My Statement Of Faith

Below is a post which i quote from somewhere and i think it's where i stand too. So, here is a general overview of my statement of faith:

I belong to an evangelical church, where we believe completely in the inerrancy and total authority of Scripture, as the 66 books of the Bible, and where we believe in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit and practise spiritual gifts personally and corporately (in an orderly and proper way as outlined in 1 Corinthians 14). We also emphasise the grace of God -- that we are saved by faith in Christ alone, and that you cannot lose your salvation (if you were, indeed, truly saved in the first place). We are committed to the gospel -- both the centrality of it in the life of the believer, and the spreading of it to non-Christians through preaching, evangelism and planting churches. When it comes to baptism, we do not believe in or practise infant baptism but believer's baptism -- that is, baptising those who have chosen to follow Christ, as the Bible commands (Acts 2:38).

We are part of the Evangelical Alliance, whose statement of beliefs is the following:

1. The one true God who lives eternally in three persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
2. The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
3. The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God—fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
4. The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.
5. The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
6. The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.
7. The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.
8. The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
9. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.
10. The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers—given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit's gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
11. The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.

In terms of theology, I would describe myself as Reformed (see here and here). This includes a firm belief in the total sovereignty of God -- that He predestines those who are to be saved and added into His Kingdom (Romans 8:29-30), that He knows all things and is over all things, and that whatever happens in our lives and in this world is allowed to happen (note: not made to happen -- God cannot produce sin) by Him for His glory. As I mentioned before, I also believe in the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit today (the opposite of cessationism) -- such as prophecy and speaking in tongues, according to the teachings of Scripture -- which makes me Charismatic (not to be confused with Pentecostal in this case). Being both Reformed and Charismatic may seem contradictory, but it is a position that is certainly possible and is successfully growing in the worldwide Church.

When it comes to my beliefs on the roles of men and women, I most definitely hold a complementarian viewpoint. This means I believe that man and woman were created equal in the image of God, with the same dignity, value and worth, but that they have different roles -- especially within marriage (see Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:18-25, and Ephesians 5:22-33). I believe firmly that men were created to be the leaders and heads of their families and homes, but not in a chauvinistic, cruel, harsh, or domineering way -- rather that their leadership is to be like that of Jesus Christ, who led by serving and loving His wife (the Church), preferring their wives' needs above their own. And women are to submit and follow that headship and leadership -- again, not in a subservient, doormat, weak, or degrading way, but rather because they trust, love and respect their husbands and their God-ordained roles as leaders. When this is done right, it is beautiful. There is no world war at home, no competing for authority; rather they are both trying to outdo each other in serving and honouring the other.

In terms of roles of men and women within the church, I agree with my own church that only men should be elders/pastors, and that those elders are the ones who set the course of the church through preaching each Sunday. I believe that women can head up ministries within the church and still teach in many settings, but that preaching should go hand-in-hand with those who are in the church's governmental authority -- the elders. (For more on this, see the excellent articles over at the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.)

Well, that pretty much covers my beliefs as a Christian. Some things that people may think I believe but do not are:

• That all girls should remain at home until they are married. I do not adhere to the stay-at-home daughter philosophy as a biblical mandate for every young woman, simply because Scripture does not command it. Each family must decide before God, after careful consideration in prayer and studying the Bible, what their convictions are on this topic -- and then they must not force these convictions on those who differ, for that would be legalistic.
• That all Christian families should homeschool. Again, the reasons above apply; there is nowhere in the Bible that talks about specific education that Christian children should have, only that they must be brought up in the fear and knowledge of the Lord, which can just as well be done whether a child goes to public school (the parent will need to take responsibility for making sure any false teaching their children are learning is gone over with them and corrected). Although I do like the idea of homeschooling, and would perhaps like to do it with my own future children, I know that it is one of those things where God and personal situation (e.g. where you are in the world, whether you have the time to homeschool, etc) dictate at that time.
• That women must wear dresses or skirts, or clothes that were worn in the Jane Austen period, in order to be modestly dressed. This is quite absurd -- there is no dress code in the Bible; we are just told to be modest and humble in heart, and that will then transform what we feel convicted about wearing.
• That courtship is the only righteous way to go about a romantic relationship. Quite simply, it just doesn't work for everyone (mature women who have lived independently for years, for example). "Christian dating" is possible, and is quite similar to courtship in the way that it stays clear of physical intimacy and "playing married" and seeks accountability from other mature Christians. At the end of the day, it's not the term that you use which really counts, it's how you actually live out the relationship before God and His people -- seeking to honour Him in all things, and to love and serve the person you are courting/dating.

I also reject the prosperity gospel, as it is a gross distortion of what Jesus died and rose for and is biblically unsound.

10+18th Birthday

Just want to thank all for the birthday wishes, it surely has make my day. Today, i have dinner at OEO Cafe with Liaw's, Auntie Vicky and Tommy. OEO Cafe is the latest music cafe opened behind Friendly Supermarket. It has nice environment and food with reasonable price, do visit this cafe.


group shot

oeo cafe

thank to the Liaw's for the cake

Chicken chop - RM8.90

God bless!!

