I believe in historical, evangelical, reformed, and Biblical Christianity.

– Scott Roberts, on my Statement of Faith page”

When I wrote the summary sentence in my Statement of Faith on my website, I realized that a short list of doctrinal points, while helpful, does not always communicate the full picture of what a person means. Words carry weight. Labels carry history.

Over time, I have come to understand that when someone says they are a “Christian,” that statement alone can mean many, many different things depending on the context. Because of that, I wanted to give a clear view of what I believe, not only in doctrinal bullet points, but in the way I describe my theological identity.

That is why I chose to describe my beliefs as “historical, evangelical, reformed, and biblical Christianity” in that first line. I chose those words carefully. I believe words matter, especially when we are speaking about the truth of God, the Gospel, and the authority of Scripture. Scripture itself shows us that precision in doctrine is important. Paul told Timothy to “keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Timothy 4:16). Jude urged believers to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). These passages remind us that what we believe is not something to treat casually. Doctrine shapes how we understand God, salvation, the church, and the Christian life.

So I want to take some time to explain what I mean by each of those words, because each one represents something important to me and, I believe, something essential to faithful Christianity.

“Historical”

First, I call my faith “historical.” By that, I mean that I do not believe Christianity began in the modern era, nor do I believe that truth is reinvented every generation. The Christian faith was delivered once for all, as mentioned above. It was preached by the apostles, defended by the early church, clarified through councils, and preserved through centuries of faithful teaching.

When I use the word historical, I am referring to the well-known and widely acknowledged doctrines that have been held by faithful believers throughout the centuries. These include the Trinity, the full deity and humanity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, salvation by grace, the authority of Scripture, and the reality of final judgment, just to mention a few. These are not new ideas. They are not denominational inventions. They are the core doctrines that Christians have confessed from the earliest days of the Church.

The early church fathers fought hard battles to defend these truths, often in church councils. The Council of Nicaea in AD 325 affirmed the full deity of Christ against Arianism. The Council of Chalcedon in AD 451 clarified the two natures of Christ, fully God and fully man. These were not philosophical exercises. These were necessary defenses of the Gospel itself, because if Christ is not truly God and truly man, He cannot be the Savior Scripture presents.

I value that history deeply because it reminds me that I am not standing alone. I am part of a long line of believers who have confessed the same truths. Hebrews 12:1 speaks of a great cloud of witnesses, and while that passage primarily refers to the faithful in Scripture, the principle still encourages us to see ourselves as part of the ongoing story of God’s people.

At the same time, historical Christianity does not mean that tradition becomes our authority. History is a witness, not a master. The Church Fathers, the councils, and the Reformers were faithful men, but they were not infallible. Their authority rests in how faithfully they handled the Word of God.

That leads naturally to the second word I use, evangelical.

“Evangelical”

By “evangelical,” I mean Gospel-centered. The word itself comes from the Greek word euangelion, meaning good news. At the heart of Christianity is the Gospel, the message that sinners are reconciled to God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul summarized the Gospel clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, saying that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. That is the center of the Christian message. Everything else flows outward from that reality.

To be evangelical, in the true sense of the word, means that the Gospel is not a side topic. It is not an entry point that we move beyond. It is the foundation, the power, and the hope of the Christian life. Romans 1:16 says that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. That means our preaching, our teaching, our counseling, and our mission must all be rooted in the Gospel.

I also believe being evangelical means caring deeply about evangelism itself. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 is not optional. Christ commands His church to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded. A Gospel-centered church is a church that proclaims Christ, calls sinners to repentance, and teaches believers to grow in holiness.

“Reformed”

The third word I use is “reformed.” By this, I mean that my theology is shaped by the insights of the Protestant Reformation, particularly the Doctrines of Grace and the emphasis on the sovereignty of God in salvation.

The Reformers were not trying to create a new Christianity or start a new church. They were trying to recover biblical Christianity and restore the Church. Men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others saw that the church of their day had drifted from the teaching of Scripture, especially on the doctrines of justification and grace. They returned to the clear teaching of passages like Romans 3, Romans 4, Ephesians 2, and Galatians 2, which teach that sinners are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “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.” That passage alone summarizes much of what the Reformation sought to recover.

Reformed theology also emphasizes the sovereignty of God in all things, including salvation. Scripture repeatedly teaches that salvation is rooted in God’s initiative. God has chosen and elected those who will believe in His Son since before creation occurred. Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Paul wrote in Romans 9 that God has mercy on whom He wills. These are not abstract doctrines to me. They magnify the grace of God and humble human pride.

