Beliefs

Beliefs

A fundamental question to consider when evaluating a church is, “What do they believe and teach?” At Sharon ARP Church, our beliefs are firmly rooted in the timeless truths of the Bible. We affirm that the Scriptures are not merely human writings but the inspired word of God, infallible and without error. These beliefs serve as the cornerstone of our faith, guiding our understanding of God’s nature, the significance of Jesus Christ, the pathway to salvation, and the moral guidelines that shape our conduct.

Upon reviewing our beliefs below, please feel free to call our church office at (803) 322-5709 if you have any questions. Additionally, we warmly invite you to join us for our Sunday morning worship service. We look forward to the opportunity to meet you!

Sharon Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Statement of Theological Beliefs

The Bible

  • The Bible is the written word of God, written by human authors under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the unchangeable revelation of God’s truth. It is inerrant and infallible in the original manuscripts. Being inerrant, infallible and authoritative, it is our only rule for faith and life. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God without error in all that it teaches. The Old and New Testament Scriptures are God-breathed, since their writers spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit; hence the Scriptures are fully trustworthy in all that they affirm; they are non-contradictory, and are our highest authority for faith and life
    • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
    • 2 Peter 1:20-21 “… no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
    • Isaiah 40:8 ‘The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (see also 1 Peter 1:24)
  • Every word of the Bible is God’s word. God not only inspired the human authors of Scripture, he gave them the specific words used so that the words of the writer are the very words of God. God said to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:9, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.” The Bible is the word of God. What Scripture says, God says.

God

  • There is one God only, the Living and True God. God is triune, existing in three eternal persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three distinct, divine, and eternal persons are one God. They are the same in essence, power, and glory. Though the word “Trinity” does not appear in the pages of Scripture, the concept is present throughout.
    • Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
    • Matthew 28:18-19 “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
    • 2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
  • The essence of God’s being is his holiness. God’s holiness is the only one of his attributes emphasized with triple repetition “Holy, holy, holy. The word holy calls attention to all that God is. It is from his holiness that all of his other attributes flow.
  • God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. What he is today, he will be tomorrow (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). He is self-existent. He has no origin. He has no beginning, and no end. God is self-sufficient. He has no needs. He is completely self-sustaining. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He works all things according to the council of his own will (Ephesians 1:11), and he sovereignly rules his creation and his creatures through his divine providence.
  • God sovereignly fulfills his purpose – in the creation of the heavens and the earth, revelation, redemption, judgment, and the coming of his kingdom — by calling out from the world a people united to himself and to each other in love.

Creation

  • God made this world and all that is in it.
    • Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
  • God created the world out of absolutely nothing, by the word of his power, in the span of 6 days, and on the seventh day, he rested.
    • Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.”
  • When God’s work of creation was finished, he declared what he made to be very good.
    • Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Man

  • God created man, male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. God wonderfully and immutably created man as male or female in his own likeness and image, conferring on all humanity dignity and worth
    • Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
  • In their created state, Adam and Eve enjoyed unhindered fellowship with God. they were created upright, and they possessed the ability to remain that way. Left to his own free will, Adam disobeyed God’s prohibition against eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and they fell from their created state of innocence. The Bible teaches that there has been an enduring effect of Adam’s sin upon all mankind. All humanity is born morally fallen and corrupted. There is no aspect of man’s being that is not tainted by sin. Hence, in his natural state, all mankind is alienated from God and at enmity with God. All humanity, in their natural state, stands justly condemned under the righteous wrath of God, without defense or excuse, facing eternal condemnation.
    • Romans 3:22-23 “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