Basketball

Today i went to play basketball. It have been long time i didnt play basketball. As i have mention in my blog earlier at 2007 while i was in KL that i wan to play in competition when i back here. Earlier this year, God answer my prayer. I was able to compete under tuition centre's team, PTS. Though we didnt manage to win but it was really an experience.


Team manager - Michael Lee

PTS team

I think since then i havent been touching the basketball due to work. Then recently, i was asked to play again, this time under Lee Clan's team. The competition will be held in Sibu next weekend. So, i have to start sharpening my dribbling, shooting & rebounds again. Hopefully can pick up in time to compete. My captain said sibu-kia is very 'geng', just try our best.. hehe. And i need a pair of shoes.

More Substantial

Recently, i discussed some thought on the perspective toward life at facebook's status, below is weekly commentary by Soo-Inn i received today. Maybe, by understanding the destination will bring some perspectives toward the journey of life. happy reading ~~

Commentary: By Soo-Inn Tan

What happens after death? Nothing, according to some. Death is the
universal anticlimax to life. So we should "seize the day" or "let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we die (1 Corinthians 15:32 NRSV)." Then there are
those who, like the ancient Greeks, saw death as "the release of the
immortal soul from its mortal bodily tomb . . ." (Linda L. Belleville, 2
Corinthians, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996, 130). For them
life after death was disembodied and that was the preferred state.

Modern popular culture however, ranging from the X-Files to Cantonese
ghost story movies from Hong Kong, often portrays life after death as an
existence less substantial than life before death and therefore portray the
spirits of the dead as jealous of those still alive. What is a Christian view
of what happens after death?

Last Friday (October 30th) Bernice and I had the privilege of spending
some time with Beverly, a dear friend. She was in pain and distress, in
what appeared to be the tail end of a courageous and faith-filled fight
against cancer. I wondered what passage of Scripture I should read to
strengthen her faith. Listening to her groans, 2 Corinthians 5: 1-10 came
to mind.

[For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly
dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found
naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden,
because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that
what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for
this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at
home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by
sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the
body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we
make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the
judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what
has been done in the body, whether good or evil. (NRSV)]

I wondered if the passage was too negative but in the end I read it. There
are times when we have to face life and death head on. Friday evening
was one of those times. Beverly passed on on Tuesday, November 3rd,
2009. I had the privilege of sharing the word on the first wake, held on the
evening of November 4th.

I spoke from the same 2 Corinthians passage. I shared that for Christians,
at death, we trade in our present perishable body for our eternal
resurrection body. Paul seems to hint at an intermediate stage between
the trading in of our old body and the time when we receive our new body
but how does one actually experience time in the life to come is
something that we cannot comprehend. What we can be absolutely sure of
is this: what awaits us is not some disembodied life but a resurrection
body.

Paul refers to our present body as a tent.

[Paul likens the process of physical decay and death to the dismantling of
a tent-dwelling . . . As something that can be easily swept away by storm,
wind, or some accident of nature, the comparison of the body to a tent is
a particularly apt one .... (Belleville, 2 Corinthians, 132)]

In contrast, Paul refers to our resurrection body as a heavenly house.

[God's intention for the believer is bodily existence, not disembodiment as
some would claim. More specifically, those who face physical hardship and
suffering . . . are assured that, come what may, a house of God's own
deigning . . . awaits them. This house is distinguished in three ways. It is
of heavenly versus earthly origin (in heaven). It is permanent (eternal) as
opposed to a temporary structure. And it is assembled by God rather than
by human hands (not built by human hands). (Belleville, 2 Corinthians,
133).]

Indeed, in a previous letter to the Corinthians, Paul had already taught
that our present bodies are unable to inherit all the blessings that God
wants to give us (1 Corinthians 15:50). Not only does the surrendering of
our present body result in our inheriting our resurrection body, this body
"trade in" has to take place for us to be able to receive all the treasures
that God has in store for His children.

One of those treasures is the privilege of relating to Christ face to face, in
perfect communion. Christians are folks with two homes. There is the
home of our present life. Then there is the home where we have face to
face communion with our Lord. We cannot be in our two homes at the
same time. I am now based in Singapore and I call both Singapore and
Kuala Lumpur home. But I cannot be in KL and Singapore at the same
time. I have to leave one to be in the other. We have to leave our present
life to go to our eternal home.

[. . . Paul speaks of ‘in the body' and ‘with the Lord' as two different
homes in diverse locations. He cannot be in both places at the same time.
And his preference is to be at home with the Lord (v.8). But for this to
happen he must be away from the hometown of his mortal body
(Belleville, 2 Corinthians, 139).]

If our loved ones had a tough time dying, we tend to remember them as
the emaciated bodies they had before their death, often with great
sadness. We must make a deliberate effort to remember them in "real
time", where they are now. We must remember that, for the Christian, life
after death is much more substantial than life this side of heaven. The
bible is clear on this point. Many of us are not.

When we try to console ourselves and others that our dearly departed
have gone on to "a better place" it often sounds wimpy and unsubstantial.
For Bev, death was no anticlimax to a life well lived. It was the beginning
of a glorious, eternal crescendo! This will also be true for all of us who are
followers of Jesus. And so whatever we go through in this life, we live our
lives with confidence, we live our lives "making it our aim to please Him"
because we are utterly clear as to what happens next.