Mission. The mission of Clear & Convincing Christianity is to help you accelerate your investigation and spiritual journey regarding exploring profound questions such as: Does God exist? Are miracles possible? What does Jesus have to do with God? Has God spoken to you through the Bible? How you can have an eternal relationship with God? Do heaven and hell exist? Is it wise to wager your spiritual life to chance if you don’t seriously consider these questions? How do you investigate and evaluate the evidence for these questions? Your answers to these questions may have great implications for you depending on the answers.
Trial Lawyer Fred J. Beer will utilize his 30 plus years of legal experience to present and examine the evidence for and against God and Christianity, and explain why he concluded that there is “clear & convincing” evidence that God exists, came to earth as Jesus, and sacrificed his life as the ultimate act of love to have a relationship with you, today, every day, and for eternity.
Fred J. Beer
Personal Bio. Fred has been married to Pamela since July 19, 1997. Pamela and Fred have two sons, Max and Sam. The Beers reside in Gilberts, IL.
Professional Bio. Fred graduated from Valparaiso University with a B.S. in Accounting, with honors. He is a registered certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. He attended law school at the University of Illinois Chicago Law School f/k/a John Marshall Law School, was on the John Marshall Law Review, and graduated cum laude. He has been practicing law since 1990. After law school, he worked for two years as a tax attorney for the public accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche. Thereafter for 22 years, he went on to practice law with the law firm of Brady & Jensen, LLP in Elgin, IL. He became a law partner at Brady & Jensen. In 2014, he formed his own law firm, Fred J. Beer Law Offices, P.C. (www.fredbeerlaw.com). His law firm’s legal services philosophy is, “An ounce of (legal) counseling is worth a pound of representation (in court).” For the first five years of Fred’s law practice, he concentrated his practice in the areas of taxation, corporate law, business transactions, estate planning, and probate. Thereafter, he has been practicing in the areas of workers’ compensation, personal injury, business litigation, employment law, and guardianship law. He is also is a Guardian Ad Litem (“GAL”) for the Circuit Court of Kane County, Illinois. As a GAL, he investigates whether a legal guardian is appropriate for a disabled, elderly, or minor persons, and makes recommendations to the court as to whether a guardianship is appropriate.
Spiritual Bio. Fred investigated the existence of God and Christianity for two years. He concluded that God exists and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1998 when he was 33 years old.
From 1996 to 2000, Fred attended a large mega-church, Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, and served as a spiritual seeker small group leader.
From 2001 through 2004, Fred attended a much smaller church, Poplar Creek Church in Bartlett, IL, and served as the Evangelism Director and as a member of the Poplar Creek’s staff and church member leadership committee. He led other committee members in organizing and teaching a Spiritual Gifts Seminar which helped church members identify their spiritual gifts and passion areas of ministry to serve, using their spiritual gifts.
From 2005 to the current date, Fred has attended a mid-sized (about 4,000 attendees) mega-church, Christ Community Church in St. Charles – South, Elgin, IL and served 15 years in the children’s ministry called, Kidsworld, as a small group leader/shepherd/teacher helping fourth and fifth grade kids meet Jesus and become more like him.
In 2023, Fred graduated from the Defending the Christian Faith (Apologetics) Instructor Academy. Lead Instructor Frank Turek of I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist – Crossexamined.org Ministries.
From 2023 to the current date, Fred is co-leading the Legal Professional Vocational Community Group at Christ Community Church helping attorneys and paralegals practice their Christian faith in the legal workplace.
From 2024 to the current date, Fred is serving as volunteer attorney with Administer Justice at its Christ Community Church location providing legal advice to those in need,
Statement of Faith. Fred J. Beer of Clear & Convincing Christianity is a conservative evangelical Christian. One the purposes of Clear & Convincing Christianity is to clearly present the essential truth claims and beliefs of Christianity. Fred recognizes there are “in-house debates” within the Christian community on various areas of doctrine and theology. There are other ministries that go into depth in these areas. Fred believes in the spirit of the Christian saying, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” (https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/essentials-unity-non-essentials-liberty-all-things/)
In regard to the essentials, Fred agrees with the Statement of Faith of his church, Christ Community Church, St. Charles, IL. https://ccclife.org/ourbeliefs/ The Statement of Faith is set forth below.
