2016-17 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

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Doctrinal Statement
All trustees, administrators, full-time faculty, and staff support and
adhere to the doctrinal statement and lifestyle commitment of
Cedarville University.
We believe that God has revealed Himself truthfully to humans
through the inspired texts of the Scriptures. These canonical texts,
Old and New Testaments, are inerrant, infallible, and reliable in
detail and in theological content. The Bible, as the sufficient Word
of God, has authority over the Church and the Christian’s life and
divinely inspired texts, the meaning of the biblical
authors is to be discerned through careful, textual interpretation
guided by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:10–14; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2
Peter 1:19–21.
We believe in one God-eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and
always present, existing as three Persons — Father, Son, and
Spirit, one in nature, attributes, power, and glory. God will be
glorified by all creation and is worthy of worship from all humans.
Genesis 1:1,26; Psalm 104, 148; Proverbs 30:4; Matthew 28:19;
Mark 12:29; John 1:1–4, 14, 18; Acts 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1
Timothy 2:3–4.
We believe that the Son, eternally begotten by the Father, through
the Spirit was also born of the virgin, Mary.Therefore, Jesus, the
Son, is both fully God and fully the Word made flesh,
the Son is the perfect mediator between God and humanity.
Proverbs 8:22–31; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–35;
John 1:14–18, 5:16–29; Philippians 2:6–11; 1 Timothy 2:5–6;
Hebrews 1:1–14.
We believe that the Scriptures provide a literal and historical
account of God’s creation of all things.The climax of the six days
of creation was the special, immediate, and personal creation of
human life.The first humans,Adam and Eve, were directly created,
not evolved from previous life forms. God created humans, male
and female, in His image. Human life, sexual identity and roles are
aspects of God’s creative design. From creation, marriage is a
covenant between a man and a woman that should be marked by
sexual purity, by sacrificial male leadership, and by recognizing
the divine blessing of children, including preborn children.
Adam and Eve, though created in perfection, sinned, warranting
physical death, spiritual death, and eternal separation from God.
Consequently, all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and
are sinners in thought, word, and deed. Genesis 1:1–27; 2:7–25;
3:1–24; Psalm 127:3–5; Romans 1:18–32; 3:10–19; 5:12–19;
Ephesians 5:22–33; Colossians 3:18–19.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures as the representative and substitutionary
sacrifice and rose again for our justification. Only those who
repent and believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His
shed blood and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart
from human merit and works. Genuine believers, the elect, are
the adopted children of God and are eternally secure through
the work of God. John 1:12,13; 3:3–16; 5:24; 10:28,29; Acts 13:39;
16:31; Romans 3:21–28; Ephesians 1:3–14; 2:8–10; Philippians
1:6; Titus 3:3–8; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Peter 1:4–11.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, equal in
nature with God the Father and God the Son.The Spirit had an
active role in Creation and in the inspiration of the Scriptures.
He convicts sinners, guides humans into truth, and regenerates
believers to new life, baptizes them in Christ and serves as their
assurance to eternal life. Believers mature in their faith through
the work of the Spirit, who produces His fruit in them.The gifts
of the Spirit are for ministry to the body of Christ and the“sign
gifts”are not intended to be a pattern for today. Psalm 139:7–12;
John 14:16,17; 16:13,14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:8–10,
28–30; 14:1–40; Galatians 5:22–23; Hebrews 2:3–4.
We believe that the local church is a gathered congregation of
believers, associated by covenant, practicing self-governance,
and observing the ordinances of believer’s baptism by immersion
and the Lord’s Supper.The church is to be committed to the
authority of the Word of God in matters of doctrine and practice.
God calls certain men to be pastors, providing spiritual leadership
for the church. Deacons, likewise, minister to the church body
through specific acts of service. We believe that the universal
Church consists of all who have saving faith in the body
of Christ, the Church is to fulfill His mission of making disciples
throughout the world. Matthew 18:15–17; 28:18–20; 1 Corinthians
1:2; 12:12–28; 7:17; 11:16; Ephesians 1:22–23; 2:14,15; 4:11–16;
5:23–32; 1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1–15.
We believe that every believer should walk by the Spirit and
engage in practices that stimulate spiritual maturity. Christians
grow as they worship and serve the Lord, study the Scriptures,
pray, and live in fellowship with other believers. Christians are
also to flee evil influences and practices, which hinder a Spirit-
filled life. Due to the commission of Christ and the urgency of the
Gospel, all believers are to engage in Gospel conversations, to
live God-honoring lives, and to work continuously to spread the
Gospel to their neighbors and the nations. Matthew 5:16; 28:19–
20; Mark 16:15; John 17:18; 20:21; Acts 1:8; Romans 6:1–14;
12:1; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 6:14–7:1; Galatians 5:16–25; Colossians
3:1–17; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15–17.
We believe in the literal, bodily resurrection of the crucified Lord,
His ascension into heaven, His present life there as our high
priest and advocate, and His rapture of the church before the
Tribulation. He will return bodily and visibly to the earth at the end
of the Tribulation to establish His millennial kingdom, and to reign
as the supreme Lord over all nations. Luke 24:36–43; John 14:1–6;
20:24–29; Acts 1:9–11; 1 Corinthians 15:12–58; 1 Thessalonians
4:13–18; 5:1–11; Revelation 1:4–7; 19:11–16; 20:6.
We believe in the bodily resurrection and judgment of all the
dead.Those people who are in Christ will be saved to a life of
eternal glory with God. Unbelievers will suffer judgment and
eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Matthew 10:28; 18:8,9;
25:41,46; Mark 9:43–49; John 5:28,29; 2 Thessalonians 1:6–9;
Revelation 20:6,11–15; 21:1–8.
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Appendix Doctrinal Statement