Below is a summary of what we believe on the major issues of the Christian faith. For a more detailed summary of our doctrines, you can consult the historical Confessions of Faith to which we adhere:
The Westminster Confession of Faith (Exernal Link)
The Bible We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and as such has full and complete authority. It is the only infallible rule of faith and life. The revelation it gives us cannot be modified or supplemented by any other. We believe that the Bible is fully sufficient to reveal what we need to know in order to attain salvation, to live according to God and to find our joy in him. We believe that the purpose of interpreting Scripture is to determine the meaning and message intended by its authors. The Bible was written in human language and must be interpreted according to the normal conventions of language and with respect for the thematic and literary diversity within it. Each text must be interpreted in accordance with the rest of Scripture.
God We believe in one God, living and true, sovereign in all things, Creator of the universe. There are three persons in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and all three are one God, of one substance, equal in power and glory.
Jesus Christ We believe in Jesus Christ, in his perfect divinity and eternal pre-existence, in his virgin birth, in his atoning death on our behalf, in his bodily resurrection and ascension, and in his imminent personal, visible and glorious return.
Man and sin We believe that, created morally just and good, our first parents consciously disobeyed their Creator. They thus lost their original condition, and the whole of creation has suffered the consequences of their sin. We believe that, since then, all men, with the exception of Jesus Christ, have been in their natural condition, separated from God, inclined to evil, enslaved to sin and subject to the domination of Satan. They transgress the divine laws and, as a result, remain exposed to eternal perdition.
Salvation We believe that man's justification is by God's grace through Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man, and that it is received by personal faith alone. We believe in the necessity of repentance and the new birth leading to a godly life.
The Holy Spirit We believe that the Holy Spirit, a divine person, is given to all believers and comes to dwell within them at the moment they unite with Jesus Christ through faith. His mission is to enable believers to benefit from Christ's work of salvation. He usually acts through Scripture, with which he cannot disagree: he works in the believer's heart so that he understands it, receives it with faith and submits to it. He produces his fruit in believers; he enables them to progress in the Christian life and to persevere in it to the end. Through his action, and equipped by him with his gifts, every Christian is called to place himself at the service of others in the Church and in the world according to God's particular plan for each of his children.
The Church We believe that God willed to create for himself a new humanity, called to worship him and including all those who have been regenerated and reconciled to him through Christ, as well as their children whom we consider to be part of the covenant community. To this end, he founded the Church, which is the community of all those from every nation who have put their faith in Jesus Christ by adhering to the teaching of the apostles. The Holy Spirit unites these believers to Christ and to each other as one body. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and the only Head of the Church. He nourishes it with his Word, leads it by his Spirit and inspires it with various ministries so that it can fulfil its missions. The church's present mandate is to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples and to make disciples of them. We believe that the local Church is called to manifest, in its own way, the reality of the Body of Christ. It is a community of believers born of the Spirit, who, while recognising their weaknesses, want to live together to the glory of God.
The sacraments We believe that the sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, were instituted directly by Christ and are sacred signs and seals of the Covenant of Grace. We believe that Baptism depicts the work of Christ in the heart and is administered by sprinkling water on the heads of those who profess faith in Christ, and to their children. We do not believe that baptism confers salvation. We believe that the Lord's Supper remembers Christ's sacrificial death, the bread and wine representing his broken body and shed blood. These elements always remain as they were, with Christ spiritually present.
Resurrection, final judgement and eternity We believe that all the dead will rise, the just and the unjust. We believe in the final judgement in which God will manifest his perfect justice by rewarding everyone according to his deeds. Those who have persevered in unbelief will suffer, in a state of conscious existence, the eternal punishment they have deserved. By virtue of the grace they have received through faith, the redeemed will enjoy eternal glory in the presence of their Saviour.
