, Isa. 8:20

2.      We believe that there is but one living and true God; that there are Three Persons in the Godhead the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that these Three Persons are equal in nature, power and glory; and we believe that the Son and the Holy Spirit are as truly and as properly God as the Father

Matt. 28:19, 1 Jn. 5:7, 2 Cor. 13:14

3.      We believe that, before the world began, God did elect a certain number of men unto everlasting salvation, whom he did predestinate to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, of his own free grace, and according to the good pleasure of his will: and that, in pursuance of this gracious design, he did contrive and make a covenant of grace and peace with his Son Jesus Christ, on the behalf of those persons, wherein a Savior was appointed, and all spiritual blessings provided for them; as also that their persons, with all their grace and glory, were put into the hands of Christ, and made his care and charge.

Eph. 1:4-10, Rom. 9:11-23, Jn. 17:24

4.      We believe that God created the heavens and the earth in six literal days before resting on the seventh day. God’s creation includes heaven, the earth, and Sheol. Heaven otherwise called the Third Heaven is God’s throne room located above the earth. The earth is a flat and stationary plane where humanity dwells. The earth is located under a solid dome covering called the firmament. Below the earth is Sheol or the underworld. God’s creation was made exceedingly good before sin entered into the world.

Gen. 1:1-14, Exo. 20:4, Exo. 20:11, Job. 37:18, Isa. 40:22

5.      We believe in the Fall of our first parents, and that by it the whole of the human race became involved in, and guilty of, Original Sin; and that as they are born into the world, the whole of their posterity are, in consequence, actual transgressors against God. And we believe that by the Fall all men were rendered both unable and unwilling spiritually to believe in, seek after, or love God until called and regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Gen. 3:7, Rom. 2:1, Rom. 3:10, Rom. 9:16

6.      We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, being set up from everlasting as the Mediator of the new covenant, and he, having engaged to be the surety of his people, did, in the fulness of time, really assume human nature, and not before, neither in whole nor in part; his human soul, being a creature, existed not from eternity, but was created and formed in his body by him that forms the spirit of man within him, when that was conceived in the womb of the virgin; and so his human nature consists of a true body and a reasonable soul; both which, together, and at once, the Son of God assumed into union with his divine Person, when made of a woman, and not before; in which nature he really suffered and died as their substitute, in their room and stead, whereby he made all that satisfaction for their sins, which the law and justice of God could require, as well as made way for all those blessings, which are needful for them both for time and eternity.

Heb. 7:22, Jn. 1:14, Col. 2:9, Rom. 5:8

7.      We believe that the eternal redemption which Christ has obtained by the shedding of His blood is special and particular; that is to say, that it was intentionally designed only for the Elect of God, the Sheep of Christ, who therefore alone share in the special and peculiar blessings thereof.

Matt. 20:28, Jn. 17:6-9, 1 Pet. 2:24

8.      We believe that the justification of God's elect is only by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, without the consideration of any works of righteousness done by them; and that the full and free pardon of all their sins and transgressions, past, present, and to come, is only through the blood of Christ, according to the riches of his grace.

Rom. 3:24, Eph. 1:3, Eph 1:7, Tit. 3:7

9.      We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ’s coming to this world. The full gospel message explains Christ’s divinity, humanity, sinless life, kingship over humanity, death, and resurrection. This message includes the promise that all those who believe in Jesus Christ shall not perish in their sins but have everlasting life. This gospel is to be preached and proclaimed to every individual without distinction in fulfillment of the great commission.

Jn. 14:6, Acts. 2:30-33, Jn. 3:16, Matt. 28:19-20

10.  We believe that the work of regeneration, conversion, sanctification, and faith, is not an act of man's free will and power, but of the mighty, efficacious, and irresistible grace of God.

Jn. 1:12-13, Jn. 3:3-6, Jn. 6:44

11.  We believe that all those who are chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sanctified by the Spirit, shall certainly and finally persevere, so that not one of them shall ever perish, but shall have everlasting life.

Jn. 6:37-39, Jn. 10:28-29

12.  We believe that under the New Covenant, the Believer’s rule of conduct is the gospel otherwise called the law of Christ, or the law of spiritual life. The old rule of the Mosaic Law has passed away with the end of the Old Covenant. The law of Moses otherwise called the law of sin and death has given way to a better rule of conduct. The new standard agrees with Old Mosaic law is some places while differing in others. The letter of the old rule has been fulfilled and the spirit of the new rule is in the circumcised hearts of all regenerate believers.

Rom. 7:1-4, Rom. 8:1-2, 2 Cor. 3:17, Gal. 4:22-26, Gal. 6:2

13.  We believe in the independence of local congregations which are all part of the catholic or universal Church. Each congregation is to be composed of believers with a credible profession of faith. A group of elders shepherd the congregation while the deacons serve the congregation. While each congregation is independent in governance they are to fellowship and be in communion with other congregations.

Matt. 18:15-17, 1 Cor. 1:2, Tit. 1:5, Act. 6:2-6, 1 Cor. 16:1

14.      We believe that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of Christ, to be continued until his second coming; and that the former is absolutely requisite to the latter; that is to say, that those only are to be admitted into the communion of the church, and to participate of all ordinances in it, who upon profession of their faith, have been baptized by immersion, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Matt. 28:19, Acts 2:41, 1 Cor. 11:26

15.      We believe that singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, vocally, is an ordinance of the Gospel to be performed by believers. Although the singing of praises is a commandment of God, there is liberty in regards to certain details regarding the singing of songs. The singing of praises should include the psalms of David, historic hymns of human composition, and newer songs written with fidelity to Scripture and reverence unto God.

Col 3:16, Eph. 5:19

16.      We believe that in the last days, Jesus Christ is now sitting on his throne in heaven spiritually ruling over his kingdom. The kingdom of God is in the heart of every regenerated believer. Jesus Christ enlarges his kingdom on the earth through the means of the preaching of the gospel, the work of the Church, and the discipling of the nations. We expect that the kingdom of God will advance, antichrist will be destroyed, the physical Israelites and gentiles will be called, and the Church’s influence will be increased. The nations will progressively come under Christ’s scepter leading to the Millennial period. The final apostasy is Satan’s little season when Christ will finally return on the last day of history.

Psa. 2, Psa. 110, Eph. 3:17, Dan. 2:44, Dan. 7:27, Rev. 20

17.      We believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust; and that Christ will come a second time to judge both the living and the dead, when he will take vengeance on the wicked, and introduce his own people into his kingdom and glory, where they shall be forever with him in the new heavens and new earth.

Rev. 1:7, Matt. 25:31-33, 1 Cor. 15:52-53, 2 Tim. 2:12, Rev. 21:1