Statement of Faith
DOCTRINAL POSITION
1.CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES: We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the very Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts, having God as its author, is God-breathed, reliable, infallible and a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has salvation for its end and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the true centre of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and options should be tried.
Psalms 119:89, 160;Philippians 3:16; Proverbs 30:5,6; II Timothy 3:15-17; Matthew 24:35; II Peter 1:19-21; Romans 2:12; I John 4:1
2.CONCERNING THE TRUE GOD: We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent, perfect Spirit and personal being, the Preserver, and Supreme Ruler of the Universe, existing absolutely separate from and above the world as its creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the upholder of all things, in the true unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; equal in every divine perfection and executing the distinct, but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Exodus 15:11; 20:2,3; John 4:24; 10:30; Psalm 83:18; I Timothy 1:17;
Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 2:18; Mark 12:30; I John 5:7
3. CONCERNING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: We believe Jesus Christ is absolute deity, the eternal Word and Only Begotten Son; that without ceasing to be God, He became man by being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, thus to continue forever as both true God and true Man, one Person with two natures; that as Man He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect Lamb of God He gave Himself in death upon the cross, bearing there the sin of the world, and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our stead; that He arose from the grave in a glorified body; that as our great Holy Priest He ascended into Heaven, there to appear before the face of God as our Advocate and Intercessor.
Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1,14; 3:16;
I Corinthians 15:3-7,47; Galatians 4:4,5; Philippians 2:5-10; I Timothy 3:16;
Hebrews 4:14-16; I John 2:1,2; 5:20
4.CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature, that He is the Divine Agent active in creation, revelation and redemption; that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains Satan until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgement; that He regenerates, indwells, baptises, seals and anoints all who become children of God through Christ; that He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills believers who daily surrender to Him.
John 3:5,6; 14:16,17,26; 16:7-14; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13; II Corinthians3:18; Ephesians 1:13,14; 5:18; II Thessalonians 2:7; Hebrews 9:14
5.CONCERNING CREATION: We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness; that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower or higher forms; that all animal, vegetable and human life was made directly and God's established law was that they should bring forth only "after their kind."
Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:3;
Acts 4:24; 17:23-26; Romans1:20; I Corinthians 11:7; Colossians 1:16,17;
Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 10:6
6.CONCERNING SATAN: We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, who originally was created a holy and perfect being, but through pride and wicked ambition rebelled against God, thus becoming utterly depraved in character, the great adversary of God and His people, leader of all other evil angels and wicked spirits, the deceiver and god of this present world: that his powers are vast, but strictly limited by the permissive will of God who overrules all his wicked devices for good; that he was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore his final doom is certain; that we are able to resist and overcome him only in the armour of God, by the blood of the Lamb and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 14:12-25; II Corinthians 11:13-15; Ephesians 6:12; I Peter 5:8; I John 3:8;
Revelation 12:9-11; 20:10
7.CONCERNING THE FALL OF MAN: We believe that man was directly created by God in a state of holiness, under the law of his Maker, but through the temptation of Satan he voluntarily disobeyed the revealed will of God and fell from this holy state ; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, ,but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin; without defense or excuse.
Genesis 1:27; 3:24; Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Romans 3:10-19; 5:12,19;
Ephesians 2:1,3
8.CONCERNING THE WAY OF SALVATION: We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of the grace of God through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who pre-existed and by the appointment of the Father freely took upon Himself man's nature, yet without sin; that being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, He honoured the divine law by His personal obedience, and His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the most tender sympathies with divine perfection, He is every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate and all-sufficient Saviour and Lord.
Isaiah 53:4-7; Matthew 18:11; John 3:16; 8:58; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24,25;
I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 2:6,7; Hebrews 2:18; 5:8-9; 7:25; I John 4:10
9.CONCERNING GRACE IN REGENERATION: We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated or born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; 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, the free gift of God; that 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 wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.
John 1:12,13; John 3; Romans 5:12-6:23; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 2:1,8,9; 5:9; Colossians 2:13; II Peter 1:4
10.CONCERNING JUSTIFICATION: We believe that the great Gospel blessing, which Christ secures to such as believe in Him, is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life in principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that justification brings us into a state of most blessed and peace and favour with God and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.
