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2016–17 Graduate Academic Catalog

Page 71

Appendix

Doctrinal Statement

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

Christ.As

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.

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

thought.As

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

human.As

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