We believe:
The Holy Scripture
1. that “all Scripture” (by which we understand the complete Bible, both Old and New Testaments) “is given by inspiration of God” in the sense that the words of the sacred writings were communicated by God the Spirit to holy men of old;
2. that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of these writings – historical, poetical, doctrinal and prophetical as appeared in the original manuscripts.
3. that these Scriptures are the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions should be tried;
4. that they are the final authority in all matter of faith and practice and are without error.
(Matthew 28:20; Luke 24:27,44; I Corinthians 2:13, 10:11; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21; John 4:1; Isaiah 8:20; I Thessalonians 5:21; II Corinthians 13:5)
God
1. that there is One and only One living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, Whose name is JEHOVAH, the Creator and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth.
2. that He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honour, confidence and love;
3. that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. God the Father – Matthew 3:17; John 12:49; God the Son – Colossians 2:9; I John 5:20; God the Spirit – John 14:26, John 4:24; Psalm 147:5; 83:18; Exodus 15:11; Mark 12:30; Revelation 4:11; Ephesians 2:18; Matthew 28:19; John 15:26, 10:30; II Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus Christ
1. in the absolute and essential deity of Jesus Christ and in His eternal existence with the Father in pre-incarnate glory (John 17)
2. that as provided and purposed by God, and as pre-announced in the prophecies of the Scriptures, the Eternal Son came into this world that He might manifest God to mankind, fulfill prophecy, and become the Redeemer of a lost world. To this end was He born of a virgin, having been begotten by the Holy Ghost (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23), and was thus manifested with a sinless human body and a sinless human nature (John 1:18; 3:16; Luke 1:1-80; Philippians 2:5-8).
3. that He first came to Israel as her Messiah-King, and that being rejected by that nation, He, according to the eternal counsels of God, gave His life a ransom for all (Acts 2:22-24; I Timothy 2:6; John 1:11-13).
4. that in infinite love for the lost, He voluntarily accepted His Father’s will and became the divinely provided sacrificial Lamb and took away the sin of the world, bearing the holy judgements against sin which the righteousness of God must impose. His death was, therefore, substitutionary in the most absolute sense – “the just for the unjust” – and by His death He became the Saviour of “that which was lost“ (Hebrews 10:5-14; John 1:29; Romans 3:22, 25; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 3:18; Luke 19:10)
5. that He descended into hell after His death (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27; 13:35-37; Ephesians 4:8-10; Matthew 12:40).
6. that He arose bodily from the dead on the third day.
7. that He ascended into Heaven in this glorified body, and that He is now seated at the right hand of the Father and is our High Priest and Divine Advocate with the Father (I Corinthians 15:4; John 20:27; Mark 16:19; Hebrews 8:1, 7:25; I John 2:1-2; Luke 24:39).
8. in the personal, bodily and pre-millennial return of Christ, occurring in two phases:
a) to complete the Church age by rapturing all believers (I Corinthians 15:51- 58; I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
b) as King, to end the Great Tribulation, to judge the nations, to usher in the Millennial Kingdom, and to reign over re-gathered Israel. At the end of 1000 years, the Judgement of the Great White Throne will take place, followed by the eternal peace of the righteous, and the eternal damnation of the wicked, Satan and his cohorts (II Thessalonians 2:1-12; Matthew 24:1-51; Matthew 25:1-46; Revelation 20:1-15, Romans 9:1-33 to Romans 11:1-36).
Holy Spirit
We believe in the absolute and essential deity and personality of the Holy Spirit, Who reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; Who regenerates the repentant sinner by the Word of God and baptizes him into the body of Christ; Who permanently indwells the redeemed; Who seals, enlightens, instructs, comforts, guides and sanctifies the born again. He is the efficient Power for godly living, witness and service. (John 16:7-15, 3:5-7; I Peter 1:22,23; Ephesians 4:30; John 14:16,17,26, 15:26; I Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:16, 15:16)
Tongues
As a Church, we declare ourselves to be out of harmony with the charismatic movement. We believe that the “sign gifts” such as tongues were terminated with the completion of the New Testament Scriptures, and we reject the suggestion that the gift of tongues is an evidence of the baptizing or the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit. With malice to none, we state our position that the self-styled practice of “speaking in tongues” will not be tolerated in this Church. (I Corinthians 12:7-11, 13:8-10; Ephesians 4:11-16; I Corinthians 12:1-31 and 14:1-40).
