Statement of Faith
The Church’s fundamental beliefs are as follows:
1. All sixty-six books of the Bible are divinely inspired by God and infallible. It is the authoritative guide for Christian faith.
2. God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who being one and only one God Almighty, are equal in deity and glory.
3. Jesus Christ is God. In his incarnation, he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Having been tested in every way as we are, Jesus Christ was without sin. He offered himself as a sacrifice and died on the cross for the redemption of human beings. He rose from the dead on the third day and ascended to heaven. He will return in glory and judge all the living and the dead and rule over all creatures. Both the righteous and the wicked will rise from the dead. The righteous will go away into eternal life, but the wicked into eternal punishment.
4. The Holy Spirit is God, convicting and drawing sinners to Christ, and illuminating and empowering believers to live godly lives.
5. Adam, the first human being, sinned and as a result, all human beings have inherited a natural bent toward sin. They disobey God, befriend the devil and are unable to save themselves. Nevertheless, God still grants each person freedom of religion or belief.
6. Men are saved by grace through faith. By His own blood, Christ Jesus “once for all” obtained eternal redemption for the believers. “By grace” for God had His one and only son dying on the cross for the redemption of human beings.
“Through faith” for a person will be saved when that person is moved by the Holy Spirit into repentance of sin, confessing with the person’s mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing in the person’s heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. A believer accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal saviour, follows His footsteps and entrusts his life to Christ.
7. Believers are those saved and born again. They shoulder the duty of a royal priesthood. Under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, they have the freedom to read and interpret the Bible.
8. Churches are established on the basis of the teachings of the New Testament. Therefore, they are called New Testament churches. A church is a spiritual organization formed voluntarily by the baptized believers in a particular locality. It honours Christ as its head. Members enjoy equal rights and status. The Church adopts congregational polity and decision-making under the Lordship of Christ. Church and state must be separate.
9. The Lord’s Day is the first day of a seven-day week. Believers must observe it as a holy day.
The Church Ordinances
The Church establishes two Church Ordinances according to the teachings of the New Testament. They are only symbolic and are not means of channelling saving grace.
1. Baptism – Baptism of believers by immersion upon their profession of faith symbolizes that they are buried with Jesus Christ by baptism into death and that like Jesus Christ, they are raised from the dead. Baptism is not necessary for salvation and does not wash away sin. To receive baptism by immersion also demonstrates a believer’s voluntary commitment to become a member of the Church.
2. Lord’s Supper – Members of the Church observe the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Christ the Lord. The bread symbolizes Christ’s body. The cup symbolizes Christ’s blood. A member ought to examine himself or herself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. All believers who have been baptized upon profession of faith may observe the Lord’s Supper.