STATEMENT OF FAITH
What We Believe
To set forth a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us … “that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed”, we adopt the commonly believed confession of faith as follows:
Of The Scriptures:
We believe that the Holy Bible originated within the mind of God and by means of Holy Spirit guided men the complete, final, and inspired Scriptures have been given to mankind. We believe that God inspired every word of the original texts; that all the Scriptures are equally and completely inspired; and that it is truth without any admixture of error for its matter. It is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only, complete, and final revelation of the will of God to man. It is the true centre of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried.
By the “Holy Bible” we mean the collection of sixty–six books from Genesis through Revelation which, as originally written, does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but IS the Word of God.
By “inspiration” we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved and guided by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally free from error as no other writings have ever been or ever will be and into which God breathed so that they became alive.
II Sam. 23:2; Psa. 19: 7-11; Psa. 119:89, 105, 130, 160; Prov. 30:5-6; Isa. 8:20; Luke16:31; Luke 24:25-27, 44-45; John 5:39, 45-47; John 12:48; John 17:17; Acts 1:16; Acts 3:21; Acts 28:25; Rom. 3:4; Rom.15:4; Eph. 6:17; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:19-21, 23; Rev. 22:19.
Of The True God:
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, omnipresent, self-existing, intelligent Spirit, the creator, upholder, and supreme ruler of heaven and earth. He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honour, confidence, and love. We believe in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, yet executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Gen. 17:1; Ex. 15:11; Ex. 20:2-3; Deut. 6:4-5; Psa. 83:18; Psa. 90:2; Psa. 147:5; Jer. 10:10; Matt. 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 4:24; John 10:30; John 15:26; John 17:5; Acts 5:3-4; Rom. 11:33; I Cor. 2:10-11; I Cor. 8:6; I Cor. 12:4-6; II Cor. 13:14; Eph. 2:18; Eph. 4:6; Phil. 2:5-6; I Tim. 1:17; James 1:17; I John 5:7; Rev. 14:11.
Of Jesus Christ:
We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal and only begotten Son of God, yet co-equal with the Father and Holy Spirit, conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of the virgin Mary as no other man has ever or can ever be born of woman, who assumed a human nature without sin and lived a perfect, sinless life. We believe He shed His precious blood on the cross as payment for sin, arose bodily from the grave, and ascended to reign in heaven. We believe that He is both the Son of God and God the Son.
Gen. 3.15; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; Mark.1:1; John 1:14; Psa. 2:7; Gal. 4:4; I John 5:20; I Cor. 15:47.
Of The Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, indwells, empowers, guides, teaches, comforts, sanctifies and helps the believer.
We believe the Scriptures teach that believers upon conversion receive spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit for the edification and good of the local church. In the beginning, some temporary gifts were given to provide oral revelation until the New Testament was completed. These spiritual gifts include that of an apostle, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, a word of knowledge, a word of wisdom, and prophecy. The spiritual gifts of tongues, healing, and miracles confirmed the word of spokesmen of God while the New Testament was being completed. We believe that the other spiritual gifts of pastor, teacher, evangelist, helps, ministry, exhortation, mercy, giving, faith, administration, and organization are to be operative in the local church today.
Gen. 1:1-3; Matt. 3:11; Matt. 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; Luke 3:16; Luke 24:49; John 1:33; John 3:5-6; John 14:16-17,26; John 15:26-27; John 16:8-11,13; Acts 5:30-32; Acts 11:16; Rom. 8:14; Rom. 8:16, 26-27; Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:1-14:40; Eph 1:13-14; Eph. 4:11; II Thess. 2:7, 13; I Pet. 1:2; Heb. 9:14.
Of Angels and Satan:
We believe that God created an innumerable host of holy angelic spirit beings prior to the creation of the earth. We believe that Satan was once one of these angels enjoying heavenly honours, but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of demons; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world. We hold Satan to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power behind the present apostasy; the lord of the anti-Christ, and the ruler over all the powers of darkness. Though Satan and his demons are influential and powerful, they are limited by God, defeated at the cross of Christ, destined to final defeat at the hands of Christ, and will be judged with eternal justice in the lake of fire prepared for them.
Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:14-17; Zech. 1:3; Matt. 4:1-3; Matt. 13:25; Matt. 25:41; Mark 13:21-22; Luke 22:3-4; John 14:30; II Cor. 11:13-15; Eph. 2:2; I Thess. 3:4; II Thess. 2:8-11; I Pet. 5:8; II Pet. 2:4; I John 2:22; I John 3:8; I John 4:3; II John 7; Jude 6; Rev.12:7-10; Rev. 13:13-14; Rev. 19:11, 16, 20; Rev. 20:1-3, 10.
Of The Creation:
We believe in the literal, Genesis, six solar days account of creation; that man’s creation was not by evolutionary change of species or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms and that animal and vegetable life was made directly by God with the established law to bring forth only “after their kind”.
Gen. 1:1, 11; Gen. 1:24-27; Gen. 2:21-23; Ex. 20:11; Neh. 9:6; Jer. 10:12; John 1:3; Acts 4:24; Acts 17:23-26; Rom. 1:20; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 10:6.
Of The Fall Of Man:
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state. As a consequence, all mankind are now sinners and totally and inherently sinful, not by constraint, but by choice and are therefore under just condemnation without defense, excuse, or ability to personally alter their condition.
Gen. 1:31; Gen. 3:1-6, 24; Ezek. 18:19-20; Rom. 1:18, 20, 32; Rom. 3:10-23; Rom. 5:12, 19; Gal. 3:22; Eph.2:1, 3.
Of The Atonement For Sin:
We believe that the salvation of sinners is totally by grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, Who by the appointment of the Father freely took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin, honoured the divine law by His personal obedience, by His death fully satisfied the righteous demands of God, and made a full and vicarious payment for our sins. We believe Christ’s atonement consisted not in simply setting an example as a martyr, but the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust. Christ the Lord bore our sins in His own body on the cross. Rising from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and unites in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection and is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour.
Isa. 53:4-7, 11-12; Matt. 18:11, John 3:16-19, 36; John 10:18; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24-25; I Cor. 15:3, 20; II Cor. 5:21; Gal.1:4; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 2:7-8; Heb. 2:14; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 9:12-15; Heb.12:2; I Pet. 2:24; I Pet. 3 18; I John 2:2; I John 4:10.
Of Grace In The New Creation:
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life as a free gift of God. We believe the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel. We believe that the evidences of salvation appear in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.
Luke 5:27; John 1:12-13; John 3:3, 6-7, 9; Acts 2:41; Acts 16:30-33; Rom. 6:23; II Cor. 5:17-19; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 2:1; Eph. 5:9; Col. 2:13; II Pet. 1:4; I John 5:1.
Of The Freeness Of Salvation:
We believe in God’s electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are freely made 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 any sinner but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel that brings eternal condemnation.
Isa. 55:1, 6-7; Matt. 11:28; John 3:15-16, 18, 36; John 5:40; John 6:37; Acts 2:38; Rom. 8:29-30; Rom. 10:13; I Cor. 15:10; Eph. 2:4-5, 8-9; Col. 3:12; I Thess. 1:4; I Tim. 1:15; Titus 1:1; I Pet. 1:2; Rev. 22:17.
Of Justification:
We believe that all who receive Jesus Christ as Saviour through the gospel have the great blessing of being justified by God. Justification is the declaration of God the Father that the believer, through faith in the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus, is now and forever righteous in His sight. It includes the pardon of sins and the gift of eternal life on the principle of Christ’s bestowed righteousness and not in consideration of any works of righteousness we have done, but solely His righteousness imputed to us.
Isa. 53:11; Hab. 2:4; Zech. 13:1; Acts 13:39; Rom. 1:17; Rom. 4: 23, 24; Rom. 5:1,9; Rom. 8:1; Gal. 3:11; Titus 3:5-7; Heb. 10:38.
Of Repentance And Faith:
We believe that repentance and faith are solemn requirements and inseparable graces performed within our souls by the quickening work of the Holy Spirit, Who causes us to be deeply convicted of our guilt and concerned about our eternal danger and utter helplessness. Believing that salvation is by Jesus Christ alone and not through our efforts, we turn by faith to Christ in sincere contrition, confessing our sinfulness and supplicating His mercy. At the same time, we heartily accept His substitutionary death as payment for our sins and openly confess the risen Lord Jesus to be our only and all-sufficient Saviour.
