Our Distinctives
Expository Preaching
Our high view of God and His Word commit us to expository preaching. Expository preaching is when a man of God, explains the Word of God to the people of God for them to know the truth of God, by hearing the voice of God, seeing the glory of God, and be moved to do the will of God. It is the explanation and application of the Spirit inspired Word of God, as the ordained means of God to bring people to salvation and grow them in sanctification (Rom 10:17; 1 Cor 1: 21; Jam 1:18-25). Others means of communicating the word of God, such as drama, music programs, film and art have a place in general life, but should not take the place of preaching the Word in corporate worship.
Biblical Counselling
Our high view of God and His Word elevate the Word of God as our final authority in all matters regarding church and life. God created man’s soul and His Word is what leads to fulness of life and godliness (Jn 10: 10; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Pet 1:3-4). Psychology and psycho- analytical methods are born from a secular humanistic mindset, which are dismissive of and hostile to God. These disciplines can recognize and classify symptoms of certain soul conditions but are incapable and ineffective in setting the troubled soul free nor bring lasting change in the person’s life.
Elder Led
Our high view of God and His Word, inform our high view of the church. The Lord Jesus is the head of the church (Eph 1:22; Col 1:18). Christ Jesus is our good shepherd, our chief shepherd, and our great shepherd (Jn 10:11,14; 1 Pet 5:4; Heb 13:20). He has given to His church gifted men to serve as under-shepherds (Eph 4:11-16). Under- shepherds (Elders) are to exercise oversight over His flock (1 Pet 5:1-3). Each church is to be self-governed by a plurality of men who are recognized as elders, conforming to the qualifications stipulated in the Bible (2 Tim 3:1-11; Tit 1:5-9). The Bible prohibits women from serving as elders over a church (1 Tim 2:12-15; 1 Cor 11:1-3; 14:34- 37). All ministry opportunities are open to women in the church, except those prohibited by the Scriptures. Women are not to teach men nor exercise authority over men within the congregation of the church.
Gender roles
Our high view of God and His Word, leads us to affirm God created both man and woman in his image. Both men and women therefore enjoy equal value, dignity, and acceptance by God in Christ Jesus (Gen 1:27; 2:21-22; Gal 3:28; 1Cor 11:11-12). However, in creating man and woman, God created them differently and with different roles to fulfil (Gen 2:7, 21-2; 1 Cor 11:7-9), which we are not at liberty to change as we see fit. We therefore affirm the male headship of responsibility in the family and in the church. God demands that the male headship of responsibility be exercised in the spirit of Christlike, sacrificial servanthood (1Cor 11:3; Eph 5:22-33; 1 Tim 3:1-5).
Spiritual gifts
Our high view of God and His Word prompt us to praise God for the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit grants to every believer as He wills upon salvation. Every believer receives spiritual gifts from the Lord, but we do not all receive the same spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:7, 11; 1 Pet 4:10- 11). We confess spiritual gifts are to be used for the edification of the church and not for self-exaltation (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Cor 14:3,12,26). We understand the Bible to teach that the “sign gifts” which were active in the early church, were for the purpose of authenticating the message of the Gospel and its messengers, confirming that they are from God. Once the message of Christ was inscripturated by the Apostles, the last book being Revelation, these gifts ceased to be active in the Church age (Heb 1:1-4; 2:1-4; 1 Cor 13:8-12; 2 Cor 11:12; Rom 15:18-19, Rev 22:18-19). The “sign” gifts include the gifts of speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues, the gift of prophecy (new revelation, in addition to the Word of God), the gift of healing and the working of miracles. The Bible teaches following the church age certain “sign “gifts would once again become operational, as the message of Christ and His messengers once again will need to be authenticated as being from God (Rev 11:6). Many counterfeit signs and wonders will mark the end times as Satan will use these to deceive and mislead many in the last days (Mat 24:24; 2 Thess 2:9).
Salvation
A High view of God and His Word and a realistic view of man lead us to affirm the Doctrines of Grace, regarding salvation. The Word of God teaches that man is born in sin with a corrupt nature, affecting every aspect of man’s being. Man in his natural sinful state is spiritually dead and separated from God, alienated and hostile towards God and unable and unwilling to seek after God or please God (Rom 5:12; Eph 2:1-3; Eph 4: 17- 19; Rom 3:10-18).
Unless God intervened motivated by His love and kindness, no man would or could be saved.
However, God who is righteous and just, is also gracious and compassionate (Ex 34:6-7). He rich in love, mercy and grace provided redemption and the forgiveness of sin for man (Eph 1:3-14; 2:4-10, Rom 5: 1-11), without violating His righteous holiness by taking the penalty of sin upon Himself (Rom 6:4-14), satisfying His own wrath against sin Himself, thus working a reconciliation between man and God (Rom 3:25; 1 Jn 2:1-2; 4:10; 2 Cor 5: 18-21), defeating death and Satan who held the power of death because of sin. All by the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God (Col 2:14-15; 1 Cor 15: 54- 57). The redemptive work of God are for those whom God the Father foreknew and predestined to be conformed into the image of His beloved Son even before creation. They are the ones God calls, justifies, and glorifies (Eph 1:4; Rom 8:29-30).
