What We Believe
As a New Testament Church we believe that the bible is the inspired word of God. The bible is completely true and is the authority for faith and life. As such we use the bible both as a guide for our personal lives and as a guide to instruct our church in New Testament principles and practices. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21)
GOD
· God is the Creator of all things and is almighty and eternal, (Psalm 90:2).
· God loves each and every person on earth (John 3:16)
· God has complete knowledge of all things. (Romans 11:33)
· God is perfect, holy and righteous (Isaiah 6:3)
· God is known in three equal persons (Trinity); Father, Son and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).
JESUS CHRIST
· Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and came to earth in human form. He was born of a virgin, lived a perfect sinless life, and was crucified at Calvary (1 Timothy 3:16)
· Jesus Christ was crucified and died as a sacrifice for sin so that we could be saved and receive forgiveness and eternal life (Hebrews 10:12).
· Jesus Christ rose from the dead in bodily form and returned to heaven where He is today (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement. He is the agent in creation, Christ’s incarnation, our salvation and He permanently lives within every believer. (2 Corinthians3:6, John 16:1-11)
SALVATION
· Every single living person is a sinner (Romans 3:23) and needs salvation from their sin (Acts 4:12).
· Salvation cannot be gained by good works or being a good neighbour. Neither, can it be achieved by attending church services. Salvation can only be gained by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9).
· God wants everyone to accept salvation and not to perish. This is why He gave His Son to pay the price for our sin ( John 3:16: 1 Timothy 2:4-6)
BAPTISM
Baptism is a command to all believers that have repented of their sins and have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Baptism does not save you nor does it make you a Christian, it is basically an outward declaration that a believer has become a follower of Jesus Christ.
We believe as a New Testament Church that baptism is by full immersion in water and is to be administered in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:36-39, Matthew 28: 19-20)
THE CHURCH
· The church is described as the body of Christ and it began with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and includes every born-again believer (Acts 2:1-3; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
· The local church is made up of believers who have been baptized by immersion and adhere to the teachings of the New Testament. (Acts 2:41,42).
· The local church gathers unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, thereby acknowledging His authority. (Matthew 18:20; Colossians 1;18).
· The local church is independent of any outside governing body, being answerable to the Lord alone (Hebrews 13:17; Revelation 2&3).
THE LORD’S SUPPER - Communion
When we break the bread and drink of the cup we do this to remember the Lord Jesus’ body that was given and His blood that was shed. We do not believe that the bread and wine physically turn into the literal body and blood of Christ... they are just symbols.
We do however, believe that in order to partake in the Lord ’s Supper you must have first accepted Christ as your saviour and have been baptised. (1 Corinthians 10:17, 11:23-26, Acts 2: 4142)