W h a t We Tea c h
B i b l e ·
- We teach that the bible is the written revelation of God to man, and that all 66 within are given to us by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and are all equally inspired and equally the word of God. (1 Cor 2:7-1 4, 2 Tim 3:1 6-1 7, 2 Pet 1:20-2 1). ·
- We teach the bible is both infallible and completely sufficient for every spiritual need. It is therefore fully trustworthy and supremely authoritative in all matters. (Ps 1 9:7-1 3, 2 Tim 3:16). ·
- We teach that while there are many applications to any bible passage, there is only one true interpretation. The bible alone is the authorized Word of God, and the canon of Scripture is closed. (Matt 5:18, 2 4:35, John 1 0:35, 1 7:17, 1 Cor 2:7-1 4, 2 Tim 3:16, Heb 1:1-2, 4:12, 2 Pet 1:20-2 1, Rev 2 2:18-1 9 ). ·
- We teach the literal grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture which affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal days’ (Gen 1:31, Ex 3 1:17).
God ·
- We teach there is only one true, living, eternally existing God who is holy and deserving of worship (Deut 6:4, Is 4 5:5-7, 4 5:21- 2 2, 1 Cor 8:4, 1 Tim 2:5, Rev 4:8) ·
- We teach that God is one in essence and existing eternally in three persons – Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit (Matt 2 8:19, 2 Cor 1 3:14). ·
God the Father:
- We teach His Fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind as Creator, but He is only the spiritual Father of believers (Rom 8:14, Eph 1:2, 5). ·
- We teach that He has graciously chosen all those who He will have as His own in eternity past (Eph 1:4-6). ·
- We Teach that He is the Creator of all things (Gen 1:1-3 1, Eph 3:9). ·
- We teach that He has ordained all things for His own glory (Eph 1:11-1 4) and that He continually upholds and governs all event s (1 Chron 2 9:11). ·
- We teach that in His sovereignty He is neither the author or approver of sin, nor doe s He tempt anyone to sin (Hab 1:13, John 8:38-4 7 James 1:13). ·
Go d t h e S o n:
- We teach Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20), born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35) and is both God and man, two distinct natures, the divine and human join together in one person without separation. ·
- We teach that it was through His Son, Jesus Christ, that God the Father created, according to His will, and therefore all creation continues its existence and functioning through Jesus (John 1:3, Col 1:15-1 7, H e b 1:2). ·
- We teach that Christ is the only mediator between man and God (1 Tim 2:5, Heb 12:24). ·
- We teach that Jesus, having lived a sinless life (2 Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15, 7:26) accomplished redemption through the shedding of His blood on the cross (John 10:15, Rom 3:24, 5:81, 1 Pet 2:24). ·
- We teach that Christ’s death was voluntary, sacrificial, substitutionary, propitiatory, atoning and redemptive (Eph 1:7, Phil 2:5-8, 1 Pet 2:24, 1 John 2:2).
- We teach that on the basis of Christs’ death, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, penalty, power and one day the very presence of sin, and that he is declared righteous, given eternal life and adopted into the family of God (Rom 3:24-2 5, 5:8- 9, Eph 1:5, 1 Pet 3:18). ·
- We teach that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave that God the Father accepted the atoning work of Christ on the cross and that this bodily resurrection also guarantees a future resurrection for all believer s (John 5:25-2 9, 1 4:19, Rom 1:4, 4:25, 6:5-1 0, 1 Cor 1 5:20-2 3). ·
- We teach that 40 days after His resurrection Jesus ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father and that He will one day return in bodily form in power and glory (Acts 1:3, 9-1 1, R e v 1 9:11-1 6, 2 2:12). ·
- We teach there will be a final judgment of all mankind after which God permanently vanquishes sin and death and will usher in the New Heavens and the New Earth (Matt 2 5:31-4 6, Rev 2 0:11- 2 1:6). ·
- We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One through whom God will judge all mankind (John 5:22-2 3). ·
- We teach that Jesus as the mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5), the Head of His body the church (Eph 1:22, 5:23 ), universal King who will reign on the throne of David (Is 9:6-7, Luke 1:31-3 3 ) and the final judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as Lord and Saviour (Matt 2 5:14-4 6, Acts 1 7:30-3 1 ).
God the Holy Spirit:
- We teach that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign Agent in regeneration and baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ (John 1:33, 1 Cor 1 2:13). ·
- We teach that the Holy Spirit indwells, sanctifies, teaches, instructs, empowers for service and seals until the day of redemption all believers (Rom 8:9, 2 Cor 3:6, Eph 1:13, 1 John 2:27, 4:13). ·
- We teach that the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to the church. In doing so the Holy Spirit does not glorify Himself, the gifts or the saints receiving the gifts but does glorify Christ in implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the holy faith (John 1 6:13-1 4, Acts 1:8, 1 Cor 1 2:4-1 1).
- We teach with the end of the apostolic era also saw the end of the apostolic gifts such as speaking in tongues, new rev elation of prophecy and the working of sign miracles which were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of all believers ( 1 Cor 1 2:4-1 1, 1 3:8-1 0, 2 Cor 1 2:12, Eph 4:7-1 2, H e b 2:1-4 ).