John 1:16; Acts 13:39; Romans 4:4,5; 5:1-11,17,19; Titus 3:5-7
11.CONCERNING GODLY WORKS: We believe in righteous living and godly works not as a means of salvation in any sense, but as its proper evidence and fruit; and therefore as Christians, we should obey the Word of our Lord, seek the things which are above, walk as He walked, accept as our solemn responsibility the duty and privileges of bearing the Gospel to a lost world; remembering that a victorious and fruitful Christians life is possible only for those who in gratitude for the infinite and undeserved mercies of God have presented themselves wholly to Christ.
Romans 12:1,2; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:16
12.CONCERNING THE FREENESS OF SALVATION: We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all 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.
Isaiah 55:1,2,6,7; Matthew 11:28; John 3:16-19,36; 5:40;37; Romans 10:13; 16:25,26; Revelation 22:17
13.CONCERNING REPENTANCE AND FAITH: We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God, whereby, being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger helplessness and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy; and at the same time we heartily received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King, and rely on Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour.
Mark 1:15; Luke 18:13; John 16:8; Acts 3:19; 11:18; 20:21; Romans 10:9,10;
Ephesians 2:8
14.CONCERNING GOD'S PURPOSE OF GRACE: We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which He graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners; that being perfectly consistent with the free agency of man, God's purpose comprehends all the means in connection with the end; that grace is a most glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, being infinitely free, wise, holy and unchangeable; that grace utterly excludes boasting and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of His free mercy; that it encourages the use of means in the highest degree; that it may be ascertained by its effects in all who truly believe the Gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian assurance; and that to ascertain it with regard to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence.
Exodus 33:18,19; Romans 8:28-31; I Corinthians 4:7; I Thessalonians 1:4-10;
II Thessalonians 2:13, 14; II Timothy 1:8,9; 2:10;II Peter 1:10,11
15.CONCERNING SANCTIFICATION: We believe that immediate sanctification is that act of God whereby believers are, at the time of regeneration, clothed with the holiness of Christ irrespective of their spiritual attainments and are eternally set apart as belonging to Him by redemption, thereby being placed in the family of God as children, joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:32; 26:18; Romans 8:16-17; I Corinthians 1:2,30; 6:11;
II Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 10:10-14; I John 3:1
We believe that progressive sanctification is the daily process by which, according to God's will, we are being made partakers of His Holiness; that it is begun in regeneration and progresses, if the believers is yielded to the Spirit's control; that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter in the continual use of the appointed means - especially the Word of God, self examination, self denial, watchfulness, and prayer.
John 17:17; Romans 6:13; 8:13; Ephesians 5:26; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 3:8-12; I Thessalonians 4:3; I John 2:29
We believe that ultimate sanctification will be the portion of every believer when finally in the presence of the Lord, complete and entire, his soul and spirit become united in the resurrected body, free body, free from every trace or effect of sin and rebellion.
I Corinthians 15:52-54; Ephesians 4:30; 5:27; Philippians 4:20,21; I John 3:21
16.CONCERNING PERSONAL SEPARATION: We believe that all saves should live in a manner as not to bring reproach unto our Saviour and Lord; and the separation from religious apostasy, and all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God.
Romans 12:1,2; 13:12-14; II Corinthians 6:14; 7:1; I Thessalonians 5:22;
II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 7:11
17.CONCERNING THE PRESERVATION OF SAINTS: We believe that only real believers endure unto the end; that their attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare; that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation forever.
John 8:31; 10:28,19; Romans 8:28, 35-39; Colossians 1:21-23;Philippians 1:6;
I Peter 1:3-5; I John 2:19
18.CONCERNING THE MINISTRY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS: We believe that God is Sovereign in the bestowment of all his gifts; and that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the growth and maturity of the saints today; that the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established; that the gift of tongues was never the required outward demonstration of either baptism or the filling of the Spirit of God; that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted.
John 15:7; I Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8-10; II Corinthians 12:12;
Ephesians 4:7-16; James 5:14-16; I John 5:14,15
19.CONCERNING THE HARMONY OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL: We believe that the law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral government that it is holy, just, and good; that the inability which the Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfil its precepts arises entirely from their love of sin; and that the one great end of the Gospel is to deliver them from this inability to restore them through a mediator, to obedience to the holy law and of the means of grace connected with establishment of the visible church.
