What We Believe

Scripture

We believe that all Scripture, being the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is inspired by God and without error in its original manuscripts. God’s revelation through Scripture has supreme authority for all matters of faith and practice. It is sufficient for all that God intends it to achieve.

2 Tim 3:15-17; Rom 10:17; Heb 4:12

God the Trinity

We believe in one God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is united as God, equal in glory, and distinct in their personhood and roles. God the Father, with his Son and Holy Spirit, created the universe and is sovereign over it. God the Son became the sinless man Jesus of Nazareth, died on the Cross, physically rose again, ascended to Heaven, and lives forever as God and man. God the Holy Spirit glorifies the Father and Son, convicts the world, and indwells, seals, leads, sanctifies, and gifts Christians.

Matt 28:19; John 17:5; Gen 1:1-2, Phil 2:7, 12-13; Col 2:9; John 16:8; Rom 8:14-16; 1 Cor 3:16; 1 Cor 12; 2 Cor 1:22; Gal 5:22-23

Humanity

We believe that God made both men and women in his image, equal in dignity and value. We believe that there are only two genders, based on God’s perfect design: man and woman. Marriage is a lifelong, exclusive covenant between one man and one woman.

Gen 1:27, 2:24; Matt 19:4-6

Sin

We believe that all people have sinned and fall short of God’s perfection. Sin is any thought, attitude, motive, or action contrary to God and his perfect will. Sin brings about separation between humankind and God, and causes physical and spiritual death.

Gen 3:8-10; 8:21; Isa 59:2; Rom 3:10-12, 23; 5:6-8, 12

Salvation

Salvation is a gift of God’s grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Because all people have sinned, no-one deserves or can earn salvation. Jesus Christ made it possible by living a sinless life and paying the penalty for sin as our substitute. At conversion, God replaces a person’s sinful nature with Christ’s nature, declares them righteous, adopts them as his child, and seals them with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sanctifies Christians, making them more like Christ over their whole lifetime. One day, Christians will be glorified, resurrected and freed from sin’s presence.

Rom 3:23; Eph 2:1-9; 2 Cor 5:2; Rom 5:1; Eph 1:13-14, 1 John 3:1-2; 2 Cor 3:18; 1 Cor 15:54-57

The Church

We believe that the Church is made up of people from every nation, tribe and tongue who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The Church is distinct from the people of Israel and began at Pentecost (as described in Acts 2). Each local church is a group of people who fellowship, worship, are discipled, and are active on mission together.

Matt 16:13-20; Acts 2; Eph 2:8-10; Rom 11:11-12

Last Things

We believe in the imminent coming of Jesus Christ to rapture his church to be with Him forever. This event will be followed by a seven-year tribulation, after which believers will be resurrected and Jesus will physically return to earth to judge, rule and reign as the Davidic King for one-thousand years. At the end of this Millennium, the devil will be eternally defeated, evil eradicated, and those who have not believed in Jesus will be cast eternally from God’s presence. God will then recreate the heavens and the earth and dwell with His people forever.

1 Thess 4:16-17; Dan 9:27; Rev 6-18; Rev 19:11-20:15; 21:1-22:5