Statement of Faith

As a church, our deepest desire is to be a living community of God's people, walking in Truth.

 

We desire to embrace the attitudes, beliefs, values, practices, emphases and priorities that embody the Way of Truth, in fellowship with the Holy Spirit and one another. The following statement of faith summarises many of the truths we hold dear.

 

Please note, we do not expect new attendees to understand or believe all of these, but we feel it is helpful to outline our faith for those who are interested.

 

 

Concerning God

  • God is self-existent: His name, I AM, means He depends on nothing but Himself, and everything else depends on Him, absolutely.
  • God is therefore the ultimate and immediate cause of all things, by definition.

  • God is the LORD of all reality: all things exist, and subsist, by His decree.

  • God has determined all things, including sin and suffering, out of love for His people.

  • God is love.

  • The reality God upholds is the best of all possible realities.

  • All things work together for the good of God's people.

  • All of God's determinations are from eternity: God has predestined all things.

  • God has ordained all things for His glory.

  • The glory of a God of Love is found in the expression of His love.

  • God loves His people unconditionally from eternity.

  • God is the Creator of all that is good and all that is evil.

  • God is Almighty: infinitely powerful.

  • God is timeless and unchanging: immutable.

  • God is everywhere: omnipresent.

  • God is all-knowing: omniscient.

  • God is a Spirit, having no physical body.

  • God is invisible.

  • God is personal.

  • God is the possessor of the heavens and the earth.

  • God does not need anything.

  • God is divinely simple.

  • There is one God.

  • God has one will.

  • God exists in three persons, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit: the Holy Trinity.

  • The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are full and eternal persons of the godhead.

  • The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally one Jehovah, one LORD.

  • The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal in power and authority.

  • Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God.

  • The Son of God was begotten from eternity.

  • The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

  • Jesus Christ is ever new.

  • Jesus Christ is all Truth.

 

Concerning creation

  • Man is made in God's image.

  • The soul of man is immortal.

  • A sense of the divine is built into human nature: sensus divinitatis.

  • Creativity, words and the human spirit have a sacred and vital connection to the Creator, the Word and the Holy Ghost.

  • The individual, the family, friendship, local community, race and nation have a sacred importance, being part of what it means to be human.

  • Man is a very limited being and unable to comprehend the infinite: the unknowability of God.

  • God can be known from reason, conscience and intuition, and everything, including all sense-perception, is evidence for the self-existent and omnipotent deity: the knowability of God.

  • Though man was created upright, he has never, even in a state of innocence, had strength in himself, always being weak and vulnerable to temptation, always needing to rely upon the LORD.

  • Man is free to choose what he wills to choose: free will.

  • Man's choices proceed from his heart, and the hearts of all are in the hand of the LORD; He turns them wheresoever He will: determinism. 

 

Concerning revelation

  • God is revealed by creation to all, and specially through the apostles and prophets as recorded in scripture.

  • Scripture consists of the 66 book canon.

  • Scripture is infallible and inerrant.

  • Scripture has a fullness of meaning, in that every meaning is intended by the Most High.

  • In scripture the gospel is depicted by many types and shadows: the picture-fulfilment paradigm.

  • Scripture is filled with many pictures representing God and the gospel: the picture language of scripture.

  • Scripture has a lesser meaning for the non-elect, in justice and judgement, and a greater meaning for the elect, in salvation, unconditional love, and eternal life: the election paradigm.

  • In scripture God condescends to speak to people in ways they can understand: the principle of divine accommodation.

  • Important doctrines can be, should be, and often are derived from scripture, rather than found in the explicit text: doctrinal derivation.

  • Every verse of scripture has various contexts—literary, canonical, inter-textual, theological, moral, historical, cultural, socio-political, prophetic, law-gospel and metaphysical—and each context brings out an aspect of the meaning: the multiple contexts of scripture.

  • The full meaning of scripture is hidden to the proud and revealed to the lowly: the hiddeness and perspicuity of scripture.

  • Scripture shows men the way they should engage with it: the embedded scriptural hermeneutic.

  • Scripture reveals its own interpretation: sola-scriptura.

  • Scripture is sufficient for instruction in all matters of religious doctrine and practice: the sufficiency of scripture.

  • Scripture was given both for the instruction and comfort of God's people.

 

Concerning law

  • Man has an inherent duty to obey God in everything.

  • Man's conscience testifies to his duty to obey God.

  • All creation testifies to the invisible attributes of God, even His infinite power, self-existence and Lordship over all.

