Foundational Faith Statements
What is a Foundational Faith Statement that is modeled after a Catechism?
It is teaching key truth from God’s Word with questions and answers that are accompanied by biblical support and explanation.
In 1 Corinthians 14:19, Paul says, "In the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue." Galatians 6:6 says, "The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him." Acts 18:25 states that Apollos "had been instructed in the way of the Lord." In each of these Scriptures, the Greek word for "instruct" or "teach" is katecheo. From this word we get our English word "catechize." It simply means to teach biblical truth in an orderly way.
Where are these Foundation Faith Statements (catechism) drawn from?
They are primarily drawn from “The Baptist Catechism” of 1689 (adopted by the Philadelphia Baptist Association of 1742), the Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1648, and the New City Catechism of 2012.
Why is this form of learning beneficial?
God requires us to "continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast" (Colossians 1:23).
God urges us to "attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God” so that we are “no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:13–14).
God tells us there are many deceivers, so we need to be alert and on guard (Romans 16:17–18).
God reminds us there are doctrines "which the untaught and unstable distort…to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16).
God wants us to raise up leaders who can "exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict" (Titus 1:9).
How can this Foundational Faith Statement be utilized?
The church family can together read, reflect upon, and memorize one question and answer a week. Parents can teach their children weekly to understand the question and answer about each truth.
The aim of a Foundational Faith Statement is not to be exhaustive but to give a basic, solid foundation from which to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
Foundational Faith Statements
Who is the first and best of beings? God is the first and best of all beings (Isa. 44:6; Psa. 96:4; 97:9).
Who is God? God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, power, and truth. Nothing happens except through Him and by His will (Ps. 86:8–10, 15).
How does God reveal Himself? God reveals Himself as the only true and living God who exists in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 45:21–22; Jer. 10:10; 2 Cor. 13:14).
What is God able to do? God is able to do anything and everything He eternally purposed, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He has foreordained whatever happens and governs His purposes by His holy, wise, and powerful providence (Psa. 33:8–11; Eph. 1:11–12; Dan. 4:34–35; Rev. 4:11).
What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever (Psa. 16:8–9, 11; 1 Cor. 10:31; Phil. 4:4).
How can we glorify God? We glorify God by enjoying Him, loving Him, trusting Him, worshipping Him, and by obeying His will and commands (Deut. 11:1; Rev. 15:4).
What is the work of creation? The work of creation is God making all things out of nothing, by the word of His power and all very good (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3; Gen. 1:31).
How did God create us? God created people male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness to rule over His creatures, reflect God, and replenish the earth (Gen. 1:26–28; Col. 3:10; Psa. 8:5–8).
What is the Word of God? The Word of God is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, given by divine inspiration, the only infallible, authoritative, and sufficient rule of faith and practice (2 Peter 1:20–21; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; Psalm 19:7–8).
What do the Scriptures primarily teach? The Scriptures primarily teach what people are to know and believe about God, and how He commands them to live (John 5:39, 20:31; 2 Tim. 3:15–17; Ps. 119:105).
What do the commands of God require? Personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience; that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbor as ourselves. What God forbids should never be done and what God commands should always be done (Matthew 22:37–40; Galatians 3:10).
Can anyone keep the commands of God perfectly? Since the fall, no one has been able to keep the commands of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed (Romans 3:10–12).
Did God create us unable to keep His commandments? No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature, and unable to keep God’s commands (Romans 5:12).
Since no one can keep His commandments, what is their purpose? That we may know the holy nature and will of God, and the sinful nature and disobedience of our hearts, and therefore our need of a Savior. God’s commandments also teach and exhort us to live a life worthy of our Savior (Romans 3:20).
What is sin? Sin is any attitude or desire or word or action that explicitly breaks a commandment of Scripture, or comes from a heart of unbelief, or is not done for the glory of God (1 John. 3:4; Romans 3:23; 5:13; 14:23; 1 Peter 1:16; Matthew 5:48).
Will God allow our disobedience to go unpunished? No, every sin is against the sovereignty, holiness, goodness, and righteous law of God. God is righteously angry with our sins and will punish them in His just judgment both in this life, and in the life to come (Ephesians 5:5–6).
Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God’s favor? Yes, to satisfy His justice, God Himself, out of sheer mercy, reconciles us to Himself and delivers us from sin and its punishment, by a Redeemer (Isaiah 53:10–11).
