LUF's Convictions And Doctrinal Statements

Those who know me well know that I'm someone who detests labels. Specifically, the way in which labels are thrown around these days as a means of marginalizing people.

From a religious perspective, other than being called a 'Christian', I typically reject any other kind of tag that's out there today simply based on principle.

After all, if we're all God-fearing, Bible-believing, Christ-honoring believers within the same Body of Christ (His Bride), then the term 'Christian' should be more than sufficient for every single one of us, shouldn't it?

Yet, man has a way of wanting to elevate himself to other planes of distinction in this life; yes, even within Christian circles too. That's a real shame.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to doctrine. Do you adhere to the various doctrinal positions espoused by the God's Word, or not? Sola Scriptura!

With that in mind, I thought it might be a good time for me to update Look Up Fellowship's (Jeff Radt's) 'What We Believe' portion of this website with a list of our Beliefs, Doctrinal Statements, and Methodologies, especially now that we've embarked upon a new ministry project through BlogTalkRadio with LUFM.

This will be a VERY LENGTHY post, but I'm sure you'll appreciate the clarification.

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

THE CHARACTER OF GOD

The Holiness of God
- Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Habakkuk 1:13

- But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. Isaiah 59:2

The Justice of God
- For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face. Psalm 11:7

- But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment, and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. Isaiah 5:16

- God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day. If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. Psalm 7:11-12

The Depravity And Condemnation of Man
- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

- For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment Isaiah 64:6

- For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ACCURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM. Galatians 3:10

The Great Dilemma
- He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. Proverbs 17:15

- Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly? Genesis 18:25

God's Action
While maintaining His holiness and justice, the Bible also affirms that God is love, and that in love He has responded to the plight of man.

Motivated By Love
God is love. By this the love of God is manifested in us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:8-10

The Cross of Christ
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26

The Resurrection
He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Romans 4:25

Man's Response
Repentance begins with a recognition and confession that what God says about us is true that we have sinned.

- For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Psalm 51:3-4

A genuine recognition of our sinfulness and guilt will also lead to genuine sorrow, shame and even hatred for what we have done.
- For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15

- Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death? Romans 7:24

Apparent sincerity of confession alone is never definite evidence of genuine repentance. It must be accompanied by a turning away from sin.

- Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil. Isaiah 1:16

- therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:10

Faith Defined
- Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

- and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Romans 4:21

Faith Based On The Promises of God
- For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

- Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved Acts 16:31

Example Of A Believer
- worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh Philippians 3:3

The Basis of Genuine Assurance
True conversion: A true Christian is a new creation and will live a life that reflects God's radical work of re-creation in his/her life.

- Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

- You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? Matthew 7:16

Assurance is based upon self-examination in the light of Scripture.
- Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

- These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13

Test Of Biblical Assurance
- 1 John 1:5-7 (Walking in the Light), 1 John 1:8-10 (Confession of Sin), 1 John 2:3-4 (Obedience), 1 John 2:9-11 (Love for the Brethren), 1 John 2:15-17 (Hatred for the World), 1 John 2:24-25 (Perseverance in Doctrine), 1 John 3:10 (Righteousness), 1 John 4:13 (Spirit's Testimony), Hebrews 12:5-8 (Discipline)

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DOCTRINE

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.

GOD. There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of Himself all perfections, and being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience.

THE TRINITY. God is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

PROVIDENCE. God, from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and all events; yet not in any way as to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.

ELECTION. Election is God's eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life-- not because of foreseen merit in them, but of his mere mercy in Christ-- in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified.

THE FALL OF MAN. God originally created man in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity [i.e. descendants] inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.

THE MEDIATOR. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the divinely appointed mediator between God and man. Having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the law, suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried, rose again on the third day, and ascended to His Father, at whose right hand He lives forever to make intercession for His people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest, and King of the church, and Sovereign of the Universe.

REGENERATION. Regeneration is a change of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who makes alive those who are dead in trespasses and sins, enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the Word of God, and renewing their whole nature, so that they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God’s free and special grace alone.

REPENTANCE. Repentance is an evangelical grace, wherein the Holy Spirit makes a person aware of the manifold evil of his sin, so that he humbles himself with godly sorrow, detesting sin, and abhorring [i.e., hating] self, with a purpose and endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all things.

FAITH. Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatsoever is revealed in His Word concerning Christ; accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and is accompanied by all other saving grace, and leads to a life of holiness.

JUSTIFICATION. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners who believe in Christ, from all sin, through the satisfaction that Christ has made. It is given not for anything wrought in them or done by them, but on account of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith.

SANCTIFICATION. Those who have been regenerated are also sanctified by God’s Word and Spirit dwelling in them. This sanctification is progressive through the supply of Divine strength, which all saints seek to obtain, pressing after a heavenly life in cordial [i.e., willing] obedience to all Christ’s commands.

PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. Those whom God has accepted in the Beloved, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall, through neglect and temptation, into sin, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the Church, and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

THE CHURCH. The Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is composed of all His true disciples, and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According to His commandment, Christians are to associate themselves into particular societies or churches; and to each of these churches He has given needful authority for administering the order, discipline and worship which He has appointed. The regular officers of a church are Bishops (or Elders) and Deacons.

BAPTISM. Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed in water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of his giving himself up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. However, it is not a means of obtaining salvation from sin.

THE LORD’S SUPPER. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with bread and wine, and to be observed by His churches till the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate His death, to confirm the faith of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge, and renewal of their communion with Him, and of their church fellowship.

THE LORD’S DAY. The New Testament Church gives the example of assembling on the Lord’s Day (i.e. Sunday) for the reading and teaching of the Word of God, worship, prayer, and mutual encouragement - stimulating one another to love and good deeds. It is fitting to view the Lord’s Day as a celebration of Christ’s resurrection and the redemption of His people. Yet, every day should contain worship to the Lord! That being said, this statement should not imply that a Christian can only worship on Sundays in order for it to be true worship.

LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE. God alone is Lord of the conscience; and He hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary to His word, or not contained in it. Civil magistrates being ordained of God, subjection in all lawful things commanded by them ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

THE RESURRECTION. The bodies of men after death return to dust, but their spirits return immediately to God - the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked, to be reserved under darkness to judgment. At the last day, the bodies of all the dead, both just and unjust, will be raised.

THE JUDGMENT. God has appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when every one shall receive according to his deeds: the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment; the righteous, into everlasting life. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord!

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ESSENTIAL CONVICTIONS

1. Missions Is An Impossibility Apart From The Power Of God. All men of every culture are born radically depraved, at enmity with God, and restraining the truth. The conversion of a man and the advancement of missions are an absolute impossibility apart from the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. Modern church growth strategies and many new mission methodologies often overlook this essential truth.

2. The True, Whole Gospel Must Be Proclaimed. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16) and the preaching of the Gospel is the great “means” and “methodology” of missions. The Gospel is, first and foremost, God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). It answers the eternal question of how a just God can rightly justify wicked men (Romans 3:26). It points to Christ alone, who bore the sins of His people upon the cross, was forsaken of God, and crushed under the full force of His just wrath against sin. The Good News of the Gospel is that through Christ’s death, the justice of God was satisfied, and salvation was won for a great multitude of people. This is evidenced by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead - “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25).

3. The Gospel Transcends Culture. The greatest need of all men of every culture is the clear proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Men are saved through the Gospel and continue in sanctification through continued growth in the full counsel of God’s Word. Although differences in culture are to be considered, it is more important for the missionary to be Biblically sensitive than culturally sensitive. A missionary was once asked how he preached the Gospel to a certain remote tribe. He declared, “I do not preach the Gospel to a remote tribe. I preach the Gospel to men!”

4. Incarnational Missions Is Essential. Although there may be some effective non-personal means of communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no substitute for one man living among a people, teaching the Gospel to them, and living out his faith before them. God sent his own Son, and He became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1,14; 3:16).

5. Superficial Evangelism Is One Of The Great Obstacles To Missions. Non-theological preaching, entertaining skits, and Gospel films are no substitute for the Biblical exposition of the Gospel. Inviting men to raise their hands and pray a prayer is no substitute for the Biblical call to repentance, faith, and personal discipleship. Biblical assurance of salvation does not flow from a past decision or a prayer, but from the examination of one’s enduring lifestyle in the light of Scripture.

6. Church Planting Is The Primary Work Of Missions. There are many gifts and callings in the Body of Christ, but all of them are to work together on the mission field with the primary goal of planting a Biblical church. It is one thing to do mass evangelism and to boast of the numbers of decisions; it is quite another to establish a Biblical church.

7. True Missions Is Costly. Amy Carmichael explained that missions is no more and no less than an opportunity to die. We live in a fallen world that is at enmity with God and opposes His truth; therefore, missions and suffering go hand in hand. Any advancement of the kingdom of Christ into the dominion of the devil will be met with warfare. There are many countries and people groups where martyrdom cannot be avoided.

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MISSION AND METHODOLOGY
What we believe Christians and churches should try to model.

God Centeredness - “Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever” (Larger Catechism). We have been created and redeemed by God and for God, therefore, our chief desire is to know Him, and promote His glory in every circumstance of life and among all the peoples of the earth.

Expository Bible Preaching - The Scriptures must be carefully exegeted and powerfully proclaimed. The preacher must strive to be Biblical, didactic, and prophetic. The pulpit is indispensable to the church’s growth in knowledge, holiness, love, and devotion. It cannot and should not be replaced or diminished.

Biblical Worship - The music department strives to lead the church family to glorify God and to edify one another through singing and musical instruments, ministering with spiritual passion and doctrinal integrity, while maintaining high standards of musical excellence. The worship is to reinforce the faith through song, and to express congregational praise and worship to Christ, our Audience.

