STATEMENT OF FAITH
SANTIAGO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
1. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Bible is the written revelation of God to man totally and thus the sixty-six books of the Bible constitute the Word of God, inspired in all its parts and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13 | 2 Timothy 3:16 | Hebrews 3:7; 10:15 | 1 Peter 1:10-11). This is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct; it guides us to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:16 | 2 Peter 1:20-21 | Mark 13:31 | John 8:31-32; 20:31 | Acts 20:32).
2. TRINITY OF GOD
We believe that there is one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4 | Isaiah 45:5-7 | 1 Corinthians 8:4), who is one infinite Spirit, Omniscient (John.4 :24), perfect in all his attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19 | 2 Corinthians 13:14 | 1 Peter 1:2), (Genesis 1:1,26 | John 1:1,3 | Romans 1:1-4,19-20 | Ephesians 4:5-6 | Hebrews 9:14).
3. GOD THE FATHER
We believe in God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, personal and infinite Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love, who orders and disposes all things according to his purpose and grace (Psalm 145:8-9 | 1 Corinthians 8:6). He is the creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31 | Ephesians 3:9). As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence and redemption (Psalm 103:19 | Romans 11:36).
4. JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, possesses all the divine attributes, and in these he is equal with God, co-substantial and co-eternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9). We believe that God created all things through his Son Jesus Christ, through whom all things continue to exist and operate (John 1:3 | Colossians 1:15-17 | Hebrews 1:2).
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14 | Matthew 1:23,25 | Luke 1:26-35), was conceived by the Holy Spirit, lived a sinless life. The purpose of his incarnation was to reveal God to men (John 1:18; 14:8-11 | 1 Cor. 1:24 | Colossians 1:15,19 | Hebrews 1:3 | 1 John 1:1-3) and to bring about our redemption through the shedding of His blood and His death on the cross, which was atoning, substitutionary, vicarious, propitiatory and redemptive (John 10:15 | Romans 3:24-25; 5:8 | 1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:24; 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21 | 1 John 1:7, 2:2).
5. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine, eternal, non-derived person, possessing all the attributes of personality and deity including intellect (1 Corinthians 2:10-13), emotions (Ephesians 4: 30), will (1 Corinthians 2:11, eternity (Hebrews 9:14), omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-10), omniscience (1 Corinthians 2:10-11 | Isaiah 40:13- 14), omnipotence (Romans 15:13), and truthfulness (John 16:13). In all divine attributes and in substance He is equal to the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19 | Acts 5:3-4; 28:25-26 | 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 | 2 Corinthians 13:14; Jeremiah 31:31-34 | Hebrews 10:15-17).
6. THE MAN
We believe that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness, made male and female. Man was created sinless, with a rational nature, with intelligence, will, emotions, personal determination and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7,15-25 | James 3:9). In Adam's sin of disobedience to God's revealed will and commandment, man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death; became subject to God's wrath, and became inherently corrupt and totally incapable of choosing (1 Cor. 2:14) or doing that which is acceptable to God outside of divine grace. Therefore salvation is in its entirety the work of God's grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gen. 2:16-17; 3:1-19 | John 3:36 | Rom. 3:23; 6:23 | 1 Corinthians 2:14 | Ephesians 2:6-9,13 | 1 Timothy 2:13-14 | 1 John 1:8).
7. SALVATION
Salvation is a free gift of God, it is provided by grace alone, by faith alone, by Christ alone and for the glory of God alone. So salvation is wholly of God based on the redemption of Jesus Christ, on the merit of His shed blood and is not based on human merit or works (John 1:12 | Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10 | 1 Peter 1:18-19). Everyone who turns from his sins in repentance and seeks Christ and his substitutionary death, receives the gift of eternal life and is freely declared righteous by God.
8. THE CHURCH
We believe that all who are saved are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ, the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), this is the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2 | Ephesians 5: 23-32 | Revelation 19:7-8); the household of God (1 Timothy 3:15 | Ephesians 2:21-22 | Hebrews 3:6 | 1 Peter 2:5); of which Christ is the Head (Ephesians 1:22; 4:15 | Colossians 1:18) and Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20 | 1 Peter 2:6-7). We believe that the supreme authority of the Church is Christ (Ezekiel 34:24 | 1 Corinthians 11:3 | Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23 | Colossians 1:18; 2:19) and that leadership, gifts, order, discipline and worship are determined through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures (Lev. 10:1-2 | 1 Corinthians 14:12, 26-40 | Hebrews 12:28; 13:15-16).
9. THE SACRAMENTS
We believe that the local church has been given two ordinances: Baptism (Matthew 28:19) and the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:25-29 | Acts 2:38-42 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Christian baptism signifies our union with Christ as crucified, buried and risen Savior in His death to sin and resurrection to a new life of regeneration, with our sins washed away (Romans 6:1-13; Col. 2:12-13; Acts 22:16; Titus 3:5). It is also a seal of taking the name of the triune God as our covenant God (Matthew 28:19) and communion and identification with the visible body of Christ as the church (Acts 2:41-42).
10. THE SACRAMENTS
The Lord's Supper, which is the commemoration and proclamation of His death until He comes, should always be preceded by a solemn personal evaluation and received in faith (1 Corinthians 11:28-32). We also believe that, while the elements of Communion uniquely represent the body and blood of Christ, the Lord's Table is in fact a communion with the risen Christ who is present in a spiritual way in every believer, having fellowship with His people (John 6:51-58;63 | 1 Corinthians 10:16).
11. THE LAST THINGS
The consummation of all things will include the visible, personal and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the transformation of those who will be in Christ still alive, the judgment of both the just and the unjust, and the consummation of the kingdom of Christ in new heavens and a new earth (Acts 1:11 | 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 | 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 | 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 | 2 Peter 3:13 | Revelation 21:1).