Statement of Faith
We believe that
- Trinity: There is one true and unchanging God, perfect in every way, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 32:4, Malachi 3:6, Matthew 28:19)
- God: God is the all-powerful creator, preserver and ruler of all things, visible and invisible, governing them according to his faultless and sovereign will. He is distinct from his creation, and so although involved in it, he is not part of it. (Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1:3, Ephesians 1:11)
- Creation: God’s purpose in creation is to glorify himself in his Son, by sending him to redeem a people to be his own, eager to do what is good, and by bringing all things under his rule. In the gospel, therefore, God calls all people to honour his Son, submitting to him in everything. (Ephesians 1:3-10, 22-23, Titus 2:14)
- Bible: God has revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the Bible as originally given is in its entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. It is therefore to be submitted to, both individually and corporately, as it alone speaks with final authority in every age, being always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice. (John 10:35, 16:12-15, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-4:5)
- Humanity: God has made humanity in his likeness and according to only two distinct genders. Men and women are equal in sharing an inherent value, dignity and worth, yet created to complement one another by their difference, honouring and upholding the distinctive roles assigned them by God within marriage and the church. According to the Bible, marriage is a life-long commitment between one man and one woman. (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:20-24, Ephesians 5:21-33, 1 Timothy 2:11-15)
- Fall: Since the fall, all human beings have been sinful and guilty, and are subject to God’s wrath and condemnation. Alienated from his life, the inclinations of their minds, hearts, wills and bodies are corrupted by sin, leading them to suppress the truth about God. (Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:17-19, Romans 1:18-32, 5:12-21, 7:14-25)
- Jesus: The Lord Jesus Christ is unique in being God’s incarnate Son, fully God and fully man, yet without sin. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, he was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, was raised bodily from death, and visibly ascended into heaven from where he now reigns over all things with the authority of God the Father. (Luke 1:26-38, Hebrews 4:15, Acts 2:22-36)
- Redemption: By his resurrection from the dead, Jesus was declared to be God’s only Lord and Christ, his promised Saviour-King who redeems sinful human beings from the guilt, penalty and power of sin so that they can share in God’s kingdom. He is the only mediator between God and humankind, in whom alone salvation is to be found. (Acts 2:31-36, 4:12, Galatians 3:13-14, 1 Timothy 2:5)
- Atonement: In his substitutionary death Jesus bore the full penalty for sin, satisfying God’s justice so that those who believe are pardoned, credited with Christ’s righteousness and so justified, which is to be declared righteous by God. From this one act of atonement every spiritual blessing flows. (Romans 3:9-4:8, 5:1-21, Acts 13:39)
- Salvation: Salvation is received solely through being united to Christ by faith, and so by grace alone, not as a reward for moral or religious effort. From the moment he or she first believes, the sinner is wholly justified and reconciled to God, with the sure and certain hope of eternal life. (Philippians 3:1-9, Romans 4:1-5:11)
- The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit alone makes the work of Christ effective, bringing individuals to new birth and faith. He indwells all believers in order to give them a true understanding of the Bible, bring assurance of salvation, move them to do good, grow them to maturity, equip them for service, empower them for mission, and so renew them in the image of God that the church might display the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 1:15-2v10, 4:4-5:20, 1 Corinthians 12:1-14)
- Obedience: Those who are truly born again place their faith in Christ, repenting of their sins, calling on him for salvation and submitting to him as Lord. Being renewed into his likeness, they strive to obey his will in all areas of their lives, trusting that the commands of Scripture are for their good and for God’s glory. This obedience covers both internal attitudes and external actions and includes the rejection of sin. (Galatians 5:16-26; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; Ephesians 4:17-5:20)
- Sacraments: The one, holy, universal church is the Body of Christ to which all true believers belong. It is made visible in local congregations of believers which are called to worship and serve God in the world, to proclaim and defend his truth, to administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to exhibit his character, and to demonstrate the reality of his new order. (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Peter 2:9-12, 1 Timothy 3:15
- Church: The unity of Christ’s body is expressed within and between local churches by mutual love, care, correction and encouragement, all in accordance with the Bible. Fellowship within and between local churches is truly Christian insofar as they are faithful to Christ and his gospel. (Ephesians 4:1-16, 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, 2 John 7-11)
- Future: The Lord Jesus Christ will visibly return in glory to raise and judge the dead, granting the fullness of eternal life to his people and eternal punishment to those who have not believed the gospel. God’s kingdom will then be fully established as he creates a new heaven and earth from which evil and evildoers, suffering and death will be excluded, and in which he will be glorified forever. (Matthew 25:31-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, Revelation 20:11-21:8, 22-27)
The Historic Creeds
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
From there he will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things, visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven.
He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit
of the virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He shall come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
I acknowledge one holy, catholic and apostolic church,
and one baptism for the remission of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Athanasian Creed
Whosoever wishes to be saved
before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith,
which faith, if anyone does not keep it whole and unharmed,
without doubt he will perish everlastingly.
Now, the catholic faith is this,
that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity,
neither confusing the Persons
nor dividing the divine Being.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son,
and another of the Holy Spirit,
but the Godhead of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is all one,
their glory equal, their majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son
and such is the Holy Spirit:
the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated
and the Holy Spirit uncreated;
the Father infinite, the Son infinite
and the Holy Spirit infinite;
the Father eternal, the Son eternal
and the Holy Spirit eternal;
and yet they are not three Eternals
but one Eternal,
just as they are not three Uncreateds, nor three Infinites,
but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty
and the Holy Spirit almighty;
and yet they are not three Almighties
but one Almighty.
Thus the Father is God, the Son is God
and the Holy Spirit is God;
and yet there are not three Gods
but one God.
Thus the Father is the Lord, the Son is the Lord
and the Holy Spirit is the Lord;
and yet not three Lords
but one Lord.
Because, just as we are compelled by Christian truth
to confess each Person singly to be both God and Lord,
so are we forbidden by the catholic religion
to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is from none,
not made nor created nor begotten;
the Son is from the Father alone,
not made nor created, but begotten:
the Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son,
not made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons;
one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity there is no before or after,
no greater or less,
but all three Persons are co-eternal with each other
and co-equal.
So that in all things, as has already been said,
the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity, is to be worshipped.
He therefore who wishes to be saved
let him think thus of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation
that he should faithfully believe the incarnation of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, the right faith is that we should believe and confess
that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
is both God and man equally.
He is God from the Being of the Father, begotten before the worlds,
and he is man from the being of his mother, born in the world;
perfect God and perfect man,
having both man’s rational soul and human flesh;
equal to the Father as regards his divinity
and inferior to the Father as regards his humanity;
who, although he is God and man,
yet he is not two, but one Christ;
one, however, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh
but by the taking up of humanity into God;
utterly one, not by confusion of human and divine being
but by unity of Christ’s one Person.
For just as the rational soul and flesh are one man,
so God and man are one Christ;
who suffered for our salvation,
descended to Sheol, rose from the dead,
ascended to heaven, sat down at the right hand of the Father,
from where he will come to judge the living and the dead;
at whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies
and will give an account for their own actions,
and those who have done good will go into life everlasting
and those who have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the catholic faith
which, if anyone does not believe it faithfully and firmly,
he cannot be saved.