Reformation Statement

The Reformation Statement is a unique confession of Reformation Fellowship of the East Valley & New Covenant Bible Fellowship.  It is unique in that it is a theological statement written entirely from a Reformed, New Covenant Theology point of view.

This confession is by no means original.  It is a result of mixing together parts of various other confessions with some original wording.  At some points we have used sections of confessions word for word.  While at other times we have put the thoughts of past confessions into the language of today.  The confessions that we have relied upon are The Hampton Roads Confession of Faith, The Confession of 1689, The First London Confession, and The Westminster Confession of Faith.

The Reformation Statement is in multiple parts for ease of reading.

Table of Contents:

The Reformation Statement

Scripture

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Inerrancy and Authority
Scripture (the Bible) is the Word of God. The Bible is the only infallible (being the Word of God it is incapable of error) and inerrant (even the words themselves are without error) writing that shall ever exist in this world. The Bible is without error even when it touches on history and science. It provides the absolute answers for all men, concerning how we are to be saved, what we are to believe, and how we are to live in order to please our Creator.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 10:34-35, Matthew 5:17-18

Inspiration
The Bible has both human and divine authorship. Though written over many centuries by men of differing perspectives, experiences, styles, temperaments, and languages, it is entirely free of contradictions. This unity is explained by the fact that the Holy Spirit of God is the true author of Holy Scripture. He inspired, or more precisely breathed out his message. He moved men to write what they wrote, incorporating their human personalities and literary styles into the text.
2 Peter 2:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Luke 1:1-5, John 14:26, John 16:13-15, 2 Peter 3:15-16

The Canon of Scripture
By Scripture, we mean the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, excluding the Apocryphal writings, which are not divinely inspired. While the Apocryphal writings may be of some interest, they have no more authority over us than any other human writing. The Canon of Scripture is now complete and therefore no new claims of canonical revelation will be accepted.
Hebrews 1:1-2

The Clarity of Scripture
While all Scripture does not contain the same degree of clarity either by design or due to our limited understanding, we affirm that the Bible is sufficiently clear in revealing for all to understand what one needs to know in order to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Original Languages
The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament was originally written in Greek.

The Autographs
All that has been said about the divine nature of the Bible applies strictly speaking to the original writings (the Autographs) and not to the translations. We believe that for all practical purposes we have the actual Word of God. Those parts of the Bible that we are not absolutely certain about do not affect anything essential in the Christian faith.

The Reformation Statement

General Revelation

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General Revelation
General or Natural Revelation is the knowledge of God that can be gained through his creation. This knowledge is limited and is not sufficient to bring someone to a saving faith. No one, as result of Natural Revelation, will want to savingly know the true God. The knowledge of God revealed in creation serves to make all of mankind without excuse before the judge of all heaven and earth.
Romans 1:18-20, Psalms 19:1-6

The Reformation Statement

God and the Trinity

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The Incomprehensibility of God
The God of Scripture, the only true God, is very different from man in his being. Man is like God, made in his image, in only some very limited ways. There is no way that man can fully grasp an infinite God with his limited capacity. There will always be incompleteness in our understanding of God. Some areas of incompleteness are the Incarnation, the Trinity, the relation between predestination and responsibility, and the concept of the eternality of God, that is, the truth that God has always existed.
Deuteronomy 29:29, 1 Samuel 15:29, John 1:1, Romans 9:10-21

The Trinity
The Scriptures clearly teach that there is one God who is an infinite being and who exists in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person is wholly God, equal in power and glory, and possesses precisely the same attributes and perfection. Though undivided in nature and being, they each have different roles, eternally functioning with perfect harmony.
Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:18-20,1 Corinthians 1:3, John 1:1-14, John 20:28, John 10:29-30, John 14:5-14, Acts 5:3-4

The Attributes of God
God is a spirit who is infinite in being and perfection. He is unchangeable. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He fully exists everywhere, yet he is separate from his creation. He knows all things because he decrees all things. He is all-powerful, absolutely holy, and most wise. He is self-sufficient and is in no way dependent on his creation. He is a God of love, who is compassionate and forgiving. Yet, he is also the lawmaker who will perfectly judge all mankind according to his law. He will not pardon the guilty. God can do anything that is consistent with his nature and his eternal purpose. He cannot deny himself, nor can he lie.
John 4:24, Isaiah 6:1-3, 1 Samuel 15:29, 1 John 1:5, Genesis 1:1, Psalms 139, Ephesians 1:11, Romans 16:25-27, 1 Timothy 1:17, Exodus 3:14, Acts 17:24-25, 1 John 4:7-21, Psalms 86:15, Nahum 1:2-3, 2 Timothy 2:13, Titus 1:2

The Reformation Statement

God's Decree

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Eternal Decree
God never has been, nor ever will be taken by surprise. Of his own free will, without obligation to any, in infinite wisdom and goodness, he has decreed, or determined, before the foundation of the world, everything that has already happened as well as everything that will come to pass.
Ephesians 1:11, Romans 9:10-21, 1 John 1:5

Foreknowledge
God does know everything that is going to happen because he has determined everything that is going to happen. With regard to salvation, foreknowledge has the meaning of God making a loving choice in eternity past to save some. God has not determined the future by seeing what man will do and then decreeing it to come to pass.
Romans 8:28-30, Amos 3:2, Deuteronomy 7:7-8, Romans 11:1-2, Ephesians 1:4-5, Romans 9:10-13

