WHAT WE BELIEVE
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Scripture
1.1 The full and verbal inspiration of all the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures as originally given, and these alone, being in themselves the complete Word of God. Authoritative, without error, and wholly reliable. Their final authority and perpetual sufficiency in all matters of faith, church order and personal and social conduct.
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(2 Tim 3:15-17; Is 8:20; Lk 16:29, 31; Eph 2:20; Rom 1:19-21; Rom 2:14,15; Ps 19:1-3; Heb 1:1; Prov 22:19-21; Rom 15:4; 2 Pet 1:19,20)
God the Father
1.2 The one true and living God who is inexpressibly magnificent and infinite in all his attributes and worthy of all honor, love and obedience. The unity of the Godhead and divine co-equality of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit eternally. The Sovereignty of God in creation, providence and justification.
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(1 Jn 5:7; Mat 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; Ex 3:14; Jn 14:11; 1 Cor 8:6; Jn 1:14,18; Jn 15:26; Gal 4:6, 1 Cor 8:4, 6; Deut 6:4; Jer 10:10; Is 48:12; Ex 3:14; Jn 4:24; 1 Tim 1:17; Deut 4:15, 16; Mal 3:6; 1 Kings 8:27; Jer 23:23; Ps 90:2; Gen 17:1; Is 6:3; Ps 115:3; Is 46:10; Prov 16:4; Rom 11:36; Exo 34:6, 7; Heb 11:6; Neh 9:32, 33; Ps 5:5, 6; Ex 34:7; Nahum 1:2, 3)
Jesus Christ
1.3 The true and proper deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His real and perfect manhood, the authority of His teaching and the infallibility of all His words. His substitutionary death on the cross as being the full, sufficient and only atonement for sins. His bodily resurrection, His ascension into Heaven and His present priestly intercession for His people. His personal return in glory.
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(John 1:14; Gal 4;4; Rom 8:3; Heb 2:14, 16, 17; Heb 4:15; Matt 1:22, 23; Lk 1:27, 31, 35; Rom 9:5; 1 Tim 2:5, Ps 40:7, 8; Heb 10:5-10; John 10:18; Gal 4:4; Matt 3:15; Gal 3:13; Is 3:6; 1 Pet 3:18; 2 Cor 5:21; Matt 26:37, 38; Lk 22:44; Matt 27:46; Acts 13:37; 1 Cor 15:3, 4; Jn 20:25, 27; Mk 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; Rom 8:34; Heb 9:24; Acts 10:42; Rom 14:9, 10; Acts 1:11; 2 Pet 2:4 )
The Holy Spirit
1.4 The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, revives, transforms, and regenerates the souls of those who have heard the Gospel, repented and believed in Christ. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is a great Comforter to our souls: assuring us of forgiveness, uniting our hearts with other believers, and granting us assurance of spending eternity with God.
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(Jn.16:8-11, Eph.1:13-14, Jn.3:5-8; Eph.2:4-5, Heb.11:6, Jn.14:16,26, 1 Jn.3:21-24, Rom.8:16; 1 Cor.12:13)
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Mankind
1.5 Mankind is completely depraved and dead in sin as a consequence of the fall of man in the garden of Eden from the original state of perfection in which he was created. By this fall, all mankind is in a state of condemnation and separation from God. Deliverance is only by the divine work of regeneration and conversion found in Christ alone.
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(Gen 2:15-17; 6:5; Ps 51:5; Jer 17:9; Jn 6:44; Rom 3:10-18; 5:12; 7:18; 8:7-8; 1 Cor 2:14; Eph 2:1-10)
Salvation
1.6 Salvation is found solely in Christ’s finished work on the cross. Christ died for His bride, the Church. Man's condition apart from Christ is completely dead in sin. Only a sovereign work of God can overcome man’s rebellion against God and bring him to faith in Christ. Christ’s death accomplished all that was necessary to secure the everlasting salvation of His people. Christ’s death on the cross cancels the debt of their sin, satisfies the holy wrath of God, and wins for His people all the benefits of salvation, including the gifts of repentance, faith and new life by the Spirit.