Satan
We believe that Satan is a personal being, a fallen angel, prince of demons, the god of this age, the adversary of Christ and His people, the accuser of the brethren, whose end is the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; II Corinthians 4:3,4; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9,10; John 8:44; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10
Man
We believe God created Man in His own image and, therefore, sinless. In the transgression wherein man sinned and fell, he became guilty before God, resulting in his total depravity and thereby incurring physical and spiritual death; that all mankind in this alien state are “without God and without hope in this present evil world,” and are destined to the place the Bible calls Hell and the Lake of Fire to suffer conscious and eternal torment. (Genesis 1:27,31; 3:6-24; Romans 5:19; Isaiah 53:6; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 1:18,20, 3:19,23, 5:12; Luke 16; Revelation 20)
Salvation
We believe that there is only one way of salvation: it is entirely by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and is eternal. In this life it includes: the election and calling of God, union with Christ, regeneration (born again), justification (being declared just before God), sanctification (set apart for God), repentance and conversion on the part of the individual, and in the life to come, glorification. Through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, a sinner is born again of the Spirit of God and becomes the recipient of the riches of His grace. This salvation is the all-embracing work of God from conviction to glorification. (John 3:3,7,15-18,36, 5:24, 14:6, 20:30,31; Acts 4:12, 16:31; Romans 10:9-13)
Assurance and Security of the Believer
We believe all those actually born again have the inward witness of God the Holy Ghost (Romans 8:16; I John 5:10); the testimony of the Word of God (I John 5:13); and are now and forever Christ’s. They shall never perish (John 10:28,29, 5:21; Romans 8:33-39).
We believe this assurance is not a license to sin (Romans 6). Believers are responsible in moral behaviour to please God and to be an example to one another and to human society.
We believe that true believers persevere unto the end. They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. (John 8:31, 10:27,28; I John 2:27,28; Philippians 1:6; I Peter 1:5-11)
The New Testament Local Church
We believe many of the Epistles of the New Testament were written to local churches. The local Church is a body of born-again believers who have been baptized by immersion. They are called “saints” (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). The Scriptural order is regeneration, baptism, and Church membership (Acts 2:41,42).
The Scriptural officers of the local Church are the Pastors (elders, bishops) and deacons (Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3). While encouraged to use their God-given gifts and talents, divorcees will however be excluded from holding an office of oversight and authoritative teaching in the Church.
The local Church acknowledges and fellowships with other local Churches “that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 1:1).
We believe the local Church is separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ for the ministry of the Word, the fulfilling of His command to PREACH the Gospel, to BAPTIZE in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; to TEACH all thing whatsoever He has commanded.
We believe the Church is for the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith (missions), and the observance of the ordinances, namely, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
We believe the local Church is not subject to any other ecclesiastical authority external to itself, but is a sovereign, independent body, exercising its own divinely awarded gifts and privileges under the Lordship of Christ, the Head of the Church.
We believe that the Word of God is the only divinely given authority for faith and practice in the local Church. (Ephesians 1:22, 4:15; Colossians 1:18)
Ordinances
“Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you.” (I Corinthians 11:2)
We believe that there are two New Testament ordinances that believers are commanded to observe, namely:
1. Baptism
While recognizing that water baptism has no saving merit, it is our conviction that after one is saved, baptism by immersion is the next step in order to portray to the world the believer’s spiritual union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection; and that in so doing he obeys the command of Christ. We believe that the New Testament order is first, to be saved; second, to be baptized; and third, to be added to the local Church.
(Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:9-13; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 8:36,37, 2:41, 9:17,18, 16:14,15,30-34).
2. The Lord’s Supper
We believe the observance of the Lord’s Supper to be a sacred occasion and the privilege of all born-again believers, and that the use of bread and the fruit of the vine symbolizes the Lord’s broken body and shed blood. It is a spiritual exercise of His saints to be observed “till He come” and should be preceded by a self-examination and confession of any known sin.
(Matthew 26:29; Acts 2:41,42; I Corinthians 11:23-34; I John 1:9; Acts 20:7)
In this assembly, the Lord’s Supper shall be observed at least once a month.
Separation
We believe in ecclesiastical separation of the Church from combined meetings with any and all organizations or groups who deny the inspiration of the Scriptures, the deity of Jesus Christ, and who repudiate or deny the general principles and practices expressed in this Statement of Faith.
(Romans 16:17,18; II Corinthians 6:14-17; II Thessalonians 3:6; Ephesians 5:11; Titus 3:10,11; II John 9 – 11)
We believe the Scriptures clearly teach non-conformity to the world for every believer.
We believe that it is clearly commanded for all believers to live lives of separation from worldly, sinful and doubtful practices and associations, and to live unto Christ. (Romans 12:1,2; I John 2:15-17; Colossians 3:1-3, 17; I Corinthians 10:31)
The Church and State
We believe in the biblical teaching on separation of Church and State (Matthew 22:15-21)