Jesus Christ

  • God, solely out of his good pleasure, did not leave all mankind to perish in the state of sin and misery. Before the foundation of the world, he elected some to salvation through the work of his promised redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Jesus Christ is the eternal, divine Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is fully God and fully man, two distinct natures, in one person forever. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body and soul. The sinless Son of God, who has existed from eternity past with the Father and the Holy Spirit, became man.
    • John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
    • John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
  • In his humanity, Jesus experienced all the experiences common to man. He was tempted in every way as man is, yet he remained sinless
    • Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
  • Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life to fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law, the standard all mankind is obligated to meet. He fulfilled all of the OT prophecies which spoke of him and pointed to him. He then willingly offered himself up to death on the cross as the perfect, once for all atoning sacrifice for the sins of his people. Though he deserved no punishment, he took on the sin debt of his people. His sinless life and sacrificial death atoned for sin and satisfied God’s righteous wrath for all those who trust in him alone for salvation. He is the only Mediator between God and man, and he is the sole means of salvation for fallen mankind.
    • 1 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all…”
    • John 14:6 “Jesus said…, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
    • Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
  • Jesus was raised from the grave on the third day according to the Scriptures, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to conquer the grave and to secure eternal life for his people. His resurrection validated that his sacrificial death was sufficient payment for the sins of his people.
    • 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…”
    • 1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
  • Jesus has ascended to his place of glory. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father, and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. He will return again in glory, bodily and visibly, to judge the living and the dead, the unbelieving to eternal damnation and the righteous into eternal fellowship in the New Heavens and the New Earth.

Salvation

  • Sacred Scripture is clear that man is completely unable to save himself. Salvation is a gift of God’s grace. He sovereignly chose those whom he will save before the foundation of the world, solely out of his electing love and grace, and not because of any merit or worth.
    • Ephesians 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
    • Exodus 33:19 “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
  • Man is saved by grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone, not through any human endeavor.
    • Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
  • Fallen man is unwilling and unable to seek for God. For man to be saved, the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is necessary.
    • Romans 3:10-11 “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”
    • John 3:3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
    • John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail.”

Marriage, Morality, and Christian Conduct

  • As set forth in sacred Scripture, the term “marriage” has only one meaning, that marriage is created, ordained and sanctioned by God, and marriage joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, monogamous and covenantal union, as delineated in Scripture.
    • Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
    • See also Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-33
  • Therefore, since God created and instituted the covenant of marriage, man does not have authority to alter, modify or redefine what God has decreed.
    • Deuteronomy 4:2 “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.”
    • Revelation 22:18-19 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
  • God commands sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other in a single, exclusive, monogamous and covenantal union, as delineated in Scripture. God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
  • Any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexual conduct, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, any use of pornography or any attempt to change one’s gender, or otherwise acting upon any disagreement with one’s biological gender, is a violation of Scripture, and is, therefore, sinful and offensive to God.
  • God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
  • Every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accordance with Scripture.
    • Mark 12:30-31 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
  • Jesus calls his followers to a different way of life and to follow a different value system than the world. This call to obedience is not a call to slavish legalism; rather, it is the proper response of a transformed heart to the saving grace of God. All aspects of the believer’s life are to be lived under the Lordship of Jesus Christ to the glory of God.
    • Matthew 16:24 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
    • 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
    • 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

The Holy Spirit

  • The Holy Spirit is the third person of the holy Trinity. He is fully and completely God, same in essence as the Father and the Son. He is equal in power and glory with the Father and the Son.
  • Like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is eternal. He was active in creation (Gen. 1:2). He inspired the OT prophets and the writers of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. He led the OT people of God to saving faith and he empowered the OT people of God to do the work of God, yet he was not indwelling until the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).  
  • The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and it is he who illumines and softens the heart of man to understand the word of God. Otherwise, the word of God and the things of God remain foolishness to mankind.
    • 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
    • 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
    • Romans 8:7 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
  • The Holy Spirit indwells all of God’s children, enabling them to persevere in the Christian faith and in the work of sanctification. He gives wisdom and strength to trust Christ and to follow him. He is the power at work within God’s children, enabling them to more and more die to sin and live to righteousness. He gives the believer a more righteous heart. God calls every believer to mirror and to reflect his holy character. It is the Holy Spirit who works in obedient hearts to conform believers into the image of Christ.
    •  Philippians 2:12-13 “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  16 since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Abortion

