What we believe is set out clearly in the Word of God. Here is a summary, as found in our Church Constitution:
1. We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments as verbally and plenarily (every word) inspired by God and without error in the original writings; that the Bible is reliable in science, history, and every other matter it discusses; and that the Bible is of supreme and final authority in faith and life.
II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21.
2. We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. Exodus 20:2, 3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7; Matthew 28:19, 20; II Corinthians 13:14.
3. We believe in God, the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from eternal death and from hell all that come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Psalm 22:3; John 17:11; Psalm 147:5; I John 3:20; Matthew 19:26; John 3:16; Matthew 6:26, 28-30; Psalm 65:2; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 5:8; I Timothy 2:5; John 14:6.
4. We believe in the absolute Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His eternal existence as God, equal with the Father, and the Holy Spirit; His incarnation by means of the virgin birth; His sinlessness; His vicarious death through the shedding of His blood as an atonement for the remissions of our sins; His literal bodily resurrection from the dead; His ascension; His present high priestly ministry in heaven for believers; and His personal return to earth. I John 5:20; John 1:16; John 14:9; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; I Peter 2:22; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:40, 41; Acts 1:9; Luke 24:51; Hebrews 8:1, 2; I John 2:1; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16.
5. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth; that He is the Agent of the new birth; that He baptises all true believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sanctifying all of them, sealing and thus securing them unto the day of redemption; that He empowers, guides, teaches and helps believers; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit, the evidence being the fruit of the Spirit. Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; Acts 5:3-4.
6. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, each after its own kind, by direct act and not by the process of evolution.
Genesis 1 and 2; Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3.
7. We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in the image of God, in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by reason of his voluntary sin, fell from his high and holy state; that as a result the whole race plunged into condemnation and death, so that now all human beings are born with a sinful nature; and that all who reach the age of moral responsibility become wilful sinners in thought, word and deed, and so are without excuse before God.
Genesis 1:26, 27; Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19; Psalm 51:5; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:10-23.
8. We believe that the justification of sinners is wholly of grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; that all who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become children of God; that no rite, ceremony or work can avail in any way for the sinner’s salvation or make the believer’s salvation more secure; that Christ is the only and all sufficient Saviour; and that all who are truly saved are kept forever. Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5-7; John 5:24; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-13; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12, II Timothy 1:12; John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6.
9. We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. John 3:16-21; I Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 22:17; Ezekiel 33:11; John 5:40; II Peter 3:9; I Timothy 2:3, 4.
10. We believe that every saved person possesses two natures; that he has the old nature for the duration of his earthly life; but that provision is made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Romans 7:15-25; Romans 6:11-14; Philippians 4:7-14; Philippians 3:7-14; II Corinthians 12:7-10.
11. We believe that sanctification for the believer is immediate, upon acceptance of Christ as Saviour, and progressive, continuing to the end of earthly life; and that the progressive phase of sanctification is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means, especially study of God’s Word, self-denial, faithfulness in and through a fundamental local church, prayer, and soul-winning.
I Corinthians 1:2; I Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10, 14; I Thessalonians 3:12, 13; I Thessalonians 4:1-12; II Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25.
12. We believe that the local New Testament church is composed of regenerated baptised believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, observing the ordinances, fellowship, and service; that the offices of the local church as pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity in the local community and unto the uttermost parts of the earth; that the local church has absolute right of self-government; free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organisations, religious or political; that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel, with each local church as the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that all matters of membership, policy of government, discipline, benevolence, and the will of the local church is final.
Acts 2:41-47; Romans 1:7; Colossians 1:2; I Corinthians 1:2; Acts 4:4; Hebrews 10:25; Acts20:7; Acts 11:26; Philippians1:1; I Timothy 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-8; Hebrews 13:7, 17; I Peter 5:1-5; Acts 6:1-8; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:22, 23; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-26; Acts 15:1-27; Acts 11:29, 30; Acts 13:1-4; Philippians 4:14-16; Acts 20:28, 31; I Corinthians 5:1-6, 11.
13. We believe that biblical baptism is full immersion of a believer in water, thus setting forth in symbol his union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection; that every believer should be baptised because of the example of our Lord and because of the command given by our Lord; and that while there is not saving power in water baptism, it is an act of obedience by those who are already saved to picture that they are dead, buried, and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ by faith in Him. We reject infant baptism as unscriptural. Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 8:36-39; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5; John 5:24.
14. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the Lord’s death until He comes again; and that, in this ordinance, the Lord’s Table should be open to all regenerated persons living in fellowship with, and in obedience to Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 11:23-32; Luke 22:14-20.
15. We believe in the literal, bodily, personal pre-millennial and imminent coming of our Lord into the air to catch away all believers unto Himself before the tribulation period; also, in the personal, visible and glorious return of Christ to the earth, with believers, at the close of the tribulation period to judge the living nations and to set up His millennial kingdom on earth. Acts 1:11; John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 4:1; Matthew 24:42-44; II Thessalonians 2:7, 8; Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 19:11-21; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:1-6; Hebrews 12:22-24.
16. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the saved to everlasting blessedness at the coming of Christ, and, one thousand years later, the lost to the judgment at the Great White Throne and then to everlasting conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire.
John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-52; Philippians 3:20, 21; Revelation 20:5, 6, 11-15.
17. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection; and that the souls of the lost remain after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection.
II Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23, 24; Luke 16:19-31.
18. We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured, and obeyed, except where that would require disobeying our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 13:1-7; Genesis 9:5, 6; Exodus 18:21; I Timothy 2:2, 3; Acts 4:19, 20; Acts 5:27-29.
19. We believe that in this Age of Grace, the Lord’s Day, which is Sunday, the day of our Lord’s resurrection, is the proper day for Christian worship and service.
Acts 23:7; I Corinthians 16:1, 2; Colossians 2:13-17; Hebrews 10:25; John 20:1,19, 26.
20. We believe that Satan, a fallen angel, is a distinct and real personality, the god of this age, the adversary of Christ and all believers, and that his destiny is eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire. Ezekiel 28;1-19; Job 1:6-9; I Peter 5:8; Matthew 4:1-11; I Timothy 3:7; James 4:7; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10.
21. We believe that ‘marriage’ means the union of one biological man and one biological woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”. 1 Corinthians 7:2; Ephesians 5:31
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