Psa. 51:1-4, 7; Isa. 55:6-7; Mark 1:15; Luke 12:8, 18:13; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 20:21; Rom. 7:13; Rom. 10:9-11, 13.
Of The Church:
We believe that all regenerated persons of this present age belong to the spiritual body of Christ and are called the bride of Christ. All these will be gathered together at the rapture and assembled with Christ at the judgement seat.
We also believe that the New Testament emphasizes the importance of the local church. We believe that a local church is a congregation of scripturally baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. We believe that its officers are pastors (elders, bishops) and deacons, whose qualifications, privileges, and responsibilities are clearly defined in the Scriptures.
We believe the mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: firstly, to make individual disciples through preaching the Gospel; secondly, to baptize and add them to the church; thirdly, to instruct them in all things as He has commanded.
We believe that the local church should become self-supporting, self-propagating, and self-governing. We believe in the absolute right of the local church to be free from interference by any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only Chief Shepherd and head is Christ. We believe that it is scriptural for true churches to co-operate with each other in contending for the faith and in furthering the gospel; that every church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its co-operation; and that on all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline, and benevolence the will of the local church is final.
Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 6:5-6; Acts 14:23; Acts 15:22-23; Acts 20:17-28; I Cor. 5:11-13; I Cor. 6:1-3; I Cor. 11:2; I Cor. 12:4, 8-11; I Cor. 16:1-2; II Cor. 8:23-24; Eph 1:22-23; Eph. 4:11; Eph. 5:23,24; Col. 1:18; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; I Pet. 5:1-4; Jude 3-4.
Of Baptism and the Lord’s Table:
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer; in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a local church ordinance showing, through a solemn and beautiful emblem, personal faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour. It is a testimony of death to sin and resurrection to a new life. It is a prerequisite to church membership and the Lord’s Table.
We believe that the Lord’s Table was instituted by our Lord as a local church ordinance; it is symbolic, representative, and commemorative of the Lord’s blood and body. Each member of the local church should be committed to remember the Lord’s suffering and death through the regular observance of the Lord’s Table until He returns. The Lord’s Table is to be preceded by solemn self-examination.
Matt. 3:6,16; Matt. 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 8:36-39; Rom. 6:3-5; I Cor.11:23-28; Col. 2:12; I Pet. 3:21.
Of The Righteous And The Wicked:
We believe that there is an essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those that are justified by faith in the Lord Jesus and are sanctified by the Holy Spirit are truly righteous in His esteem, while all those that continue in impenitence and unbelief are wicked in His sight and are under the curse. These distinctions continue among men, both in and after death, in the everlasting holiness and joy of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.
Gen. 18:23; Prov. 14:32; Prov. 21:31; Mal. 3:18; Matt. 7:13–14; Matt. 25:34, 41; Luke 9:26; Luke 16:25; John 8:21; John 12:25; Acts 10:34-35; Rom.1:17; Rom 6:16-18; Rom 6:23; Rom. 7:6; I Cor. 15:22; Gal. 3:10; I Pet. 4:18; I John 2:29; I John 3:7; I John 5:19; Rev. 20:15.
Of Civil Government:
We believe that civil government is divinely appointed for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured, and obeyed, except only in things that clearly violate the Scriptures. Conscientious obedience to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ (Who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming King of all the earth) must follow the non-threatening, non-subversive, compassionate, harmless, and blameless example of our Saviour for the sake of testimony.
II Sam 23:3; Psa. 72:11; Dan. 3:17,18; Matt. 10:28; Matt. 22:21; Matt. 23:10; Acts 4:19-20; Acts 5:29; Acts 23:5; Rom. 13:1-7; Phil. 2:10-11; Titus 3:1; I Pet. 2:13-14, 17; I Pet. 3:12-17; I Pet. 4:14-19; Rev.10:6.
Of The Resurrection, Return Of Christ, And Related Future Events:
We believe that Christ arose bodily from the grave the third day according to the Scriptures; that He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God; that He is our only merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God; that the Lord Jesus will come in a bodily, personal and visible manner as He was seen going into heaven.
