The
Living God:
We believe God is Almighty, Eternal and unchanging. He is
just and holy, gracious and merciful. He is the Creator and
Ruler of all things, exercising sovereign power in Creation,
Providence and Redemption, and is deserving of all glory and
praise forever. Genesis 17:1; Exodus 3:14; 34:6; Deuteronomy
32:4; Kings 8:27; Job 11:7-9; Psalms 90:2; 139:1-13; 147:5;
Isaiah 6:3; Malachi 3:6; Matthew 5:48; John 4:24; Acts 7:2;
Romans 16:27; 1 Timothy 6:15; Hebrews 4:13; James 1:17; Revelation
4:8; 15:4.
The Holy Trinity:
We believe God is One, existing through all eternity in three
Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:2; Deuteronomy
6:4; Isaiah 6:3,5,8; 9:6; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 3:16,17;
28:19; John 1:1; 1:14,18; 2:24,25; 10:30; 15:26; 1 Corinthians
2:10,11; 8:4,6; Galatians 4:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:5,6,8.
The Word of God:
We believe God’s greatness and holiness are such, that
without His aid, man can neither understand God nor find the
way to a right relationship with Him. In His mercy, however,
God has made Himself known. He has done this partially through
Creation, but more fully and clearly to the people of Israel
and explicitly and finally in Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of
God and the Word of God incarnate. The Scriptures of the Old
and New Testament as an originally given and divinely preserved
record, interpret and complete God’s special revelation
to us. We therefore accept the Bible as not merely containing
but being the divinely inspired and infallible Word of God
written and the final and sufficient authority in all matters
of Christian faith and life. Psalm 19:1-3; Proverbs 22:19-21;
Isaiah 8:19,20; Matthew 4:4,7,10; Luke 1:3,4; Romans 1:19,20,32;
2:14,15; 15:4; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 2:13,14; 2 Timothy 3:15,16;
2 Peter 1:19.
Satan:
We believe Satan is a person, a malignant Spirit, the enemy
of Jesus Christ and of the Saints, deceiving mankind; and
has been condemned to eternal damnation. 1 Chronicles 21:1;
Job 1:6,7,8; 2:1,2,3,6,7; Psalm 109:6; Matthew 4:10; Mark
1:13; 3:23; 4:15; Luke 4:8; John 13:27; Acts 5:3; Romans 16:20;
1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9;
1 Timothy 1:20; 5:15; Revelation 2:9,13,24; 3:9; 12:9; 20:2,7.
Man the Sinner:
We believe God created Man perfect, but after being tempted
by Satan, man by his own free choice, disobeyed God and became
a sinner. Man’s whole nature is now corrupted by sin
and his fellowship with God is broken.
Genesis 1:27,28; 2:17; 3:6,8,10,24; Job 14:4; Lam.3:39; Matthew
15:9; 25:41; John 3:6; Romans 2:14,15; 3:10-19; 5:6,12,19;
6:23; 7:7,8; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:24; Colossians 3:10; James
1:14,15; Jude 7; 2 Timothy 2:26.
Jesus the Saviour:
We believe God can deal with man’s sin and bring about
a reconciliation with Himself. In God’s great plan of
Redemption, God the Son became man through the Incarnation.
Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of
the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless human life and taught
with divine authority. He suffered and died in the place of
sinners, bearing their sin and its guilt and punishment. He
thus sets free all believers from the domination of Satan
and the corruption of their own sinful nature, and removes
from them forever sin’s lasting consequences. John 3:16;
10:11; Romans 3:24-26; 5:8,10,11; 8:3,32; 1 Corinthians 5:21;
Galations 1:4; 4:4,5; Ephesians 1:7; 5:2; Hebrews 2:14; 9:26;
1 Peter 1:19,20; 1 John 3:5; 4:10; Revelation 13:8.
The Grace of God:
We believe God, by His Grace, forgives and reconciles to Himself
all who turn to Him in true repentance, turning from sin and
trusting in Christ’s atoning death. God imputes to them
the righteousness of Christ Himself and adopts them as His
children. John 1:12,16,17; Acts 2:37; 4:3; 15:11; Romans 1:5,7;
3:24; 4:4,16; 5:2,17,20; 11:5,6; 10:14,17; 3:28; 4:5; 10:10;
2 Corinthians 4:13; Galatians 3:11; 4:4,5; Ephesians 1:5,17,19;
2:5-8; Philippians 3:9; Titus 2:11; 3:7; Hebrews 10:29; 1
John 3:1.
The Risen Lord:
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ was shown to be the Son Of
God by His teaching, by His miracles and by His bodily resurrection
from the dead. He has ascended in power and glory to the presence
of God where He now pleads on behalf of those who call upon
Him in truth. Luke 24:39; John 10:18; 11:25; 14:19; Acts 2:24,27;
Romans 1:4; 8:34; 6:9; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:20,21; Hebrews
2:14; Revelation 1:5,18.
