Statement of Faith

The following State of Faith governs the teaching at Biblical iQ.

Anything not covered by this Statement of Faith (e.g., views of spiritual gifts, women in ministry, etc.) are, we believe, not central to evangelical orthodoxy and are, therefore, not controlled by this Statement.

Article One: Scripture

The Bible is the infallible word of God, the supreme rule for faith and practice.

The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament came from the very mouth of God written by men inspired by God and are without error in the originals. Scripture is therefore the unique and supreme guide for all it affirms, including both belief and behavior.

The teachings of the Bible are sufficient for salvation and sanctification. While there are questions of meaning and application over which we may agree to disagree, there is nothing for which we are responsible to God in terms of our salvation and sanctification that is not expressed in Scripture, either in precept or principle.

From these convictions flow the following articles of faith.

John 17:17, Prov 30:5, John 10:35, 2 Tim 3:16-17

Article Two: Trinity

There is one God, infinitely perfect, without change, creator of all yet not created, distinct from His creation yet everywhere present, perfectly balanced in all His attributes, omniscient over all time, wholly sovereign. He alone is the sole object of worship.

God exists eternally in three persons — Father, Son, Holy Spirit — equal in essence and divine perfection, all three uncreated, executing distinct but harmonious offices.

1 Tim 2:5, Exodus 20:4, James 1:17, Heb 13:8, Ps 102:25-27, John 1:3, Col 1:16, Isa 46:9-10, Rom 8:28-29, Eph 1:11, Exodus 20:3-6, Matt 28:19, 2 Cor 13:14 and Eph 1:3-14

Article Three: God the Father

God the Father is an infinite, person spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of creation, hearing and answering prayers, saving from sin all who come to him through Jesus Christ. All life is to be lived ultimately for His Glory.

2 Cor 13:14 and Eph 1:3-14

Article Four: God the Son

God the Son is fully God and fully human, without confusion or mixture, the unique and only Son. He existed before time, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, was physically raised from the dead as prophesied, ascended into heaven, and is now exalted, sitting at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for the saints as the sole mediator. He will return to earth, and ultimately every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

John 1:1-19, Mark 1:1, Col1:15, John 2031, John 5:18, John 14:9, Mat 1:23Matt 11:27, John 12:45, Col1:15, Col 2:9, Titus 2:13, Heb 1:8, 2Peter 1:1, Matt 1:11-18, Luke 1:35, 2Cor 5:21, Heb 10:12-14, 1John 4:2-3, Mark 1:11, John 1:1, Matt 1:20-23, Romans 8:3, Mark 10:45, Mark 16:1-8, Acts 2:22-32, Acts 1:9, Phil 2:9-11 and Romans 10:9

Article Five: God the Holy Spirit

God the Spirit is sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He fully indwells every true believer at conversion as a guarantee of his inheritance, guides and empowers them, gifts them for ministry, interceding in accordance with the will of God, witnessing to Jesus.

John 16:7-11, Acts 2:33, Eph 1:13-14, 1Cor 12-14 Romans 12:3-8, Eph 4:11-12 and Rom 8:26-27

Article Six: Anthropology (doctrine of man)

Adam and Eve were both created in the image of God, Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from his side. They disobeyed God and died, spiritually and physically. Therefore, all people are objects of wrath, sinners by nature and by choice. They are dead in their sins and incapable of pleasing God. Without the direct intervention of God, they will live separated from God, die in their sins, and receive the condemnation that their sin deserves.

Gen 1:27, Gen 2:7, Gen2:20-21, Gen2:16-17, Gen 3:6, Eph 2:1-3, Rom 1:18, Rom 9:-20, Rom 3:9-10, Romans 5:17-19 Rom 6:23, Rom 3:23, Eph 2:1, Romans 5:8 and Romans 8:5-8

Article Seven: Soteriology (doctrine of salvation)

Salvation from sin and access to God is available only through the work of Christ on the cross, given by God’s grace, mercy, and love, received solely by faith in Jesus Christ. In conversion, the believer is drawn by God to Himself, repents and turns from his sins, is redeemed, declared wholly righteous, born again, made alive in Christ as a new creature, reconciled to God, becomes a child of God, and is filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit through whom he is empowered for a life of obedience. The cross is sufficient to cover the sins of all who believe.

Mark 15:33-41, Isa 52:13-53, John 14:6, Gal 3:13, 2 Cor 5:21, Titus 2:11-14, Eph 2:4-9, Romans 3:21-25, Rom 1:16-17, Rom 3:22-24, Acts 2:22-36, Acts 2:38, Rev 5:9, John 3:3-5, 2Cor 5:17, Rom 5:10, John 1:12, 1John 3:1, Rom 8:16-17

Article Eight: Sanctification (doctrine of holiness)

God’s will for every believer is his sanctification. It is the necessary and certain fruit of salvation, yet not meritorious; it is God alone who saves. Through the work of the Spirit, saints are called and enabled to live lives of holiness, “in” but not “of” the world, fully dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ, persevering to the end. Disciples are declared to be sanctified through the work of Christ and are also called to become sanctified in the experiences of life. First and very important we are to love our fellow Christians. The disciple’s life will be characterized, among many, by battle with sin, repentance, sexual purity, gracious speech, prayer, suffering, persecution, being different from the world, living for the glory of God. Growth toward holiness brings with it assurance in your heart of your salvation and a desire to share the gospel with sinners.

