statement of faith and practice
"A declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us." (Luke 1:1)
We believe in...
THE SCRIPTURES
The divine verbal, plenary inspiration and infallibility of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; their inerrancy, perspicuity, full authority, and sufficiency in every area of faith and life, the Holy Spirit having deposited and preserved there all necessary revelation. Isa.8:20; Jn.5:39; Gal.1:8-9; 6:16; 1 Thess.2:13; 2 Tim.3:16-17; 2 Pet.1:21
THE BEING OF GOD
One only living and true God, one in being, existing eternally in three distinct yet equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, inseparably united in the essence of the divine being; and by whom, of His own pleasure and for His own glory, all things were created. Ex.20:2-3; Deut.6:4; Isa.43:7; Matt.28:19; Jn.1:1-13; 2 Cor.13:14; 1 Tim.1:17; 1 Jn.5:7; Rev.4:11
CREATION AND THE FALL OF MAN
All things were created immediately by God out of nothing in six literal days. The creation of man in the image of God, but that he sinned and all his posterity in him. The universal sinfulness and guilt of the human race, rendering all subject to the condemnation and wrath of God, from which there is no deliverance but by the blood of Jesus Christ. Gen.1:1, 26-27, 31; Ps.9:17; 51:5; Matt.25:46; Jn.1:1-3; Acts 4:12; Rom.5:12, 19; 7:18; 1 Thess.1:10
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
The Lord Jesus, eternal God, eternally Son of God, and of one substance and equal with the Father. He received a human body, took upon Himself man's nature yet without sin, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, these distinct natures were inseparably joined in one person. His death on the cross and bodily resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father, being given all authority in heaven and earth. Isa.9:6; Matt.28:18; Lk.1:34-35; Jn.1:1; 1 Cor.15:3-4; 2 Cor.5:21; Phil.2:6-11; Col.1:15-19; 1 Tim.2:5; Heb.2:9; 4:15; 1 Pet.2:22
SALVATION
The propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, the only ground of salvation, accomplishing once and for all time redemption from the guilt and power of sin for all who truly turn from sin and believe in Him. The justification of the redeemed, alone by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and not by works of righteousness performed by them. The perseverance in that salvation to which they were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. Mk.10:45; Jn.10:28; 14:3; Acts 13:39; Rom.3:20-26; 4:25; 1 Pet.1:5, 18-19; 3:18; Rev.3:21
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, making the death of Christ effective to the individual sinner, convicting of sin, granting repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, indwelling every child of God from the moment of regeneration enabling all to live godly life and to serve Him. Jn.16:7-11; Tit.3:5; Rom.8:9; Eph.1:13; 4:30
THE CHURCH
The gathering of the Lord's people meeting according to the Scriptures for worship, fellowship, attendance on the preaching and teaching of God's Word, and observing such ordinances and discipline as enjoined by Christ. There are two ordinances: Believer's Baptism administered by immersion, and the Lord's Supper in which His love in suffering and dying for the sins of His people are commemorated. Matt.26:26-27; 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-38; Rom.6:4; 1 Cor.11:22-28; Eph.5:25
THE LAST THINGS
The visible, personal, bodily, and premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the unjust to the fire of conscious eternal punishment and the just to everlasting blessedness. Dan.12:2; Jn.5:28-29; Acts 1:11; Rev.5:4-6, 11-15. There are to be two resurrections, one of the just and one of the unjust. They will be separated by the literal reign of Jesus Christ upon the throne of David for a thousand years. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:4-5; Revelation 20:11-14.
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OTHER ISSUES
Hyper-Calvinism
We believe the current rising tide of hyper-Calvinism, often in quite subtle forms, is a harmful and serious error, and is contrary to the biblical Gospel. It is causing good men to stumble. Hyper-Calvinism is based on a caricature of the true nature of God and His sovereign dealings with men, minimising as it does genuine human responsibility and undermining the universal duty of sinners to believe the Gospel. Human inability does not nullify responsibility. It is man's own fault that he sins and does not believe. We recognise that not all calling themselves 'Calvinist' are necessarily hyper-Calvinist. Hyper-Calvinists have turned biblical predestination into a kind of almost pagan fatalism. It is not biblical teaching at all. The denial of any one of the points below is a sufficient indication of the presence of hyper-Calvinistic thinking. Contrary to hyper-Calvinism we assert:
1. That the Gospel invites all sinners without distinction or exception, to repent and believe in Christ as the only Saviour of men. (Isaiah 45:22; 55:1-7; Matthew 11:28-29; Revelation 22:17).
2. That the warrant to believe is to be found in the universal command given in the Word of God that it is the duty of all men to repent of their sins and believe in Christ. Such a warrant is not to be found in a self-examination for evidence of election since faith itself is the only real evidence of election. Morbid introspection and obsession with conviction of sin can never lead to any real assurance of salvation.
3. That God is gracious to all men, elect and reprobate. He restrains a full outworking of the sinful human heart both individually and collectively. He gives all men a sense of right and wrong, maintains some order through human government, and enables us to appreciate that which is beautiful and good in the world He has made. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Matthew 5:44-45; Psalm 145:9) He upholds all, despite their continued rebellion, all to the end that they might repent and believe the Gospel (Romans 2:4). A denial of 'common grace' removes all ground of Gospel preaching to the lost.
4. That God's love is extended to all men, including the reprobate. In loving those who are our enemies, we behave like God (Deuteronomy 10:18; Matthew 5:44-45). To say that God always and only hates the non-elect cannot be sustained by reference to the Bible. Whilst there is a distinction to be made between the compassionate love of God towards all His creatures and the redemptive love reserved for those alone who believe in Christ (Acts 14:17; Ephesians 5:25-26), the love of God is but one love.
We believe it to be the solemn responsibility of every believer, as empowered and directed by the Spirit of God, to bear witness to the saving grace of God in Christ in the proclamation of the Gospel to every creature and to live sacrificially to this end. We have no difficulty accepting the plain meaning of Scripture: "As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked should turn from his way and live" (Ezk.3:11). We fervently believe that God "commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30) and so confidently commend Christ to all men without exception as the only way of escape from the wrath of God. The Gospel message includes a sincere offer of divine mercy to any sinner who will repent and believe in Christ alone for salvation (2 Corinthians 5:20). At the same time, we receive the apostolic assurance that "as many as were ordained to eternal life" believe (Acts 13:48).
Separation
We believe that co-operation in the work of the God with those who deny or compromise the Gospel in any way to be forbidden in Scripture; we are therefore not ecumenical or neo-evangelical. (2 Cor.6:14, 17; Rev.18:4)
Belonging exclusively to Christ, all believers are to keep themselves unspotted from the world, living a life of godly separation from all that is sinful, being not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, giving no appearance of fellowship with darkness. Contemporary 'Christian' music (CCM), and so-called 'Christian' rock music, violate this injunction and have no place in the worship of a thrice holy God.
Charismatics and Pentecostals
We believe the charismatic/pentecostal movement to be apostate; its claims and behaviour are a misrepresentation of the truth, identifiable with the deceivers and antichrists of the last days.
Differences among believers
The Scriptures prohibit believers from pursuing fellow-believers through the secular courts. Those who do such things walk disorderly and we are to avoid them (1 Cor.6). It is better rather to suffer loss.
Bible Versions
We believe the Authorised Version (King James Bible) of 1611 to be the inspired Word of God in the English language. Modern translations we have found to be variously perverse and defective.