Confession of Faith
DOCTRINES
Confession of Faith
Of the Scriptures:
We believe that the Holy Bible, as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of the Spirit-controlled men and therefore is truth without admixture of error for its matter. We believe that it is the true center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for human conduct, creeds and opinions. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21)
Of the true God:
We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three personal distinctions – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – yet one in substance and equal in every divine perfection, (Exodus 20: 2-3, I Corintians 8:6, I John 5:7)
We believe in the absolute deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can be, being God (of the very God), existing from all eternity, coequal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that his humiliation did not consist in laying aside his deity; that as man he was miraculously begotten of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary. (John 1:1-2; I John 5:20; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-38)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with the Father and the Son, and of the same substance and nature; that he convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment; bears witness to the truth; is the agent of the new birth and that he seals, endures, teaches, witnesses to sanctifies, and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God. (II Cor. 13:14; John 14: 16; Romans 8: 14-17)
Of the devil or Satan
We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the unholy “god” of this age, author of all powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of eternal justice on the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3, II Corinthians 4:4, Revelation 20:10)
Of the Creation
We believe that God created the heaven and the earth, including all life, “each after its own kind,” by direct act, and not by the process of evolution. (Genesis 1,2; Colossians 1:16,17; John 1:3)
Of the fall of man
We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in innocence, but by voluntary transgression fell into sin, thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that now all mankind is born in sin and shapen in iniquity and became willful sinners with the first expression and personal choice, and so are without excuse before God. (Genesis 3, Romans 5:10-19)
Of the Redemption from Sin
We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ, when he voluntary took upon himself a human body and nature, yet without sin, by his suffering , death and resurrection, made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess, and that it is the immediate duty of all to accept these offers of mercy. (John 1;1-3, 14, 3:1-7, Hebrews 10: 4-14, Acts 16: 30-33)
Of Salvation by Grace
We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation from sin and this salvation is wholly by grace; that no works however good make that salvation more secure. Manifestation of New Life, good works and obedience to the word of is evidence of that salvation. (Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9, Titus 3: 5-7, Romans 10: 9-13).
We believe that all who trullytake Christ as Lord and Saviour are born again from above and are eternally secure in Christ. (John 10:28-29, Romans 8:35-39, Philippians 1:6)
Of the church
We believe that the church universal is a new testament institution unknown to the old testament prophets; established by Jesus Christ, who is its sole head, revealed through the holy apostles and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit, his “body” for service, and his “bride” for glory. It began with the new testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the rapture. (Matthew 16:18, Acts 1:8, 2:41-47, Romans 16:26, I Corinthians 12: 12-28, Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23-33; I Thessalonians 4;13-18)
We believe that the church universal is manifested through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by his laws, exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His word; that its officers are pastors and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit, and it is answerable only to Christ, and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline and benevolence, the will of the local church is final (Matt. 18:15-17, I Cor. 1:2, 6:4-5; 7:17, 11:16, I Tim. 3:1-15).
Of the Ordinances
We believe that there are two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water and is properly called, the “Believer’s Baptism”. It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Saviour with the effects of that faith in our lives as it produces death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church relation. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of our Lord’s death until He comes and our continual fellowship with Him and should be preceded by baptism, and always by careful examination (Acts 8:36-39, Romans 6:3-5, I Corinthians 11:23-32)
Of the Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only such as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in God’s esteem; while all such who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight-wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both during life and after death, in the everlasting conscious felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost (Mal. 3:18, Romans 6:17-23, Matthew 25:34-41, Luke 6:25; John 8:21)
Of the return of Christ
We believe in the bodily, personal, pre-millenial return of Jesus Christ; that he will come before the seven-year tribulation period to catch away His church, coming only in the air, and he will come with his church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set-up His kingdom on Earth (I Thes. 4:13-18, Matt. 25;31-46, Rev. 19:11-21)
Of the Resurrection
We believe in the resurrection of the dead; that believers who sleep in Jesus will be raised at the coming of Jesus Christ for His church and caught up with transfigured living saints to meet the Lord in the air, and that the wicked dead will be raised at the close of the millennial kingdom and stand before God at the great white throne of judgment to receive their final doom (John 5:21-30, I Thes. 4:16, Revelation 7:9-17, 20-11-15)