TRINITY I believe in God the Father as part of the Trinity. He is the creator of
all things. His existence is without beginning and without end. I
believe in Jesus Christ the son of God. He too exists without beginning
and without end. He is the “Alpha and the Omega”, He is the source of all
life both physical and eternal. He is the “author and finisher of our
faith”. As part of the trinity he is also God. “I and the Father
are one”. Jesus also was born of a woman to become God incarnate.
He lived in the flesh that he might be tempted as we are that he might prove
himself free from sin. The next person of the trinity is the Holy Spirit
of God. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in the world today.
He is a comforter, convicter, and exhorter. He indwells the believer and
acts as a compass pointing us to Christ-likeness. The persons of the
Trinity are perfect in every way. They are equal in power and authority,
harmonizing in different ministries to mankind.
BIBLE
I believe that the Bible is the written record of the history of man and the
wisdom and teachings of God. It is the foundation from which our faith
comes. Ultimately, it reveals the need for a savior and provides us with
the characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is also the source by
which we can understand our faith and find our salvation.
Accordingly "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works." (2 Ti 3:16-17). Finally, the Bible is complete.
Nothing can be added to it or taken away from it.
CHRIST
I believe that Jesus Christ existed before creation. I believe that he
took part of creation and breathed life into mankind. I believe that the
Angel of God mentioned in the Old Testament is actually a series of Theophanies
(pre-Bethlehem appearances of Christ). I believe that Jesus was born of a
virgin and that his birth happened as it was prophesied by the Old Testament
prophets. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold,
a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel." (Is 7:14). I believe that Jesus walked the earth as a
man, setting aside much of his Godliness. He was still fully God, but he
was still fully man (Theanthropic Person). He taught and lived as an
example of true righteousness and showed mankind the need for redemption.
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and
the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto
them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be
called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be
glorified." (Is 61:1-3) and the path to salvation. I believe that as
the gospels portray his death and resurrection are accurate descriptions of
what happened. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and
with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of
us all." (Is 53:5-6). He was put on trial and crucified where by his
own will he laid aside his life and died as a sacrifice bearing all our sins.
"No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to
lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I
received of my Father." (Jn 10:18) He was taken from the cross and
buried in a borrowed tomb where one the third day he arose from the dead.
For a period of 40 days he visited with his disciples preparing them for the
coming of the Holy Spirit. After 40 days he ascended both body and spirit
in a cloud of glory back to heaven.
The events of Christ’s life, death and resurrection provide the 3 keys to
eternal righteous life—salvation, justification, and sanctification.
• Salvation: When we choose to admit our sinful nature, and accept
that Jesus paid the price for our sins. When we ask for forgiveness of
our sins, and ask for Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.
• Justification: Because of our salvation, we are imputed with the
righteousness of Christ. Our standing with God is repaired.
"For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and
ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any
manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." (Le 11:44), "The
way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that
followeth after righteousness." (Pr 15:9)
• Sanctification: We are set aside as holy and given the
opportunities to "…grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Pe 3:18)
Church
I believe that church is an assembly of baptized believers. It is a
congregation of the faithful and not a building. Each member is given
gifts and talents through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which should be used
to further the ministries in that church. Of the membership are two
distinct positions which are described in the Bible; the Pastor and the
Deacon. The Deacon is a position whereby a man in good standing in the
church is elected to serve in a capacity whereby his responsibilities include
visiting and tending to the sick and the elderly; and assisting the Pastor in
the physical needs of the church and its ministries. (1 Tim 3; Acts
6:1-6)
The Pastor is the human leader of the church. He is called by the church
to serve in that capacity and is subject to the authority of the scriptures and
ultimately Jesus Christ. He is a shepherd leading his flock to safe
pastures. He assists in the birth of new lambs; he looks for the lost
sheep and brings them back into the fold of his flock. He protects his
flock with his very life and works diligently to keep his flock together.
The qualifications of a pastor are also found in 1 Timothy 3 as well as Titus
1.
The church, as a congregation of believers, has a responsibility to the community
to which it serves. Its ministry should make the knowledge of Jesus
Christ shine like a light on a hill. --A beacon for the broken hearted
and weary. The church should be active in its community and should not
only draw the believer, but the unbeliever as well. "Hereby perceive
we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth
his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how
dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word,
neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." (1 Jn 3:16-18)
I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ gave us two special things to do as
Christians. These are our ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism is an outward sign by a new Christian, whereby he is completely
immersed in water by the authority of the local church. It is a symbol of
the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the change that is made
in us at our salvation, with regards to our death to sin and resurrection to a
new eternal life. Baptism of a believer is also the requirement for
membership in the local Church.
The Lord’s Supper is a solemn time where we commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus
for our sins by the partaking in the sharing of bread and unfermented
juice. It allows us the opportunity to reflect on our own lives and how
our sins were bore on that cross by Jesus.
I believe in the imminent return of Christ. I believe that he will call
his believers both dead and alive to meet him in the heavens both in body and
spirit. The event (Rapture) will occur before the Great Tribulation where
we will see the rise and fall of the anti-Christ as well as God’s wrath and
judgement poured out on mankind and the earth. After which, seven years
have passed Jesus shall return to the Mount of Olives and defeat evil and
establish his kingdom here on earth for a period of 1000 years.