Romans 3:31; 7:12; 8:2-4,7,8
20.CONCERNING THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS: We believe that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God's presence without the need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 4:16; II Timothy 2:15; I Peter 2:5-9
21.CONCERNING THE LOCAL CHURCH: We believe that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptised 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; seeking to extend the Gospel to the ends of the earth; that its only Scriptural officers are Bishops (also known as Pastors and Elders) and Deacons.
Matthew 28:19,20; Philippians 1:1; Acts 2:41,42; 14:23; 20:17,28;
I Corinthians 1;1-13; 11:2; 12:4,8-11; Ephesians 4:11; Philippians 1:1;
I Timothy 3:1-7; I Peter 5:1-4
22.CONCERNING THE AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH: We believe that the local visible Church of Christ is a voluntary and independent autonomous group of baptised believers, that is a pure democracy, which organically can join nothing; and it has the power, and right within itself to confess its own faith in accordance with the New Testament; we hold that the local Church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organisations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to co-operate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is sole and only judge of the measure and method of its co-operation ; on all matters of membership, of pality, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local assembly as final.
Matthew 18:15-18; Acts 1:23-26; Romans 12:16; I Corinthians 6:1-3; 3:11;
Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:23,24; I Timothy 3:15
23.CONCERNING THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE: We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests, order and good of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured and obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the Prince of the kings of the earth; that church and state should be separated, the state owing the church protection and full freedom; no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be preferred above another by the state; the state should not impose taxes for the support of any form or religion; a free church in a free state is the Christian ideal.
Daniel 3:13-18; Matthew 22:21; 23:10; Acts 4:18-20; 5:29; Romans 13:1-7;
I Corinthians 3:5; Philippians 2:10,11; I Peter 2:11-17
24.CONCERNING BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER: We believe that Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper are each a memorial, a symbol and a prophecy; we believe that baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, with the authority of the local church, to show forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Saviour with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is pre-requisite to the privileges of a church relation and to the Lord's Supper; in which the members of the assembly always by precede solemn self-examination.
Matthew 28:19,21; Acts 2:41,42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-28;
Colossians 2:12
25.CONCERNING THE STATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED: We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God. are truly righteous in His sight; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked , and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting bliss of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.
Proverbs 14:32; Malachi 3:18; Romans 1:17; 6:16; I John 5:19
26.CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION: We believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead bodily "the third day according to the Scriptures," emptying completely the contents of His grave, that He appeared to over 500 brethren after His glorified body at God's right hand; and that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and a resurrection of the wicked, separated in time; that the bodies of the righteous will be transformed and conformed to the glorious spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Daniel 12:2; Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24; John 5:28,29; Acts 1:9-11; 24:15;
I Corinthians 15:1-11; Philippians 3:20,21; Hebrews 1:13; 8:1; 12:2; I Peter 3:22;
Revelation 20:4-6
27.CONCERNING THE SECOND COMING OF THE LORD: We believe that the end of the age is approaching and that Jesus Christ at any moment will personally return for His saints, catching them up into the air, after which time the Great Tribulation of seven years will take place on the earth; that Our Lord will come with His church at the close of the tribulation to set up His millennial kingdom on earth; that a solemn separation after the 1,000 years will then take place; that the unconverted will be judged according to their works; found lacking merit for salvation; condemned to endless punishment and the saved judged before hand will be found righteous in Christ and acquitted to endless joy; and that this judgement will fix forever the final state of men in heaven and hell, on principles of righteousness.
Zechariah 14:4-11; Matthew 13:40-43,49,50; 25:31-46; Romans 13:11;
I Corinthians 7:29; 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:1-10;
Revelation 19:11-16; chapter 20
28.CONCERNING SOCIAL SERVICE: WE believe that every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ predominant in ones own life and in human society; to oppose, in the spirit of Christ, every form of greed, selfishness and vice; to provide for the orphaned, the aged, the widowed, the helpless, and the sick; to support everything that is good and righteous in industry, government and society as a whole for the benefit of men so that all men may live spiritually and righteously before God; and that all means and methods used in social service for the betterment of society and the establishment of righteousness among men must finally depend on the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Leviticus 6:2-5; Luke 10:25-37; Romans 13:7-10; II Corinthians 9:6-9;
Colossians 1:10; Titus 3:8,14; Hebrews 2:14,15; I Peter 2:12