The Holy Spirit:
We believe God in the Person of the Holy Spirit must work
in a man before he can enter Salvation. He leads the sinner
into an awareness of his sinfulness and brings him to repentance
and trust in Christ. He brings to birth in him a new and eternal
life, and by His continuing work, develops in this new life
the fruits of love and holiness. John 16:8; Romans 8:16; 1
Corinthians 2:12,13; 6:11; Titus 3:5,6; Hebrews 3:7,8; 1 Peter
1:2; Revelation 22:17.
Justification by Faith Through
Grace Alone:
We believe the Scriptures affirm that the sinner is justified
by faith alone in the finished work of Christ, that is, by
His substitutionary death upon the Cross and His resurrection
from the dead. The works of men and the traditions of the
visible Church are of no avail in the Salvation and Justification
of men. Jeremiah 23:6; John 1:12; Acts 10:44; 13:38,39; Romans
3:22-28; 5:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30,31; 2 Corinthians 5:19,21;
Galatians 2:16; 5:6; Ephesians 1:7; 2:7,8; Philippians 3:9;
Titus 3:5,7; James 2:17-26.
The Visible Return
of Christ:
We believe God is bringing all human history to a climax which
will be marked by the personal bodily return to the earth
of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory. Matthew 24:14,37,42,44;
26:64; 25:31,32; Mark 8:38; 13:32; John 6:39; 14:1-3; Acts1:7-11;
1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians
1:7-10; James 5:7; 1 Peter 1:7,13.
Jesus the Judge:
We believe God has appointed Jesus as Judge and there will
be a final judgement. Those who are saved will be raised in
a glorified body and enjoy eternally and to the full the presence
of their Lord in heaven. Those who have rejected Christ will
also be raised and banished from God forever in hell.
Daniel 7:9,10; Matthew 13:40-43,47,50; 16:27; 25:31-46; Luke
17:24; John 5:22; Acts 17:31; Romans 2:6; 14:10,12; 1 Corinthians
4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:16; 2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 3:7,10; Jude
14:15; Revelation 20:12,13; 22:12.
The One Church:
We believe all who have been personally redeemed with the
precious Blood of Christ and upon whom God has bestowed His
righteousness as a free gift, belong to Christ. They alone
may rightly be called Christians. They alone are members of
the one universal and eternal Church which is the Body of
Christ.
Exekiel 16:20,21; Matthew 13:47; Acts 2:4-7; Romans 11:16;
15:9-12; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 7:14; 12:12,13; Ephesians 1:10,22,23;
5:13; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 7:9.
The Gathered Church:
We believe each local church is a fellowship of believers
gathered by Christ and under His sole, sufficient and supreme
authority. Through Him, as Head of the Church it has direct
access to God and enjoys fellowship with other Congregations
of His people in a unity which transcends all barriers.
Matthew 18:15-20; Acts 6:1-6; 14:23; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians
7:17; 16:19; Ephesians 1:22; 5:23.24; Colossians 1:18.
Spiritual Gifts:
We believe the Holy Spirit gives many different gifts to equip
all God’s people for ministry, in order to build up
the Body of Christ, and He determines what is given to each
believer. A gift is to be valued in the Church according to
its contribution to the common good. Romans 1:11; 12:3-8;
1 Corinthians 7:7; 12:8-10,13; Ephesians 4:1-16; 2 Timothy
1:6; 1 Peter 4:11,16.
The Christian Life:
We believe every Christian is called to love the Lord his
God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength; and to love
his neighbour as himself. Therefore, all are to live godly
lives doing all things to the glory of God. The indwelling
Holy Spirit makes this new life a reality as they yield themselves
to Him.
Deuteronomy 10:12,13; Matthew 5:8,48; Romans 6:1-13; 13:10;
2 Corinthians 7:1; Galations 5:24; Ephesians 1:4; Philippians
2:15; Colossians 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:7; 5:23; 2
Thessalonians 3:3; 1 Timothy 1:5; Hebrews 12:10; 1 John 1:7-9;
4:16,17,21; 5:3; Jude 24.
The Sacraments:
We believe that Baptism is a sacrament ordained by Jesus Christ
as a sign and seal of the Covenant of Grace. Where one who
confesses faith in Christ is baptized, the sacrament is seen
as an outward and visible sign of newness of life through
faith in Christ on the part of the candidate.
Or, Where an infant of confessing parents is baptized, the
sacrament is seen as an outward and visible sign that works
in the life prior to the response of faith, calling the one
baptized to grow up into Christ and - The Lord’s Supper
is a sacrament ordained by Jesus Christ and is to be observed
in the churches for a perpetual remembrance and showing forth
of the sacrifice of Christ, the spiritual nourishment of believers
and a sign of their communion with one another. Matthew 26:26,27;
28:19; Mark 14:23; Romans 4:11; 6:5; 1 Corinthians 10:22-28;
11:23-26; Colossians 2:11,12; Galations 3:27.
The Great Commission:
We believe we are under obligation to fulfil the Commission
given to the Church by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of all nations.
Matthew 28:16-29; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 4:20;
5:28; 17:6; Romans 1:14-16; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 9:16,17; 2
Corinthians 2:15; 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:4.
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