Core Beliefs
I. OF THE TRUE GOD
God is the Creator of man and the entire universe and upholds all things by the Word of His power. We believe also in the Trinity - The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. The word in the Bible is Godhead. God in His person is all-knowing, all-powerful, present everywhere at once, and unchangeable.1 John 5:7 – For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. Colossians 2:9 for in him {in Christ} dwelleth all the fulness of the Goodhead bodily.
A. Person and Work of God the Father
We believe in God the Father, perfect in holiness, boundless in love, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; He hears and answers prayers and he saves by faith those who come to Him through Jesus Christ His Son.Psalm 147:5 – "Great is our LORD, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
B. Person and Work of God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ was sinless in His nature and life, and infallible in His teaching; that He accomplished our redemption, making atonement for our sins through His substitutionary death on the cross according to the Scriptures; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.
Acts 4:12 – Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
C. Person and Work of God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person and that He indwells the believers at the moment of salvation and is their constant source of strength and power; that He seals, guides, teaches, comforts, sanctifies, and helps the believer; and that He witnesses of and glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14:16 – And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.
II. OF THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by Holy Spirit-controlled men who were supernaturally inspired and that it is without error. We recognise that the King James version is a trustworthy, accurate, and reliable English translation, and we confidently use it in the pulpit and in Sunday School classroom.
Psalm 12:6-7 – The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
III. OF SATAN
We believe in the personal existence of Satan, the Devil, who was created a perfect angelic being; who wilfully led a host of other angels in rebellion against God before the world began; who is the author of sin, sickness and all false religions; who is the accuser of saints and tempter of all men; and who shall be destroyed in the lake of fire with his followers at the end of the world forever.
Rev. 20:10 – And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
IV. OF CREATION
We believe in the Genesis account of creation as neither allegory nor figuratively, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without any (organic or theistic) evolutionary process
Gen. 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
V. OF THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker; that by his own free choice and wilful decision fell into sin and there by incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is eternal separation from God. Man in his sinful condition is under just condemnation without defence or excuse.
Rom.5:12 – Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
VI. OF SALVATION
We believe that salvation of sinful man is wholly by God's grace and not by man's works; that Jesus Christ came into the world to make full payment for sin by His shed blood, substitutionary death on the cross, and bodily resurrection from the grave; that man must personally repent of his sins and accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour to receive the free gift of eternal life; that man can be saved only once and that there is no other way of salvation for sinful man.
Acts 20:21 – Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
VII. OF SANCTIFICATION
We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a threefold manner; First, an act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Saviour; Second, a continuing process in the believer as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to his life; Third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord's return when the believer will be removed from the presence of sin forever.
VIII. OF SEPARATION
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and that separation from all worldly and sinful pleasures and practices is commanded by God.
1 John 2:15 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
IX. OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS
We believe that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born again person has direct access into God's presence without the need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit.
Heb. 10:19 – Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
X. OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe that God is Sovereign in the giving of all His gifts; and that the gifts of evangelists, pastors and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and that speaking in tongues (languages) and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established.
1 Cor. 13:10 – But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
XI. OF THE CHURCH
We believe that a local church is a congregation of saved, baptised believers. We hold that the local church has absolute right of self-government and that Christ is the one and only Head and Superintendent of the Church
Eph. 4:23 – For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Saviour of the body.
XII. OF THE ORDINANCES
We believe there are only two ordinances given to the local church by Christ; Believer's Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, and that both these ordinances have no saving merit; and that as Christ gave these ordinances to the local church, that the local church alone has the authority to administer them.
XIII. OF MISSIONS
Because all men everywhere without Christ are lost and bound for eternal punishment, and because men cannot believe in Him of whom that have not heard, we believe that we are debtors to all men and have the responsibility of giving them the Gospel. As a local church, we must support by prayer and financial aid those who go out that are sound in doctrines and have like faith and practice to represent us in other parts of the world.
XIV. OF HEAVEN AND HELL
We believe that Heaven and Hell are literal, eternal places, prepared of God; that every person has a soul of eternal duration; that heaven is a place of eternal joy and happiness for those who are saved by the grace of God; and that it is a place of God's preparation for His people. We also believe that those who do not accept God's grace and remain in their lost condition shall abide in hell forever, eternally separated from God.
XV. OF THE WORLD TO COME.
We believe that the end of the world is approaching; that at the last day Christ will descend from heaven, and raise the dead from the grave to final retribution; that a solemn separation will then take place; that the wicked will be adjudged to endless punishment, and the righteous to endless joy; and that this judgment will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell, on principles of God's righteousness and justice. Matthew 24