Being reformed also means valuing careful theology, covenantal thinking, and a high view of God’s holiness and glory. It means recognizing that God is not reacting to history but sovereignly directing it according to His purposes, as Ephesians 1 teaches so clearly.

At the same time, I do not see reformed theology as a philosophical system imposed on Scripture. I see it as an attempt to summarize what Scripture itself teaches about God, sin, grace, and redemption.

“Biblical”

The fourth word I use is “biblical,” and in many ways, this is the most important one of all.

By biblical, I mean that Scripture is the highest authority in all matters of faith and practice. This is the doctrine often called Sola Scriptura, one of the great principles of the Reformation. It means that the Bible alone is the final and infallible authority. Councils can err. Pastors can err. Theologians can err. Scripture does not err.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that all Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. That passage teaches both the inspiration and the sufficiency of Scripture.

Because of that, every doctrine must be tested by the Word of God. I have deep respect for theologians and teachers throughout church history, but their writings must always be measured against Scripture. If the Bible disagrees with a theologian, the Bible stands. That principle protects the church from drifting into human traditions that contradict God’s Word.

The Bereans in Acts 17:11 provide a beautiful example of this spirit. They listened to Paul’s teaching, yet they examined the Scriptures daily to see if what he said was true. If the apostles themselves welcomed that kind of testing, how much more should we apply it today?

Terms I Left Off: Catholic, Orthodox, and Baptist

There are three additional words I seriously considered using in my Statement of Faith, but ultimately decided not to include, even though I affirm the ideas behind them.

One of those words is “catholic,” in the historic sense of meaning “universal”. For many centuries, Christians used that word simply to refer to the universal church, encompassing all believers in the body of Christ across all nations and generations. When the Apostles’ Creed says, “I believe in the holy catholic church,” it is using the word in that sense.

I appreciate that meaning, and in that sense, I do believe in the catholic church, the universal body of believers. Yet in our time, the word catholic is almost always associated with the Roman Catholic Church. Because of that, using the word without explanation often creates confusion rather than clarity. For the sake of being understood, I chose not to use it in my Statement of Faith.

I also considered using the word “orthodox,” meaning “right belief.” Historically, that word simply referred to faithful adherence to the true teaching of Scripture. It is a good and meaningful word. Yet today, most people immediately think of the Eastern Orthodox Church when they hear it. Again, the potential for misunderstanding led me to avoid it, even though I value the concept behind it.

There is one more identifier that I am comfortable using, and that is “Baptist,” in the traditional sense.

By calling myself a Baptist, I am referring to historic Baptist convictions about believer’s baptism by full immersion of water, the authority of Scripture, the autonomy of the local church, and the importance of regenerate church membership. I believe baptism is a public profession of faith for those who have personally trusted in Christ, as we see in passages like Acts 2:41 and Acts 8:36-38. I believe the local church is to be led by biblically qualified elders and deacons, and that each congregation is accountable to Christ as its Head.

Historically, Baptists have also been strong defenders of religious liberty and the separation of church and state, not in the sense of excluding faith from public life, but in the sense of recognizing that faith cannot be coerced by civil authority. Genuine faith is a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart.

Often, I agree to having the moniker of “Reformed Baptist” or “Calvinistic Baptist,” because those terms best define me by doctrinal beliefs. For those in the know, you mention one of those terms, and that should give you a pretty clear indication of where I land.

At the same time, I do not see Baptist identity as my primary identity. My first allegiance is to Christ and His Word. Denominational labels can be useful, but they must always remain secondary to the authority of Scripture and the unity of the Gospel.

All of these words, historical, evangelical, reformed, biblical, and Baptist, are simply attempts to summarize what I believe Scripture teaches and what faithful Christians have confessed for centuries. None of these labels replaces the Word of God. They are tools to help communicate convictions, not substitutes for truth.

Ultimately, my goal in writing a Statement of Faith and in explaining it more fully is not to win arguments or to draw lines unnecessarily. It is to be clear about what I believe and why I believe it, so that anyone reading my work or engaging with my ministry understands the foundation on which it stands.

Clarity matters. Truth matters. The Gospel matters most of all.

And at the center of everything I believe is this simple and glorious truth: that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, and rose again in victory, so that all who repent and believe in Him are forgiven, justified, and given eternal life simply by God’s grace through faith. That message has been proclaimed from the days of the apostles until now. It is the heart of historical, evangelical, reformed, and biblical Christianity, and it is the only hope of the world.