• Jared Smith On Various Issues

    Thoughts On High-Calvinism Versus Arminianism and Fullerism

    The leading issue which distinguishes a High-Calvinist from the Arminians and Fullerites (Moderate-Calvinists) is the subject of God's sovereignty and man's relatedness to Him. Whereas the Fullerite embraces fairly high views of God's sovereignty, yet he remains as confused as the Arminian on the subject of man's relatedness to the Lord. Two Requirements For Having A Relationship With God There are two requirements if man is to have a relationship with God. First, man must be a spirit being. This gives man the ABILITY to have a relationship with God. God is a spirit, and if man is to know God, he must also be a spirit. This is what it means to be made in God's image. God created only two species of spirit…

  • Jared Smith On Various Issues

    Thoughts On Arminianism

    Jerom Zanchius, in the first chapter of his book, “Absolute Predestination”, has helpfully outlined five leading features of God’s wisdom and foreknowledge. In summary, he wrote: First, God is, and always was so perfectly wise, that nothing ever did, or does, or can elude His knowledge. He knew, from all eternity, not only what He Himself intended to do, but also what He would incline and permit others to do. “Known unto God are all His works from eternity ” (Acts 15:18). Second, consequently, God knows nothing now, nor will know anything hereafter, which He did not know and foresee from everlasting, His foreknowledge being co-eternal with Himself, and extending to everything that is or shall be done (Heb. 4:13). All things, which comprises past,…

  • Jared Smith, Covenant Baptist Church (Philippines)

    2 My Articles of Faith

    Among the historical confessions of faith, I am most closely aligned with the 1644 First London Baptist Confession of Faith and the 1729 Goat Yard Declaration of Faith. However, I believe fresh statements of faith should be drawn up by every generation, and for that matter, by every individual believer in Christ. To that end, I have condensed the basis of my faith into seventy points. 1. I believe God has plenarily and verbally inspired the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. 2. I believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are without error. 3. I believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are preserved in the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus. 4. I believe the most…

  • Jared Smith, Covenant Baptist Church (Philippines)

    3 Preface

    A Statement of Faith designed for the Covenant Baptist churches in the Philippines. I have served for almost 20 years as the pastor of a Strict and Particular Baptist church in London, England. In 2017, my wife and I grew increasingly burdened to pioneer a Strict and Particular Baptist movement in the Philippines. Although we plan on beginning this work in the summer of 2019, the Lord has already paved the way for the first church to be organised within the next three weeks (12 August 2018). Subsequently, I have been prompted to draw up a Statement of Faith around which the new church may be organized. There are actually two parts to the Statement: First, there is A Declaration of Faith arranged under 70…

  • Jared Smith, Covenant Baptist Church (Philippines)

    4 A Declaration of Faith

    We are historically linked with a circle of churches in England known as “Strict and Particular Baptists”. The term Strict refers to the Lord’s Table designed for and restricted to the members of the church; the term Particular refers to the Lord’s Atonement designed for and restricted to elect sinners. However, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, we are choosing to identify ourselves as “Covenant Baptists”. The term ‘covenant’ refers to both of the preceding doctrines. The privilege of observing the Lord’s Table is based on the covenant church members have made with each other; and, the blessing of redeeming grace is based on the covenant the TriUne Jehovah has made with Himself. In order that we be easily identified with these doctrines, we…

  • Jared Smith, Covenant Baptist Church (Philippines)

    5 An Explanation of Faith

    1. Of the Holy Scriptures. We believe the sum and substance of our faith is set forth in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. (2 Tim 3:14-17) These scriptures are plenarily and verbally given by the inspiration of God and therefore inerrant in all their parts. (2 Pet 1:19,20) God has preserved His Word through the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus. (Ps 119:89) The Authorised Version is the most reliable translation of the Bible in English which is the official translation used in this church. The Holy Scriptures are the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith and practice. (Ps 19:7-11) 2. Of the One True and Only God. We believe the scriptures reveal the one…