  • The law of Moses was given to the Israelites.

  • According to the Law of Moses, the nation of Israel was to be a light unto the gentiles, a model nation, to whom the gentiles were to look for leadership and inspiration.

  • The law of Moses had moral, ceremonial and civil aspects.

  • Many of the ceremonial aspects of the law of Moses had a moral dimension.

 

Concerning sin

  • Sin is that which God hates.

  • God hates not only evil actions, but evil hearts and corrupt natures.

  • Sin is defined by its absence of goodness, and not by the creation of anything new: the negativity of sin.

  • Through temptation man sinned and corrupted himself, falling from his original glory.

  • Man originates in sin, bearing the guilt and corruption of it: original sin.

  • Man's descendants are conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity, on account of the guilt of Adam's fall.

  • The race of Man was created upright in Adam, but they have sought out many inventions.

  • Man is dead in sin, having a complete, natural inability to please God.

  • Man is, by nature, wholly morally corrupt, in heart, mind, soul and will, emotions, understanding, knowledge, and wisdom: the total depravity of man.

  • God uses what He hates to reveal what He loves.

  • God uses sin to humble His people, showing them their need of Him.

  • God uses sin to reveal His love towards His people, both in dying for it, and delivering His people from it.

  • God uses sin to show His justice and wrath in the heathen.

  • Sin is ultimately intended by God for good: it serves His ultimate purposes.

 

Concerning judgement

  • Both death and suffering are ordained and unavoidable on account of the Fall.

  • There shall be a final and everlasting judgement.

  • The wicked shall be tormented in hell eternally.

  • Hell is the proper place for the wicked.

  • It is God who sends people to hell, in punishment for their sins, and not sin itself that sends people to hell.

  • God shall judge the world in righteousness, by Christ Jesus.

  • God's judgements are always with equity.

 

Concerning salvation

The Gospel

  • The gospel is unity with God in Christ, in His death to sin, resurrection, and everlasting life.

  • The gospel is Trinitarian: election by the Father, redemption by the Son, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

  • The gospel is Christ-centred: God's people being chosen in Christ, redeemed by Christ, and given the life of Christ.

  • The great truths of the gospel of Christ are divinely simple.

  • There is a holistic and mystical union between God and His people in Christ, legally, naturally and Spiritually.

  • Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, according to scripture alone: the monergistic work of God.

 

  • God has saved His people from all their enemies: from sin, from the fall, from the wicked, from the world, from the flesh, from the devil, and from the last enemy of all, death: there is full salvation in God.

  • God has saved His people unto eternal life and righteousness in Jesus Christ, their LORD.

  • God's grace in salvation is full and free: all-sufficient.

  • Man's choices and decisions have no part in salvation whatsoever, to the great glory of God.

  • Salvation through the blood of Jesus is not offered to the non-elect.

 

The Covenants of the Gospel

  • Salvation is worked out according to God's covenants.

  • God's people are saved according to the eternal covenant of grace.

  • The various covenants of the gospel, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic and Davidic, are all fulfilled in Christ.

  • As they remained unfulfilled in man, the covenants of God were covenants of works, but as they are fulfilled in Christ, they are covenants of grace, being graciously intended by God for the good of His people.

  • The New Covenant fulfills the Old.

  • The New Covenant is made in the blood of Jesus.

  • There is a vital distinction between covenant symbols and the reality they represent.

Election and Reprobation

  • God's election of His people in Christ is eternal and unconditional.

  • God's adoption of His people in Christ is eternal and unconditional.

  • God is united with His people in Christ from eternity.

  • God has elected some who die in infancy.

 

  • The destruction of the wicked is central to the deliverance of God's people, being a major aspect of salvation (Psalm 44).

  • God's reprobation of the wicked is from eternity.

  • The word of Truth is a special means used by God, in renewing the hearts of His people, and in hardening the hearts of the unbelieving.

  • The wicked are not the spiritual neighbours of the righteous, but their spiritual enemies.

  • The unregenerate, who do not trust in God's love, are not to assume that God loves them savingly, or that Christ died for them: duty-faith denied.

  • Some who die in infancy remain in their corruption, and shall dwell in corruption, for God has rejected them.

The Incarnation

  • The Creator and His creation were united together at the incarnation, in the person of the Son.

  • The Word became flesh, without ceasing to be divine.

  • The will of the Father and of the Son are united as one.

  • The incarnate Christ has a human will that can be tempted, and a divine will that ensures He never yields to temptation.

