God
There is only one true, eternally existing God, and He reveals Himself to us as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit…with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence or being. We refer to God in this way as the Trinity.
“Before the mountains were born, or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Psalm 90:2 (See also Matthew 28:19, John 1:1-5)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, paid the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross and rose from the dead, making a way for us to be reconciled to God.
“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:2 (See also Luke 1:35, 1 Peter 2:24)
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, comforts, guides and equips believers for personal growth in the Lord. The Holy Spirit baptizes believers into the Body of Christ and seals them, assuring salvation.
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 (See also John 14:16,26)
Scripture
God’s Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit, inerrant in its original, eternal and the final authority for faith and practice.
“As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s Word is flawless…”
Psalm 18:30 (See also Isaiah 40:8, 2 Peter 1:21)
God’s Creation & Humankind
God is the Creator of all. The crowning work of His creation was humanity, whom He created in His own image, innocent of sin and with freedom of choice with which humanity chose to disobey God resulting in broken fellowship with God.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
Psalm 24:1 (See also Genesis 1:27, Romans 5:12, Isaiah 59:2)
Salvation
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, not by works and not by any human effort or human achievement.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 (See also Ephesians 2:4-5, Acts 10:43, John 3:16)
Church & Community
The church is the body of Christ and all those redeemed by Jesus Christ throughout all history are members of the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the church. The local church is a community of believers gathered locally to worship and glorify God as well as serve all, share the Gospel and grow in our relationship with Jesus.
“…so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
Romans 12:5
“And He is the head of the body, the church…”
Colossians 1:18 (See also 1 Peter 4:10, Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 28:19)
Peace & Reconciliation
As Anabaptists, we are first and foremost called to reconciliation and peace with God, only through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. We are to live peaceably with all and attempt to bring reconciliation where there is strife and disagreement.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
Eternity/Heaven & Hell
Heaven and Hell are real and every person will spend eternity either with God or separated from God by their sin in Hell. The only way to Heaven/eternal life with God is through belief in and trusting Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
John 3:36 (See also John 5:24, Revelation 20:15)
Consistent with the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, 1995
Click here to read the full “Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, 1995”