Shepherding - The elders, staff, and small group leaders are passionate about and devoted to being on guard for “all” the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

Congregational Government - A New Testament church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers. Church government is congregational in context and, therefore, the final word in matters pertaining to the congregation must come from the congregation itself (Matthew 18:15-17; Acts 6:2-5; 1 Corinthians 5:4-5; 2 Corinthians 2:6).

Elder Led - The church has a body of elders/pastors who teach and shepherd the flock. In accordance with Hebrews 13:17, they keep watch over the congregation as men who must give an account to God. According to the same text, the congregation is to obey them and submit to their authority so that their work will be a joy and not a burden. The elders must meet the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and they exercise authority over the church only to the degree that they teach and lead according to the Scriptures.

Deacon Served - According to the teachings of Jesus, the life of every Christian is to be marked by service (Mark 9:35). However, the New Testament also speaks of the specific office of deacon. The word deacon (gk: diákonos) denotes a helper or servant who serve (gk:diakonéo). Before a man may be appointed as deacon, he must be tested for the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The tasks of a deacon are primarily that of meeting the physical and material needs of individual believers and the congregation as a whole. If the deacon serves faithfully, he “obtains for himself a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13).

Compassionate Church Discipline - Although church disciple is a foundational doctrine in Christianity, it is now almost non-existent among “contemporary” Christian churches. This forgotten and often misunderstood Bible doctrine needs to be reinstated now more than ever. We believe that if we truly seek to honor God and if we truly care for the well-being of His people, we will obey Christ’s commands to practice church discipline. When practiced Biblically and compassionately, it is a powerful tool to restore the fallen and to preserve Christ’s honor in the church and the unbelieving world.

Biblical Evangelism - It is the duty of every believer to evangelize the lost. We adamantly stand against Hyper-Calvinism on the one hand and Easy-Believism on the other. We are committed to preach the Gospel to every creature, and to implore men to repent and believe. At the same time, we recognize that neither repentance nor faith can be produced by manipulating the emotion or coercing the will. They are the result of the supernatual work of the Holy Spirit.

Biblical Conversion And Assurance - A Biblical understanding of regeneration and conversion is absolutely essential to the Christian faith. We believe that salvation is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5), that it is enduring (Philippians 1:6), and that it is evidenced by the bearing of fruit (Matthew 7:16-20). The man who walks in a continual state of carnality with no divine discipline can have no assurance of sonship (Hebrews 12:8) no matter how adamantly he professes his allegiance to Christ.

Discipleship - The purpose of any Christian church should be to glorify God by obediently making and equipping disciples of Christ throughout the world, by the power of the Spirit. The primary means employed to disciple believers are expository preaching, small group interaction and accountability, and personal one-on-one discipleship.

The Local Congregation - We believe that meaningful and enduring fellowship in a local congregation is absolutely essential to the Christian’s life and ministry. Media ministries can never take the place of the local church and its ministers. We are commanded not only to congregate, but to do so for the purpose of encouraging one another and stimulating one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Every-Member Ministry - Every Christian in the local congregation without exception has been given spiritual gifts which they are commanded to employ for the edification of the entire congregation. The administration of such gifts by every member is necessary for the proper growth and ministry of the church.

Small Groups - One of the outlets for every- member ministry is a small group ministry. Such fellowships are employed to evangelize the lost, equip the saved, and minister to the individual needs in the body. Christianity is not a spectator sport.

Parent-Led Children Ministry - Parents are primarily responsible for the discipleship and discipline of their children. The church should not usurp the authority of godly parents, nor assume the responsibilities of parents who are lax in their duties. The church should give itself to teaching the Biblical principles of parenthood and to holding parents accountable to carry them out in the context of their families.

Biblical Youth Ministry - Any youth ministry should not be designed around the presumed unique needs or desires of young people, but should be centered around God’s will for young people as revealed in His Word. The goal should be to strengthen parents in their God-called responsibility to “bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). The so-called “generation gap” and the “adolescent years” are a result of sin and should not be encouraged by the church or youth ministries. All youth ministries should not centered on music, drama, comedy, or other entertainments, but on the faithful preaching of God’s Word. While other activities may be allowed, they must never take the place of, or de-emphasize, the preaching of the Word.

Biblical Courtship - We believe that dating as it is practiced in our contemporary culture is an un-Biblical practice that has led to untold misery among the people of God. Although the Scriptures do not specifically address courtship in every aspect, they do give us countless sound principles by which our young men and women may guide their relationships with the opposite sex and discover God’s will for marriage.

Personalized World Missions - The Great Commission is a great command. Personal involvement in world missions is not a suggestion or an option, but is demanded of every true believer. The entire local church family should be personally and strategically involved in world missions, mobilizing laborers, prayer, and finances to the end of glorifying God among all peoples. We are either called to go down into the well (to be a missionary), or to hold the rope for those who are going down (to help support missionaries). Either way, our dedication must be costly and enduring.

[SOURCE: Compiled From Various Ministries/Pastors/Sources Over Time]

I hope that sets the record straight and serves to clear up any and all misconceptions you might have about this humble online ministry and our work here for Him.

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