We Believe
We Believe
Below are the doctrinal statements to which our church subscribes. Contact us to learn more.
The Bible
We believe the Bible to be the complete Word of God; that the 66 books, as originally written, comprising the Old and New Testaments, were verbally inspired by God and are therefore entirely free from error; that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice and is the true basis of Christian union. (2 Tim.3:16, 17; 2 Pet.1:21; 1 Thess.2:13)
God
We believe in one God, Creator of all, Holy, Sovereign, Eternal, existing in three equal Persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Titus 2:13; Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19; Deut.6:4)
Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man (Titus 2:13; 1 John 1:1,2; 1 Tim.2:5,6, 3:16), that He has always existed with the Father (John 1:1), that He was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23), and that He was sinlessly perfect (2 Cor.5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22). Because of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, He was the substitute for the sinner (1 Pet.2:24; 3:18) and the only mediator between holy God and sinful man (1 Tim 2:5,6; 1 John 2:1-2). He was buried and rose bodily from the dead (Acts 2:31,32; Luke 24:39) and ascended to His Father’s right hand (Eph.1:20) where He now ministers as our Great High Priest (Heb.4:14-16, 9:24).
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the absolute and essential Deity and personality of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3,4), who convinces of sin, of righteousness and of judgment (John 16:8-11); who regenerates (Titus 3:5), indwells (Rom.8:9), baptizes (1 Cor.12:13), fills (Eph.5:18), seals (Eph.4:30), sanctifies (Rom.15:16), illuminates (1 Cor.2:10-14) and comforts (John 14:16).
Satan
We believe that Satan exists as an evil personality (1 Pet.5:8; Rev.12:9,10), the originator of sin (Ez.28:1-19), the archenemy of God and man (Gen.3:15; Rev.12:10).
Man
We believe that man was divinely created in the image of God (Gen.1:26); that all have sinned, becoming guilty before God, thereby incurring physical and spiritual death (Rom.3:10-13, 19, 23; 5:12; 6:23).
Salvation
We believe that salvation is by the sovereign mercy, love and electing grace of God (Eph.2:4-9; Rom.8:27-33); that by the appointment of the Father, Christ voluntarily suffered a substitutionary, atoning and sacrificial death (1 Pet.3:18; Rom.5:19; Heb.10:1-14); that justification is by faith alone (Rom.5:1-2) in the all-sufficient sacrifice (Heb.10:12), shed blood (Heb.9:11-28), and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor.15), and that those whom God has effectively called shall be divinely preserved and finally perfected in the image of the Lord (Rom.8:29-30; Phil.1:6). Salvation occurs when we repent of our sins and confess Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord (Acts 17:30; Rom.10:9-10; 1 John 4:16). We believe in the eternal security of the believer (John 5:24, 10:27-29; Rom.8:31-39).
The Second Coming of Christ
We believe in the second and pre-millenial* coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to receive His Church, which is His body, and that He will come again, in glory, with His saints, to establish His Kingdom on earth, and that thus God’s gracious purposes for His people in this world will be consummated (1 Thess.4:13ff; Rev.20:1-6). *Note – The church’s position is pre-millenial, but we do not make compliance with this position a condition of membership.
The Judgment
We believe in the judgment of the saints, not for their sins, but for their works, that each may be rewarded according to the deeds done in the body (2 Cor.5:9,10; 1 Cor.3:12-15). We believe also in the final great white throne judgment when those not found recorded in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire as an everlasting punishment (Rev.20:11-15, 21:7-8).
The Local Church
We believe that a church is s company of immersed believers, called out from the world, separated unto the Lord Jesus, voluntarily associated for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith and the observance of the ordinances (Acts 2:41-42). We believe it is an autonomous body (Acts 20:28; Matt.18:15-17), exercising its own divinely awarded gifts, precepts and privileges under the Lordship of Christ, the Great Head of the Church (Eph.4:3-13; Rom.12:4-8).
Ordinances
We believe that there are only two ordinances for the church, regularly observed in the New Testament in the following order: 1) Baptism – Which is the immersion of the believer in water, whereby he obeys Christ’s command and sets forth his identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Rom.6:3,4). 2) The Lord’s Supper – Which is the memorial wherein the believer partakes of the two elements, bread and wine, which symbolizes the Lord’s body and shed blood, proclaiming His death until He comes (1 Cor.11:23ff).
The Church and the State
We believe in the entire separation of church and state (Matt.22:21; Acts 5:29).
Civil Government
We believe that the civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of society; that all those in authority are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the Prince of the Kings of the earth (Rom.13:1-7; Acts 5:29).
Religious Liberty
We believe in religious liberty; that every man has the right to practice and propagate his beliefs.
The Lord’s Day
We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day and that, in a special sense, it is the divinely appointed day for worship and spiritual exercise.