DOCTRINAL STATEMENT THE BIBLE..... We believe the Scripture of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith, life, and church establishment, inerrant in the original writings, and preserved inerrant in the King James Version for the English speaking world. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalms 12:6,7). GOD..... We believe and teach that there is one, and only one, true and living God. He is absolute in nature, perfect in attribution and holy in character. He is revealed in the Trinity which is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three Persons of the Trinity exist in the same divine nature, essence and being. They are co-existent and co-equal and each One has a distinct office in the work of Redemption. Eph.4:6: Ex.20:2,3; Jn.4:24; 1 Tim.1:17; Rom.11:33; Ps.90:2; Gen.1:26; Matt.28:19; 1Jn.5:7. JESUS CHRIST..... We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is God manifested in the flesh. We believe that Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life, was crucified, buried in a tomb and physically resurrected three days and nights later. All of which was done to atone for sin and secure salvation for mankind. Christ will return again soon. 1Tim.3:16; Jn.1:1,14/20:28; Isa.7:14; Lk.1:35; Rom.5:8; Isa.53:6; 1Cor.15:1-8; Act.1:9-11. HOLY SPIRIT...... The Holy Spirit is a divine Person. He is equal with God the Father and God the Son. He is of the same nature and was active in the Creation. In relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled, for He convicts of sin, judgment and righteousness. He is the agent of the New Birth and indwells, seals, guides, fills and directs the believer. Jn.14:16,17,26/15:26,27; Eph.1:13,14; Rom.8:16,26,27. CREATION..... We believe the Genesis record of creation is literal and not allegorical or figurative. God personally created the heaven and the earth in a direct act, not that He brought forth all original matter out of the hypothesis of any kind of evolution; henceforth, God's established Law says that all species shall bring forth "after their kind." Gen.1:1; Jn.1:1-3; Act.17:23-26; Heb.11:3; Rom.1:20; Gen.1:26,27. SATAN..... We believe Satan is an actual being and not an imaginary influence. He once enjoyed high heavenly honours and glorious heavenly privileges but through pride, ambition and self-will betrayed God. As a result, he brought down upon his head the judgment of God. He operates today as the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air. He is the arch deceiver and father of all lies. He is the greatest enemy, the biggest tempter and the greatest opposition of the saints. His final abode shall be the lake of fire, which is the eternal place of punishment prepared for the Devil and his angels. Isa.14:12-15; Eze.28:14-17; Jude 6; 1Pet.5:8; 1Jn.3:8; Jn.8:43,44; Mt.25:41. HUMAN RACE...... We believe that man was created in innocence and holiness and by voluntary transgression of the Lord's command fell from the state in which he was created. As a consequence, he became a sinner alienated from God and brought upon himself and all mankind just condemnation. Man is now, by virtue of his fallen nature, void of holiness, positively inclined to evil and condemned to eternal Hell fire without excuse. Gen.3:6; Rom.5:12,19; Rom.1:18,28; Eph.2:1-3; Jer.17:9; 1Jn.1:8,10; Rev 20:10-15; Rev 21:8. ATONEMENT...... We believe that the lost sinner is guilty and under just condemnation. He is by nature at enmity with God and because of sin condemned to die. The atonement for sin was provided through the mediatorial office of the Son of God. Who, by divine appointment, freely took upon Himself our likeness, yet without sin. He through obedience during his earthly walk personally honoured the divine Law by keeping it. Through His death on the cross He totally satisfied the Law in the penalty of sin by the shedding of His sinless blood. Rom.3:25; Heb.9:22; Jn.10:17,18; Isa.53:12; Heb.12:2. SALVATION..... We believe that salvation is entirely by God's grace through the mediatorial work of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Cross of Calvary. The Gospel, by which we are saved, is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Salvation is the free gift of God which is neither merited or secured through the works of man. Salvation is extended to all and is only acquired by personal repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is wrought by the Holy Spirit acting upon the heart after hearing the Gospel and as the sinner is convicted of his guiltiness, condemnation and helplessness, turns in repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ for the mercy and forgiveness He alone can give; thus the sinner is immediately "born again." All who do trust Christ are eternally saved and given standing of "sonship" into the family of God. We believe there is no possible salvation outside of Christ's atoning, sinless blood.
