Statements of faith
Asbury University is a Christian liberal arts university which stands in the long succession of Christian orthodoxy. Although no official denominational emphasis exists at Asbury University and all may participate fully in the spiritual life of the campus, the institution maintains its commitment to an evangelical Wesleyan-Arminian perspective and requires all who affiliate with the university community to live within the guidelines of this commitment. Those basic beliefs to which Asbury University is dedicated are stated as follows:We believe:
- That the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments constitute the divinely inspired Word of God, that they are inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the final authority for truth and life.
- That all truth is a unity since it originates in God, and that God imparts it to man through His revelation in Jesus Christ, in the Scriptures, and in nature.
- That there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- That Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.
- That Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that His atonement is for the whole human race, and that whosoever repents and believes through faith in Him is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin.
- That man was created in the image of God, that man fell into sin through disobedience and "so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12), that all human beings are born with a bent toward sinning, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in need of conversion.
- That entire sanctification is that act of divine grace, through the baptism with the Holy Spirit, by which the heart is cleansed from all sin and filled with the pure love of God. This is a definite, cleansing work of grace in the heart of a believer, subsequent to conversion, resulting from full consecration and faith in the cleansing merit of the blood of Jesus Christ.
- That the Holy Spirit bears witness both to the new birth and to entire sanctification, enables the Christian to live a godly life, to grow in the graces of the Spirit, and to walk blamelessly in His holy commandments.
- That the church is the body of Christ, and that all who are united by faith to Him are its members and love one another out of pure hearts.
- That the crucified body of the Lord was resurrected, that He ascended into heaven, and that His return will be personal and is imminent.
- That there will be a bodily resurrection, of the just to everlasting blessedness, and of the unjust to everlasting punishment.
Here is a beautiful statement from the Four Square Church.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible is the Word of the living God; true, 1 immutable, steadfast, unchangeable, as its author, the Lord Jehovah; that it was written by holy men of old as they were moved upon and 2 inspired by the Holy Spirit; that it is a 3 lighted lamp to guide the feet of a lost world from the depths of sin and sorrow to the heights of righteousness and glory; an unclouded mirror that reveals the face of a crucified Savior; a plumb line to make straight the life of each individual and community; a sharp two-edged sword to convict of sin and evil doing; a strong cord of love and tenderness to draw the penitent to Christ Jesus; a balm of Gilead, 4 inbreathed by the Holy Spirit, that can heal and quicken each drooping heart; the only true ground of Christian fellowship and unity; the 5 loving call of an infinitely loving God; the solemn warning, the distant thunder of the storm of wrath and retribution that shall overtake the unheeding; a sign post that points to Heaven; a danger signal that warns from Hell; 6 the divine, supreme and eternal tribunal by whose standards all men, nations, creeds, and motives shall be tried.
Scripture References 1. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” 2. (Mt. 24:35) “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.” (Ps. 119:89) 3. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16,17) “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105) 4. “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21) 5. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (Jn.5:39) 6. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15) “...let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” (Phil. 3:16) (Also, 1 Jn.4:1; Is.8:20; 1 Thess. 5:21; Acts 17:11; 1 Jn.4:6; Jude 3; Eph. 6:17; Ps. 119:59,60; Phil. 1:9-11)
The Wesleyan Church
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY: The Bible is God’s holy Word. It uniquely and infallibly reveals God's plan for His people and how to live out that plan, individually and corporately. Beliefs, practices, priorities, and our mission are to be anchored in clear biblical teachings.
Writing in 2011 the Board of General Superintendents of the Wesleyan Church said,
"Wesleyans, however, hold steadfastly and unapologetically to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as God’s inspired, infallible, inerrant, and supremely authoritative guide for Christian faith and conduct. We regard God’s revealed truth as absolute (that is, it is valid in all times and places); the canonical revelation as complete (in other words, not open to addition by “new revelations” or subtraction by modern revisionist interpreters); and historic Christian faith and practice as wiser counsel than opinion polls or majority votes (although tradition is not in and of itself authoritative and is always subject to correction by the Word of God).[16]
Evangelical Friends Church
As with early Friends, we believe that all Scripture,1 both of the Old and New Testaments, is given by inspiration of God, without error in all that it affirms,2 and is the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
3 It is fully authoritative and trustworthy, fully sufficient for all believers now and always,
4 and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.
5 Thus, the declarations contained in it rest on the authority of God Himself,
6 and there can be no appeal from them to any other authority whatever. They are the only divinely authorized record of the doctrines which we are bound as Christians to believe,
7 and of the moral principles which are to regulate our behavior.
8 Only such doctrines as are contained in the Scripture can be regarded as Articles of Faith.
9 The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scripture, must ever be its true interpreter.
10 Whatever any person says or does which is contrary to the Scripture, though under profession of the guidance of the Spirit, must be reckoned and accounted a delusion.
