Statement of Faith
1. The full inspiration of
the Holy Scriptures; their authority and sufficiency as not only containing
but as being in themselves the Word of God. The reliability of the Scripture's
witness to itself as the only, the complete and the infallible Word of God,
the New Testament witnessing to the reliability and divine character of the
Old Testament; the necessity also for a reverent faith in the Word, and the
teaching of the Holy Spirit, for a true understanding of the whole.
2. The unity of the Godhead
and the divine co-equality of the Persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit eternally; the sovereignty of God in creation, providence and
redemption.
3. The true and proper deity
of our Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; His real and perfect manhood; the
authority of His teaching and the infallibility of all His utterances; His
substitutionary death on the cross as being the full and sufficient and only
atonement for sins; His bodily resurrection and His ascension into Heaven; His
present priestly intercession for His people; His personal return in glory.
4. The justification of the
sinner solely by faith, through the atoning merits of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ.
5. The total depravity of
human nature in consequence of the Fall of man from the original state of
perfection in which he was created, by which Fall all mankind is in a state of
condemnation and separation from a holy God, and can only be delivered by the
divine work of regeneration and redemption.
6. The sovereign grace of
God, by which we mean His free and unmerited favour; and that by His sole
choice the elect have been predestinated to salvation.
7. The work of regeneration,
conversion, sanctification and faith as being not an act of man's free will
and power, but of the mighty, efficacious and irresistible grace of God,
through the Holy Spirit.
8. All those who are chosen
by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sanctified by the Spirit, shall
certainly and finally persevere, so that not one of them shall ever perish but
shall have everlasting life.
9. The resurrection of the
body; the judgement of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, with the eternal
blessedness of the redeemed, and the eternal punishment of those who finally
reject Christ as Saviour.
10. The observance of the
divine institution of the baptism of believers by immersion, in loving
obedience and as an act of witness, but not as conveying any regenerating
grace. The observance of the Lord's Supper as a commemoration of our Lord's
death, but not as being a sacrifice for sin nor involving any change in the
substance of the bread and wine.
11. The sole authority and
prerogative of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, speaking in His Word, for the
government of the church.
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