The MB Confession of Faith.

We believe in the one, true, living God, Creator of heaven and earth; almighty in power, perfect in wisdom, righteous in judgment, overflowing in steadfast love. We confess God as eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the Father, source of all life, who sent the Son for the salvation of the world; the Son, image of the invisible God, who revealed the Father through His obedient, sinless life and triumphed over sin through His death and resurrection; and the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, who convicts of sin, gives new life, distributes gifts for ministry, and assures believers of eternal life.

God has made Himself known to all people: in creation, in His covenant with Israel, and supremely in Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament. We believe the entire Bible was inspired by God through the Holy Spirit, and we accept it as the infallible Word of God and the authoritative guide for faith and practice. The person, teaching, and life of Jesus bring continuity and clarity to both Testaments.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and they were very good. Humans, the crowning act of creation, were made male and female in the image of God, designed for fellowship with Him and given care of creation as a sacred trust. Through willful disobedience, sin entered the world and creation is under bondage to decay. But sin, guilt, and death will not prevail: God will create a new heaven and a new earth, and in Christ all things are being reconciled and created anew.

The first humans yielded to the tempter, and since then all people disobey God and choose to sin, falling short of His glory. Sin alienates humans from God, creation, each other, and themselves, and results in physical and spiritual death. Sin is a power that enslaves humanity, and demonic principalities and powers work even through political, economic, social, and religious systems. On their own, humans are unable to overcome its power.

God is at work to accomplish deliverance and healing, redemption and restoration in a world dominated by sin, a love fully demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As people place their trust in Christ, they are saved by grace through faith, not of their own doing, but as a gift of God. Convicted by the Holy Spirit, people turn from sin, entrust their lives to God, confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and join the family of God, set free from sin and called to newness of life.

The church is the people called by God through Jesus Christ: one body of believers, male and female, from every nation, race, and class, with Christ as its head. The church gathers regularly to worship, is a covenant community in which members are mutually accountable in matters of faith and life, and practices redemptive church discipline. Through the Spirit, God gives gifts to each member for the well-being of the whole body.

The good news of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ is for all people. Christ commands the church to make disciples of all nations, calling people to repent, baptizing and teaching them to obey Jesus. Disciples love God and neighbour by telling the good news and doing acts of love and compassion; the Holy Spirit empowers every Christian to witness to God’s salvation.

When people respond in faith to God’s invitation, God calls each of them to receive water baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism testifies that God has forgiven and cleansed a person from sin and united them with the body of Christ, a public witness of commitment to follow Jesus as Lord. The local church baptizes believers by immersion, and joyfully welcomes disciples baptized elsewhere upon their own confession of faith.

The church observes the Lord’s Supper as instituted by Christ. The Supper points to Christ, whose body was broken and whose blood was shed for our salvation, proclaims the Lord’s death until He comes, and expresses the fellowship and unity of all believers with Christ. It is a supper of remembrance, celebration, and praise which strengthens believers for true discipleship and service.

Jesus calls those who have experienced the joy of new birth to follow Him as disciples, taking up the cross, rejecting the godless values of the world, and offering themselves to God in a life of service. In community, members grow in maturity as they demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, use their spiritual gifts, and practice mutual accountability. To be a disciple means to be true to Jesus in everyday life.

Marriage and family are instituted by God; the church blesses both marriage and singleness. Marriage is a covenant relationship intended to unite a man and a woman for life, characterized by mutual love, faithfulness, and submission. Singleness is honoured equally with marriage, and the church is to bless, respect, and fully include those who are single. God intends family relationships at every stage of life to be characterized by love.

God instituted the state to promote the well-being of all people. Christians cooperate with others in society to defend the weak, care for the poor, and promote justice, righteousness, and truth, paying taxes, obeying laws that do not conflict with the Word of God, and praying for those in authority. The primary allegiance of all Christians is to Christ’s kingdom, not the state or society.

God in Christ reconciles people to Himself and to one another, making peace through the cross. We seek to be agents of reconciliation in all relationships, to practice love of enemies as taught by Christ, and to be peacemakers in all situations, viewing violence as contrary to the gospel of love and peace. Alleviating suffering, reducing strife, and promoting justice are ways of demonstrating Christ’s love.

All human life belongs to God. Each person is created in the image of God and ought to be celebrated and nurtured. We oppose all actions and attitudes that devalue human life, including the unborn, disabled, poor, aging, and dying are particularly vulnerable. Ultimate decisions regarding life and death belong to God, and in complex ethical decisions we seek to offer hope, healing, support, and counsel in the context of the Christian community.

The universe and everything in it belong to God the Creator, who has entrusted the care of the earth to all people. To confess Jesus as Lord transforms values: we cannot serve both God and wealth. The Bible teaches cheerful, sacrificial, and proportional giving, managing all our resources, including money, time, abilities, and influence, in generous ways that give glory to God, while embracing a lifestyle of simplicity and contentment.

God’s act of creation is the model for human activity. Christians imitate the Creator by working faithfully, using their abilities and resources to glorify God and serve others. As God rested on the seventh day, people are called to observe regular times of rest as an act of thankfulness, trust, and hope. Following the New Testament example, believers gather on the first day of the week to worship and commemorate the resurrection of Christ.

The saving grace of God in Jesus is the only means of reconciling humanity with God. While elements of truth may be found in other religions, Christians treat people of other faiths and philosophies with respect, but lovingly and urgently proclaim Christ as the only way of salvation for all peoples. God loves the world and does not want anyone to perish; the Judge of all the earth will do what is just.

Our Lord Jesus Christ will return visibly and triumphantly at the end of the present age, and the church must always be prepared to meet the Lord. Since Christ destroyed the power of death by His resurrection, believers need not fear death; when Christ returns, they will be raised and receive new and glorious bodies. God will make all things new: pain, sorrow, and death will be abolished, and the redeemed will worship God forever in the new heaven and new earth. This is the blessed hope of all believers.