Scripture: The
scripture, the Holy Bible, is the inspired; infallible word of
God without any error in the original autographs. That the Bible
is the sole foundation for rule and conduct in all matters of
the church and individual Christian life. That the Bible is complete
and accurate in all things that it says (2 Peter 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:
16-17; 1 Cor. 2:13).
Salvation: Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and consequent resurrection
is the only basis for the salvation of lost mankind and their
justification. And this salvation is received by faith alone in
Christ. Those who receive Christ Jesus as Saviour and Lord are
the new creation of God and constitute the born again believers,
indwelt by the Holy Spirit and therefore God’s children.
(Acts 4:12, Jn. 3:7, 3:15, 2 Cor5: 21, Jn. 1:12, 14: 23, Rom 8:9
Gal 5:18).
The
Church: That the
church is composed of all born-again believers who make up the
body and bride of Christ. The church is universal in the sense
that it comprises believers of all races, ethnic groups and nationalities.
At the same time, the universal church is symbolised by the local
assembly, which is here defined as any gathering of God’s
children, which is more than two persons and has the authority
of Christ to bind, as well as loosen people for the Kingdom of
God. That the body of Christ has a missionary responsibility here
on earth. (Mark 28:18-20; Acts 1:6-8; Eph 1:22-23; 1 Cor 12:13;
Phil. 1:1).
God: There is only one God. The creator of all things, God manifests
Himself in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit – TRINITY. The three persons of the Godhead
are equal in power, glory and honour. God is omnipotent, omnipresent
and omniscient. He is sovereign, just and loving. Because of His
justice, He will judge all, the living and the dead. Because of
God’s love for us, He sent Jesus, His Son to die for our
sins. He is the great I AM. And His steadfast love never ceases,
since He is Love.
Jesus
Christ: That Christ is the only begotten Son of
God. Conceived by the agency of the Holy Spirit and born of the
Virgin Mary. He is truly man and truly God. That while on earth,
Jesus Christ lived in sinless, perfect life, and by His death
on the cross we can have forgiveness of our sins. That He did
not only die, but also He resurrected bodily. He ascended into
heaven and there He is our great High Priest, and our advocate
on High. We believe in His personal, visible, bodily return to
this earth and that on His return, he will set up His Kingdom.
(Jn. 1:1-2; Luke 2:12-35; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Hebrew 1:3).
The
Holy Spirit: That the third person of the Trinity
is the Holy Spirit. He proceeds from both God the Father and God
the Son. That the Holy Spirit reveals the person of Christ to
us. The Holy Spirit is the prime mover in spiritual service to
God. The Spirit gives spiritual gifts to Christian for service
in the body and for the body. He convicts us of righteousness
and of judgement and is God’s earnest Seal for those who
believe in Jesus Christ, as He indwells; baptizes and fills all
those yielded to God. Without the Holy Spirit, conviction of sin
and therefore conversion will be impossible. (Jn.16: 8-10; Heb.2:
3-5, 1 Jn3: 3-6; 1 Cor14: 22; 1 Cor12: 1-13; Eph 5:18; Acts 1:8;
1 Cor6: 19; Roman 8:9).
Man: All men were created equal in the image and likeness of God, but
through Adam, all mankind fell into sin. Thus, all men are sinners
by nature and by choice. Because all are sinners and need Jesus
Christ as Saviour and Lord, all who receive Jesus Christ as Saviour
and Lord are saved by His blood. And all who reject Christ are
condemned to live forever separated from God. (Gen 1:27; Rom 5:12;
Eph 2:1; Col 3:11; Jn 14:6).
Believers’
Ordinances: That there are two basic ordinances
by Jesus Christ, the Head of the Universal Church. These are Baptism
and Lord’s Supper. Baptism is a physical symbolism of our
union with Christ, while the Lord’s Supper is equally a
symbolism and testimony to our acceptance of Christ’s resurrection
and second coming. By Baptism, we mean immersion and it is consequent
upon salvation. Mk.16:16.
