The Bible –
- It is our conviction that there is ample evidence that the Bible is the Word of God.
- That God inspired a large number of men over a period of many centuries to record for all mankind his plan to restore all who accept the invitation, to the same relationship that God had with the first human beings, Adam and Eve, before they chose to disregard His instructions.
- That the events recorded are fact and not mythological in nature.
- That the Bible is the complete and final revelation from God and that to add to it or diminish it in any way is contrary to God’s will.
- That it not only tells of how mankind can have their relationship with God restored but also that there is an eternal heaven awaiting those who obey God and an eternal hell for those who don’t obey him.
- That the Bible is written so that all who read it can know what God expects of those who profess their love for Him.
The Church –
- The church of Christ is made up of God’s people on earth.
- We have only one Head, that is Jesus Christ. Neither men nor women should take this position.
- Galatians 5:23 explains that the church is the body of Jesus.
- That Jesus died to establish His church, one body – not many variations of his body or religious groups.
Salvation –
- Since the Bible is God’s word the way in which we can be saved from eternal punishment must be contained in it
- We must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (see John 3:16). True belief recognizes that Jesus has all authority and therefore must be obeyed.
- Peter, with authority from Jesus, declared that people should repent and be baptised if they wanted to have their sins forgiven. (Acts 2:38)
- Romans 10:9-10 shows that we should also confess to others, not our sins, but our faith in Jesus as the Son of God just like the Ethiopian did just before he was baptised. ( Acts 8:37)
- These are the initial, unalterable steps that must be taken to become a part of the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47). From then we must walk in the light of the word, submitting to God’s will, in effect reaching out and accepting the gift of eternal life from a loving, forgiving and generous God, our heavenly Father.
Baptism –
- The word that has been translated “baptism” means plunge or immerse. To give “baptism” any other meaning like “sprinkling” or “pouring” adds a meaning to the original word of God that is presumptuous and irreverent towards God.
- Immersion is in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20) for (in order to obtain) forgiveness of sins and to be “in Christ”.
- Since babies are not born sinful as some have suggested, baptism is for those old enough to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
Worship –
- All participate in the worship of God.
- Our prayers are offered to God the Father through Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man.
- Our singing is not accompanied by musical instruments. (Ephesians 5:19)
- Jesus’ death is remembered every first day of the week in the Lord’s Supper.
- We share our material wealth with others by contributing to the work of the church every Sunday.
- The Word of God is taught.
- We emphasise the spiritual aspect of worship rather than a social concept that results in entertainment with pleasing people as the main idea rather than pleasing and honouring God.
We do not believe these things and do these things simply to be different. We are convinced from our study of the scriptures, that the only way to honour God and Jesus is to do things God’s way, avoiding the things that are not approved by Him.