WHAT WE BELIEVE
1. In the Holy Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
2. In the deity of Christ and His virgin birth, making Him both God and perfect man.
Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; Colossians 2:9
3. In the divine inspiration of the Bible – all 66 books.
2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21
4. That Christ shed His blood for the remission of sins, and regeneration of penitent sinners.
Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 13:11-12
5. In the resurrection, ascension and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 24:1-7; Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; Titus 2:13; Acts 1:9-11; Mark 13:32-37
6. Salvation, justification and sanctification are obtained by the grace of God through appropriating faith in the atonement of Christ.
Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 3:28; Romans 5:1
7. In eternal life with God in heaven for the redeemed and everlasting banishment in hell from the presence of the Lord for unbelievers.
Matthew 25:46; Revelation 21:7-8
8. That the Lord has given gifts to strengthen believers for service and ministry.
Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 27-31; 1 Corinthians 14; Ephesians 4:7-12
9. That the baptism with the Holy Spirit endues the believer with power to witness and to fulfill the great commission.
10. That divine healing is provided through the atonement of Christ.
ORDINANCE OF THE CHURCH
Holy Communion and Water Baptism
Although there are many meaningful services and ceremonies, there are only two practices that clearly rise to the level of ordinances. The true test of the scriptural validity of a Christian ordinance rests in the affirmative answer to three questions.
First, was it commanded by our Lord as recorded in the four Gospels?
Second, was it practiced in the early church as described in the Acts of the Apostles?
Third, is its spiritual significance clearly expounded in scripture.
Water Baptism and Holy Communion clearly meet this three-fold requirement.
By submitting to the ordinance of Water Baptism and by regular observance of Holy Communion, the Christian proclaims to the world that they have renounced their former life of living for sin and self and now belong, body, soul and spirit, to Christ as the Lord of their life.
Water Baptism is intended only for those who have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a God-given illustration of each Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Obedience to this ordinance demonstrates the believer’s public confession of this fact to others. Water Baptism should be preferably administered by immersion if possible and according to the divine command of our blessed Lord, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19
Holy Communion commemorates our redemption by Christ’s death. It points back to Calvary and ahead to the return of Jesus, whose blood cleanses us from all sin and prepares us for His blessed return. Matthew 26:17-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30. The broken bread symbolizes the body of our Lord and the wine, His blood. Holy Communion is open to all who love Him and all of the Lord’s children should be invited to commemorate together.
“Sacrament” is term of choice primarily used in liturgical churches for Baptism and Holy Communion. It is understood to mean that the rite is in some way a means by which God extends His Grace.