Mary: She is recognised as one woman above all other women.
Lk.1:28. To deny her honour is to do disservice to the angelic
proclamation. But to honour her as God or Mediator is to be untrue
to her, the Bible and God. Jn.2:5-6; 1 Tim. 2:5-7.
The
Resurrection: That all the dead will be resurrected
bodily. Believers to everlasting blessedness and joy; with their
Lord Jesus Christ, who is the first-born of all creation. The
unbelievers will be resurrected to judgement and everlasting,
conscious punishment, separation from God. (Jn. 11:25-26; Matt.
25; 46; 1 Cor. 15:20-22; Rev. 20:11-15; Luke 16:19-31).
The
Hope of Believers: That there will be a personal, imminent, and second return of
Jesus Christ. We also believe in the rapture of the Saints as
they are caught up to meet with the Lord in the air. This hope
bears directly on the individual life and conduct of every true
believer (2 Peter 3: 11; Jn. 3: 2-3; 20:1-16; I Thess. 4: 13-16;
Titus 2:13). Top
Eternal
Security: That God is able to keep from damnation
forever, all those who have genuinely accepted Jesus Christ as
their personal Saviour and Lord. Nothing in this statement provides
a licence for loose living and compromise. (Jn.5: 24, 10:28; Eph.
1:11-12; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 Jn. 2:15 – 17; Jude 24–25).
However, God is dependable, He can safeguard His own (Heb.6:13-19).
Angels: That God created an innumerable company of spiritual beings known
as angels. They are messengers of God, to help His people in all
ages. Angels bear the semblance of the situation and people they
are ministering to. They are therefore, in that regard non-tribal,
non-racial but could manifest themselves in any form. (Heb. 13:1;
Col. 1:15-20; Col. 2: 18).
Satan: one exalted angel sinned through pride. He is Satan (Devil). A
great company of angels followed him, and are referred to as demons
or evil spirits. They are active ministers of the evil one- Satan.
He is subject to God and will be judged by Him. Satan’s
main aim is to kill, destroy and steal. He is the accuser of the
brethren and always seeks to make the believers miserable today,
because of sins of yesterday that God has forgiven. He is the
prince of the present world order and his aim is to counterfeit
everything good. His end is sure, as Jesus won a final victory
over him on the cross and the consequent resurrection. (Isa.14:12-17;
Ezek.18:11–19; 1 Cor. 15:54 – 58; Dan. 8:23 –
26, 10:10-14; John 8:44, Rev. 12:10-12).
Assurance: That true assurance comes by faith in God’s word.
That He will do what His word pledges Him to do. Thus, in salvation,
without doubt, we believe that our sins have been permanently
and totally forgiven the moment we put our trust in Christ as
our Saviour and Lord. In perseverance of Saints, He is able to
keep us and present us faultless. God can be depended upon to
do what His word pledges He would do. (Jude 24 and 25; Heb. 6:11,
10:22; Col. 12:2; Heb. 11:6).
Sanctification: That we all as believers are called to a life of holiness
through sanctification. That although sanctification is three
folds, positional, progressive and ultimate, we believe that a
longing after righteousness and dedication to the Lord should
be our objective. While we wait for our perfect sanctification
when we will enter into the Lord’s glory. Faith must show
forth in action. (Jn. 17:17; Eph. 5:25-27; Jn 3:2; Heb. 10:14;
Matt. 7:15-21, 24:27). Those who have this hope purify themselves. Christian
Work and Reward: We
believe that every Christian has a function within the body of
Christ. That God has called each to a life of service and testimony
through the Holy Spirit. It is the responsibility of every Christian
to share his faith with the world around us. Christians will give
account of, and receive reward for, the faithful service at the
judgement seat of Christ. However, a mercenary attitude to service
is unbiblical and unspiritual. It is a privilege to serve the
Lord. (Luke 17:7-10; Psalm 100:2; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Acts 1:8; 2
Cor 3:12-15). |