Man is Responsible
Since God, in his being, is not like man, he is able to determine everything that will happen without forcing man, against his will, to carry out his decrees. Yet, God can never be blamed for the evil that is committed by man.
Romans 9:19-21, 1 John 1:5, James 1:13-15, Acts 4:27-28

Redemption
God, in his grace, has decreed that a fixed number of men and angels will inherit eternal life. The rest he has determined to leave in their sin to suffer their just condemnation, thereby revealing his perfect justice.
Ephesians 1:4-5,11, 1 Timothy 5:21, Matthew 25:41, Romans 6:23

Calling His Elect
God has, before the world began, predestined to eternal life all those who would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He chose them freely, according to the secret counsel of his own pleasure, to be in Christ and to share in his eternal glory. He did not choose them because he saw that they would believe, since saving faith is a gift of God. Neither did he choose them because he saw any goodness in them, because all men come into the world as God-haters and are incapable of performing any good work. The elect do not live perfect lives after their conversion, but they will struggle to obey their Lord and will give evidence of a changed life.
Ephesians 1:4-5,11, John 6:44, Romans 3:10-18, Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 9:10-13, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Galatians 5:16-18, Romans 8:1-14, Revelation 2:7

Means
As God has predestined the salvation of the elect, He has also determined the means of their salvation. They are redeemed from their fallen state in Adam through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. They are called to Christ, in due time, by the Holy Spirit. They are justified, adopted into God's family, and are guaranteed sanctification. They are also kept by his power throughout their lives by a God-given faith. God has also decreed their glorification, which must certainly come to pass.
John 6:44, John 3:16, Romans 10:1-15, Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 5:12-21, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:1-17, Romans 8:28-30, Romans 3:21-26, Galatians 4:1-7, Ephesians 1:4-5, Philippians 1:6

The Reformation Statement

Creation

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The Creation of All Things
In the beginning it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, from nothing, to speak into existence the universe and everything in it, whether visible or invisible. God created the angels, assigning their various ranks and functions. There was nothing before him, and without him nothing came into existence. God created the universe and everything in it in six days. On the sixth day, after he had made man, God viewed everything that he had made and said that it was very good.
Genesis 1:1 - 2:25, Hebrews 1:2, John 1:1-3, Job 33:4, Colossians 1:15-20

The Uniqueness of Man
After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female, with reasoning and immortal souls. Man was created in the image of God, a rational and moral being. Man was assigned to populate and have dominion over the earth. Genesis 1:1-28, Romans 1:28-31, Romans 2:12-16, Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 4:24

Man Was Created Good
Adam and Eve were created righteous and inclined to do good. They were not outwardly forced to obey God, but they obeyed willingly. God provided for their every need and pleasure. They were given only one restriction: they were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As long as they obeyed they were happy in their relationship with God, they enjoyed one another, and they had dominion over the creatures.
Genesis 1:26 - 2:25

The Reformation Statement

God's Providence

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Meaning of Providence
God, who makes every creature for his own good pleasure, did not merely decree what should be, and then retire to heaven to watch what inevitably must come to pass in his universe. Rather, in his infinite wisdom and power, he controls all second causes (cause and effect events), upholding and governing all creatures and circumstances, making all things work together for the accomplishing of his own eternal plan. This invisible governing hand of God is called his providence.
Colossians 1:16, Daniel 4:28-35, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:11

Second Causes
God's eternal decree, unchangeably decided before the world began, is the first cause of everything that happens in the universe. Nothing is left to chance, nor happens apart from his providence. His wise providence is brought about by the use of second causes (cause and effect events). The answer to the question, "What caused you to become a believer?" is two-fold. The first cause is God’s sovereign choice. The second cause is whatever he used in your experience to bring you to himself. Acts 4:27-28, Genesis 50:19-21

Miracles
A miracle is an event where God does not use the normal means to cause something to happen. He intervenes in a direct manner to cause an event to happen. Examples of miracles are the virgin birth and the long day of Joshua.
Luke 1:26-38, Joshua 10:1-15

The Problem of Evil
God's providence is all-inclusive. His invisible hand is behind the rebellion of Satan, the temptation in the garden of Eden, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and all other evil acts. He determined before the creation of the world to use everything, even the acts of evil men, in his eternal plan. The wicked are fully responsible for what they do. God cannot be blamed.
Acts 4:27-28, Genesis 50:19-20, Proverbs 16:4, Romans 9:10-21, Romans 11:33-36, 1 John 1:5

The Reformation Statement

The Fall of Man

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The Temptation
The Lord God, in the garden of Eden, gave Adam and Eve the command not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or they would die. The woman was deceived by Satan and ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. She then gave some of the fruit to Adam and he willingly ate it. This first sin of Adam and Eve was part of God's wise plan.
Genesis 2:15-17, Genesis 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-21, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

The Consequences
As a result of eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve, our first parents, died spiritually and began to die physically. Adam was our representative. When he sinned we sinned, or at least we were blamed for his sin. As a result of Adam's sin all mankind is born spiritually dead. Spiritual death consists of two parts, guilt (a BAD RECORD), and corruption (a BAD HEART). All mankind inherits the guilt of Adam's sin. Therefore we all come into this world with a BAD RECORD. Even if it were possible to live a perfect life one would still have the guilt of Adam's sin on his record to condemn him. We also inherit a BAD HEART from Adam. We come into this world a God-hater. No one would ever naturally desire to know or please the true God. All of mankind would willingly choose eternal damnation rather than embrace the God of all creation. From the point of conception everyone stands under the wrath of God.
Genesis 2:15-17, Genesis 3:1-24,