  • Sacred Scripture clearly and plainly testifies to the infinite worth of human life because all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God; therefore, decisions about life and death are God’s prerogatives as Creator and the Lord and Giver of life, and not man’s. Even in the case of medical problems, human judgement should always stand in submission to the divine decrees and wisdom of God.
  • The Scriptures point to a unique relationship between God the Creator and the unborn child. And, therefore, regarding the divine mysteries of the conception and development of human life, we dare make no other inference than to conclude and resolve that it is not for men to be the determiner of life and death, even for the unborn child. Therefore, in all instances, one should seek to preserve the life of the unborn child.
    • Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…”
    • Psalm 139:13-16 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.1 Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

The Return of Christ

  • Jesus has ascended to his place of glory. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father, and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. He is currently the ruling King, but his Kingship is not yet visible for all creation to see. He will return again in glory, bodily and visibly, to impose his Kingship upon the creation. He will judge the living and the dead, the unbelieving to eternal damnation and the righteous into eternal fellowship in the New Heavens and the New Earth.
    • Philippians 2:9-11 “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
  • The time of the return of Christ is a time fixed by the Father, and no one knows this time except him.
    • Matthew 24:35-36 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,but the Father only.”
    • Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Overview of Church Government

  • Communicant Member: Communicant Members are those who have made public profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have been baptized, and have been received into membership of a particular church by the session of that church. Communicant members are entitled to all the rights and privileges of the church, including the right to vote in congregational meetings, the right to participate in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, the right to present their children for the sacrament of baptism, and the right to hold office if qualified according to the requirements set forth in sacred Scripture and the ARP Form of Government, unless otherwise prohibited because matters of age or church discipline.
  • Deacon: Deacons are men called and elected by the congregation to an office of service, not rule. Their duties are to minister to the material needs of the congregation and the physical upkeep of the church. Deacons are elected by the congregation and are under the supervision of the session. Deacons are to be men of good character, brotherly love, sound judgment, and sympathetic nature, as set out in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
  • Elders: Elders are called by God to govern and to serve Jesus’ church within a particular church. Elders are elected by the congregation. The office of elder consists of ruling elders and teaching elders. The authority of ruling and teaching elders is the same, but only men called by God to preach the word of God and to administer the sacraments may serve as teaching elders. The qualifications for the office of elder are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
  • Session: The lowest court of the church is called the session. The session governs the particular church. The session consists of active elders duly elected and the pastor, if there is one. The pastor serves as the moderator of the session. The session is charged by the word of God with the spiritual oversight and government of a particular church.
  • Presbytery: The next level of church court is called the presbytery. The presbytery has oversight of a group of particular churches within a geographical region. It is the essential court of the Presbyterian system of government.
  • General Synod: The General Synod is the highest level of court in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. It represents all of the presbyteries of the ARP Church. The General Synod’s responsibility is overseeing and governing the one body of the ARP Church.  

Brief Overview of ARP History

  • The history of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) is rooted in Scotland
    • In 1733, a pastor named Ebenezer Erskine led a group that formed the Associate Presbytery, which migrated to northern Ireland and then to America.
      • When the Scottish church became the official state church, strife arose, mainly over the free offer of the Gospel message, called the Marrow Controversy
      • The issue of patronage, which declared the largest land owner called the pastor of a church and not the congregation  was also a major source of strife
    • In 1743, another group who was suffering with the state church and its control of the church formed the Reformed Presbytery.
      • They too, migrated to northern Ireland and then to America
  • In 1782, the Associate Presbytery and the Reformed Presbytery merged in America to become ARP
    • In 1803, the ARP Synod of the Carolinas formed at the Old Brick Church, Fairfield County, SC
    • In 1822, the ARP Synod of the South formed and separated from northern synods
      • This was not a hostile separation, but largely based on geographical distances
      • This was the sole remaining body of the original ARP church
    • In 1837-1839, Erskine College and Seminary formed
      • In 2004, the 200th meeting of the ARP General Synod was held