WHAT WE BELIEVE

There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness, justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator, Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to His sovereign will for His own glory.

God has revealed Himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the Bible, as originally given, is in its entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable. The Bible alone is the supreme authority, sufficient for all matters of belief and practice.

The Lord Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son, fully God and fully human, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life. He came to be the Saviour of the world, dying on the cross in the place of sinners, bearing God’s punishment for sin, and destroying the works of the devil. He was raised physically from death, and in His risen glorified body He ascended into heaven to the right hand of God the Father, where He continues His work as mediator and intercessor.

Humans are created in the image of God, having inherent and equal dignity and worth. Our greatest purpose is to love, worship and obey God. God created us male and female, identified by our biological sex. Marriage is the exclusive union of one man and one woman, and is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His bride the church. Sexual intimacy is a gift from God to be enjoyed only within the context of marriage. The Fall As a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, everyone is spiritually dead, guilty sinners and hostile to God, both by nature and choice. Consequently, humanity as a whole is subject to God’s righteous wrath and just punishment.

Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and cannot be earned nor deserved. It has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel. God in his love forgives sinners who come to him in repentance and faith. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into the family of God and thus recipients of eternal life.

The Holy Spirit has been sent, by the Father and the Son to glorify Christ and to apply His work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces an increasing likeness to Christ. He gives gifts to build up the Church and empowers her members for worship, service and mission.

There is one universal Church, the Body of Christ, to which all true believers belong. Christ is the Head of the Church. The universal Church is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are committed to each other in the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and communion, through pastoral care and church discipline, and for evangelistic outreach. Baptism and communion have been given to the church by Christ as visible signs of the gospel. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry into his Church, but does not itself impart spiritual life. Communion is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice offered once for all, and involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received by faith.

The Lord Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, to bring to completion the promises of God. He will call all people, both those who have died as well as those who are still alive, to judgement. He will pronounce eternal punishment for the condemned, and eternal life for the redeemed, establishing the new heavens and the new earth to the praise of His name.