STATEMENT OF FAITH
The Holy Scriptures Inspired
We believe the Holy Scriptures, The Holy Bible, the Word of God, of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and, therefore, are the final and sole authority for faith and life. The sixty six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Bible is the inspired Word of God; a revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason. We further believe the King James translation to be God-ordained and proven over the ages and, therefore, the official and only translation that shall be used throughout all teaching ministries of this church. (2 Timothy 3:15-16) The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical – historical meaning.
(2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
The One True God
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent, self-revealed “I AM”; and has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association i.e., as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29; Isaiah 43: 10-11; Matthew 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14: 10, 26; I John 5:7-8)
The Person and Work of Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Is. 7:14, 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our complete redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 1:17-18, 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary and are non-existent today. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Cor. 1:22, 13:8, 14:21-22)
The Salvation of Man
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9)
a) Conditions of Salvation
We believe that the grace of God, which brings salvation, has appeared to all men, through the preaching of repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ; man is saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and being justified by grace through faith, he becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 2: 11; Romans 10: 13-15; Titus 2:5-7)
b) The Evidences of Salvation.
The inward evidence, to the believer, of his salvation, is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence, to all men, is a life of righteousness and true holiness. (Matthew 5:16.)
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by Gods power and are thus secure in Christ. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8)
We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of Gods Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
The Local Church
We believe that the Church is the body of Christ; the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of His great commission. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:22)
We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely and only made up of born – again baptized persons. (1Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27)
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. That on all matters of membership, policy of government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4)
We believe that a divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a two-fold purpose:
- the evangelization of the world, and
- the edifying of the Body of Christ. (Mark 16:15-20; Ephesians 4:11-13)
We recognize baptism and the Lords Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)
Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by a burial with Christ should be observed, as commanded in the Scriptures, by all believers of an age to understand (not infants) who have really repented and in their hearts have truly believed on Christ as Saviour and Lord. In so doing, such believers have the body immersed completely in water as the outward symbol of identifying with Christ, while their heart has already been washed with the blood of Christ in an inner cleansing. Believers thus declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Biblical baptism is a pre-requisite to church membership and to the Lords Supper. Biblical baptism consists of the right candidate, one who is saved; the right mode, which is immersion; and the right authority, which is the Local Church and that being a Church of like faith and practice. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4)
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine, representing the blood and broken body of Christ, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4), a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26), and a prophecy of His second coming (I Corinthians 11:26); and is observed by the local church “until He comes.
The Blessed Hope, the Second Advent of Christ
We believe in the blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His church prior to the seven year tribulation period.
We believe in the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and in their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord – the imminent and blessed hope of the Church. (I Thessalonians 4:16; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.)
We believe that at the end of the Tribulation, Christ will also personally and visibly return again, this time with His saints, to establish His earthly Kingdom which has been promised. (Psalm 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10, 19:11-16)
The Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5: 28, 29, 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)
We believe that the spirits and the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body, and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:42; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)
We believe that the spirits and the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with spirit, soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)
The Millennial Reign of Jesus
We believe in the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, the salvation of national Israel, and the millennial reign of Christ on earth; these are scripturally promised and the world’s hope.
(2 Thessalonians 1:7; Revelation 19:11-14; Romans 11:26-27; Revelation 20:1-7)
The Final Judgment
We believe that there will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8)
The New Heavens and a New Earth
We believe and we “according to His promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:22)
Missions
We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and are saved. We believe that as ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means at all available times to go to the foreign nations, and to the ethnic and language groups, both here and abroad, to preach the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and offer every person an opportunity for salvation. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20)