WHAT DO WE BELIEVE?
The Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is verbally inspired in the 66 books of the Old & New Testaments as originally written by the writers who were directly controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. This revelation from God is complete and final and without error in the original manuscripts (2-Timothy3:16; 2-Peter1:20-21; Ps. 19:7).
God
There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of Himself, all perfections, and being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience (Deut. 6:4; Ps. 145:3; John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; 1 Tim. 1:17).
God the Father
We believe that God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude towards all men (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 19:1-3; Mark 1:9-11; Romans 8:14-15; Colossians 1:15; 1-Peter 1:17; 1-John 5:7).
God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, in His incarnation as Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. In His sinless life and the sufficiency and substitution of His death on the cross for the sins of the whole world, in His bodily resurrection from the dead and His ascension into Heaven (Isaiah 7:14; Psalms 2:14; Matthew 1:18-23; John 1:1-18; Romans 1:3-4; 1-Corinthians 15:3-4; Philippians 2:5-11; 1-Peter 2:21-25; Revelation 1:13-16).
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that God the Holy Spirit brings glory to the Father and the Son and is of the same nature. He seals, dwells in, guides, teaches, sanctifies, and helps the believers, and distributes spiritual gifts to every believer according to His divine will for the developing the body of Christ. He comforts, and empowers believers for missions, evangelism, and worship. He is the Seal of our salvation (Psalms 51:11; Joel 2:28-32; Mark 1:10-12; 1-Timothy 1:14; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:16-17; Acts 5:3).
The Trinity
We believe in the tri-unity of God that the eternal God manifests Himself in three persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and these three are one, but God is without division of essence (1-John5:7; Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God. In the beginning man was innocent of sin, and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice, but by his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into human race and not only physical death, but also spiritual death or eternal separation from God. Now all of mankind exists as a fallen race, with an inherited sinful nature, but only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfil the creative purpose of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 3:1-7; Romans 5:12; Roman 6:23; John 14:6; Eph. 2:1-3).
Salvation
We believe that salvation, which is the forgiveness of sin and new life in Christ, is offered to all people who willingly choose to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. One must acknowledge one’s sinfulness and believe in Jesus Christ as God’s Son. (Acts 4:12; Eph. 2:8-9; 2-Cor. 5:17).
A. Regeneration,or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of Grace.
B. Repentanceis a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.
C. Justificationis God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favour with God.
D. Sanctificationis the experience, bringing in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purpose, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
E. Glorificationis the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
(Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5).
Baptism
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, in the name of Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior. Baptism signifies the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12)
The Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is to be observed by those who have become followers of Christ and this is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming (Matthew 26:26-30; 1-Corinthians 10:16-21; 11:23-29).
Missions and Evangelism
We believe that it is privilege of every follower of Christ, and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavour to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man’s spirit by God’s Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of regenerate life and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20).
The Church
We believe that the universal church is a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and his disciples are the members. The local church under the authority of Jesus Christ is an autonomous congregation of believers who have been baptized upon profession of faith in Christ. The ultimate mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations through the proclamation of the Gospel, and the regular officers of a church are Pastor, Elders, and Deacons (Matthew 16:15-19; 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1-Timothy 3:1-13; Hebrews 10:23-25).
Last Things
We believe that God, in His own time and in his own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord (1-Corinthians 15:20-21; 1-Thessalonians 4:13-18; revelation 20:11-15).