Who is the Redeemer? The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom God became man and continues to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one Person forever. He bore the penalty for sin Himself (Galatians 3:13; 1 Timothy 2:5; 3:16; John 1:14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9).
Why must the Redeemer be truly human? That in human nature He might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and that He might sympathize with our weaknesses (Heb 2:17).
Why must the Redeemer be truly God? Because of His divine nature, His obedience and suffering would be perfect and effective; and He would be able to bear the righteous anger of God against sin and yet overcome death (Acts 2:24).
Why was it necessary for Christ, the Redeemer, to die? Since death is the punishment for sin, Christ died willingly in our place to deliver us from the power and penalty of sin and to bring us back to God. By His substitutionary atoning death, He alone redeems us from hell and gains for us forgiveness of sin, righteousness, and everlasting life (Col. 1:21–22).
Does Christ’s death mean all our sins can be forgiven? Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God graciously imputes Christ’s righteousness to us as if it were our own and will remember our sins no more (2 Cor. 5:21).
What benefits do believers receive from God’s gift of salvation? The benefits of justification (being declared right with God), adoption (becoming God’s child), and sanctification (progressively set apart from sin and living righteously) which flow from being blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies, being made complete in Christ, and being granted everything pertaining to life and godliness (Romans 3:24; Romans 8:17; Ephesians 4:23-24; Ephesians 1:3; Colossians 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3).
What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death and our future resurrection? At death, the souls of believers are made perfect in holiness and immediately absent from their bodies and at home with the Lord. At the resurrection, believers are raised up in glory, given a new body, and forever free from the presence of sin (Hebrews 12:23; 2 Corinthians 5:3–8; 1 Corinthians 15:42–43).
What offices does Christ perform as our Redeemer? Christ, as our Redeemer, performs the offices of a prophet (who reveals God’s truth), of a priest, (who intercedes for us), and of a king (who rules, defends, and conquers all), both in His earthly humiliation and heavenly exaltation (Acts 3:22; Hebrews 5:6; John 1:18; Hebrews 2:17, 7:25; Matthew 2:6; Luke 1:32-33; 1 Corinthians 15:25).
What happens after death to those not united to Christ by faith? At the day of judgment, they will receive the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them. They will be cast out from the favorable presence of God, into hell, to be justly and grievously punished, forever (John 3:16–18, 36).
How can we be saved? Only by faith in Jesus Christ and in His substitutionary atoning death on the cross; so even though we are guilty of having disobeyed God and are still inclined to all evil, nevertheless, God, without any merit of our own but only by pure grace, imputes to us the perfect righteousness of Christ when we repent and believe in Him (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5–6).
What is faith in Jesus Christ? Faith in Jesus Christ is acknowledging the truth of everything that God has revealed in His Word, trusting in Him, and receiving and resting on Him alone for salvation as He has offered to us in the gospel (Galatians 2:20).
Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God’s Word? Yes, because Christ, having redeemed us by His blood, also renews us by His Spirit; so that our lives may show love and gratitude to God; so that we may be assured of our faith by the fruits; and so that by our godly behavior others may be won to Christ (1 Peter 2:9–12; Ephesians 2:10).
What are the outward and ordinary means by which Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption? The outward and ordinary means are His ordinances, especially the Word, baptism, the Lord’s supper, and prayer, all of which are made effective to all who are saved (Romans 10:17; James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 3:5; Acts 14:1, 2:41–42).
What are the ordinances Christ has given His church to observe? Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are given by our Lord as visible and outward signs of our identification with and commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor 11:23-26).
What is baptism? Baptism is immersion in the water by those who believe in Christ and repent of their sins in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It signifies our cleansing from sin and being joined to Christ and His church (Acts 22:16; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12).
What is the Lord’s Supper? The Lord’s Supper is the eating of the bread and drinking of the cup in thankful remembrance of Christ’s body and blood in His death. We are called to examine ourselves and eat and drink in a worthy manner with one another as we anticipate the day we eat and drink with Christ in His Father’s kingdom (1 Cor. 11:23-31; 10:16; Matt. 26:29).
What do justification, sanctification, and glorification mean? Justification is God’s declaration of our righteous standing made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection for us. Sanctification is our gradual, growing righteousness, made possible by the Spirit’s work in us. Glorification is our full and final state of righteousness made possible by Christ’s return when we receive our resurrection bodies and become like the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29–30; Rom. 4:5; 2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Thess. 1:10).
