Christian spiritual formation, also-known as sanctification, is an ongoing process that never ends, in this lifetime. It is built on the believers walk into Christ-like behavior from the heart. This process is founded on our individual belief systems according to specific biblical doctrines that shape our faith. This is known as a rule of faith. Ruth Barton states that our rule of faith answers one key question: “How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?”[1] The following are statements of faith, or rules, that govern and guide the R-Rated Religion organization’s theology. It encompasses several theological decrees concerning faith, religion, and practice in view of ecclesiastical traditions, scripture, and doctrine.
Doctrinal Decrees
| What We Believe: About God | Biblical Basis: |
| God is at the center of (and is the source of) all creation, both supernaturally and the natural order. God (Yahweh) creates outside of space and time; therefore, He is the creator of space and time.
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God of the Bible created both the heavens and the earth out of chaos through the spoken word (Genesis 1, Psalm 121:2, Job 38:4, John 1:1-3, Exodus 20:11) This speaks to the complete source of all things; created by Him, through Him, and for Him (Romans 11:36). God alone is the source of all things and to him, alone, belongs the glory. |
| What We Believe: About the Attributes of God | Biblical Doctrines: |
| God has many divine attributes that credit his complete sovereignty in the natural and supernatural world; these include (but are not limited to): His boundless ability to know, love, and exist without error.
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God has complete and total sovereignty in all things concerning His existence and that of His creation. Omniscience: God knows all things; (Psalm 147:5, Mt. 10:30). Omnibenevolent: God embodies what real love ought to be; (John 3:16, James 1:17, Psalm 100:5). God is eternal, he has existed and will always exist; (Psalm 90:2, Dt. 32:40, Isaiah 41:4, 1 Tim. 1:17). Immutability – God is unchanging; (Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17). Infallibility – God is perfect, incapable of error; (Matthew 5:48).[2] |
| What We Believe: About Jesus Christ | Biblical Basis: |
| Jesus Christ is the son of God, incarnated in the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit in order to die on the cross for the forgiveness of all humankind sin, both past, and present. He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God, who will come again to judge the living and the dead.
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Due to the inability for mankind to properly advance the kingdom of God on earth (Old Testament narrative), God sent his only son (Jesus Christ) down from heaven (John 6) to be incarnate from a virgin (Mary) to be made of human flesh (Nicene Creed). From here he heralded in the New Covenant with humanity declaring the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Mark 1:15) where all humanity can now have access to the gift of His good news (Gospel).
Substitutionary Atonement – In order to fulfill the gospel, Christ had to be crucified on the cross for the propitiation of all of the human sin (2 Cor. 5:15). On the third day, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, walked as the risen Messiah for several days teaching and witnessing to the future Glory of his kingdom (Luke 24). |
| What I Believe: About the Divinity of Jesus | Christology of Jesus Christ |
| Jesus Christ is the second person in the Holy Trinity. He was with God at the beginning of creation and is co-equal in His ruling sovereignty. God has given all authority as ruler and judge to Jesus Christ, in this life and the next.
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Jesus Christ was with God during creation and before (John 1). Jesus Christ was present at various times in the Old Testament narratives in human embodiment as the Angel of the Lord.[3] Christ, poured himself into human form to reverse the fall of humanity (Phil. 2:7). After suffering a sacrificial crucifixion for the sins of humanity, he rose from the dead and is not seated at the right hand of God and is co-equal to God in all matters (Apostles Creed). He shares in the perfect divinity of God and The Holy Spirit. God has appointed a day unknown to any man where He will judge all of humanity through Jesus Christ (His son) who will come in glory with righteous wrath (Acts 17:31; John 5:22; Acts 10:42; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 2:16). |
| What I Believe: About the Holy Spirit | Biblical Basis: |
| The Holy Spirit is third person of The Holy Trinity. He is co-equal but separate from God and Jesus. The Holy Spirit was given to us for our sanctification, conviction, and guidance.
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God sends each believer the Holy Spirit at the point of justification to guide us and help us walk toward purity (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit resides in all true believers and is shown to others in our presence (1 Cor. 12:7). The Holy Spirit is the sanctifying agent that purifies believers whole proclaim belief in Jesus Christ and walk in his likeness (Roman 15:16). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 6:8-11). |
| What I Believe: About Salvation | Sola Fide & Sola Gratia |
| Due to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, because of His work on the cross, all who believe in him and call upon his name as the savior of mankind will have eternal salvation for this faith.
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Mankind is justified by faith alone, outside of works, thus saved from eternal damnation (Romans 3:28-30). This is a gift of grace given to the unmerited person whom God chose before the beginning of time (Ephesian 1:4) who claims belief in Christ the Messiah (Eph. 2:8-10). The works that are asked of each believer (which is called to by biblical scriptures) validates our faith but does not attain our salvation (James 2:14-26). |
| What I Believe: About the Bible | Sola Scriptura |
| Scripture alone is the only source of divine revelation for humanity to worship and serve God. We affirm the inerrancy of the Bible.
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The Bible is the infallible word of God given to humanity in order to sanctify us through His truth. (John 17:17). The Bible is divinely inspired and written by the Holy Spirit for teaching and rebuking (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Although we acknowledge the importance of ecclesiastical tradition, religious experience, and Church history; the Bible is the only source of divine revelation as to test our beliefs and measure good faith practices (2 Peter 1:20-21). |
Spiritual formation thrives out of our foundational belief systems. These systems are rooted in biblical theology. Developing and canonizing a set of “rule of life” principles and doctrines will help pave the road to the consistent transformation of the heart and will. Dallas Willard writes; “the path of a renovation of the heart is, therefore, one in which the revitalized will takes grace-provided measures to change the content of the thought life, the dominant feeling tones, what the body is ready to do, the prevailing social atmosphere, and the deep currents of the soul.”[4] This renovation of the heart could only be made possible by the deep theological moorings harbored in biblical doctrine set forth by solid faith-based belief systems.
Footnotes:
[1] Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation (Westmont, IL: IVP Books, 2009).
[2] Portions of this section is taken from the various thesis in A. W. Tozer, Knowledge of The Holy: The Attributes of God. Their Meaning in the Christian Life (Middletown, DE: Lutterworth Press, 2018).
[3] See Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Bellingham: Lexham Press, 2015). Michael Hesier devotes whole chapters to the Angel of Yahweh where he describes the person (known later to be the second part of the Trinity) to be present throughout the Hebrew Bible.
[4] Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2002), 253.
Bibliography
Barton, R. Ruth. Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. Westmont, IL: IVP Books, 2009.
Heiser, Michael S. The Unseen Realm Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Bellingham: Lexham Press, 2015.
Tozer, A. W. Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God. Their Meaning in the Christian Life. Middletown, DE: Lutterworth Press, 2018.
Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2012.
R-Rated Religion 
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