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(Jn 10:26; Acts 11:18; 13:48; Rom 3:9-18,8:29-30; 9:10-21, Eph 1:4-11; 2:4-10, Is 53:11-12; Matt 1:21; 26:28; Mark 10:45; John 10:11-30; 17:6-12; Acts 20:28; Rom 3:21-16; 8:28-30, 32; Eph 2:8-10; 5:25; Titus 2:14; 3:5-6; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 2:24; Rev 5:9)
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The Church
1.7 We believe that the church is the universal, or invisible, body of true believers, consisting of the whole number of the redeemed under Christ the head of the body. We believe that the local, or visible, church consists of those who profess the faith of the Gospel, live in a manner consistent with their profession, and do willingly consent to walk together, according to the Word of God, giving themselves to the Lord in faith, and to one another in love, in submission to the ordinances of the Gospel. We believe that God has established His church in the world and endowed it with all things necessary for carrying out the Great Commission: the ministry of the Word; the holy ordinances of Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, Prayer; and the Discipline which he has instituted for the church to observe. The Lord Jesus, who is the only Head of the church, has given these in order that through these means, the riches of His grace in the gospel may be made known to the world, and, by the blessing of Christ and the working of His Spirit in us that by faith receive them, the benefits of redemption may be communicated to His people.
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(Acts 4.12, Mt 28.19-20, Acts 1.8, Rom 10.13-17, Heb 10.19-25, Gal 3.28, 1 Cor 16.1-2, Mt 9.36-38, Acts 13.2- 4, Col 3.16, Rev 22.17, Col 1.28-29, Acts 16.31, 2 Tm 3.15, Jn 5.39, Mt 24.14, 13.38, Jn 17.18, Acts 20.28, 1 Pt 5.2, Jn 21.15-16, 1 Cor 3.9, 11.24, 2 Cor 1.11, Eph 6.18-19, Heb 13.16, Gal 6.6, Mt 10.8, 2 Cor 9.7, 2 Tm 2.15, Rom 12.11, Col 3.23-24, Mt 6.10,13, Rev 11.15)
Christian Living
1.8 As believers our lives must reveal and reflect God’s truths to the world, and are used by God to bring him glory. He also commands us to live holy lives. Through living in continual prayer, regular bible study and fellowship with other believers. Above all, we are to be known for our steadfast love for one another, by this the world will know that we are Jesus’ disciples. As sexual sins are particularly prevalent, we specifically affirm the teaching of scripture that marriage is only between a man and a woman and that sexual union is to exist only within the confines of marriage. Sexual sins include: sex before marriage, and homosexual acts. However, we also stand against societal sins. Some examples of societal sins are racism, abortion and injustice.
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(Eph 2:10, Eph 4:1 Rom12:12, Col 1:10, Matt 5:16, 1 Peter 2:12, Is 49:6 Ps 96:3, Is 43:7, 1 Cor 10:31, Ps 115:1, Col 3:17, 1 Peter 1:13-16, 1 Cor 6:19-20, John 14:15, Lev 19:2, Rom 12:12, 1 Thess 5:17, Heb 10:24-25, Acts 2:42 1 Cor 12:12-31, Josh 1:8, Ps 119:9-11, 2 Tim 2:15, 1 John 4:19-21, John 13:34-35, Phil 2:3-5, Gen 2:24, Mal 2:14-15, Mark 10:7-8, 2 Chron 21:11, Acts 15:20, 1 Cor 6:18, Ex 20:14, Prov 6:32, Lev 18:22, 1 Cor 6:9, 1 Tim 1:10, Rom 1:24-32, Col 3:11, Gen 1:27, James 2:9, Is 1:16-17, Ps 139:13-16, Ex 21:22-25, Proverbs 17:15, Proverbs 31:8-9, Zech 7:9-10)
Ordinances
1.9 The observance of the ordinance of baptism of believers by immersion, as being instituted by Christ, in loving obedience and as an act of witness, but not as conveying any regenerating grace. The regular observance of the Lord's Supper as a commemoration of our Lord's death but not as being a sacrifice for sin nor involving any change in the substance of the bread and wine.
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(Rom 6:3-5; Col 2;12; Gal 3:27; Mk 1:4; Acts 22:16; Rom 6:4, Mk 16:16; Acts 8:36, 37; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12; Acts 18:8 1 Cor 11:23-26; 1 Cor 10:16, 17, 21)
Eternity and Judgement
1.10 The resurrection of the body. The judgment of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ. The eternal blessedness of the redeemed. The conscious eternal punishment of the impenitent.
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(Rom 9:22, 23; Matt 25:21, 34; 2 Tim 4:8; Matt 25:46; Mk 9:48; 2 Thess 1:7-10, 2 Cor 5:10, 11; 2 Thess 1:5-7; Mk 13:35-37; Luke 12:35-40; Rev 22:20)
Return of Christ
1.11 Christ is coming again to judge the living and the dead. This promise is found throughout the inspired Scriptures. He will come in power and glory and He will reign with His church for all eternity. Until His return, believers are to live lives that bring glory to God through Jesus Christ and hold fast to the promise that we will conquer with Him in his return.
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(Mt 24.36, 42-44, Mk 13.35-37, Lk 12.35-36, Rev 22.20)