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY: The Bible is God’s holy Word. It uniquely and infallibly reveals God's plan for His people and how to live out that plan, individually and corporately. Beliefs, practices, priorities, and our mission are to be anchored in clear biblical teachings.
Writing in 2011 the Board of General Superintendents of the Wesleyan Church said,
"Wesleyans, however, hold steadfastly and unapologetically to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as God’s inspired, infallible, inerrant, and supremely authoritative guide for Christian faith and conduct. We regard God’s revealed truth as absolute (that is, it is valid in all times and places); the canonical revelation as complete (in other words, not open to addition by “new revelations” or subtraction by modern revisionist interpreters); and historic Christian faith and practice as wiser counsel than opinion polls or majority votes (although tradition is not in and of itself authoritative and is always subject to correction by the Word of God).[16]
Evangelical Friends Church
As with early Friends, we believe that all Scripture,1 both of the Old and New Testaments, is given by inspiration of God, without error in all that it affirms,2 and is the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
3 It is fully authoritative and trustworthy, fully sufficient for all believers now and always,
4 and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.
5 Thus, the declarations contained in it rest on the authority of God Himself,
6 and there can be no appeal from them to any other authority whatever. They are the only divinely authorized record of the doctrines which we are bound as Christians to believe,
7 and of the moral principles which are to regulate our behavior.
8 Only such doctrines as are contained in the Scripture can be regarded as Articles of Faith.
9 The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scripture, must ever be its true interpreter.
10 Whatever any person says or does which is contrary to the Scripture, though under profession of the guidance of the Spirit, must be reckoned and accounted a delusion.
Southern Baptist
The ScripturesThe Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
The ScripturesThe Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
Free Methodist
The ScripturesIV. Authority . The Bible is God’s written Word, uniquely inspired by the Holy Spirit. It bears unerring witness to Jesus Christ, the living Word. As attested by the early church and subsequent councils, it is the trustworthy record of God’s revelation, completely truthful in all it affirms. It has been faithfully preserved and proves itself true in human experience.
The Scriptures have come to us through human authors who wrote, as God moved them, in the languages and literary forms of their times. God continues, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, to speak through this Word to each generation and culture.
The Bible has authority over all human life. It teaches the truth about God, His creation, His people, His one and only Son, and the destiny of humankind. It also teaches the way of salvation and the life of faith. Whatever is not found in the Bible nor can be proved by it is not to be required as an article of belief or as necessary to salvation.
The ScripturesIV. Authority . The Bible is God’s written Word, uniquely inspired by the Holy Spirit. It bears unerring witness to Jesus Christ, the living Word. As attested by the early church and subsequent councils, it is the trustworthy record of God’s revelation, completely truthful in all it affirms. It has been faithfully preserved and proves itself true in human experience.
The Scriptures have come to us through human authors who wrote, as God moved them, in the languages and literary forms of their times. God continues, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, to speak through this Word to each generation and culture.
The Bible has authority over all human life. It teaches the truth about God, His creation, His people, His one and only Son, and the destiny of humankind. It also teaches the way of salvation and the life of faith. Whatever is not found in the Bible nor can be proved by it is not to be required as an article of belief or as necessary to salvation.
Church of God, Anderson, Indiana
We believe in, treasure, and cherish the Bible as the written Word of God, and hold that the sixty-six books of the Protestant biblical canon constitute the Holy Scriptures. We believe that both the Old and New Testaments are necessary for understanding God’s revelation in Scripture, both of which are to be interpreted in light of the revelation given to us in Jesus Christ. The Bible is inspired by God and is fully authoritative and sufficient for Christian life and practice. We further believe that the Bible is historically reliable and that its message is faithfully preserved in the textual tradition.
We believe in, treasure, and cherish the Bible as the written Word of God, and hold that the sixty-six books of the Protestant biblical canon constitute the Holy Scriptures. We believe that both the Old and New Testaments are necessary for understanding God’s revelation in Scripture, both of which are to be interpreted in light of the revelation given to us in Jesus Christ. The Bible is inspired by God and is fully authoritative and sufficient for Christian life and practice. We further believe that the Bible is historically reliable and that its message is faithfully preserved in the textual tradition.
Cumberland Presbyterian The Holy Scriptures1.04 God's words and actions in creation, providence, judgment, and redemption are witnessed to by the covenant community in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. *1.05 God inspired persons of the covenant community to write the scriptures. In and through the scriptures God speaks about creation, sin, judgment, salvation, the church and the growth of believers. The scriptures are the infallible rule of faith and practice, the authoritative guide for Christian living.1.06 God's word spoken in and through the scriptures should be understood in the light of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The authority of the scriptures is founded on the truth contained in them and the voice of God speaking through them.1.07 In order to understand God's word spoken in and through the scriptures, persons must have the illumination of God's own Spirit. Moreover, they should study the writings of the Bible in their historical settings, compare scripture with scripture, listen to the witness of the church throughout the centuries, and share insights with others in the covenant community.
Missouri Synod Lutheran
The Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.
The Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.