M a n ·
- We teach that God’s intention in creating man was to glorify Himself and enjoy fellowship with Him, living their lives to the will of God (Is 4 3:7, Col 1:16, R e v 4:11). ·
- We teach that man is created by God in His image and as such was originally created free of sin (Ge n 1:27, 2:7, 1 5-2 5, Ja m e s 3:9). ·
- We teach Adam’s sin brought sin and death into the world and that all mankind, who were in Adam, inherited a sinful nature (Ps 5 1:5, Ro m 3:23, 5:12). All men since Adam, apart from Christ, are thus sinners by nature, by choice and by God’s divine declaration (Ps 1 4:1-3, Jer 1 7:9, Rom 3:9-1 8). ·
- We teach that in this natural state sinful man is at enmity with God and spiritually dead, alienated from God their creator and very source of life. (Eph 2:1-3, Jam4:4). ·
- We teach that all people, both believers and unbelievers, will be raised bodily and be judged by God (Cor 1 5:20-2 4 R e v 2 0:4-5). Believers will enjoy eternal blessedness in God’s presence, while unbelievers will suffer the eternal punishment of exclusion from his presence in hell (Matt 2 5:46 1 Rev 2 0:11-1 5).
- We teach complementarianism, that men and women are created equal before God in Christ, however, their roles given to them by God are not the same (1 Cor 1 4:34-4 0, 1Tim 2:9-3:5).
Salvation: ·
- We teach that salvation is wholly of God by grace alone. (John 1:12, Eph 1:7, 2:8-1 0, 1 Pet 1:18-1 9). ·
- We teach that God’s gracious gift of salvation which is on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, cannot and is not on the basis of human merit or works (E p h 2:4-1 0) ·
- We teach that this unmerited favor of God in salvation is granted to sinners not on any related initiative of their own part or God’s anticipation of what they might do by their own will. It is solely of His sovereign grace and mercy (John 1 5:16, Rom 8:29- 3 0, Eph 1:4-5, 1 1, Titus 3:4-7, 1 Pet 1:2-3). ·
- We teach that Christ is Gods given means of salvation and thus salvation is through Christ and through Christ alone (John 1 4:6, Acts 4:12, Eph 4:4-6, Jude 25) ·
- We teach that regeneration is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7, Titus 3:5). ·
- We teach that election is the act of God, before the foundation of the world, by which He, in Christ, chose those whom He graciously regenerates, saves and sanctifies (Rom 8:29-3 0, Eph 1:4-5, 1 1, 2 Tim 2:10, Pet 1:2-3) ·
- We teach that sovereign election does not contradict human responsibility including that to repent and trust in Christ as Saviour and Lord (Ezek 1 8:23, 3 2, John 3:18-1 9, 5:39-4 0). Nevertheless, since His sovereign grace includes the means of receiving the gift of salvation God sovereign election will result in what God determines. All who the Father calls will come to Him in faith and all who come in faith the Father will receive (John 6:37-4 0, 4 4, Acts 1 3:48, James 4:8).
- We teach that Salvation requires both divine initiative and divine intervention (John 6:44, 1 0:11-1 7, 2 7, Rom 5:6-8, Eph 2:1-1 0) ·
- We teach that justification is an act of God by where He declares righteous those who through faith in Jesus Christ repent of their sins (Is 5 5:6-7, Luke 1 3:3, Acts 2:38, 3;19, 2 Cor 7:10) and confess Him as Lord (Rom 1 0:9, 1 Cor 1 2:3).
- We teach sanctification as having both a positional and a progressive element. Positional sanctification means that every believer is set apart unto God by justification and is positionally holy unto Hi m (Acts 2 0:32, 1 Cor 1:2, 3 0, Heb 2:11, 1 0:10, 1 4). Progressive sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit where the believer is brought and molded more into the image of Christ and their standing, as they already have in justification (John 1 7:17, Rom 6:1-2 2, 2 Cor 3:18). Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God becoming more and more like Jesus Christ (1 John 3:24).
- We teach that believers will therefore live by faith alone not through their own effort, smarts or religious merit (Hab 2:4, Gal 2:20, Heb 1 0:39-1 1:40).
- We teach eternal security, that all the redeemed, once save d, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 5:24, 6:37-4 0, 10:27-3 0, Rom 8:1, 3 1-3 9, Eph 1:14, 4:30, Heb 7:25, 1 3:5, 1 Pet 1:5 Jude 2 4).
- We teach that those who are saved will evidence that through the fruits of salvation (Rom 1 2:1-2, Gal 5:22-2 5, Titus 2:11- 1 4, 1 John 2:3-6, 3:24).
Church: ·
- We teach that all who put their faith in Jesus are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into the church, a united spiritual Body, which is the bride of Christ and of which Christ is the one supreme authority and head (1 Cor 1 2:12-1 3, Eph 1:22, 4:15, 5: 2 3- 3 2, Col 1:18, R e v 1 9:7-8). ·
- We teach that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament (Acts 1 4:23, 2 7, 2 0:17, 2 8, Gal 1:2, Phil 1:1, 1 Thess 1:1). ·
- We teach that the purpose of the church is to glorify God (E p h 3:21). This happens by building itself up in faith (Eph 4:13-1 6), by instruction of the Word (2 Tim 2:2, 1 5, 3:16-1 7 ), by fellowship (Acts 2:47, 1 John 1:3), by keeping the two sacraments (Mark 1 4:22-2 4, Acts 2:38-4 2) and by advancing and communicating the gospel to the entire world (Matt 2 8:19, Act s 1:8, 2:42).
- We teach that Jesus Christ established and committed to the local church the two sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matt 3:13-1 7, Acts 2:38-42).
- We teach that baptism is the immersion (Matt 3:16, Mark 1:10 Acts, 8:36-39) of believers on their profession of faith, an act of identification with the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It involves commitment to a life of discipleship in fellowship with his people (Acts 2:41-4 2, Rom 6:1-11). ·
- We teach that in the Lord’s Supper, believers remember Christ’s sacrificial death, share in fellowship with their risen Lord and with one another, and look forward to His return (1 Cor 1 0:16, 1 1:23-26).