  • Christ is fully divine, fully man and perfect in every way.

  • Christ was born of a virgin.

  • Mary is the Tabernacle of God.

  • Mary is ever blesséd, and shall be called blesséd by every generation.

  • Unity between the Creator and His creation was man's destiny, regardless of sin: the predestination of Christ.

Redemption

  • The redemption provided in Christ is holistic, full and free.
  • Christ is the spotless Lamb of God.

  • Christ is the great example of a servant, suffering out of love.

  • Christ is the great victor, having conquered all the enemies of God.

  • Christ fulfilled the sacred offices of prophet, priest and King.

  • Christ was the scapegoat, bearing the sins of His people away, never to return.

  • Christ bore in Himself the eternal punishment that brought His people peace, pound-for-pound.

  • The atoning death of Christ on the cross was exclusively for His people.

Resurrection

  • Christ was raised, bodily from the dead, on the third day, by the Father.
  • The divine and human natures of Christ remained united in His death, enabling Him to raise Himself from the dead on the third day.
  • Christ is the Son of God from eternity, from the incarnation, and from the resurrection: the fullness of Christ's Sonship to the Father.
  • Christ is the resurrection and the life of His people.
  • There is no Spiritual life outside of Christ.

Regeneration

  • God's people live by hearing the voice of the Son of man to their souls.

  • Faith is a gift of God, given in regeneration.

  • In regeneration God's people are converted from darkness to light.

  • God's people are given a conviction of sin.

  • The grace of God in regeneration is irresistible.

  • There is a vital distinction between the new man of righteousness, and the old man of sin.

  • Sin dwells in the flesh of God's people.

  • Due to the weakness of the flesh, God's people are prone to backsliding.

  • Some are regenerated in infancy, such as David, Jeremiah and John the Baptist.

Repentance 

  • Saving repentance is a turning from sin, unto eternal life in Christ.
  • Repentance is a gift of God, for it is God who changes the heart.
  • The unrepentant cannot be forgiven.

Faith

  • Faith, love, joy and peace are gifts of the Holy Ghost given to God's people.

  • Saving faith is a trusting in and heart-reliance upon God, His Word and work of salvation: it involves trusting in who God is—His essence, nature and attributes—and what He has done.

  • God's people look to Christ for salvation by trusting in Him, Spiritually.

  • Regenerate people are drawn toward the truth by faith.

  • True faith receives the truth with confidence in God and His Word, as opposed to confidence in man, tradition or worldly authority.

  • Faith works by love.

  • The intellectual belief of doctrines is fundementally different to trusting in God, in heart, mind and soul, relying on God, having confidence in God and depending on God.

Justification

  • The sins of the elect were imputed to Christ, and Christ's righteousness is imputed to the elect.

  • God's people are justified in time and eternity.

  • God's people are justified by faith alone, that is by trusting God when He speaks, in all that He says, in His trustworthiness, faithfulness, mercy and kindness, in His power, good intentions and Lordship over all, and especially in His grace toward them in Christ's work of salvation.

  • God's people are perpetually justified upon believing.

  • God's people are justified by faith alone.

  • God's people are justified by faith and works.

  • God's people are not justified by putting their faith in God, but by the faith God puts in them.

Assurance

  • God's people are assured of eternal life by trusting in Christ's work of salvation: the full assurance of faith.

  • There can be no assurance or surety in calling and election by looking to one's works or progress in this life, but only by looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of faith.

Sanctification

  • God's people are sanctified by the Holy Spirit in being given a new nature, a new spirit, a new heart that trusts in God, and by the continuing operation of Christ in them, forever.
  • While understanding may increase as God's people are continually sanctified, there cannot be any progress in sanctification, since God's people are wholly righteous in Christ from the creation of the new man.

Suffering

  • The way of the righteous is through suffering; tribulation of fire, floods and not knowing the future, but trusting in God to provide and make a way.
  • The sufferings of the cross show the way for God's people to walk, not seeking out suffering, but passing through it by God's strength.
  • The strength of God is shown outwardly, in the events of life, and inwardly, within the soul.
  • Suffering is the result of the Fall, and it is ordained by God for good.
  • Suffering provides God's people with an opportunity to exercise the faith He has given them.
  • Suffering causes God's people to feel their ever-present need for God.
  • Suffering causes God's people to feel their own weakness.
  • The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart He will not despise.
  • God delivers His people from all their fears.