What do we believe about the Holy Spirit? That He is God, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son, and He indwells permanently all who believe in Christ (Acts 5:3–4; John 14:16–17).
How does the Holy Spirit help us? The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, regenerates us, unites us, strengthens us, guides us, empowers us, fills us, grants us spiritual gifts, and enables us to bear fruit, obey the Lord, pray, and understand God’s Word (John 16:8–11; Eph. 3:16; 5:18; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:11; Rom. 8:26–27).
What are we commanded to do in relationship with the Holy Spirit? To be filled by Him, pray in Him, walk by Him, preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, take up the sword of the Spirit, and do not quench or grieve Him (Eph. 5:18; 6:18; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 4:3; 6:17; 1 Thess. 5:19; Eph. 4:30).
What is prayer? Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, for the glory of His name, with praise, thanksgiving, confession of sin, and requests (Ps. 62:8; John 14:13; 1 John 5:14; Phil. 4:6; 1 John 1:9; Ps. 145:19).
What guidance has God given us for our prayers? The whole Word of God is a guide and inspiration for our prayers and specifically the prayer Jesus taught His disciples (Matt. 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4).
What is the Lord’s Prayer? Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Mat. 6:9-13)
What is the church? The church is a called-out community of Christ followers who are chosen by God for eternal life and united under the supreme authority, Jesus Christ, to honor, love, serve, and worship Him as our King of kings and Lord of lords (2 Thess. 2:13; Matt. 16:18; Eph. 4:15–16; Col. 1:13; 1 Tim. 6:15–16).
Who has God called to lead His church? God has called qualified men (elders, pastors, and overseers) under Christ’s leadership to direct the ministry of the church, shepherd God’s people, teach sound doctrine, protect the church from false teaching, equip the saints to do the work of ministry, and to pray for the sick (1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1–2; Titus 1:9–11; Eph. 4:11–13; Jas. 5:14–16).
What is the mission of the church? The mission of the church is to glorify God by making more and better disciples of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished by proclaiming the gospel message to those without Christ, baptizing all who believe, and discipling believers with God’s truth to present everyone complete in Christ (Matt. 28:19–20; Col. 1:28–29).
How has God instructed the church to maintain its purity, testimony, and blessing? God calls His bride to be spotless and separated from sin. To accomplish this, we must each carefully address our sin and lovingly help others to do the same. The Lord has given His church the means of church discipline for accountability and restoration to maintain its purity and testimony (Eph. 5:27; Rev. 2:5; 1 Cor. 5:4–7; Matt. 18:15–18; Gal. 6:1).
What kind of faith has God given us to live by? God has given us a sufficient faith that is blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. We have been made complete in Christ and granted everything pertaining to life and godliness, and God is pleased through the exercise of this kind of faith (Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 2 Pet. 1:3; 2 Cor. 3:5–6; Heb. 11:6).
What resources has God provided to grow our walk of faith? God has given us His sanctifying Word, His enabling Holy Spirit, believing prayer, encouraging fellowship, godly leaders, and providential trials to develop us in our walk of faith (1 Pet. 2:2; Gal. 3:3; Col. 4:12; Eph. 4:11–16; Jas. 1:2–4).
What are we as believers to do when we sin? We humbly confess our sin and decisively turn away from it, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. The Lord is merciful and willing to cleanse our hearts from all our unrighteousness (Prov. 28:13; Matt. 5:29–30; Acts 26:20; 1 John 1:9).
What is Christ doing now? The Lord is sitting at the right hand of the Father serving as our High Priest who always intercedes on our behalf and is preparing a heavenly home for us as we await His return to gather His children and judge the living and the dead (Heb. 7:25–27; John 5:26–29; 14:2–3; 2 Tim. 4:1).
What is our only hope in life and death? That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ (Rom. 14:7–8; 2 Cor. 5:15; Heb. 6:17–19).
How can someone receive God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life? By turning from their sin against God and placing their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ apart from any personal merit. This response recognizes that God created everything for His glory, but our sinful rebellion dishonored Him. God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sin by His death and to bless all who believe in Him with His eternal salvation (Luke 13:3; John 3:36; Rom. 3:23; 5:6, 8; 1 John 4:9, 14).
