This I Believe

Randall Mark Trainer
Austin, Texas

1. The sixty-six books of the Holy Scriptures were produced under the direct supervision of the Holy Spirit and thus constitute the Word of God. This supervision extended to both the thoughts and words. The original manuscripts were totally free from error of any kind.

2. The Scriptures are today the only reliable and authoritative source of the Word of God. The Bible is totally sufficient to supply man everything he must know in order to live acceptably to God. It is the only standard for faith and practice.

3. Any belief or practice which is not in total accordance with the teaching of the Scriptures is sinful. Failure to believe or practice anything taught by the Scriptures constitutes sin. Any sin results in the eternal separation of the sinner from God (damnation in Hell), unless forgiven by God. All this is true regardless of circumstances, sincerity, or ignorance.

4. Salvation is by the grace of God through the atonement of the blood of Christ, and is conditioned upon the following human responses, which are absolutely essential for the forgiveness of sins and so becoming a child of God:

a. Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, risen Savior, and Lord.

b. Repentance from sin, toward God.

c. Confession of faith in Christ.

d. Baptism (immersion in water) in the name of Christ, which is for the remission of sins by God.

5. Salvation is forfeited (that is, a child of God falls from grace) whenever a person ceases to believe anything essential to salvation, or is guilty of any infraction of the law of God which indicates the loss of an attitude of love, reverence, and obedience to God and His holy law. Salvation thus lost may be regained only by repentance, confession, and reformation.

6. There is no salvation outside of the church of Christ.

7. The Scriptures reveal Gods complete and perfect pattern for the organization, worship, and work of the church. We must strive to duplicate this pattern today (without addition, subtraction, or modification) in order to be pleasing to God.

8. A Christian can never participate in or endorse any activity with another Christian or congregation if he does not believe that activity is in complete accordance with the Scriptures. A Christian must withdraw himself from an apostate, ceasing to have any dealings with him which are related to being a fellow-Christian, but must seek to restore him to the Lord.

9. A Christians faith and practice must not be based on or controlled by feelings, emotions, mystical experiences, philosophies, theological systems, or anything other than the written Word of God. The human will which is conformed to the will of God must always be in conscious control of the emotions and the intellect.

10. A Christian must never compromise big conviction on any teaching of the Bible for the sake of unity or any other worthy end. He must strive to know, to teach, and to practice the precepts of the Scriptures on every point. Failure to do this is tantamount to repudiation of Christ as the Lord of ones entire life, and rebellion against the absolute truth and authority of the Word of God, and will not be tolerated by Him.

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XVI: 35, p. 2
July 13, 1972