What We Believe

THE GODHEAD

There is but one living and true God, who is infinitely perfect, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; 45:5-6; 48:16; Matthew 5:48; John 1:1,2; John 8:58; Deuteronomy 32:4;
Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 5:6-12)

GOD THE FATHER

We believe in God the Father. He is Spirit, infinite and personal, perfect in holiness, wisdom, justice, power, mercy and love. We believe that He is the Creator of all things, that He concerns Himself with and is sovereign over the affairs of humanity, that He hears and answers prayers offered in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He saves from sin and eternal death all who come to Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Genesis 1:1; 17:1; 18:14; Exodus 3:13-15; Job 42:2; Proverbs 15:3; Isaiah 42:-9; Nehemiah 9:6; Ephesians 1:11; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:3; James 1:13; 1 John 4:8)

GOD THE SON, JESUS CHRIST

We believe in God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is absolute and essential deity, eternally pre-existent with God, truly God and truly man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust, as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high as our great High Priest. He will come again to establish His kingdom of righteousness and peace

(Philippians 2:6-11; Hebrews 2:14-18; Colossians 2:9; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5; 1 John 2:2; Acts 13:39; Hebrews 4:14-15; 9:24-28; Matthew 25:31-34; Acts 1:11; Revelation 22:16)

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in God the Holy Spirit. He is a divine Person, sent to indwell, guide, teach and empower the believer. He is the divine agent in the sinner’s regeneration and the believer’s sanctification, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, giving them spiritual gifts and leading them into all truth by illuminating the Scripture, glorifying the Son. He is here to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment, and to seal believers until the day of redemption.

(Genesis 1:2; 2:7; Isaiah 11:2; Mark 3:29; John 14:16-17; John 3:2, 8; 7:37-39; 14:16-21, 25-26; 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 2:10-12;

2 Corinthians 13:14)

SCRIPTURE

We affirm that the Bible alone is the complete Word of God. The Old and New Testaments comprising 66 books, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of people. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.

(2 Timothy 3:16; Joshua 1:8; Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 5:18; 19:4; 22:29; 24:35; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

HUMANITY

Humankind, originally created in the image and likeness of God, fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All people are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The destiny of the impenitent and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment, but that of the believer is everlasting joy and bliss.

(Genesis 1:27; Romans 8:8; 1 John 2:2; Matthew 25:41-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)

SALVATION

We believe that salvation of lost and sinful humanity is possible only through the merits of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Received by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus apart from works, and is characterized by regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Those who repent and believe in Him are united with Christ through the Holy Spirit and are thereby regenerated (born again), justified, sanctified and granted the gift of eternal life as adopted children of God.

(Romans 3:23; 5:1-2; Acts 16:31; Colossians 3:14-16; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; James 1:13-16;Titus 3:5-7; Acts 2:38; John 1:12;
1 Corinthians 6:11, Eph 2:8,9; 1 Pt 1:3-9; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 4:9-12)

SANCTIFICATION

It is the will of God that in union with Christ each believer should be sanctified thoroughly, separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to God, receiving power for holy living and sacrificial and effective service toward the completion of Christ’s commission. This is accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23; Acts 1:8; Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:16-25)

HEALING

Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body. Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil as taught in the Scriptures are privileges for the Church in this present age.

(Matthew 8:16-17; James 5:13-16)

GENDER AND MARRIAGE

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably created each person as distinctly male or female. These two distinct and complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. An individual’s gender corresponds with his or her God-given biological gender. We believe that marriage was created and sanctioned by God in which God joins one man and one woman in a single and exclusive union. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. Any form of sexual intimacy outside of marriage is sexually immoral and is sin against God.

(Genesis 1:26-31; 2:18-25; 5:1, 2; Psalm 139:14; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:15-7:6; Ephesians 5:3-7)

THE RESURRECTION

There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life; for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.

(1 Corinthians 15:20-23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)

HEAVEN AND HELL

We believe in the literal existence of Heaven and Hell. The Lord Jesus Christ has gone to prepare a place for all who have received Him as Lord and Saviour, and He will take them to be with Him forever. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all persons who ever lived; the saved to eternal life and joy, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.

(Matthew 25:46; John 3:36; 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:11-13)

FUTURE THINGS

The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal and visible. As the believer’s blessed hope, this vital truth is an incentive for holy living and sacrificial service toward the completion of Christ’s commission.

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 27 1 Corinthians 1:7; Titus 2:11-14; Matthew 24:14; 28:18-20)