We believe that the Lord Jesus will receive up the saints of this age to meet Him in the air in what is often referred to as the “rapture” of the church. The dead in Christ will rise first and living saints will all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The righteous judgements of God will then be poured out on an unbelieving world in what is called the Great Tribulation and the climax of this awful era will be the physical return of Jesus Christ to earth in great glory to introduce His earthly millennial reign in the Davidic kingdom. Satan will be bound and the curse will be lifted from the physical creation for these one thousand years. Satan will be loosed for a short while following the millennium. He will wage a final war against God, will be judged at the Great White Throne and he, together with all the unbelievers of all ages, will be cast into the Lake of Fire. These present heavens and earth will then be destroyed and new heavens and a new earth will be created as the final abode in which righteousness will eternally dwell.
Psa. 72:8; Isa.9:6-7; Isa.11:.4-10; Isa.32:1;. Matt. 24:27, 42; Matt. 25:13; Matt. 28:6-7; Mark 16:6, 19; Luke 1:32; Luke 24:2-6, 39, 51; John 14:3; John 20:27; Acts 1:9, 11; Acts 2:29- 30 1 Cor. 15:4, 25, 42, 51-53; Phil. 3:20-21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Heb. 5:9-10; Heb 9:28; Jas.5:8; Rev. 2:17; Rev.19:11-16; Rev. 20:1-6, 11-15.
Of Giving:
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament teach a principle of voluntary, sacrificial, and regular giving by every believer as an act of worship and an expression of gratitude. We believe that; from the gifts of Abraham, through the tithes and offerings of the law, and into the present age of the church; giving to the Lord is to be proportionate of our income. While the proportion begins with a tenth, we are to prayerful respond to the Holy Spirit’s direction in establishing the portion of our giving as He blesses us and to serve Him with all that remains for our spending.
Gen. 14:20; Mal. 3:8-10; Matt. 23:23; II Cor. 8:2-8; II Cor. 9:7-14; II Cor.16:2; Phil. 4:19; Heb. 7:5-9.
Of Missions:
We believe that we exist to faithfully witness of Christ to all people as is our responsibility within the local, national, and international settings. It is imperative that the lost be evangelized, believers be taught the principles of Scripture, and local, independent, indigenous churches of like faith and practice be developed throughout the world. Where it is not possible for our church to minister directly, we will prayerfully and carefully support doctrinally compatible, equipped, and called men and women within acceptable mission agencies to carry out the Great Commission in the areas of the world that otherwise we could not impact.
Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:13-15.
Of The Family:
We believe that God instituted the family with its biblical order being the husband as the
head, the wife in subjection to the husband, and the children in subjection to the parents. We believe that believers in Christ are to marry only other believers in the Lord. We also believe that marriage cannot be dissolved apart from death.
We believe that parents ought to dedicate themselves to raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; seeking to bring their children to a saving knowledge of Christ at an early age; and doing all they can to encourage and support lifetime obedience to the will of God. To this end, every Christian home should have a regular spiritual family devotional time.
Gen. 2:24; Psa. 68:6; Prov. 22:6, 15; Prov. 23:13, 14; Amos 3:3; Rom. 7:2-3; I Cor. 7:39; II Cor. 6:14-16; Eph. 5:28-33; Eph. 6:1-4; Col. 3:17-21.
Of Separation:
We believe in obedience to the Biblical commands to individually separate ourselves unto the Lord Jesus Christ from worldly practices that are forbidden in Scripture, dishonour our Lord, or bring disrepute to the church.
We believe that this church is to remain separated from affiliation, fellowship, and cooperation with all those who deny true Biblical doctrine or endorse compromising alliances whereby Scriptural injunctions are ignored or the Gospel of Christ and the purity of the faith are damaged. All acts of separation are to be practiced with an attitude of devotion to Christ, humility, compassion, and yet conviction in order to maintain the glory of Christ while creating a proper condition for the salvation of the lost.
Rom. 16:17; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; Eph. 5:11; I Thess. 1:9-10; I Tim. 6:3-5; II John 9-11.
The Authority Of This Statement Of Faith:
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. We believe the Bible to be the only, complete, and final authority of all that we believe and practice. We do believe that this statement of faith accurately represents Scriptural truth and shall be what binds members together. Any future changes shall be consistent with these general tenets.