STATEMENT OF FAITH
These are the tenets of faith that we believe in and adhere to.
The Nature of God
There is One True God eternally existent in three Persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (The Trinity), equal in deity, power and glory.
God is the Living God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Ruler of all things. He is infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and unchangeable.
The Nature of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Divine and Eternal Son of God. As God incarnate He became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life, and voluntarily offered himself as a penal, substitutionary sacrifice for sinners, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgment against sin. By the blood of His 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 as our High Priest. (John 1:1-5; 10-14; Luke 1:26-35; Romans 1:4; 3:21-26; 8:34; Hebrews 3:1-2; 1 John 2:1; 1 Peter 1:3).
The Nature of Man
God created us in His Image and desires an intimate relationship with us. Fellowship was broken through Adam’s disobedience, but every person may have restored fellowship with God through salvation.
Salvation
Salvation may only be obtained as a result of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. No ordinance, ritual, work, or any other activity on the part of man is required in order to be saved. (John 3:16; Romans 5: 12-21; 10: 8-10).
There is no other way to the Father (God) except through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6)
Eternal life is knowing God and knowing Jesus Christ, whom God sent. (John 17:3)
The Bible
All sixty-six Books of The Bible are the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God, written by holy men under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As a revelation from God to man, they are the living, infallible, authoritative and everlasting rule of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy, 3:16-17; I Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who baptises believers into the Body of Christ, regenerates them, indwells them, seals them until the day of redemption, leads them and bestows spiritual gifts upon them. By the power of the indwelling Spirit believers are able to “walk in the Spirit” thereby not fulfilling the lust of the flesh but bearing fruit to the glory of God. The Spirit also sanctifies believers in order that they might be progressively conformed to the image of Christ, and lead them into all truth. (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1ff; Galatians 5:16ff)
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Subsequent to conversion the Spirit desires to fill, empower, and anoint believers for ministry and witness. This empowerment is available to all who believe. 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 fulfil her calling and mission. (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; 2:1-11).
The Church
God has called the church to preach the gospel to all nations. To equip the saints for the work of ministry, God has given the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. We believe in the priesthood of all believers and the spiritual unity of believers in Christ and in the universal church which is the Body of Christ. The evidence of that unity is shown by how we love one another in Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Romans 10:14-15; Ephs 4:4-16).
Church Ordinances
These are the two ordinances of the church to be observed until the time of Christ’s return:
- The ordinance of water baptism by immersion after having repented and received Christ’s gift of salvation. This ordinance symbolises the believer’s death, burial and resurrection with Christ, the remission of sins and lifelong dedication to Christ. (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5).
- The ordinance of Holy Communion (the Lord’s Supper) as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s suffering and death for our salvation. (Luke 22:15-20)
The Second Coming
- The literal second coming of Christ at the end of the age when He will return to the earth personally and visibly to consummate His kingdom. Those who are alive at the end of the age will be changed and caught up to be with Him in the air. (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7; 1Thess 4:13-17).
- The literal and physical resurrection of both the just and the unjust alike to be raised for the Day of Judgement. Those who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ will be resurrected for eternal life in fellowship with God. Those who have rejected justification through Christ will be resurrected for eternal judgement. (1 Corinthians 15:21-24; John 5:29)
- The judgement seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10)