I encourage you to take time to read our church’s State­ment of Faith.   Notice how it distinguishes majors from minors:  we take a definite stand on primary issues; on secondary matters we say little or nothing, leaving space for a range of viewpoints.

For example, we’re firm on the Bible as God’s Word—the inspired, inerrant, authoritative Scriptures constitute God’s complete revelation of his will for salvation.  And we underscore both the divine nature and human incarnation of God’s Son, noting that salvation comes by God’s grace through faith in Jesus.  What’s more, we emphasize the importance of the church (universal and local) as the new com­munity of those born again through the Holy Spirit and called to lead God-honoring lives.  Further, we point to the eternal conse­quences of one’s response to Jesus Christ (i.e., “heaven or hell”).  Those are major issues; the core content of the Christian Gospel revolves around these kinds of pivotal truths.

Similarly, the fact of human sin is stated bluntly:   “man is a sinner by nature and choice and is therefore spiritually dead.”  That’s a major theological point.  But we don’t specify just how “nature” and “choice” interrelate (i.e., the mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility is not resolved).  So too, while Jesus’ future return from heaven is certain, the possible sequence of events surrounding his coming or the tim­ing or nature of a “tribula­tion” period or “millennial” age are not spelled out.  These matters are not insignificant, but neither are they of pri­mary importance for life together in a Gospel-centric church.

I hope you’ll read our Statement of Faith and grapple with its vital, biblical truths.   Please don’t decline and say, “I’m no theolog­ian.”  The fact is, we’re all theologians; the key issue is whether we’re careful, patient, Bible-centered theologians or not.  We all believe something about the nature of Scripture and the character of God and the achievement of Christ.  What do you believe?