Perseverance

  • The saints shall persevere until death, by the preservation of God.

  • God shall preserve His people forever.

  • God chastens His people in this life.

  • God leads His people by His Word.

Good works

  • All good works proceed from faith in God.
  • God's people are ordained unto good works.
  • It is God who has wrought all His people's works in them, for God works in them both the willing and the doing according to His good pleasure.

The Church

  • All of God's people are united together in Christ.

  • The Church is a called-out assembly of God's people.

  • The Church is the community of God's people, walking in truth.

  • The Church was founded upon the apostles and prophets.

  • Christ's Church is universal and holistic: catholic.

  • Christ's Church is holy.

  • Christ's Church is pure.

  • Christ's Church is always reforming: sempa reformanda.

  • Christ's Church is separate from error.

  • All believers are priests of the Most High: the priesthood of all believers.

  • Christ will build His church.

  • Spiritual unity precedes symbolical unity.

  • Divine causality and the predestination of all things have a central importance in the Church.

  • Those who do not worship the Almighty, personal, ultimate and immediate cause of all things, worship they know not what.

  • The mission of the Church is to love one another, as Christ has loved it.

  • The great commission given to the apostles was fulfilled in the founding of the Church.

The Return of Christ

  • Christ shall return in power and glory.

  • There shall be a resurrection of the body.

  • Christ has reigned, is reigning, and shall reign in a millennial Kingdom.

  • Prophecy has a cyclical fulfilment throughout history, so that each generation shall see the day of Christ drawing near.

  • When Christ returns there shall be eternal life, joy and peace for the righteous.

  • When Christ returns there shall be a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
  • The central joy of the LORD is being with Christ, the One God's people love.

 

Concerning obedience

  • Knowing that God's commandments are loving and good, God's people delight in obedience.
  • In Christ God's people love, reverence and honour God in everything with all their strength, doing all for the glory of God.

  • In Christ God's people possess all the virtues, attitudes, emphases and priorities that flow from the Holy Spirit, practicing the truth:

  • Loving their neighbour.

  • Loving their enemy.

  • Holding to the Truth above all.

  • Rejecting all heresies.

  • Friendship.

  • Patience.

  • Humility.

  • Kindness.

  • Gentle and firm patriarchy.

  • Thankfulness for all of God's works.

  • Prayer.

  • Fasting.

  • Sincerity.

  • Thoughtfulness.

  • Togetherness.

  • Listening and speaking graciously.

  • Being quick to hear and slow to speak.

  • Avoiding all unnecessary contention and dispute.

  • Encouragement, exhortation and rebuke.

  • Exhorting one another daily.

  • Modesty, purity and chastity.

  • The sanctity of marriage.

  • The submission and obedience of women to their husbands.

  • The submission and obedience of children to their parents.

  • The submission and obedience of fathers to Christ.

  • The love of husbands for their wives.

  • Sharing and lending.

  • Hospitality to all, including friends and strangers.

  • Not judging.

  • Not shouting in anger.

  • Not lying or attempting to decieve under any circumstances.

  • Not elevating themselves above others: rejecting all pride and arrogancy.

  • Rejecting all gossip, bullying, coldness and showiness.

  • Rejecting all anxiety, fear and trembling that has torment, for love casts out all fear.

  • Rejecting trust in man.

  • Confession of sin and prayer for the sick.

  • Christ-centred church government.

  • The Biblical pattern of church.

  • Apostolic uniqueness.

  • Bible reading (from a faithful version).

  • Extemporaneous prayer and preaching.

  • Openness between brethren.

  • Communion only for recognised members of the body of Christ.

  • Spiritual symbolism, such as the anointing of oil, the kiss of charity, female head coverings, hair lengths for males and females, communion with unleavened bread and fermented wine, kneeling, lifting hands in prayer, and baptism (immersion) upon repentance and faith.

  • Singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in assembly, exclusively from God's hymnbook, the Psalms.

  • Male-only psalm singing.

  • The silence of women in the assembly.

  • Rejecting all false practices.

  • Rejecting proselytisation.

  • Organic church growth.

  • Obedience to authorities, for God is the divine authority.

  • Political concern, for God is the governor among the nations.

  • The divine right of kings, for Christ is the King of kings.

  • Pro-justice, for God is the judge of all.

  • Pro-life in all things, for Jesus is The Life.

  • Rejoicing in the LORD always.

 

If you would like to speak to us about anything we believe we would be happy to listen to you and attempt to answer any questions.

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