27th November 2005 By admin

Core Value 10: Creation

God is the sovereign creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1–2:3; Hebrews 11:3).

Therefore we affirm that the account of creation in Genesis is a record of historical events, that God created everything out of nothing, after its own kind, and that man was specially created in the image of God.
We deny the philosophy of evolutionism in all its various expressions.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Why is “evolutionism” called a philosophy here?
What are some of its “various expressions”?
How do the following elements of the affirmation contradict evolution and affirm a biblical worldview (“philosophy”)?

Genesis 1–2 are historical events.
God created out of nothing.
Creatures were made after their own kind.
Man was created in God’s image.

THE CORE VALUES OF SOLA 5

Core Value 1: God-Centredness
Core Value 2: Logic and Reason
Core Value 3: Authority
Core Value 4: Sanctity of Life
Core Value 5: Marriage and Sexuality
Core Value 6: Discipline
Core Value 7: Gender Roles
Core Value 8: Vocation
Core Value 9: Racial Harmony
Core Value 10: Creation
Core Value 11: Animals and the Environment
Core Value 12: Pluralism
Core Value 13: Freedom of Religion
Core Value 14: Evangelism
Core Value 15: Sufficiency of Scripture
Core Value 16: Expository Preaching
Core Value 17: Genuine Christianity
Core Value 18: Personal Devotion to God
Core Value 19: Good Works and Social Concern
Core Value 20: Autonomy and Interdependency
Core Value 21: The Unity of the Church
Core Value 22: Liberty of Conscience
Core Value 23: Hyper-Orthodoxy

AUTONOMY AND INTERDEPENDENCY

God has instituted the local church as a self-governing body through which his people will be evangelized, edified and engaged in good works for his glory. He has also revealed in his word that a local church may cooperate with other local churches.

- Therefore we affirm the principle of local church autonomy, as well as that of the interdependency of local churches. We also affirm that local churches may cooperate with each other in order to unite their efforts and resources around common projects.

- We deny the need to form an institution with officers bearing instruments of power that would undermine or even replace the autonomy of any local church. We also deny that any local church should ignore its relationships with other local churches; in particular, no church should receive members from another local church without regard for disciplinary measures taken by that church.

-Core Value 20