What We Believe

Statement of Faith and Doctrine:

The Holy Scriptures

We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired WORD OF GOD, His Revelation to man, inerrant in the original writings and that it is therefore the supreme and final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith and life (II Timothy 3:16-17).

The Trinity of the God-Head

We believe in one GOD, eternally existing in three person: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, I John 5:7).

Jesus Christ

We believe in the pre-existence (Ephesians 3:9), virgin birth (Luke 1:26-38), the sinless perfection, the bodily resurrection (Luke 24:36-39, John 20:28), and ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9-10), and that He is there now as our High Priest and Advocate (I John 2:1, Hebrews 2:17), and the fact that Christ is true GOD and true man (I John 5:7, John 10:27-33).

The Creation and Fall of Man

We believe man was created in the image of GOD (Genesis 1:26), that he disobeyed GOD and thereby incurred spiritual death (Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3), which is separation from GOD, and also physical death as a consequence; and that all of the Adamic race are born in sin (Psalms 51:5), and are sinners by nature and practice (Romans 3:9-11, 3:23).

The Death of Christ

We believe that the LORD Jesus Christ died for our sins as a vicarious (II Corinthians 5:20-21), substitutionary sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10. I Peter 3:18), and that all who believe in Him are saved on the basis of His shed blood (I Peter 1:18-19, Hebrews 9:22).

The New Birth

We believe that all who receive by faith the LORD Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit (I Peter 1:23), and thereby become children of GOD (John 3:3-7, Ephesians 2:8-9).
 
The Personality and Ministry of the Holy Spirit
 
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, that He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment, that He regenerates the sinner by the WORD OF GOD (John 16:7-15, John 3:5-7, I Peter 1:23), that He permanently indwells the Church, and the body of each believer at the moment of the new birth, that He seals, enlightens, instructs, and guides every born-again person, and that He is the sufficient power for godly living, Christian service, and spiritual worship (Ephesians 4:30, John 14:16, 17, and 26).

The Two Natures of the Believer

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures (II Peter 1:3-4), with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 6:13, 8:12-13, Galatians 5:16-25), and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural (Ephesians 4:22-24, Colossians 3:10, I Peter 1:14-16, I John 3:5-9).

Law and Grace

We believe the grace of GOD to be sufficient for the maintenance of a godly walk (Titus 2:11-14), and that Christ and not the law is the believer’s rule of life (Galatians 3:11-13, 24-26).

Separation and Sanctification

We believe that the Scriptures clearly teach nonconformity to the world for every believer (Romans 12:2), that born-again people should be separated from the world unto Christ; that it is clearly commanded of GOD to
all believers to live lives of separation from all worldly and sinful practices and to be holy as He is holy. We believe that positional sanctification occurs at the moment of regeneration (Colossians 1:13, Hebrews 10:1, 10:14), and that practical sanctification is to be progressive throughout the entire life-span of a believer here on earth (Colossians 3:1-4, II Corinthians 6:14-17, Titus 2:14, I Peter 1:14-16), GOD’s provision for holy living is in the believer’s identification with Christ in his death, resurrection and ascension; the indwelling person and power of the Holy Spirit and the believer’s yieldedness to Him; and by the powerful WORD OF GOD (II Corinthians 3:18, II Peter 3:18, Romans 6:13, Romans 6:1-14, Ephesians 1:15-2:6, I Corinthians 6:19-20, Galatians 5:16-23, John 17:17, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 5:25-27).
 
 
The Nature of the Church
 
We believe the Church is an elect company of believers baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body (I Corinthians 12:12-14), its mission is to witness concerning its Head, Jesus Christ, preaching the Gospel among all nations (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8), it will be caught up to meet the LORD in the air at the Rapture (I Thessalonians 4:13-17).

Our LORD’s Second Advent

We believe in the Blessed Hope, the personal pre-millennial pre
-tribulation and imminent return of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is known as the Rapture of the Church (Titus 2:13, I Thessalonians 4:13-17, John 14:3). We also believe in the personal, visible and glorious return of Christ to the earth with His Saints at the end of the Great Tribulation. This phase of His coming is known as the Revelation of Jesus Christ. When He returns to earth with His saints, we believe that Jesus Christ will establish His Millennial Kingdom and will reign for one thousand years (Revelation 19:11-21, 20:1-6).

The Resurrection of the Dead

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just at the Rapture (I Thessalonians 4:16, I Corinthians 15:51-57), and the unjust at the end of the millennium (Revelation 20:11-15, John 5:28-29).

The Eternal State of the Saved and the Lost

We believe in a Heaven and a Hell. Heaven, the place of eternal conscious joy for all who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour (John 14:1-6, Psalms 16:11, Philippians 1:21,23). Hell, the place of conscious punishment for all who reject Jesus Christ and those dying in their sin until the final judgment (Psalms 9:17, John 8:24, II Thessalonians 1:7-9), at which time death and Hell are cast into the Lake of Fire which is the place of eternal conscious punishment (Revelation 20:10-15).

Ordinances

We believe that the LORD’s
supper was instituted by our LORD for all believers to commemorate His death until He comes and that it should be observed on a regular basis if possible (Luke 22:19, I Corinthians 11:25-16). We believe water baptism by immersion is also a New Testament ordinance, not for any saving merit, but for a public testimony of the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:35-38, Romans 6:4-5).

Lord’s Supper

The LORD’s Supper shall normally be served to the assembled church by the Pastor and the deacons on the first Sunday of each month. Since it it the LORD’s table, none who are
His own shall be barred.

Baptism

Those professing saving faith in Jesus Christ as personal Saviour should, by the Pastor or some person authorized by the Church, be immersed in water in accordance with the Scriptural teaching.

Salvation

We believe that salvation is the gift of GOD (not of works) offered to man by divine grace and received by man through personal faith and trust in the finished work (Ephesians 2:8-10, 1:7), and shed blood of the LORD Jesus Christ on the cross (I Peter 1:18-19, Hebrews 9:22).

Eternal Security

We believe that just as GOD saves us, He also keeps us eternally secure and that we may rejoice in assurance
of our salvation (John 10:27-30, Philippians 1:6, I Peter 1:5, I John 5:10-13), Christian liberty however, is not to be used as an occasion to indulge in the flesh (Galatians 5:13, I Peter 2:16).