WHAT WE BELIEVE
We adhere to the confession of faith of the FEF church network. This can be downloaded, with biblical references, by clicking here.
Based on what the Bible teaches and in accordance with this confession of faith, we hold firmly to the following doctrines.
GOD
We believe in one God, existing from all eternity in three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God, who is infinitely perfect and good, is the Creator of all things and nothing was created without Him. God reigns supreme over all of His creation.
THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, in His image and perfect. He gave them the mandate to care for creation, for His glory. Adam, by his disobedience to God in falling into sin, lost this blessed and privileged fellowship with God, for himself as well as for all his offspring. Consequently, everyone is born totally depraved and corrupted by sin in every aspect of their being (spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional). Because of this, all mankind is condemned to death by God; that is, apart from an intervention of divine grace.
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
From all eternity God has sovereignly planned to save a great multitude of condemned sinners from all nations and tribes. Christ has borne in our stead the condemnation and the chastisement that were due us because of our sin. This is the very heart of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. By His death on the cross, Jesus fully satisfied the justice of God. We are completely reconciled to God if we place our faith in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross.
REPENTANCE AND FAITH: THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL.
Fallen humanity, corrupt and spiritually dead, cannot initiate the smallest degree of reconciliation with God and can in no way contribute to his own salvation. It is God who, through His grace, regenerates the human heart to enable human beings to respond to the call of salvation through repentance and faith. In repentance we turn our backs on our own sin and any belief that we can do good on our own, and by faith we surrender completely to Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.
JUSTIFICATION: GOD’S FREE GIFT
When a person acknowledges the grace of God, through faith, that person’s sins are imputed to Christ and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him. This person is then declared to be righteous, and fully acceptable by God. The believer can therefore live in the full assurance of being forgiven, justified and saved, once and for all, by virtue of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the promises of God.
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER
Every Christian believer has received the Holy Spirit at his conversion and is called to the work of sanctification, that is, to grow in his or her likeness to Jesus Christ. We are thus called to practice the good works that God has prepared in advance for us to walk in. These works are the necessary evidence and demonstration of saving faith. The pursuit of spiritual growth is the norm for the Christian life. God has granted to each believer one or more gifts, through the Holy Spirit, and He sovereignly directs that they be used for the edification of the church. The presence of gifts does not allow a person to claim any spiritual superiority over others. In general, therefore, the life and godliness of church members should not be judged upon this basis.
PERSEVERANCE
Every Christian is also called to persevere in their faith until the end. The believer’s confidence in his salvation rests in God. He has promised to keep those who truly belong to Him to the end, through their union with Christ.
THE CHURCH: THE PEOPLE OF GOD
All redeemed sinners, who by faith have received the gift of salvation, constitute the church, which is the people of God. This universal church is the body of Christ, and He is its only Head. The universal church is made visible through the expression of many local churches. Anyone who is part of this universal church must be part of a local church. It is in the local church that the believer is called to grow spiritually and to serve God, alongside other believers.
BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
Every believer is called to be baptised with water, in obedience to Christ’s commandment. In this way, the believer demonstrates that he has relinquished his old way of life and that he is committed to a life of discipleship for Christ; a life characterized by obedience and faith. The Last Supper is a reminder of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and of the forgiveness that is obtained by this sacrifice. The Lord’s Supper is therefore reserved exclusively for those who profess Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
THE WORLD TO COME
One day, Jesus Christ will return in glory. On that day, all mankind will physically resurrect from the dead. For those who are not justified, it will be for judgment and eternal condemnation in hell. For those who are justified, it will be for the joy of living eternally in the presence of God in the New Heavens and the New Earth. This is our blessed hope.
Member of
