Our Beliefs

We accept the Bible to be the inspired Word of God and we believe that its message about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, offers hope to both the individual and to society as a whole. In these matters we identify with the beliefs and hopes of Christians everywhere. These beliefs are summarised in the creeds and confessions of our church.

Who is God?

God is the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God, as descibed in Genesis 1:26 – 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; and 1 Peter 1:2.

Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, as shown in Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:22 – 23; John 1:1-5,14:10-30; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3 – 4; 1 Corinthians 15:3 – 4; 1 Timothy 6:14 – 15; Titus 2:13; and Hebrews 4:14 – 15.

Who is the Holy Spirit / Holy Ghost?

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians we seek to live under His control daily. This is depicted in John 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17,14:16 -17; Galatians 5:25; and Ephesians 1:13

What is the Bible?

The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error, explained in Psalms 12:6,119:105, 160; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16; and 2 Peter 1:20 – 21.

What does it mean to be Human?

People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called ‘sin’. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life, the story shown in Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a, 59:1-2; and Romans 3:23.

What is Salvation, and how can I get it?

Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith, examples in John 1:12, 14:6; Romans 5:1, 6:23; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; and Titus 3:26.

What do people mean when they say “Eternity”?

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in unison with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence, talked about in Matthew 1:18, 2:44 – 46; John 2:25, 3:16, 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; and Revelation 20:15.

How can I get Eternal Security?

Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot ‘lose’ it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security, shown in John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14:1; and 1 Peter 1:3-5.

What are Sacraments and Signs?

Sacraments are symbols used by God to connect with us in a unique way to reassure us of His forgiveness and love. These symbols/sacraments are known as ‘signs’ and ‘seals’. Signs in that they are physical symbols of a spiritual reality, and Seals in that they guarantee that what is symbolized is real. Sacraments inspire us to remember what Jesus has done for us on the cross, and remind us that Jesus promised to always be present with us. Christ instituted two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Scripture clearly teaches that the sacraments are only for those who can receive them in true faith. To be able to take part in the sacraments, we need to examine ourselves to see if:

(1) We do deplore our sin,
(2) That we trust in Jesus alone for our salvation,
(3) Are willing to live life committed to God out of thankfulness and love for what He has done through Jesus Christ?

What is Baptism? Do I need it?

In Baptism the sign is water – which points to the blood of Christ. The seal is the guarantee that as surely as water washes away dirt, so surely Christ’s blood cleanses us from all our sins. We believe that all those who believe in Jesus, and their children, ought to be baptised because they have entered into God’s covenant of Grace, pictured in Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:39; and 1 Peter 2:9

What is the Lord’s Supper?

In the Lord’s Supper the sign of bread and wine point to the body and blood of Christ. The seal in the Lord’s Supper is the guarantee that as we share in the bread and wine we are reminded that his sacrifice paid the price for us to be in renewed relationship with our Creator God, represented in Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 6:26-29; John 10:11, 26-30; and 1 Corinthians 11:24-26