WHAT WE BELIEVE
God
There is only one God who is eternal, personal, Spirit. He is infinite in power, wisdom, holiness and love. He is triune revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He governs and sustains all things according to his sovereign will for his glory.
Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Exodus 3:14
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM".
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Hebrews 4:13
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Jesus Christ
Jesus is the second person of the Godhead and is both fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life in obedience to his Father. His death of the cross was a demonstration of God’s love for us. Having died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where he is now seated at the right hand of the Father awaiting the day when he will return to rule of all.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Matthew 3:16-17
When He had been baptised, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Hebrews 1:1-3
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead and is one with the Father and the Son. He has been sent from heaven by God the Father and God the Son. His role is to convince sinners of their sinfulness, lead them to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and indwells them for the purpose of producing in them the likeness of Christ in their attitude, actions and speech.
Matthew 3:16-17
When He had been baptised, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
John 15:26-27
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
The Church
The Church consists of the people of God. It is made up of all those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. All regenerate persons are members of the Church universal which takes local form when a group of believers unite for the purpose of worship, fellowship and service in accordance with the principles found in the word of God, the Bible. God has equipped his people with spiritual gifts for the edification and building up of one another. He has also called on his people to proclaim the gospel to the world.
Matthew 16:1
“I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 18:15-20
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Acts 14:2-3
But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
The Bible
The Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God. It has been given to us by God through the hand of men and is sufficient for our knowledge of Him and his supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
Matthew 4:4-10
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not [a]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
2 Timothy 3:15-17
And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Salvation
Salvation cannot be earned nor do we deserve it. It is entirely granted by the grace of God. It comes through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our representative and substitute. He alone is the mediator between God and man. God’s anger towards us for our sin and rebellion was turned onto Jesus Christ when he hung on the cross. As a result when we put our faith in Jesus we are redeemed from sin and death and declared righteous in God’s sight. The Gospel is the message of salvation.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Galatians 1:3-5
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 John 4:9-10
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Man
Men and women have been created by God in his image. They are called to love him with all the being. From the moment sin entered the world all men were declared guilty of rebellion against God. His image in us has become marred by our sin and as such we are all subject to his anger and condemnation. Only as we put our trust in Jesus Christ is the image restored and we are freed from all condemnation.
Genesis 1:27-28
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.
Romans 3:10-19
As it is written:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practised deceit;
The poison of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
The Return of Jesus Christ
According to his promise Jesus will return to this earth. On a day appointed by God Jesus will judge every man and each will receive reward or punishment according to their deeds done while on this earth. Those judged righteous through having put their faith in him will dwell with him forever. Those who have rejected Jesus Christ in this life will be declared unrighteous and consigned to everlasting punishment for their sin and rebellion.
Matthew 13:40-43
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 24:14
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
Matthew 24:37
“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Matthew 24:42-44
"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Jude 1:14-15
Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgement on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.