Statement of Faith

Ongoing Sovereignty Theology Statement of Faith Our faith exalts the living God—sovereign, present, and relational—who defines the singular present with His name, “I AM,” engaging dynamically with His creation in the stream of moments as “God with us,” inviting us into eternal fellowship for His glory and our everlasting joy. We affirm the following beliefs, grounded in the supreme authority of Scripture, interpreted in its historical and contextual intent, as the foundation of Ongoing Sovereignty Theology (OST). 1. The Authority of Scripture We believe the Holy Scriptures, comprising the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. They reveal God’s character, will, and redemptive purposes, serving as the ultimate standard for faith, theology, science, and practical living. All doctrines must align with Scripture’s clear teaching, interpreted with respect to its original author, audience, context, and divine intent (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). 2. The Triune God We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—coequal in perfect glory, each with distinct roles in creation and salvation. The Father decrees with all authority the frame on which all creation exists and specific future events He has promised. The Son creates and sustains all creation. The Holy Spirit facilitates communion between creation and the Godhead. All three persons exist within a singular present with us. God (the sum of all three persons) is infinite in holiness, wisdom, love, justice, and mercy, actively thinking thoughts higher than ours and engaging creation with relational intimacy. As Creator and Sustainer, He is sovereign in the present, worthy of all worship and obedience (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 1:4; John 1:3; Romans 8:26; Isaiah 55:8-9; Psalm 139:17-18; Colossians 1:16-17). 3. God’s Relationship with Time We believe God, existing before creation in an eternal sequence of moments, is the “I AM,” the very definition of the singular present, the sole locus of existence. He created time as a measure to order events for created beings, using the sun, moon, stars, and earth, remaining Himself the unchanging present in which He brought us to exist with Him, not in some dimension apart from Him. One day, He will replace this universe along with its measure of time with a new heaven and earth, where a newly created time will measure dynamic fellowship (Revelation 22:2). God interacts dynamically with His creatures in the stream of moments, responding to human actions. Neither God nor any created thing exists in the future, which, apart from God’s decrees, remains open and not fully actualized until it becomes the present, known perfectly by His omniscience (Exodus 3:14; Revelation 1:8; John 17:5; Genesis 1:1-5, 14-19; Psalm 90:2; Revelation 21:1; 22:2; Jeremiah 18:7-10; Exodus 32:7-14; Isaiah 46:10; Ephesians 1:4). 4. God’s Omniscience We believe God is omniscient, knowing all knowable things—past, present, and all possible outcomes—in the singular present. To know all things is not the same as having felt or experienced all things. The totality of knowledge expands infinitely as new moments unfold through human choices and divine acts, yet God’s perfect knowledge remains complete, encompassing every actuality and possibility in the present. His perfect omniscience is placed in a new light with the emotion of experiential dimensions, such as empathy gained through the incarnation and through His relational interactions with creation, experiencing joy and grief, enriching His relational engagement without implying prior ignorance (Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 46:10; Hebrews 4:15; Ephesians 1:4; Genesis 6:6; Zephaniah 3:17). 5. God’s Ongoing Sovereignty We believe God exercises ongoing sovereignty in the singular present, actively ruling as the “I AM” who does all He pleases. In every moment, He has the power and authority to decree specific outcomes, such as redemption through Christ and the new creation, while granting humanity autonomy in non-decreed events. God responds to prayers, choices, and circumstances in the stream of moments, weaving all things together for the good of those who love Him, demonstrating His relational freedom and sovereign love (Psalm 115:3; Romans 8:28; Exodus 32:7-14; Jonah 3:10; Ephesians 1:3-5). 6. Humanity and the Fall We believe God created humanity in His image to exist with Him in the present, giving us genuine autonomy to make meaningful choices that shape non-decreed events. Through Adam’s sin, humanity fell, inheriting a sinful nature and total inability to earn salvation. God’s grace calls us to repentance and faith, honoring our responsibility to respond while sovereignly guiding history. Yet no one will turn from sin apart from being born again by the work of the Holy Spirit after being called by God in response to the prayers of the saints or God’s decree, because no one seeks God and all have gone astray. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3:6-7; John 3:3; Romans 3:10-12, 3:23; Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Acts 17:30). 7. Jesus Christ and the Incarnation We believe Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, is fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, sinless in life, and the only Savior. In His incarnation, He experienced human temptation, suffering, and limitation, gaining experiential empathy to sympathize as our High Priest, enriching the Trinity’s relational engagement within His omniscient nature. His atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, and promised return, decreed in the present, secure salvation for all who believe (John 1:1, 14; Luke 1:34-35; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). 