*Grace being unmerrited favour of God. *Repentance being a change of heart resulting in a change of conduct towards sin and God's will. *Faith being the act of placing one's confidence, trust, reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption at Calvary. Eph.2:5,8; Lk.13:3,5; Act.17:30/20:21/16:30,31; Eph.1:7; Col.1:14; 1Jn.1:7; Rev.1:5; Jn.3:1-7,15,16/10:27-30; 1Pet.1:5; Rom.10:1-13; 1Cor.15:1-4; Jn.1:12/5:24; 1Jn.5:11-13. JUSTIFICATION...... We believe justification is God's gracious and full acquittal, upon principles of righteousness, of all sinners who believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. This blessing is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done but through the redemption that is in and through Jesus Christ as Saviour. Rom.5:1-16; Act.13:38,39; Titus 3:3-7; Rom.4:3-5; 1Cor.6:11; Gal.3:24. SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER... We believe that all the redeemed, that is those who are "born-again", are kept by God's power and are secure in Christ for eternity (John 6:37-40; l0:27-30; Romans 8:l,38,39; 1 Corinthians l:4-8; 1 Peter l:5). The privilege of believers is to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word. The Bible clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Romans l3:l3,l4; Galatians 5:l3; Titus 2:ll-l5). We believe that sanctification is God's will for all believers and it involves the believer's separation from the world and complete dedication to Christ in service. It is not the eradication of the Adamic nature. All the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord. Separation from all religious apostasy, worldly practices and associations is commanded by God - including all forms of immorality and homosexuality (Romans l2:l,2; l4:l3; 2 Corinthians 5:l9,20; 2 Timothy 3:l-5: 1 John 2:l5-l7; 2 John 9-ll). RESURRECTION...... We believe and teach that Jesus Christ arose bodily from the grave. We also believe and teach that this resurrection assures all believers the same bodily resurrection when the Lord returns for His saints at the time of the Rapture. There will also be a resurrection of the unsaved to stand in the judgment before the Lord. This is known in Scripture as the Great White Throne Judgment. Mt.28:6,7; Lk.24:39,40; 1Thess.4:13-18; 1Cor.15:1-11,51-58; Zech.14:1-5; 1Thess.3:13; Rev.19:11-16/20:1-6; Titus 2:13; Act.1:9-11. LAST THINGS..... The Rapture & Christ's Return: We believe and teach that Jesus Christ shall "catch away" all believers thus ushering the Great Tribulation period. This tribulation period will last seven years and will be such as the world has never seen before. The One World government and apostate One World Religious System will be in control. Terrible, horrific, and wicked things will transpire as man's way consummates and judgment from God begins. This time will end with the Battle of Armageddon. At the close of the Great Tribulation the saints will return physically with Christ to the earth and shall live and reign with Him 1,000 years. The rapture of the saints is an imminent truth. We believe that Christ's return is both pre-tribulational and pre-millennial. 1Thess.4:13-18; 1Cor.15:51-58; Jude 1:14,15; Zech.14:1-5; 1Thess.3:13; Rev.19:11-16/20:1-6; Titus 2:13; Act.1:9-11; Jn.14:3; Jas.5:8; Php.3:20,21; Mt.24:1-51; 2Thess.2:1-12; Lk.21:8-19,25-31; Mk.13:27-31; LOCAL CHURCH..... We believe that the New Testament Church is a local, visible assembly of called-out baptized believers. They are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, walking in obedience to the Lord's Word. Scriptures command the Christian to faithfully attend and encourages him to become actively involved therein. Salvation and baptism are the prerequisites for church membership. The two offices in the church are pastor and deacon. The local New Testament Church is an independent congregation authorized to carry out the Great Commission and is not governed or controlled by an ecclesiastical hierarchy. The sole authority is the Word of God. Act.2:47/8:1/11:22/16:5; Eph.1:20-23/3:21; Mt.16:18; 1Tim.3:15; Col.1:24; Heb.10:24,25; BAPTISM..... We believe that water baptism by immersion following conversion is a symbolic ordinance setting forth the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and the believer's union with Him in death and resurrection. Baptism is a Scriptural ordinance of the church requiring immersion of believers only. It is to be administered by the New Testament local church (Matthew 28:l9,20; Acts 2:38; l0:47; l6:33). LORDS SUPPER..... We believe the Lord's Supper is a memorial service that is administered to the members of the New Testament church. It symbolizes the broken body and the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers who have submitted themselves to scriptural baptism and whose spiritual lives are in a right relationship are qualified participants in the Lord's Supper service. 1Cor.11:23-31;
* NOTE: There is no mystical power or special saving grace in Baptism and the Lord's Supper. MODERN RELIGIOUS TRENDS..... We believe that the modern Charismatic Movement (i.e. tongues, prophecies, healers, signs and wonders, etc.) is NOT Biblical and we do not accept it as being from God. That the Ecumenical drive to unite all religions into one world church is totally unscriptural. CIVIL GOVERNMENT..... We believe and teach that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society. The magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured, and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is the only Lord of the kings of the earth. Pro.8:15,16; Rom.13:1-7; 1Pet.2:9-20; Mt.22:21/23:10; 1Tim.6:15; Rev.19:16. |