What Does the Covenant
Church Believe? ~A Brief Look at Covenant Affirmations
For Covenant people, our essential beliefs are summed up in what we call Covenant Affirmations
The Centrality of the Word of God
The Covenant Church states its view of Scripture as follows: “the Holy Scripture, the Old and the New Testament, is the Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct.”
The
Necessity of the New Birth
When the Covenant
Church affirms that it is evangelical; it proclaims that the new birth in Jesus
Christ is essential. We teach that “by the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, God conquered sin, death, and the devil, offering forgiveness for sin
and assuring eternal life for those who follow Christ.”4 New birth is more than
the experience of forgiveness and acceptance. It is regeneration and the gift
of eternal life. This life has the qualities of love and righteousness as well
as joy and peace.
A
Commitment to the Whole Mission of the Church
The Covenant Church
has always been characterized by its involvement in mission. The earliest name
attributed to Covenanters was “Mission Friends,” people who covenanted together
for the purpose of common mission both far and near. They understood the work
of mission to be evangelism and Christian formation, as well as the benevolent
ministries of compassion and justice in the face of suffering and
oppression.
The
Church as a Fellowship of Believers
Martin Luther saw the
ideal church as a gathering of those who confess faith in Jesus Christ, committing
themselves to each other, and submitting to no authority other than Jesus
Christ, the Lord of the church. The Covenant Church seeks to realize the value
of this ideal.
A
Conscious Dependence on the Holy Spirit
The Covenant Church,
rooted in historic Christianity, affirms one God as Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit continues the creative work of the Father and the
redeeming work of the Son within the life of the church. It is for this reason
the Covenant Church has emphasized the continuing work of the Spirit.
The
Reality of Freedom in Christ
The Covenant Church
seeks to focus on what unites followers of Jesus Christ rather than what
separates them. The center of our commitment is a clear faith in Jesus Christ.
The centrality of the word of God, the necessity of the new birth, a commitment
to the whole mission of the church, the church as a fellowship of believers,
and a conscious dependence of the Holy Spirit form the parameters in which
freedom is experienced. Here followers of Christ find the security to offer
freedom to one another on issues that might otherwise divide.