OUR BELIEFS
HOLY BIBLE
The Bible is the authoritative Word of God. Both the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, are inspired, infallible and inerrant. The Bible is the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of people and the standard by which we measure all matters of faith and conduct (Ps. 12:6; 119:105,160; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
GOD
There is one God, who is infinitely perfect, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Gen. 1; Deut. 32:4; Ps. 90:2; Is. 44:6; 45:5-6; Matt. 3:16-17; 5:48; 28:19).
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life and voluntarily gave up His life by dying on the cross to satisfy God’s judgment for humanity’s sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body, appeared to His disciples, and is now ascended to heaven where He intercedes for and represents us at the right hand of God the Father (Is. 9:6; Matt. 1:21-23; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 4:14-15).
HOLY SPIRIT
Holy Spirit is a divine person who has been sent to indwell, guide, teach, comfort and empower every believer to be like Jesus Christ in character and witness. This is accomplished in the life of the believer through being baptized with the Holy Spirit, which is both a distinct event and progressive experience. Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to believers for building up faith, edifying the church, and confirming the power of the gospel. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Holy Spirit exalts Christ, calls people to Him, causes believers to be born again, and seals them for the day of redemption (John 7:37-39; 14:12-17; 16:7-11; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 4:31; Rom. 8:9-11; 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 2:10-12; 3:16; 12-14; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:11-13,30; 5:18; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6-7; 1 Pet. 4:10).
HUMANKIND
Humankind was created by God male and female in the image of God. As a result of Adam’s disobedience every human being is born a sinner by nature, spiritually dead, separated from the life of God, destined for eternal judgment and can only be saved through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Since every person has been made in the image of God and Christ died for all, every human being is worthy of love and honour (Gen. 1:27; Is. 59:1-2; Rom. 3:23; 8:8; 12:1,10; 1 Pet. 2:17-19; 1 John 2:2).
SALVATION
Salvation has been provided only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. All who repent and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour are united with Christ through the Holy Spirit and are thereby born again, justified, sanctified and granted the gift of eternal life as adopted children of God. All true believers will never fall away from God’s grace, but shall persevere to the end, being kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (John 1:12-13; 5:24; 10:28-29; 14:6; Acts 2:38; Rom. 5:1-2; 6:23; 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor. 5:14; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 5:12-13).
THE CHURCH
The Church universal, of which Christ is the Head, consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, regenerated by the the Holy Spirit, and commissioned by Christ to go into all the world as witnesses, preaching the Gospel and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:6-12)
The local church, the visible expression of the universal Church, is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together to worship God, to observe the ordinances of baptism and communion, to pray, to be edified through the Word of God, to fellowship, and to testify in word and deed to the good news of salvation both locally and globally. The local church enters into relationships with other like-minded churches for accountability, encouragement and mission (Acts 2:41-47; Heb. 10:25; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 11:19-30; 15).
SACRAMENTS
There are two sacraments that our Lord instructed His disciples to observe in remembrance of His death and resurrection: baptism and communion. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as an act of obedience and identification with Jesus Christ as Lord. It is symbolic of the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus. Communion is a symbolic reminder, through the elements of the bread and wine, of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, His burial, His resurrection, and His promised second coming (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 6:3-11).
MARRIAGE
Marriage is a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman, instituted by and publicly entered into before God. It is a divine institution that reflects both the love and sacrifice of Christ on behalf of His church (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:22-33).
SECOND COMING
Jesus Christ will personally and visibly soon return to the earth in power and glory. The dead will be raised and Christ will judge all humankind in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to hell, the place of everlasting punishment, reserved for Satan and his demons. The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever in heaven with God (Matt. 24:36-42; Acts 1:6-11; 1 Cor. 1:7; 15:20-23; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Titus 2:11-14).
The Bible is the authoritative Word of God. Both the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, are inspired, infallible and inerrant. The Bible is the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of people and the standard by which we measure all matters of faith and conduct (Ps. 12:6; 119:105,160; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
GOD
There is one God, who is infinitely perfect, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Gen. 1; Deut. 32:4; Ps. 90:2; Is. 44:6; 45:5-6; Matt. 3:16-17; 5:48; 28:19).
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life and voluntarily gave up His life by dying on the cross to satisfy God’s judgment for humanity’s sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body, appeared to His disciples, and is now ascended to heaven where He intercedes for and represents us at the right hand of God the Father (Is. 9:6; Matt. 1:21-23; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 4:14-15).
HOLY SPIRIT
Holy Spirit is a divine person who has been sent to indwell, guide, teach, comfort and empower every believer to be like Jesus Christ in character and witness. This is accomplished in the life of the believer through being baptized with the Holy Spirit, which is both a distinct event and progressive experience. Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to believers for building up faith, edifying the church, and confirming the power of the gospel. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Holy Spirit exalts Christ, calls people to Him, causes believers to be born again, and seals them for the day of redemption (John 7:37-39; 14:12-17; 16:7-11; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 4:31; Rom. 8:9-11; 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 2:10-12; 3:16; 12-14; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:11-13,30; 5:18; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6-7; 1 Pet. 4:10).
HUMANKIND
Humankind was created by God male and female in the image of God. As a result of Adam’s disobedience every human being is born a sinner by nature, spiritually dead, separated from the life of God, destined for eternal judgment and can only be saved through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Since every person has been made in the image of God and Christ died for all, every human being is worthy of love and honour (Gen. 1:27; Is. 59:1-2; Rom. 3:23; 8:8; 12:1,10; 1 Pet. 2:17-19; 1 John 2:2).
SALVATION
Salvation has been provided only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. All who repent and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour are united with Christ through the Holy Spirit and are thereby born again, justified, sanctified and granted the gift of eternal life as adopted children of God. All true believers will never fall away from God’s grace, but shall persevere to the end, being kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (John 1:12-13; 5:24; 10:28-29; 14:6; Acts 2:38; Rom. 5:1-2; 6:23; 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor. 5:14; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 5:12-13).
THE CHURCH
The Church universal, of which Christ is the Head, consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, regenerated by the the Holy Spirit, and commissioned by Christ to go into all the world as witnesses, preaching the Gospel and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:6-12)
The local church, the visible expression of the universal Church, is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together to worship God, to observe the ordinances of baptism and communion, to pray, to be edified through the Word of God, to fellowship, and to testify in word and deed to the good news of salvation both locally and globally. The local church enters into relationships with other like-minded churches for accountability, encouragement and mission (Acts 2:41-47; Heb. 10:25; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 11:19-30; 15).
SACRAMENTS
There are two sacraments that our Lord instructed His disciples to observe in remembrance of His death and resurrection: baptism and communion. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as an act of obedience and identification with Jesus Christ as Lord. It is symbolic of the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus. Communion is a symbolic reminder, through the elements of the bread and wine, of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, His burial, His resurrection, and His promised second coming (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 6:3-11).
MARRIAGE
Marriage is a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman, instituted by and publicly entered into before God. It is a divine institution that reflects both the love and sacrifice of Christ on behalf of His church (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:22-33).
SECOND COMING
Jesus Christ will personally and visibly soon return to the earth in power and glory. The dead will be raised and Christ will judge all humankind in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to hell, the place of everlasting punishment, reserved for Satan and his demons. The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever in heaven with God (Matt. 24:36-42; Acts 1:6-11; 1 Cor. 1:7; 15:20-23; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Titus 2:11-14).