Statement of Faith

A statement of faith is an expression of how we understand the unchangeable things about God and how He has chosen to reveal Himself to this world. This can be expressed differently but is essentially a summary of foundational truths.

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS & PRACTICE

A foundation is a rock to build a structure on and the same is true of a foundational truth. The Christian faith has many foundational truths given to us by God that are not a matter of opinion but rather form the basic standard of belief for any Christian. Each Christian community develops practices to respond to these truths and these are as varied as the stars in the sky because they are about us responding to God’s truths. These are open to opinion because they are different for each person.
Christians and churches can respond to God differently because we are all unique, and so if one person chooses to, for example worship by standing still and another by dancing, that is fine. Christians should find unity in foundational truths and celebrate that we all respond to God’s truth differently. So, the Christian faith is made up of foundational truths (the unchangeable facts about God and His kingdom) and faith practices (our response to these foundational truths.)

CHRISTS WORK OF SALVATION

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

JOHN 3:16-17
All of humanity has sinned by rejecting God’s rule over our lives. The price of sin is physical death, as well as spiritual death in the form of separation from God in a place called Hell for eternity. Jesus offers everyone salvation from the consequences of their sins.
He achieved this by paying the price for the sin of all humankind (atonement), throughout all ages, by His sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
It is only through His redeeming love, mercy and grace that we can once again be part of God’s chosen people, in right relationship with Him. Reliance on our own righteous acts is futile as they are totally inadequate.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”

EPHESIANS 2:89
Everyone is invited by Jesus to: Confess their sins, Repent of their sins, and Invite Him to be their Saviour and Lord. Through Jesus, we can have eternal life – unbroken fellowship with the Lord. When physical life on earth comes to an end, Christians have a place prepared in Heaven.
All need to be saved. All can be saved. All can know they are saved. But not all will be saved, for some will choose to reject Jesus and His gift of salvation. As Christians, we need to join a community of believers, so that together we can strive to live a holy life, without sin.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

While Christians celebrate the coming of the promised Holy Spirit on the occasion of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, like Jesus Christ, has been present from the beginning. He was active throughout the Old Testament at particular times and in specific places.
God sent the Holy Spirit to guide the people of Israel. His visible presence took the form of a pillar of cloud or fire. It was called the Shekinah (‘dwelling’ or ‘settling’ in English). Another Hebrew word used to describe the Holy Spirit is Ruach, which means ‘breath’ or ‘wind’. It is a life-force that sustains all living things.
Jesus promised that, after His resurrection, the Holy Spirit would come to live inside all believers permanently. Pentecost marks the beginning of this season of ministry when the Holy Spirit fell like fire on the early believers and they began to preach and operate in His power and authority.

“The Holy Spirit teaches us what we need to know. He guides us into all truth and brings to mind God’s Word as we need it.”

JOHN 16:13, JOHN 14:26

“The Holy Spirit leads the church in spreading the Gospel, and empowers believers supernaturally through equipping us with a variety of spiritual gifts.”

1 PETER 4:10-11

“When the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of Christians, we exhibit the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

GALATIANS 5:22-23
The Holy Spirit operates in the lives of every believer:
Before they accept Jesus in calling them to repentance.
After conversion, the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of each believer, working from within.
At times through an extra anointing called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is an activation and empowering for service which takes many forms.
The book of Acts provides many examples of the manifestations resulting from this work of the Holy Spirit.

“When they accept Jesus – as the Scriptures say no one can say Jesus is Lord except for by the Spirit of God.”

1 CORINTHIANS 12:3