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The Bible:
We believe:
- in the divine inspiration, infallibility in the
original texts, and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures
(excluding the Apocrypha), which are the written Word of God – the all
sufficient rule for faith and conduct.
2 Timothy 3:15-16, 2 Peter 1:21
Our God:
We believe:
- that there is One True Living, Eternal,
Self-Existent, God revealed in three persons; The Father, The Son and The Holy
Spirit; co-eternal, co-existent and co-equal, the great “I AM”.
- in the complete universal love, grace and
sovereignty of God in revelation, and in creating, sustaining, ruling,
redeeming and judging the world.
Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, Mark
12:29, 2 Corinthians 13:14
The LORD Jesus Christ:
We believe:
- in the Virgin Birth; that He is the Living Word,
fully God and fully man, and that His humanity is real and sinless.
- in His miraculous ministry, substitutionary
‘once-and-for-all-time’ atoning death (dying in our place, paying the price of
sin and defeating evil, so redeeming and reconciling us with God.).
- in His bodily resurrection (‘on the third day’),
triumphant ascension and abiding intercession for all Believers.
- that He is now ruling and reigning over Heaven
and Earth, as the only Saviour of the World.
- in His personal, visible, bodily return in power
and glory as the Blessed Hope of all Believers.
Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 24:39, Acts
1:9, 2:22, 10:38, 1 Corinthians 15:4, 22-24, 51-57, 2 Corinthians 5:21,
Ephesians 4:8-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Hebrews 7:25-26, 9:12, 1 Peter 2:22,
Revelation 20:1-6
Mankind:
We believe:
- in the dignity of all people, made male and
female in God’s image, to love, be holy and care for creation.
- in the Fall (the corruption by sin) of mankind
by voluntary transgression, which incurs divine wrath and judgment.
Genesis 1:26-31, 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-21
Salvation:
We believe:
- that the justification of sinners is solely
because of God’s unmerited gracious gift of salvation through faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ – and faith alone – and not by works.
- that through His Blood we have Redemption, the
forgiveness of sins.
- that those who truly believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ as their LORD and Saviour, receive God’s ultimate pardon and forgiveness
for all of their sins, past, present and future, and accepted in His sight as
righteous only because of the righteousness of Christ credited to them.
- that this salvation ‘experience’ is also known
as the new birth, being ‘born again’, and is an instantaneous and complete
operation of the Holy Spirit upon initial faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 3:5-6, James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23, 1
John 5:1
The Holy Spirit:
We believe:
- the Holy Spirit alone makes the work of Christ
effective to individual sinners, enabling them to turn to God from their sin
and to trust in the LORD Jesus Christ.
- that the Person of the Holy Spirit lives in and guides
all those He has regenerated. He changes them to become increasingly
Christ-like in character and behaviour (sanctification).
- His ministry unites us with Christ, and we
become co-partners with Him in the continuing mission of the Father; the
reconciliation of all things back to Him.
- in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an enduement
(the furnishing, dressing, clothing and supply) of the believer with power for mission and ministry; the biblical evidences of
which are ‘seen and heard’; most commonly but not exclusively, speaking with
other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, a spirit of prophecy and / or a
spirit of praise.
- in the present-day operation of all the Gifts of
the Holy Spirit, and that He alone determines, decides and gives to every
Believer at least one Spiritual gift.
Acts 1:4-5, 8, 2:4, 10:44-46, 11:14-16,
19:6, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28, Ephesians 4:7-16
The Church and Christian Life:
We believe:
- In the
ordinances of ‘Believers Baptism’ and Communion (practices commanded by the
Lord Jesus Christ that serve as a testimony of His work for us, and that
require our own faith to be exercised).
- That all
who have truly repented and put their faith in Christ Jesus as their LORD,
Saviour and Righteousness are commanded to be baptised (by immersion) in water,
as an outward sign of their inner faith. Baptism is an expression of our
identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Those who are
baptised acknowledge their membership of His Body, the Church.
- That all
who have truly repented and believe in Christ as LORD, Saviour and
Righteousness should regularly participate in Communion – also known as, ‘the
Breaking of Bread’, and ‘The LORD’s Supper’.
- That the
Church (local, world-wide and universal) alone is the Body and Bride of Christ.
- The Church
is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, along with the individual born-again
Christian.
- In the
priesthood of all ‘born again’ Believers, made one and equal in Christ (who
alone is the Head of the Body), but exercising differing roles,
responsibilities and functions within the Church.
- The
plurality of servant leadership within the Church, exercised under the
administration of the Holy Spirit, by appointed and anointed leaders (Elders),
including as necessary a recognised ordained ‘Leader’ (e.g., a Minister,
Pastor) – as the ‘first among equals’.
- The
holiness of life and conduct in obedience with the command of God.
- That
deliverance from sickness, by Divine healing, is provided for in the Atonement.
Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-17, 28:19, Luke 22:14-20,
Acts 2:38-39, 10:47-48, Romans 6:1-7, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 11:20-34, 1
Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 12:14, James 5:13-16, 1 Peter 1:14-16,1 John 2:6
The Second Coming
We
believe:
- in the bodily resurrection of all mankind, the
everlasting conscious bliss in heaven for the Redeemed (those whose names are written
in the Lamb’s book of Life), and the everlasting conscious punishment, in hell
along with Hades, death and Satan, for all (whose names are not written in the
Lamb’s Book of Life) those who rejected the LORD Jesus Christ and His means and
provision of salvation, justification, righteousness and forgiveness.
- in the eventual creation and establishment of
a New Heaven and a New Earth.
Daniel 12:2-3, Matthew 25:46, John 5:28-29, 1 Corinthians
15:22-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Revelation 20:10-15
Updated March 2011
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