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What we believe
Introduction
We believe lots of things.
We believe that Jesus shows the way to live a full, authentic and joy-filled life.
We believe that our faith has to be expressed in every aspect of the way we live our lives.
We believe that no act of love, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
And so on. This page is not really about what we believe. It is more like a theological safety net. It's about trying to avoid mistakes people have made in the past when they have thought and prayed and taught about God.
For some people, a statement of faith is deeply important. For most Christians, it is not something to worry about. If you want to be a part of this work, we will not quiz you on your precise understanding of the doctrines listed below. But we do need to know if you are comfortable with this statement of faith.
The other reason for this statement is to try and make clear the limits of what we, as a group, believe. For example, we believe that Jesus is coming back. But we don't have any position on when He is coming back, or the details of the rapture, the millennium, or where the Beast and the Antichrist fit in. We believe in the work of the Holy Spirit, but we don't have a position on the use of spiritual gifts. You get the idea?
So, with all that in mind, here is our statement of faith.
Statement of Faith
We believe in...
- the Divine inspiration and entire trustworthiness of Holy Scripture as originally given and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct;
- the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead;
- the fact of the fall whereby humankind made in the image of God became universally subject to God's judgement;
- redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death as our representative and substitute of Jesus Christ the incarnate Son of God;
- the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead;
- the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death and resurrection of Christ effective to the individual sinner granting him repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ;
- the indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer;
- the expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ;
- the sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgement; and
- the one holy, universal Church which is the body of Christ to which all true believers belong.