We believe that the Bible teaches, among other things:
Its own divine authority and verbal inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)
That the One God eternally exists in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (I John 5:6-8, Matthew 28:19, Genesis 1:26)
That Jesus Christ is the only begotten and eternal Son of God, miraculously born of the virgin Mary, and the only One whose life was absolutely sinless (John 1:1; Matthew 1:18-23; I John 3:3)
That man is universally, utterly, and personally sinful by nature, and it is impossible for him to be saved by his own works or religious observances (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8-9)
That, on Calvary, Christ completely and eternally paid the penalty for sin, and any person who believes in Jesus for eternal life immediately enters into the benefits of His finished work, to the present and eternal salvation of his soul (John 19:30, 5:24; Hebrews 10:14)
That God set His seal of approval to the work of the cross by raising Christ from the dead in His glorified body; Christ is now at God’s right hand in heaven (Luke 24:39-40; 1 Corinthians 15:17-20; Romans 4:25; Acts 2:32)
That all who are saved should be baptized by immersion in obedience to His will and that they should remember Him by observing the “Lord’s Supper” every Lord’s day; however, only those who are clean in life and sound in doctrine are qualified to partake of this feast (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Romans 6:4; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
That all who die in Christ shall go to be “with Him” in heaven, but that all who die unsaved go to hell in conscious eternal torment (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23; Psalms 9:17; Luke 16:23)
That Christ is coming again in His glorified body to rapture the living saints and raise the dead in Christ; Christ will come and establish His kingdom on earth (John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:4)
That Christ will be the Judge of those who reject Him in this age, whose portion will be hell and the lake of fire (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15)
Salvation is by grace through faith alone; believers in Christ should be careful to maintain a life that is a pleasing testimony to God and to walk in fellowship with Him (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-8; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
That all human life is sacred and created by God in His image; human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death and we are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Psalms 139)
That a person’s gender is defined by biological differences (Genesis 1:26-27, Matthew 19:12) and therefore cannot be redefined by subsequent perception of their self-identity; where male or female biological sex is clearly evident at birth, we believe it to be immutable, notwithstanding alteration or modification of a person’s body intended to reassign it to the opposite gender (Job 10:8-12)
That the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25); that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4); that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman
That any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
God offers restoration to all believers who confess and forsake their sins, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
That every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor with Sooner Bible Camp.
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Sooner Bible Camp as a Christian Ministry with evangelical mission, and to provide a Biblical role model to the Sooner Bible Camp volunteer staff, campers, and the community, it is imperative that all persons at Sooner, who serve as volunteers agree to and abide by this Statement of Faith (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22) Sooner Bible Camp will uphold this Statement as it pertains to the campers, counselors, and staff.
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Sooner Bible Camp’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Camp Manager and/or Board of Directors is Sooner Bible Camp’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application. We reserve the right for decisions based on the statements therein.