THE BIBLE
The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God, and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture thus, at one and the same time, speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and without error in the original writings. They are the unique, full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God (Matthew 5:17-20).
GOD
We believe there is one true and holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and characteristics of personality (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 28:19).
In the beginning, God created out of nothing, the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of his infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. By his sovereign power, he continues to sustain his creation and to fulfill his redemptive purposes (Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1-2; Acts 17:28; Hebrews 1:3).
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the eternal second person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by the miraculous conception of the Holy Spirit, being born of a virgin. Thus, he is fully God and fully Man (John 1:1-2; Luke 1:26-37).
He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, according to the Scriptures. Thus, he satisfied divine justice and accomplished salvation for all who trust in him alone (Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 10:5-18).
He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which he lived and died. He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where he, the only mediator between God and Man, continually makes intercession for his own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God (Luke 24; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 7:23-25; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the mind of sinners, awakens in them recognition of their need of a Savior, and regenerates them (John 3:5-8; John 16:7-15).
At the point of salvation, he permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength, and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the building up of his people. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scriptures. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father (John 14:16-18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 5:18).
SALVATION
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with himself. Originally created in God’s image to have fellowship with God, Man defied God, choosing to go his independent way. He thus became sinful, suffering alienation from God and the corruption of his human nature (John 5:39-40; Ephesians 2:1-3).
The fall of mankind took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Genesis 3; Romans 3:9-26; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:4-10).
When God begins a saving work in the heart of any person, he gives assurance in his Word that he will continue performing it until the day of its completion. The fact that God has begun and is continuing such work in an individual’s life is demonstrated by that person’s perseverance in the faith (Philippians 1:6; John 6:38-40; John 10:27-29; 1 Peter 1:3-5).
HUMAN DESTINY
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into everlasting condemnation, God’s judgment thus revealing his just response to their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 1 Corinthians 15:12-28).
THE CHURCH
The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of his body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (1 Corinthians 12-13; Ephesians 4:3-6).
Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of baptism and communion as ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the Church. Under the watch of elders, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Ephesians 1:11-12; 1 Peter 2:9).
MARRIAGE
God established marriage as a covenant relationship mirroring the intimate union and profound love that exists between Christ and the church. When a man and woman marry, they become “one flesh,” a single entity comprised of two people, just as Christ and the church are a single body comprised of two parties. The Church believes in the institution of marriage as established in Scripture; that a marriage is the union of one man and one woman; this is the only legitimate sexual relationship. Accordingly, this Church will not recognize any other union as a legitimate marriage; our Church and staff shall not perform or participate in any same sex unions or ceremonies of any kind; and Church facilities shall not be used for that purpose (Ephesians 5:31-32; Mark 10:5-9; Genesis 2:24).
By using covenant language for marriage, the Bible sounds a clear word on the blessedness of this union. Covenants in general provided people with terms for mutual peace, joy, security, and prosperity. In the same way, the marriage covenant creates a sacred union between two people for their mutual benefit and experience of God’s blessing (Proverbs 2:17; Malachi 2:14).
But by using covenant language, the Bible also sounds a clear word on the solemnity of marriage. In history past, covenants were deep and binding. They were not merely made, they were “cut.” In the Old Testament, a covenant relationship was ratified by butchering an animal, laying its pieces in two rows, and walking between them. In this way, a life-and-death seriousness was associated with the agreement, and a visual reminder was created of the deserved fate of any person who might choose to break it.
A covenant is what the Lord established with Israel at Mt. Sinai, swearing by his own name to be their faithful God. And a covenant is what he established with us through his Son, “cut to pieces” to reconcile us with the Father.
Given these associations between marriage, covenant, Christ, and salvation, we understand why the writer of Hebrews would say, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Hebrews 13:4).
God intends for marriage obligations to endure until death. Since God alone forges a marriage, ideally he alone should end it. “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Romans 7:2; Mark 10:9).
FAITH AND PRACTICE
Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience in individual areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she is ultimately responsible (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We believe this statement of faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches. All members shall refrain from advocating doctrines that are not included in this statement of faith in such a way as to cause dissension (1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 4:7-8, 16).
For a careful and thoughtful study of the Bible with a view toward answering skeptics’ challenges with reason and scripture, see Mike Winger’s Bible Thinker website https://www.biblethinker.org/index.php
and related media.