The quick answer: I would consider myself a Christian, Protestant, Calvinist, Dispensational, Complementarian, Cessationist.
While this is not an exhaustive explanation of my doctrinal beliefs, this statement is a brief overview of the doctrines I affirm. It is not written for the purpose of converting anyone to my beliefs and therefore does not include any argumentation. For more information on my doctrinal statement, contact me with questions or check my “articles” and “videos” pages for future posts dealing with these issues.
Creation
I affirm that the earth was created in six days according to the natural reading of the Scriptures (Gen. 1-2). Therefore, I deny the teachings of theistic evolution.
Scripture
I believe the Bible is inerrant because it is the very Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13). I believe the Bible is inspired by God, not man, in which God used active man through the working of the Holy Spirit to write His own words (2 Pet. 1:21). I believe Scripture is sufficient to equip the believer for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
The trinity
I affirm the mystery that there is one God in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 3:17; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Tim. 2:5).
God the father (theology proper)
I believe God the Father created all things through and for himself (1 Cor. 8:6). I believe God has both communicable attributes and incommunicable attributes. I affirm the perfections of God as found in Scripture such as his immutability (Mal. 3:6), his holiness (Ex. 15:11; Matt. 5:48), his aseity (Ex. 3:14), his immortality/eternality (Ps. 90:2; 1 Tim. 1:17), his trustworthiness (Num. 23:19; his unfathomability (Isa. 40:28), his justice (Deut. 32:4), his omnipotence (Jer. 32:17), his omnipresence (Ps. 139:7-13), his omniscience (Heb. 4:13; Ps. 139:1-5; Prov. 5:21), his righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26), his sovereignty (Ps. 93:1; 115:3; Job 42:2), and his Spirit-essence/invisibility (Jhn. 1:18).
God the son (christology)
I believe Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, truly God and truly man (Jhn. 1:1-18). I believe all things are created through and for him (Col. 1:15-17). I believe he is the only begotten Son of God (Jhn. 3:16). I believe he is the perfect image of God--God made visible (Col. 1:15). I believe Jesus taking on flesh did not empty himself of his deity as kenotic theology teaches, but that he became functionally subordinate to the Father (Phil. 2:6-8).
god the spirit (pneumatology)
I believe the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the one God and therefore is worthy of worship (Jhn. 16:13-14). I believe the Spirit is eternal (Heb. 9:14), omnipresent (Ps. 139:7-10), and omniscient (1 Cor. 2:10-11). I believe true Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Jhn. 3:24; Acts 2:38; Jhn. 14:15-17). I believe the Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf of believers (Rom. 8:26), enables believers to be effective witnesses for Christ (Acts 1:8), produces fruit of righteousness in the lives of the believers indwelt (Gal. 5:22-23), and enlightens Christians to understand things of spiritual nature (1 Cor. 2:13). I believe the Spirit also convicts the world in its lack of righteousness, sound judgments, and sin (Jhn. 16:7-8). I believe the Spirit gifts individuals in the church to edify the body (1 Cor. 12).
the "gifts" (pneumatology pt. 2)
While I affirm the active role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, I do not affirm the teachings or uses of the “gifts” in modern charismatic/pentecostal churches today. I believe the miraculous sign gifts during the apostolic era of the early Church were used to authenticate the message of the Gospel (Acts 2) including healing, tongues, and prophecy. I believe the office of apostle has ceased to exist after Paul (1 Cor. 15:9) and that since the completion of the canonization of Scripture, any form of inerrant revelation (commonly referred to today in charismatic circles as the gift of prophecy, word of knowledge/wisdom, or prophetic tongues/interpretation) is inconsistent with the biblical teaching on the sufficiency of Scripture.
the gospel (soteriology)
I believe Jesus died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, and was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-4). I affirm the penal substitutionary atonement as well as the belief that the atonement was definite and effective in accomplishing the salvation of those who would believe (1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 8:28-30). I affirm that believers are predestined for this salvation accomplished through Christ’s atonement according to the mystery of God's own will, not according to any form of foreknowledge in which God knew who would choose him and who would not (Eph. 1:4-5). Our salvation is wholly contingent on God who called all those who believe and will believe to Himself (Jhn. 6:44).
For information on my stances on the modern issues of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and other social justice topics, feel free to read The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel I have signed here.