What We Believe
As the church of Christ we realize our high calling to stand firm in this world, in the midst of the spirit of the age. We ought not to be conformed to the sinful world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, if we hope to be a shining city on the hill for our Redeemer and King. The surest way of accomplishing this is by submitting heart, soul and mind to the revealed will of God in Scripture. Moreover, our adherence to our reformed doctrinal standards should not only be a matter of theory, but also of practice, since the intent of all doctrine is to make us godly and pious. Nevertheless, in fulfilling our calling as Christ’s church in this world, we also consider it necessary to state our convictions regarding some contemporary issues clearly and succinctly:
Regarding the Word of God
The preaching of the Gospel will only be blessed if it is done from a clear and absolute conviction in the the Bible as the Word of God. We believe that the Biblical canon has Divine authority in its whole and its parts, and that it alone should shape and guide all matters of faith and practice. We therefore reject all teachings that seek to undermine either the Divine inspiration and authority of the Scriptures, or its clarity and sufficiency.
Regarding Creation
We do not believe that humankind is the product of Darwinian evolution, stemming from other forms of life, evolving to what it is today over millions of years merely by chance. The Bible clearly states: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” (Gen. 1:1). God created the universe in six successive days, each having an evening and a morning… and He created everything good. God created the first man Adam out of the dust of the earth and the first woman from man, so as to establish an intimate union between them both. All humankind descended from these first parents. Moreover, every creature was created according to its own kind to the glory of God. Sin was never part of God’s original perfect creation but entered in as an evil intruder when Satan deceived and tempted our first parents into breaking the probationary command by listening to him rather than to God. It is essential for salvation to believe the Genesis account, since Christ came into this world as the second Adam to take away the curse brought upon us all by the first Adam, when he disobeyed God’s simple command in the garden. Praise God, death and sin can no longer rule over us who believe, but only righteousness and life through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Regarding Gender Confusion
We believe that God wants us to worship Him as Father and Son, and that these masculine references do not stem from ancient Jewish culture, but from God’s own self-revelation in Scripture.
God created mankind, male and female in the beginning, bearing His image. Man and woman were framed, called and gifted for the purpose of fulfilling their unique roles in life, marriage, family and society. Disregarding these unique features of our identity as men or women, is one of the root-causes for the tragic unraveling of the fabric of our society today. We therefore hold to the Biblical view that our sisters were not called by God to teach and rule in the congregation in the presence of adult brothers. This may not however inhibit them in any way in their Christian service, witnessing or praying where brothers are present.
We believe according Scripture that homosexual desires and actions are the result of the fall and are sinful distortions of God’s will for humankind. Homosexual desires are no different from any other sinful desire, which must therefore be “put to death” through confession, repentance and the receiving of forgiveness. Whoever fails to do so will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The church must however seek to provide loving support to any who may struggle with these temptations, by ministering to them the Gospel of God’s forgiveness and transforming power in Jesus.
Regarding the gift of life.
We believe it is the Lord’s sovereign right, and His only, to give and to take life. We believe that God calls us to live chaste before and during marriage, and to ask of Him the gift of children, which are to be regarded as “a heritage of the Lord”(Psalm 127:3). The Bible teaches us that the unborn child is made in the image of God and precious in His sight since its very conception in the womb. Abortion – except in the case of protecting the mother’s life – is therefore an act of murder. As God’s people cherishing life we are called to do whatever we can to provide prayerful support to young ladies who are pregnant and in need.
