WHAT WE BELIEVE

Our Statement of Faith

The Bible

The Bible is God’s Word to all people. The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments are the verbally inspired and inerrant Word of God. The Bible was penned by human authors under the divine inspiration guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it was inspired by God, it is accurate and authoritative; it is truth without any mixture or error and is completely relevant to our daily lives. The Bible is God’s revelation to man and is therefore the final authority for all Christian faith and practice.
Deuteronomy 4:1-2Psalms 119:1189105Isaiah 40:8Matthew 22:29John 5:3916:13-1517:17Romans 15:42 Timothy 3:15-17Hebrews 1:1-24:121 Peter 1:252 Peter 3:16

 

The Trinity

There is One God, Creator of all things. He has existed in relationship with Himself for all eternity. He exists in three separate, but equal Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity serves different functions, they each possess equal power and authority. There is no hierarchy in the Godhead.
Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4Isaiah 61:1Matthew 28:19Mark 1:9-11Luke 1:35John 5:21-23, 6:27, 14:1016Romans 8:9-111 Corinthians 8:62 Corinthians 13:14Hebrews 1:8-10James 2:19

 

The Father

God is great: He is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, unchanging, completely worthy of our trust, and above all, Holy. It is in Him that we live, move and exist. God is good. He is our Father. He is loving, compassionate, and faithful to His people and His promises.
Exodus 3:14Numbers 23:19Leviticus 11:44-4519:2Psalm 11:4-6Malachi 3:6John 3:164:245:2614:1Acts 17:28Romans 3:3-4

 

The Son

Jesus Christ is completely human but, at the same time, completely God. He is the only plan for bringing people who are far from God back into a right relationship with God. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect sinless life, died on the Cross, was buried and arose on the third day. He later ascended into Heaven where He is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we can have life. In order to receive forgiveness and the ‘new birth’ we must repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our lives.
Isaiah 7:1453Matthew 1:18-233:178:2914:3316:1628:5-6Luke 1:30-35, 22:7024:46-47John 1:11410:3011:25-2717:1-5Acts 1:92:22-247:55-56Romans 1:3-43:23-268:1-310:41 Corinthians 8:6, 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21Galatians 4:4-5Philippians 2:5-11Colossians 1:152:91 Timothy 2:5-63:16; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1

 

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit’s presence assures us of our relationship with Christ. He guides believers into all truth and exalts Christ by convicting individuals of their sin, by regenerating, sealing, baptizing and indwelling the believing sinner permanently at the moment of conversion. He convicts people of their sin, God’s righteousness, and the coming judgment. He comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes us more like Christ. In order to live the holy and fruitful lives that God intends for us, we need to be baptised in water and be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to use spiritual gifts, including speaking in tongues.

Genesis 1:2Psalm 51:11139:7 ff.Isaiah 61:1-3Joel 2:28-32Mark 1:10Luke 1:354:111:1312:12John 15:2616:7-14Acts 1:82:1-413:2Romans 8:9-1114-1626-271 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-142 Peter 1:21; Titus 3:5; Revelation 22:17

 

Eternity

Man was created to exist forever. Sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives. Man will exist either eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is Heaven. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence. Everyone, after death, will be resurrected – believers to everlasting life in Heaven and unbelievers to judgment and everlasting, conscious punishment in Hell.
John 3:1636, 5:28-29; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27; 1 John 2:255:11-13Revelation 20:11-15

 

Man

Man is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of His creation. Man was created to have fellowship with God but became separated in that relationship through Adam’s sinful disobedience. This resulted in spiritual death – total depravity – which has been transmitted to the entire human race. As a result, every person comes into this world with a nature that has neither the desire nor the ability to please God, and thus cannot attain a right relationship with God through his own effort. Every human needs divine grace.
Genesis 1:26-302:7, 3:1-7, 18-223Psalms 8:3-632:1-551:5Isaiah 6:5Jeremiah 17:5Acts 17:26-31Romans 1:19-323:10-18235:66:67:14-251 Corinthians 1:21-3115:1921-22Ephesians 2Colossians 1:21-223:9-11

 

Salvation

The blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of sin. Salvation occurs when people place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin. Salvation is a gift from God, and it cannot be earned through our own efforts, religious deeds or good works – salvation can only be received through personal faith in Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 1:1853:5-655:7Matthew 1:2127:22-6628:1-6Luke 1:68-692:28-32John 1:123:16365:24Acts 2:214:1216:30-31Romans 1:16-183:23-255:8-1061 Corinthians 1:182 Corinthians 5:17-20Galatians 2:203:13Ephesians 2:8-10Philippians 2:12-13Hebrews 9:24-28Revelation 3:20

 

Water Baptism & Communion

Water baptism and communion – the Lord’s Supper – are the only two ordinances given in the life of every believer.  Baptism follows our conversion as a public declaration of our identification with Christ.  The Lord’s Supper is to be taken regularly during the believer’s life as a memorial of Christ’s sacrificial death.  Each of these is to be practiced as a testimony to the world, but neither of them is to be construed as a means of, or an additional requirement for salvation.
Acts 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 11:26

 

The Church

The Church is a local community of baptized believers unified through faith in Christ. The “true Church”, which began at Pentecost, is composed of all individuals who through faith in Jesus Christ have been united together in one body, of which Jesus is the Head. The Church is committed to the teachings of Christ and obeying all of His commands, and it seeks to bring the Gospel to the world. The local Church works together, through the officers and ordinances given by God, in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ. God has individually equipped us so that we can successfully achieve His purpose for our lives which is to worship God, fulfill our role in the Church and serve the community in which we live. We believe that God wants to heal and transform us so that we can live healthy and blessed lives in order to help others more effectively. We believe that each local Church is autonomous, having the right and responsibility to decide and govern its own affairs under the authority of Jesus, through the guidance of Scripture. Online Church is a modern interpretation of the local Church that Jesus described for us, and connects us as a global Church more easily.

Matthew 16:18-1918:15-20Acts 2:41-475:11-1413:1-314:2316:520:28; 1 Corinthians 7:179:13-1412Ephesians 1:22-232:19-223:10-125:22-32Colossians 1:183:151 Timothy 4:14; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1-4Revelation 21:2-3

 

Good Works

As believers in Jesus Christ, it is God’s command that we love Him, love one another, and love those who are not believers. We know that we love one another by serving fellow believers and by serving nonbelievers. We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and like the Philadelphian Church in the Book of Revelation, we want to do practical good works – at home and on the mission field across the earth – that bring glory to God and show people who Jesus is.

Matthew 10:42, 28:19-20; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 19:10; John 14:15; Philippians 2:1-5

 

Rapture & The Second Coming

We believe that we are living in the “Last Days” as spoken about in the Bible. As a result, believers live with the constant hope and expectation of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. He will come first for His saints and then return with His saints.

John 14:1-3; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18