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Statement of Faith
WE BELIEVE that only the sixty-six
books of the Bible are the
inspired, and therefore inerrant, Word of God. The Bible is the final
authority for all we believe and how we are to live. [Matthew 5:18;
John 10:35 and 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21]
WE BELIEVE that the one true God exists eternally in three
persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and that these, being one God, are
equal in deity, power and glory. We believe that God not only created
the world but also now upholds, sustains, governs and providentially
directs all that exists and that He will bring all things to their
proper consummation in Christ Jesus to the glory of His name. [Psalm
104 and Psalm 139; Matthew 10:29–31 and 28:19; Acts 17:24–28; 2
Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:9–12 and 4:4-6; Colossians 1:16–17;
Hebrews 1:1–3; Revelation 1:4–6]
WE BELIEVE that Satan, originally the great and good angel
Lucifer, rebelled against God, taking a multitude of angels with him.
He was cast out of God's presence and is at work with his demonic hosts
to establish his counter-kingdom of darkness, evil and unrest on Earth.
Satan was judged and defeated at the cross of Christ and will, at the
end of the age, be cast forever into the lake of fire which has been
prepared for him and his angels. [Isaiah 14:10–17; Ezekiel 28:11–19;
Matthew 12:25–29 and 25:41; John 12:31 and 16:11; Ephesians 6:10–20;
Colossians 2:15; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12:7–9 and 20:10]
WE BELIEVE that Adam was originally created in the image of God,
righteous and without sin. In consequence of his disobedience, Adam's
posterity are born subject to both imputed and inherent sin, and are
therefore by nature and choice the children of wrath, justly condemned
in the sight of God, wholly unable to save themselves or to contribute
in any way to their acceptance with God. [Genesis 1–3; Psalm 51:5;
Isaiah 53:5; Romans 3:9–18 and 5:12–21; Ephesians 2:1–3]
WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and
fully man, that He was conceived and born of a virgin, lived a sinless
life, and offered Himself as a penal, substitutionary sacrifice for
sinners. By His blood shed at the Cross, He obtained for us eternal
redemption, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. He was raised
bodily on the third day and ascended to the right hand of the Father,
there to make intercession for the saints forever. [Matthew 1:18–25;
John 1:1–18; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:1–28; 2 Corinthians 5:21;
Galatians 3:10–14; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 2:6–11; Colossians
1:15–23; Hebrews 7:25, 9:13–15 and 10:19; 1 Peter 2:21–25; 1 John
2:1–2]
WE BELIEVE that salvation is by grace alone, through faith
alone, in Christ alone. No ordinance, ritual, work or any other
activity on the part of man is required or accepted in order to be
saved. This saving grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit,
also sanctifies us by enabling us to do what is pleasing in God's sight
in order that we might be progressively conformed to the image of
Christ. [John 1:12–13, 6:37–44 and 10:25–30; Acts 16:30–31; Romans 3–4
and 8:1–17, 31-39 and 10:8–10; Ephesians 2:8–10; Philippians 2:12–13;
Titus 3:3–7; 1 John 1:7, 9]
WE BELIEVE
that the Lord Jesus Christ baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit, in
whom we are also sealed for the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit
regenerates, forever indwells, and graciously equips the Christian for
godly living and service. Subsequent to conversion, the Spirit desires
to fill, empower and anoint believers for ministry and witness. We also
believe that signs and wonders, as well as all the gifts of the Spirit
described in the New Testament, are operative today and are designed to
testify to the presence of the Kingdom and to empower and edify the
Church to fulfill its calling and mission. [Matthew 3:11; John 1:12–13
and 3:1–15; Acts 4:29–30; Romans 8:9 and 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians
12:12–13; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22; Galatians 3:1–5; Ephesians 1:13–14 and
5:18]
WE BELIEVE that water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two
ordinances of the Church to be observed until the time of Christ's
return. They are not a means of salvation, but are channels of God's
sanctifying grace and blessing to the faithful in Christ Jesus.
[Matthew 26:26–29 and 28:19; Romans 6:3–11; 1 Corinthians 11:23–34; 1
Peter 3:21]
WE BELIEVE that the Church is God's primary instrument through
which He is fulfilling His redemptive purposes in the earth. o equip
the saints for the work of ministry, God has given the Church apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. We also affirm the
priesthood of all believers and the importance of every Christian being
joined with and actively involved in a local community of the saints.
We believe that women, no less than men, are called and gifted to
proclaim the Gospel and do all the works of the Kingdom. [Matthew
16:17–19; Acts 2:17–18, 42; Ephesians 3:14–21 and 4:11–16; 1 Timothy
2:11–15; Hebrews 10:23–25; 1 Peter 2:4–5 and 9–10]
WE BELIEVE that God has called the Church to preach the Gospel
to all nations, and especially to remember the poor and to minister to
their needs through sacrificial giving and practical service. This
ministry is an expression of the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ and is
an essential part of the Kingdom of God. [Isaiah 58:6–12 and 61:1;
Matthew 5–7, 28:18–20; Luke 4:18 and 21:1–4; Galatians 2:10; 1 Timothy
6:8]
WE BELIEVE in the literal Second Coming of Christ at the end of
the age when He will return to Earth personally and visibly to
consummate His Kingdom. We also believe in and are praying for a great
end-time harvest of souls and the emergence of a victorious Church that
will experience an unprecedented unity, purity and power in the Holy
Spirit. [Psalms 2:7–9 and 22:27–28; John 14:12 and 17:20–26; Romans
11:25–32; 1 Corinthians 15:20–28, 50–58; Ephesians 4:11–16; Philippians
3:20–21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:3–12; Revelation
7:9–14]
WE BELIEVE that when the Christian dies they pass immediately
into the blessed presence of Christ, there to enjoy conscious
fellowship with the Savior until the day of the resurrection and
glorious transformation of the body. The saved will then forever dwell
in blissful fellowship with their great triune God. We also believe
that when the unbeliever dies they are consigned to Hell, there to
await the day of judgment when they shall be punished with eternal,
conscious and tormented separation from the presence of God in the lake
of fire. [Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:19–31; John 5:25–29; 1 Corinthians
15:35–58; 2 Corinthians 5:1–10; Philippians 1:19–26 and 3:20–21; 2
Thessalonians 1:5–10; Revelation 20:11–15 and 21:1–22:15]
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