We therefore confess that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone.
Sanctification
A high view of God and His Word, together with a realistic view of man, lead us to understand that sanctification is a progressive process, continuous throughout the life of the believer until the Lord returns. The Bible use the term sanctification to describe the standing of the Christian in Christ It also use the term to describe the conversion of the believer, called definitive or positional sanctification (1 Cor 1:2, 30; 6:11). When the believer is sanctified, set aside from the world and unto the Lord. Furthermore, the Bible speaks of the believer’s ultimate sanctification, at the return of the Lord when the believer will be fully transformed to the image of Christ and receive a glorified body, also referred to glorification (Rom 8:29-30). However, most times the term is used to describe a continual, progression in the practical transformation to greater righteousness in the believer. The believer is declared righteous at justification, and the believer becomes continuously and increasingly more righteous in practice, until the day of Christ’s return. We teach that justification is different to sanctification, describing different elements of salvation, but are intrinsically linked, so that you cannot have the one without the other. We therefore deny that sanctification is a separate second work of grace, after justification. Justification is a legal declaration of righteousness upon faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and all who have been justified will immediately begin grow in sanctification as the deeds of the old life are put off and the deeds of the new man in Christ are put on (Eph 4:22-32; Col 3:8-10). We deny that 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 supports the teaching of two classes of Christian, the carnal and the spiritual Christian.
Beginnings
Our High view of God and His Word compels us to affirm God to be the eternally, sovereign, and powerful creator of the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1- 2:3; Heb 1:2; Col 1:16-17; Rom 1:20). We therefore affirm that the account of creation in Genesis is a record of historical events and is to be understood literally, and not allegorically or figuratively. Thus, we believe the days of Genesis 1 are to be understood as literal, twenty-four-hour days (Ex 20:9-11; 31:16-17). The purpose of the creation account in Genesis 1:1-2:25 is to teach primarily a theological lesson and not to give a “scientific” explanation of creation. It reveals God to be eternal, sovereign and all powerful. That God is a God of order, bringing order out of chaos.
That God does all things good, and He created man in His own image to serve Him as His representative, ruling over the earth (Gen 1:27- 28). Furthermore, it teaches us God is incredibly powerful, creating everything out of nothing, by speaking it into existence as the repeated refrain, “God said …. and it was so” (Heb 11:3; 1: 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24) emphasize. The creation of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them were supernatural events, inexplicable by science. However, with God speaking creation into existence, God spoke all the natural and scientific laws governing creation also into existence. The focus of the creation account is the affirmation that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth, that it belongs to Him and all that is in it. Man, made in His image, as the pinnacle of His creation, is yet ultimately subject and accountable to God (Ps 24:1-2; Ps 8; Job 38:1- 40:5).
End Times
Out High view of God and His Word compels us to the consistent application of the literal, historical, grammatical method of Bible interpretation. In every passage of the Scriptures, we always seek to identify the author’s intent and how it would have been understood, by the original recipients. The consistent application of our literal, historical, grammatical hermeneutic, result in our understanding that there will be a future earthly millennial kingdom (Rev 20:4) over which Christ will rule and reign, on the throne of David from Jerusalem. This earthly kingdom of Christ will result in the restoration of the physical world to conditions reminiscent of the Garden of Eden (Is 11:1-9; 65:17-25) including the restoration of the rule and reign of man (Christ Jesus) over the earth, as originally intended by God (Gen 1:27), but which was lost to Satan through the Fall (Gen 3). We understand Christ’s 1st coming was to inaugurate His Kingdom, establishing His kingdom and rule in the hearts of people who repent and believe Jesus to be the Christ. The consummation of His kingdom awaits His 2nd physical return to earth, which will be preceded by the rapture of the church (1 Thess 4:13-18; Rev 3:10); followed by a seven-year period of tribulation (Dan 9:24-27; Mt 24:9, 21), during which God will judge the earth and its inhabitants, pouring out His wrath against sin (Rev 6-19). Following the tribulation period, Christ will return with His church (Rev 19:11-21), bind the Devil, and cast him into the abyss (Rev 20:2-3), judge those who refused to believe through the tribulation (Mt 25), before setting up His millennial reign on earth from Jerusalem. The eternal state will follow the end of the millennial kingdom, with the creation of the new heavens and earth (Rev 21-22). Satan, together with the beast and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire, together with all those whose name are not written in the book of life for all eternity (Rev 20:7-15). God’s people will worship and enjoy the Lord God unhindered by the curse and unaffected by sin for all eternity (Rev 22).
