What
We Believe and Why...
The Bible
We believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God." (2
Timothy 3:16) We understand this to mean that the whole Bible
is inspired in that holy men of God "were moved by the Holy
Spirit" (2
Peter 1:21) to write the very words of Scripture. We believe
that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts
of Scripture as it appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe
that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore without error.
We believe that all the Scriptures centre about the Lord Jesus Christ
in His person and work, in His first and second coming, and hence
that no portion, even of the Old Testament, is properly read or understood
until it leads to Him. We also believe that all Scripture was designed
for our practical instruction.
(Luke
24:27, 44; John
5:39; Romans
15:4; 1
Corinthians 10:11; 2
Timothy 3:16)
God
We believe in the one true and living God, the Creator, Redeemer,
Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. He is infinite, eternal, unchangeable,
and is revealed to us as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God The Father: God, as Father, reigns over all of His universe
with providential care. He is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and all-wise.
He is fatherly in attitude toward all men but is Father, indeed, to those who
have become children of God through Jesus Christ, who will deliver them into
the Father's hands.
(Genesis
1:1; 1
Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah
10:10; Matthew
6:9; Acts
1:7; Romans
8:14-15; 1
Corinthians 8:6; 1
Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians
4:6)
God The Son: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of
God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy
Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful
man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless,
substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God's righteous judgment
against sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption and justification
by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His
Father, where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him.
(Luke
1:34-35; John
1:1, 2, 14, 18; Romans
3:24-26, 8:34)
God The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person
who convicts the world of sin (righteousness and judgment), that He alone brings
new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes (or places) all
believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells
them permanently, seals them unto the day of final redemption, bestows spiritual
gifts upon them, fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him. Every believer
is called to life so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill
the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.
(John
3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1
Corinthians 12:7-11, 13; Ephesians
4:30; 5:18)
Creation
We believe that man was created directly by and in the image of God.
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all
life, by direct act.
(Genesis
1:1; John
1:3; Colossians
1:16-17)
Mankind
Although man was created in the image of God, he fell into sin and
is lost. This is true of all men, and except a man be born again by
the Holy Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
(Genesis
1:26-27; John
3:3; Romans
3:10, 23)
The Devil or Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the reason
of the fall of man, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal punishment
in the lake of fire.
(Matthew
4:1-3; Acts
5:3; 2
Corinthians 4:4; Revelation
20:10)
God's
Remedy for Sin
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe
on Him are redeemed by His shed blood. We believe in the resurrection
of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His ascension
into heaven; He is our High Priest and Advocate.
(John
1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7; Hebrews
10:4-14; 1
John 2:2)
Our Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God's grace. It cannot be
gained or made more secure by meritorious works, but is freely bestowed
upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at
Calvary. All who so trust the Saviour are forgiven of their sins and
born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
(John
1:12; Acts
16:30-33; Romans
10:9-10; Ephesians
1:7; 2:8-9)
The
Christian Life
We believe that we are called with a holy calling to walk not after
the flesh but after the Spirit, and so to live in the power of the
indwelling Spirit that we will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. But
the flesh is never eradicated in this life, and the individual chooses
to keep the flesh in subjection to Jesus Christ through the power of
the Holy Spirit or it will surely manifest its presence in our lives
to the dishonour of our Lord.
(Romans
6:11-13; 8:2, 4, 12-13; Galatians
5:16-23; Ephesians
4:22-24; Colossians
2:1-10; 1
Peter 1:14-16; 1
John 1:4-7; 3:5-9)
Jesus'
Great Command
Until the return of Christ, it is the Christian's duty and privilege
to seek the fulfilment of Christ's Great Commission and to minister
in His name to a needy world. We are to be instruments of Jesus Christ
as the Holy Spirit ministers redemption and reconciliation in the world.
(Matthew
25:31-46; 28:18-20)
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