8. The Holy Spirit We believe the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, convicts the world of sin, regenerates believers, indwells them, and empowers them for holiness, service, and mission. The Holy Spirit also bestows spiritual gifts upon believers for the edification of the church and the advancement of God’s mission. He illuminates Scripture, guides into truth, and fosters communion with God, enabling believers to participate in His ongoing work (John 16:8, 13; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11). 9. Salvation by Grace We believe salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, accomplished through the unified work of all three persons of the Trinity, not by human works. The Father sovereignly predestinates, calls, and elects. The Holy Spirit draws and regenerates sinners, transforming hearts of stone to flesh and granting faith as a gift. Jesus Christ atones for sin through His finished work on the cross and intercedes as our High Priest, applying salvation to believers. God desires all to be saved, yet elects some, and believers, as bearers of the gospel, intercede like Moses to seek God’s call for others, spreading the good news to all nations. Believers are justified, adopted, and assured of eternal life, called to live in gratitude and obedience (John 6:44; Ephesians 1:4; Ezekiel 36:26; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 7:25; John 3:16; Romans 5:1; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Matthew 28:19-20). 10. The Church Christ is the head and ultimate authority of the local and universal church. We believe the Local Church is part of the universal body of Christ, comprising all believers, and is expressed in local communities called to worship, make disciples, serve, and proclaim the gospel. The Local Church must be led by qualified men who are shepherds to the people under the authority of Christ, leading the body to participate in God’s ongoing work through prayer, love, observing baptism, communion, conflict resolution, and mission, reflecting His glory. (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 4:11-16; John 13:34-35). 11. Prayer and Intercession We believe prayer is a vital act of partnership with God, influencing outcomes within His sovereign will. As exemplified by Moses and Christ, intercession shapes history’s non-decreed events, amplifying God’s grace and glory in the stream of moments. This includes corporate prayer in the church, where believers gather to intercede for one another and the world. Believers are called to pray persistently, trusting God’s responses to work all things for His purposes (Exodus 32:7-14; Deuteronomy 9:13-29; Hebrews 7:25; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Acts 12:5; James 5:16). 12. The Christian Life We believe Christians are called to live holy, obedient lives, loving God and others, and serving in humility. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, believers grow in faith, bear fruit, and engage in God’s mission, trusting His ongoing sovereignty to guide their steps in the stream of moments (Romans 12:1-2; John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:22-23; Matthew 5:16). 13. Eschatology and Eternal Fellowship We believe (with an open hand for the sake of our brothers who do not) in a literal rapture and a coming tribulation, followed by Christ’s return to establish His literal 1,000-year reign, fulfilling God’s decreed promises. At the end of the 1,000 years, a final judgment will occur, after which the current heavens and earth will pass away, replaced by a new heaven and new earth where a newly created time continues to measure dynamic fellowship. Human actions influence non-decreed outcomes within God’s will, while His sovereignty ensures eternal communion with His people, filled with unending possibilities (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 22:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). 14. The Purpose of Creation We believe God created all things for His glory and the mutual enjoyment of eternal relationships with His people. God is with us in a singular stream of moments. He rejoices, grieves, and responds relationally, inviting us into a partnership that glorifies Him and fulfills our purpose. His ongoing sovereignty ensures that all things work together for our good and His eternal praise (Isaiah 43:7; Zephaniah 3:17; Genesis 6:6; John 17:24; Romans 8:28; Revelation 21:3). 15. Divine Passibility We believe God, in His relational nature, experiences emotions such as joy, grief, and compassion in response to His creation, enriching His engagement with humanity. These emotional responses, expressed in the singular present, reflect His deep love and commitment to fellowship with His people (Genesis 6:6; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 86:15). Conclusion Ongoing Sovereignty Theology exalts the God whose existence defines the singular present. He is the ultimate sovereign, relational, and perfect, knowing all knowable things while engaging dynamically in the stream of moments. Rooted in Scripture’s authority, OST rejects static or deterministic views, celebrating the “I AM” who invites us into an eternal, creative, and loving fellowship. We stand in awe of His infinite wisdom, trust His ongoing work, and commit to glorifying Him through faith, prayer, obedience, and mission, now and forever (Psalm 145:3; Revelation 1:8; Colossians 1:16-17).