[CS-FSLUG] RFC: Change of Statement of Faith

[Christopher Rose]

Works for me.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Timothy Butler" <tbutler at ofb.biz>
To: "ChristianSource Users Group." <Christiansource at ofb.biz>
Subject: [CS-FSLUG] RFC: Change of Statement of Faith
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 16:53:01 -0500

> 
> Dear List Members:
>      You administration team has been discussing changing the  
> ChristianSource statement of faith. Ultimately, our goal is to have 
> a  statement that follows the motto:
> 
>      "In Essentials, unity,
>          In non-essentials, charity,
>      In all things, Christ."
>                          -Chrysostom.
> 
>      The existing statement of faith, we have agreed, needed some  
> improvements in this regard. It has gone unchanged since January  
> 2002, when CS was established. Instead of modifying the existing  
> statement, and continuing to promote yet another such document, we  
> have agreed to adopt the Sakamuyan Declaration, already in use by  
> Sakamuyo Christian Fellowship, another internet-based ministry. The 
>   Sakamuyan Declaration has several more years of experience and 
> two  very excellent additional authors over the CS statement, which 
> I  believe makes it better, while still including some of the good 
> ideas  from the CS statement. You'll find the primary component of 
> the  statement included below.
> 
>      For what it is worth, the new statement was authored by two 
> CS- FSLUG members (Ed Hurst and myself) and one former CS member 
> (Kevin H.).
> 
>      Before we institute this change, we would like to take the 
> time  to invite list members to comment on the change.
> 
>      Blessings,
>              Tim
> 
> ------
> The Sakamuyan Declaration
> Sakamuyo Christian Fellowship Declaration of Faith and Belief:
> 
> We, as members of the Sakamuyo Network [replace with 
> ChristianSource,  in our case], affirm the essentials of the faith 
> expressed in the  Apostle's and Nicene creeds. We also affirm the 
> following points as  the essentials of the Christian faith and as 
> the minimum requirements  to become a part of the earthly 
> expression of the one true and holy  church of Jesus Christ.
> 
> I. We affirm the one true God of the Bible, all powerful, all 
> knowing  and eternal; we affirm that God exists in three persons, 
> Father, Son  and Holy Spirit and that these three are one.
> 
> II. We affirm the Earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We  
> affirm His existence as God made flesh, both fully God and fully 
> Man.  We believe in his physical death and his physical 
> resurrection after  three days in the tomb.
> 
> III. We affirm the presence of the Holy Spirit in all believers as  
> the divine comforter sent by God to provide support and guidance  
> since the time of Pentecost.
> 
> IV. We affirm all humanity was made in the image of God, but 
> through  willful disobedience fell into a corrupt state of sin. In 
> this fallen  state we are totally depraved and unable to in anyway 
> bring about our  own salvation.
> 
> V. We affirm God, in His mercy and despite our depravity, chose to  
> bestow completely unmerited grace upon anyone who would personally  
> accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through repentance and 
>   faith. This is made possible through the vicarious atonement 
> provided  by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who was 
> sinless and  innocent of the punishment bestowed on him for our 
> sake. We believe  that works after salvation show only the fruit of 
> the Spirit and in  no way are necessary to obtain or retain saving 
> grace. A personal  relationship with Jesus is the key to true 
> membership in the Church.
> 
> VI. We affirm the Bible as the true, holy and divine revelation of  
> God. We accept the universally accepted 27 books of the New 
> Testament  and the Jewish canon of 39 books as the inspired Word of 
> God through  which other revelations ought to be interpreted. While 
> the full Truth  of God is larger than the Bible, the Bible is 
> wholly Truth. We affirm  the validity of the scripture canon and 
> believe the entirety of God's  Word must be included in our 
> theology. We believe between the front  and back covers of the 
> Bible in its original form, we find what God  intended to have 
> written.
> 
> VII. We affirm Baptism and Communion as sacraments instituted by  
> Christ for this age as outward signs of inward spiritual grace.  
> Neither baptism nor communion are necessary for salvation nor the  
> continued remission of sins.
> 
> VIII. We affirm all professing Christians ought make every effort 
> to  keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
> 
> IX. We believe in the triumphant return of the Son at the end of 
> the  age, the judgment of all the people of the world, and the 
> eternal  sentence to bliss or condemnation.
> 
> X. We affirm all Christians, as members of the body of Christ, are  
> called to follow the Great Commission given to us by our Lord 
> before  he ascended to Heaven. Christians, regardless of status as 
> laity or  clergy, should seek to make disciples and be instrumental 
> in  baptizing and teaching them the commandments of Christ to the 
> very  end of this age.
> 
> ---
> Timothy R. Butler | "Now  that  I am a  Christian  I  do have moods
> Editor, OfB.biz   | in which the whole thing looks very improbable:
> tbutler at ofb.biz   | but when I was an  atheist I had moods in which
> timothybutler.us  | Christianity looked terribly probable."
>                                                        -- C.S. Lewis
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> ChristianSource FSLUG mailing list
> Christiansource at ofb.biz
> http://cs.uninetsolutions.com



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