Rom. 9:6-29, Rom 8:29-30, Eph 1:4, Rev 13:8, John 10:26-29, Acts13:48, 1 Thess. 4:3, Rom 6:1-2, James 1:19-25, Phil 2:12-13, Col 1:29, John17:15-16, Mark8:34-38, Matt 5:8 and Matt28:19-20

Article Nine: Ecclesiology (doctrine of the church)

The church consists of all true disciples of Jesus Christ. All things exist under the supremacy of Christ, and therefore Christ and Christ alone is the head of the church. The local expression of the church is comprised of disciples gifted for the work of building up the body of Christ, living in unity, bound together by love. While different local expressions may have different emphases, all are commanded to make disciples, which includes both evangelism and teaching obedience to all that Jesus taught. The church is to be committed to the reading of Scripture, the exhortation to obedience, and teaching of the doctrinal truths of Scripture, as well as to all that is necessary for the edification of the body, including worship, singing, prayer, and service, all to the glory of God.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be valued and observed. They are visible signs representing spiritual truths; they do not accomplish salvation. Baptism is the washing of the believer, signifying that in conversion he has died to his old life and has been raised with Christ into a newness of life in which the power of sin is broken. The Lord’s Supper is the present proclamation of Christ’s atoning death and looks forward to his return.

Matt 5:10-12, Heb 12:3-17, Matt 5:13-6, Rom 12-1-2, 1Cor 10:31, 1John 2-6, 1John 3:10 and 1Peter 3:15

Article Ten: Eschatology (doctrine of last things)

Jesus will return — personally, visibly to all, suddenly — and all disciples living, and dead will be bodily caught up to meet Him. At the final judgment, the unrepentant will be raised to the resurrection of judgment and permanent punishment in hell. Believers, while already having passed from darkness to light, will be raised to the resurrection of life, and will enjoy the everlasting, personal presence of God in His heavenly kingdom. God’s plan of creation, redemption, and glorification will be complete. “The Lord’s Supper, administered and received by followers of Jesus, serves as a memorial and a present proclamation of Christ’s atoning death on the cross, and looks forward to his return.”

This is the hope for which we long, which helps to motivate us now toward godly living, and which propels us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world.

Eph 1:22-32, Matt 28:19-20, 1Cor 12:7, Jon 17:20-26, 1John 2:7-17, Matt 28:19-20, 1Tim 4:13, Eph 5:19, Matt28:18-20, Acts 2:38, 1Peter 3:21, Rom 6:34, Mark14:12-25 and 1Cor11:17-34

Article Eleven: The Truth about “Prosperity Gospel” or "Word of Faith Movement"

The prosperity gospel can be defined as the teaching that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth. Acquiring these blessings come through positive confessions of faith and “sowing of seeds” through the faithful giving of tithes and offerings. We recognize that prosperity teaching is a phenomenon in the Christian community. Prosperity teaching is found in varying degrees in every mainstream denomination as well as independent evangelical churches. We recognized that there are some dimensions of prosperity teaching that have roots in the Bible.

We do not wish to be overly negative, and we recognize the shocking social realities within which this teaching flourishes and the measure of hope it holds out to desperate people. Though we recognize some positive features, it is our view that the teachings of those who vigorously promote the “prosperity gospel” are false and gravely distorting of the Bible. The practices are often unethical and un-Christ like, and the impact on churches are damaging and spiritually unhealthy, and does not offer lasting hope, but deflects people from the true message of salvation. It then becomes a soberly false gospel.

Some observations on what signs of prosperity teaching might be when it’s not blatantly obvious:

The absence of a serious doctrine of the biblical necessity and normalcy of suffering
The absence of a clear and prominent doctrine of self-denial.
The absence of serious exposition of Scriptures. (Does the preaching take the Bible seriously by explaining what is there in texts? Does it work through passages of Scripture, explaining the flow of the thought?)
The absence of dealing with tensions in Scripture. (Does the preacher bring up passages that seem like problems with the ones he is dealing with and then give careful explanations to show how they really fit together? Or is he content just to say what seems to be in one text and never even raise the question.

Included in these observations are “Trouble and distress are woven into the very fabric of this perishing world”. A person doesn’t have to be a converted Christian to follow the prosperity teachings. Prosperity desires are worldly desires by nature. Christian believers want what Jesus offers not what the world offers. Prosperity seekers (the natural men or worldly-wise men) generally consider the gospel to be foolishness.

We are not promised financial, physical, medical or social prosperity if we become a Christian. To the contrary we are promised persecution, suffering, hardship, famine and earthquakes, danger, nakedness, and death. So, with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22 God is promising our real joy in heaven even though we may have some joy on earth. “Trouble and distress are woven into the very fabric of this perishing world”.

Romans 8:17, Revelations 2:10, 2 Corinthians 1:8, Romans 8:35, Revelation 6:6, Matthew 24:7, Acts 16:22, Acts 21:35, Romans 8:36, Romans 14:8, Acts 14:21, John 15:20, Romans 8:23, Hebrews 12, 2 Cor 1 Romans 8:13, Phil 3:8, Matt 16:24 and 1 Cor 2:14