In these days of post-Christian attitude and new religious idealism, where bullying into moral decay is the order of the day and where standing on principles and moral absolutes is targeted with deceit and deception; it’s reassuring to know where you stand.

OUR FAITH

OF THE SCRIPTURES

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God as its Author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principle by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man, the true centre of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions should be tried.

By the “Holy Bible” we mean that collection of sixty-six books from Genesis to The Revelation, divinely preserved in the English Language and commonly known as the Authorised, King James Version of 1611 A.D.

By “inspiration” we mean that all of the books of the Bible were originally written by holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have been or ever will be inspired; that the Bible does not merely contain the Word of God, but is the very Word of God.

OF THE TRUE GOD

We believe the Scriptures teach that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honour, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

Of God The Father

We believe the Scriptures teach that God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the events of human history according to the purposes of His grace; that He is all powerful, all knowing, and all wise, unchangeable in holiness, love and truth; that He is Father in truth to those that are the children of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and fatherly in His attitude toward all men, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

2. Of God The Son

We believe that the Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-equal, co-essential, and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Ghost, the second Person of the Trinity, that He was supernaturally begotten of the Holy Ghost and born into this world of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can every be born of a woman, and that He is both perfect God and perfect man; that He lived a sinless life, honouring the divine law by His personal obedience, yet identifying Himself completely with mankind; that He died a substitutionary death on the cross securing redemption through His shed blood for sinners; that He supernaturally rose again the third day with a glorified body, was seen of many , and ascended into the heavens to be exalted and seated at the right hand of the Father where He is Head over His churches, the Mediator and Advocate with God the Father for all believers; and that He is supernaturally coming again to this world to reign personally and visibly over the earth.

3. Of God The Holy Spirit

We believe the Scriptures teach that the Holy Ghost is a divine Person, co-equal, co-essential, co-eternal, and co-active with God the Father and God the Son, the third Person of the Trinity; that He was active in the creation of the universe; that He moved holy men of God to write the Bible; that He is the present representative of the Godhead on this earth, and in His relationship to the unbelieving world restrains evil, convicting men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; that He bears witness to the Truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony, and is the Agent of the new birth, regenerating those who by faith believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; that He seals, fills, guides, teaches, sanctifies, and comforts all believers, cultivating in them Christian character and bestowing upon them spiritual gifts, eg, Romans 12, by which they serve God through the churches, these gifts being entirely unlike those falsehoods perpetrated within the so-called “Charismatic Movement” of today; such as the Apostles sign gifts to the Jewish nation, eg, Matthew 10:1-8, Mark 16:17,18.

OF MANKIND

We believe the Scriptures teach that God created man in His own image and after His own likeness; that man in notably distinct from all other forms of life, being tripartite in nature and an immortal soul; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms of life; that the entire Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and specially, and God’s established law is that they should bring forth only “after their kind”.

Of The Fall of Man

We believe the Scriptures teach that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression through an act of deliberate disobedience fell from that sinless and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but of choice, being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively incline to evil; that upon reaching a capability of moral action becomes a transgressor, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defence or excuse.

OF SIN

We believe the Scriptures teach that sin is any transgression of or want of conformity to, the revealed will of God; that it has permeated the entire universe, including every realm and affecting every race and species among creation; that every man is born with a sin nature, an inherent inclination toward evil which results in acts of wrong-doing; that the wages of sin is death, being separation from God in life and eternity.

THE FREENESS OF SALVATION

We believe the Scriptures teach that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith, and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth except his own inherent depravity and voluntary refusal to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, which refusal will subject him to an aggravated condemnation.

Of The Atonement For Sin

We believe the Scriptures teach that the Son of God, by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin; that by His death on the cross made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinners’ place, the Just dying for the unjust, that having risen from the dead He is now enthroned in Heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour.

2. Of Regeneration

We believe the Scripture teach that regeneration, or the “new birth”, is that change wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit, by which a new nature and a spiritual life, not before possessed, are imparted, and the person becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus, that a holy disposition is given to the mind, the will subdued, the dominion of sin broken, and the affections changed from a love of sin and self, to love of holiness and God; that the change is instantaneous and not a process, effected not by culture or character, nor by the will of man, but solely by the power of God in a manner incomprehensible to reason, through the Word of God.

3. Of Repentance

We believe the Scriptures teach that repentance is a personal act, prompted by the Spirit of God; and consists in a godly sorrow for sin, as offensive to God and ruinous to the soul; that it is accompanied with great humiliation in view of one’s sin and guilt, together with prayer for pardon; also by sincere hatred of sin, and a persistent turning away from, and abandonment of, all that is evil and unholy.

4. Of Faith

We believe that the Scriptures teach that faith, along with repentance, is a solemn obligation and a grace wrought in our soul by the Spirit of God, that it is an assent of the mind and a consent of the heart, consisting mainly of belief and trust, wherein the testimony of God is implicitly accepted and believed as true, while Christ is unreservedly received for salvation; that through it the believer is brought into vital relations with God, freely justified, and lives as seeing Him Who is invisible; that it reveals Christ to the soul as a willing and sufficient Saviour, and commits the heart and life to Him.

5. Of Justification

We believe the Scriptures teach that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe on Him is Justification, that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness, that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood; by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favour with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.

6. Of Adoption

We believe the Scriptures teach that adoption is a gracious act by which the Father, for the sake of Christ, accepts believers to the estate and condition of children, by a new and spiritual birth; sending the Spirit of Adoption into their hearts, whereby they become members of the family of God, and entitled to all rights, privileges, and promises of children; and if children, then heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ to the heritage of all saints on earth, and an inheritance reserved in Heaven for them.

7. Of Sanctification

We believe the Scriptures teach that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakes of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; that it is carried out in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, through the continued use of the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, prayer, and in the practice of all godly exercises and duties.

OF SCRIPTURAL BAPTISM

We believe the Scriptures teach that baptism is the immersion in water of the believer in Christ, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, performed with the church’s authority, to show forth in solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; membership; that infants are God’s little ones, whether children of Christian or non-Christian parents, and are safe in Christ until an age of moral accountability is reached, thus making any thoughts of “infant baptism” unnecessary.

We don’t believe there is a second, third etc. blessing of being filled or being baptised by the Holy Ghost for empowerment of/for Christian service; but that at the moment of salvation we are sealed ‘with’ the Holy Ghost, (not by) and we receive the ‘…fullness of the Godhead bodily.’ Colossian 2:9. Therefore we don’t need more of the Holy Ghost but rather by faith, submission, surrender and personal sacrifice He gets more of us.

OF THE RESURRECTION AND LAST THINGS

We believe the Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ rose literally and bodily from the dead on the third day; that having ascended in glory, He alone is our merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God; that this same Jesus shall return to earth bodily, personally, and visibly; first to raise the righteous dead and catch up all living believers in the twinkling of an eye, then to return with the saints to set up His glorious kingdom of a millennium of peace and righteousness, having executed judgement upon an unbelieving world; that at the final day of judgment all Christ-rejecting sinners will be raised, judged, and cast into the lake of fire for everlasting damnation; that the saved live with Him for eternity according to the sure promise of God.

Pastor Simon Doyle

OUR FAITH