Statement of Faith
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are verbally inspired by God, wherein He reveals Himself to humankind, and reveals His will and ways for all men and women; and which are of supreme and final authority in faith, life and standards of education.
The Scriptures teach:
That there is one God, the Creator of heaven and earth and all things in them, who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are the same in essence and equal in every divine perfection.
That God has a perfect knowledge of all His works, of the final issue of every event, and of the end life condition of every intelligent creature; and consequently has a concerted plan in relation to creation, providence and grace, from eternity.
That God created man in his own image, holy, upright, and constituted him, in regard to the moral state of his posterity, their public head and representative. That God created mankind male and female in complementarity for the purpose of companionship and bringing forth progeny.
That man fell from his state of innocence and holiness through disobedience to God’s command. That consequent upon man’s fall and apostasy from God, man lost his spiritual life, becoming dead in sin and subject to the power of the devil. This spiritual death has been transmitted to the entire human race so that every person comes into existence with a heart deceitful above all things and in a state of entire moral depravity, under God’s wrath and judgment, and needs regeneration of soul, body and mind.
That Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the eternal Word manifested in the flesh; He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; He is true God and true man. That for the purpose of carrying forward the work of man’s redemption, the Lord Jesus Christ has suffered and died for our sins according to the Scripture, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice. He arose from the dead in His glorified body, ascended into heaven, and as our great High Priest and Advocate He ever lives to make intercession for us. He lives on high as Head of the Church, and shall return to earth to judge the world and reign over all.
That all who place full faith on Christ’s name are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and receive the gift of eternal life by the grace of God, thus becoming children of God.
That the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, convicts men of sin, and regenerates believers unto a holy life; He is the Teacher of the Word of God; He is the Light of our minds, our affections, and our morals. That sanctification is a divine and progressive work of the Holy Spirit whereby God sets the believer apart and works out, in, and through him by means of a submissive will that which is well- pleasing to Himself through Jesus Christ. This work culminates in the redemption of the body. The renewed man in Christ is enabled to worship and serve God and to enjoy Him forever.
While the above is a summary of the beliefs of SouthLake Presbyterian Church, as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America we affirm and embrace the fuller expression of the church’s doctrinal position as found in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism, and the Shorter Catechism, which together are the final arbiter of doctrinal disagreement.
Adopted by SouthLake Presbyterian Church 9/20/2015