About
About
About
We Believe:
• In the Scriptures of the Old Testament (39 Books) and New Testament (27 Books) in their original writing as fully inspired by God and accept them as the final authority for faith and life.
(Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:5-6, John 1:1, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1: 20-21, Revelation 22:18-19)
• In one God eternally existing in three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 3:16, Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:22, John 14:26, John 16:26-28, Acts 1:4-5, Acts 2:33, Acts 10:38, Romans 1:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 2:18, Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:2)
• That the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully Man.
(Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38)
• That God created mankind in His image; that man sinned and thereby incurred the penalty of death, both physical and spiritual; and that all human beings inherit a sinful nature.
(Genesus 1:26, Romans 3:23-24, Romans 6:23)
• That the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, a substitutionary sacrifice, according to the Scriptures, and that all who believe and trust in Him are justified on the grounds of his shed blood.
(Isa 53:1-12, John 3:16, John 14:6, Romans 10:9-10, 1 Peter 2:23-25)
• In the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven, and His present life as our High Priest and Advocate.
(Luke 24, Acts 1:9-11)
• In the personal, future return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 24:42, Matthew 26:64, John 14:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Revelations 22:12)
• In the personality of the Holy Spirit, His regenerating work, and abiding presence in the true believer. That the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit indwells all true believers and that He has been sent to empower the Christian Church, to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit and to enable the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to the Scriptures.
(John 15:26, John 16:7-15, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:17-18, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Galatians 5:16-25)
• That all who repent of their sins and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour by faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God. (John 3:16-18, Romans 8:14-17, 1 John 3:1-3)
• That all Christians are called to a life of holiness, devotion and service to the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Leviticus 11:45, 1 Peter 1:14-19)
• That we are appointed to die once, and then comes judgement. Following judgement, the eternal blessedness of the redeemed, and the eternal banishment from God of those who have rejected the offer of Salvation.
(Hebrews 9:27 John 17:3, John 5:24, John 3:36, John 12:48, Acts 24:15, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Galatians 6:7-8, Romans 6:22-23, Philippians 1:21, Titus 3:7, 1 John 5:12, 1 Peter 1:3-5, 1 Peter 5:10)
• That the whole company of those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, having been redeemed by Him and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, form the one true Church, and that the local Church on earth should take its character from this concept. Therefore, the new birth and personal confession of faith in Christ form the bedrock essentials of Church membership.
(Romans 10:9, Romans 12:3-8, Colossians 3:15-17, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Philippians 2:1-2)
• In the priesthood of all believers.
(Acts 2:44, Ephesians 4:1-16, Galatians 6:10)
• That the ascended Christ has given various ministries and ministers to the Church in order to bring all believers to a place of Christian maturity in understanding of the Gospel, and the performance and function of ministry.
(Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
• That the Lord Jesus Christ appointed two ordinances — Baptism and Communion — to be observed as acts of obedience and as a perpetual witness to the cardinal facts of the Christian faith: that baptism is the immersion of the believer in water as a confession of identification with Christ in burial and resurrection, and that the Communion is partaking of the bread and the cup as symbols of the Saviour’s broken body and shed blood, in remembrance of His sacrificial, atoning death on the cross.
(Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 22:14-20, Acts 2:38-38, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
• We believe in Covenant, as expressed ultimately between God and man through the finished work of Jesus Christ, and expressed similarly between one husband (Male) and one wife (Female) as created and instituted by God (Matthew 26:26-28, Matthew 28:1-7, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:19-20, John 19:30, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 13:20-21, Genesis 1:25, Matthew 19:4, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5-6, Ephesians 5:31)
Why should I consider getting baptised?
1. Following Christ:
In order to understand the reason for being water baptised, it is important to carefully consider what the Bible says about it: Jesus Himself was baptised. He was not a sinner, yet He humbled Himself in obedience to identify with us and give us an example to follow.
9 “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, He saw heaven open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Mark 1:9-11 (NIV ’84)
You are my Son – Confirming Identity
Whom I love – Words of Affection
With you I am well pleased – Words of Affirmation
2. An Act of Obedience:
Water baptism is an act of faith and obedience to the commands of Christ.
19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV ’84)
3. A Public Declaration:
Baptism declares that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. It is a public confession of your faith in, and commitment to, Jesus Christ. It is the next step after salvation through repentance and faith and is an important foundation for the Christian life.
38 Then Peter said to them, repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ.” Acts 2:38
What is the meaning and significance of baptism?
1. Move From Death to Life:
Baptism is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection. Our baptism identifies us with Christ’s death on the cross, His burial in the tomb, and His resurrection from the dead.
12 ...having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:12-14 (NIV ’84)
2. A Brand New Life:
It is a symbol of your new life as a Christian. We bury the ‘old life’ and we rise to walk in a ‘new life’. Baptism is like a wedding ring; it is the outward symbol of the commitment you made in your heart, a commitment that is lived out on a daily basis. It is a statement to everyone who sees it that you have trusted Christ for your salvation and that you have surrendered your life to Him.
17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
4 “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4 (NIV ’84)
Baptism does not make you a believer; it shows that you already are one! Baptism does not ‘save’ you; only your faith in Christ does that.
8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. 9 Not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9
3. A Blessed Life:
In baptism, the believer has the triune name of the triune God placed upon them, ‘Father, ‘Son & Holy Spirit’.
The Gospels tell us to baptise believers “... in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 (NIV ’84).
Baptism confirms our position ‘in Christ’ and affirms the blessings of the Father on us as children of God.
4. A New family:
Baptism also connects us to the ‘body of Christ’, His people on the earth. In baptism there is a real sense of being joined with other believers, not just participating in an individual act of our own spiritual journey.
13 “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body... ” 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NIV ’84) How are we to be baptised?
As per the example of Jesus – by being immersed in water. The word “baptise” comes from the Greek word “baptizo” which means “to immerse or dip under water”.
16 “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water...” Matthew 3:16 (NIV ’84).
Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion under water. The book of Acts shows us that this was the norm for every believer.
38 “And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water ...” Acts 8:38,39 (NIV ’84).
Who should be baptised?
Every person who has made the decision to believe in Christ. When Paul writes to the believers in Rome, he assumes that all of them have been baptized (Romans 6). The one and only requirement for baptism is belief in Christ!
“Those who accepted his message were baptised....” Acts 2:41 (NIV ’84).
“But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women.” Acts 8:12 (NIV ’84).
We only believe in baptising children when they are old enough to understand what it means and have made a personal declaration of their belief in Christ Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour.
When are we to be baptised?
Believers in the New Testament were baptised as an immediate response to salvation. As soon as a person decides to believe in Christ, scriptures calls us to be baptised, however, there is no specific timeframe given in scripture.
“Those who accepted his message were baptised....” Acts 2:41 (NIV ’84).
“Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.” Acts 8:35-39 (NIV ’84).
Can I get baptised again?
Believers Baptism is an once-off event as a sign of having accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In scripture we do not read of being baptised a second time. However, often people feel that they need to get baptised again. There is no scripture foundation for getting baptised again and often they only need to understand assurance of salvation, which means you don’t need to be baptised again if you were baptised after you accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
(1 John 3:1, Rom 8:15-16)
The below may be helpful guidance to “re-baptism”:
• If you were “baptized” as an infant or a young child without understanding repentance, salvation or baptism.
• If you got baptized out of obligation, or peer pressure, and not because of sincere repentance toward God and faith in Christ.
• If you did not understand true repentance and salvation when you were baptized.