Our Statement of faith
- We believe that the Bible, the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, are God’s own words and the writers only wrote what God said and inspired (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Thus this Bible is without error or contradiction in the original manuscripts, infallible, wholly sufficient and authoritative in all matters of faith and way of life, both for the conduct of the church and for every Christian at the individual level.
- We believe in one true God who is sovereign over all things, working out everything in conformity to his will (Eph. 1:11). All things are from him and through him and for him (Rom. 11:36). He is worthy of all worship, love, glory and honour (Deut. 4:32-39; 6:4-5; Rev. 7:12). He is a God of holy, righteous, jealous love in whom there is no darkness at all (Ex. 20:4; 34:6-7; 1 John 1:5; 4:8). All aspects of our lives are to be lived to the glory of this God and no one else (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 10:31).
- We believe in the Holy Trinity. The one God exists eternally in three inseparable persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; equal in glory and honour (Matt. 28:19; John 5:16-30; 17:21-24).
- We believe that in the beginning the Triune God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing for the display of his power, wisdom and goodness (Gen. 1:1). He created humanity in his image as caretaker-stewards and not owners of his resources (1 Chron. 29:14). He gave marriage, as a creation ordinance and gospel foreshadowing, consisting in the exclusive union of one man and one woman for life (Gen. 2:24; Mk. 10:6-9; Eph. 5:31-32).
- We believe that since the fall of man the whole world is sinful and subject to the wrath of God (Eph. 2:1-3). All are sinners and totally unable to save themselves. Only Christ can save us from God’s wrath (John 3:36).
- We believe that salvation is by sovereign grace alone: free and undeserved (Eph. 2:8-9). God alone sovereignly chooses those he will save, based on his love and not on any merit or foreseen faith on our part (Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5). Salvation belongs to the Lord (Jonah 2:9; Rev. 7:10).
- We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. For our salvation he took a human nature in the womb of the virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, lived a perfect life here on earth, died a sacrificial wrath-bearing substitutionary death on the cross, had a bodily resurrection on the third day and ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father. In this way Jesus Christ became the one and only one way of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; Heb. 4:14; 7:25; 10:14).
- We believe that only the Holy Spirit can make the work of Jesus effective towards sinners (Eph. 1:13-14). He brings spiritual life and sonship by uniting us with the risen Son (John 3:6; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 4:6; 1 John 4:13). He indwells God’s people, gives them the strength and wisdom to trust Christ and follow him, and equips them with the boldness and gifts for church growth and gospel advance (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:7).
- We believe in one holy, universal, multi-ethnic Church, the Bride and Body of Christ. This church is manifest in local churches where the apostolic gospel is preached and embraced and where the sacraments ordained by Christ (baptism and the Lord’s supper) are administered. The church is the agent and outcome of mission and the centrepiece of Christ’s plan (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-41; 13:1-3; 14:23; Eph. 3:10). We exist not as a closed system only to draw resources of our survival but an open system to know God, to live for God and to make him known to the world.
- We believe that Jesus will return, bodily and visibly, to raise the dead, to judge all humanity and evil, to receive his people to himself and to usher in the glorious New Creation. This is the great Hope of all believers (Rom. 8:18-25; Rev. 20:13-21:22:5).