Statement of Faith - Jacksdale & Selston Community Church
God
We believe in one Triune God, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, co-equal and co-eternal, one God who revealed Himself to Israel and through her to the whole world. God is unchangeable in His holiness, justice, wisdom, and love. He is the Almighty Creator; The Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to His perfect will for His own glory.
The Bible
We believe in the full counsel of God as revealed in both the Old and New Testament. We believe that the Scriptures have supreme authority and are always sufficient in all matters of faith and conduct and are without error and fully dependable in fact and doctrine.
Creation and Humanity
All men and women, being created in the image of God, have inherent and equal dignity and worth. Their greatest purpose is to obey, worship and love God. As a result of the fall of our first parents, death entered creation. Men and women fell under God's judgement having rejected God and found to be guilty sinners. Every person is therefore under the just condemnation of God and must be born again, forgiven and reconciled to God to know and worship Him. In accordance with scripture, we believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, equally yoked together through faith in The Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by The Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to The Father. He taught with authority and all His words are true. On the cross He died in the place of sinners, bearing God's punishment for their sin, redeeming them by His blood. He rose from the dead and in His resurrected body ascended into heaven, where He is exalted as Lord of all. He intercedes for His people in the presence of The Father.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, sent from heaven to convict mankind of their sin, and to apply His work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ through the fruit and gifts of His Spirit. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship, service and mission.
The Gospel
We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only means by which mankind can be saved, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on
the third day, according to the Scriptures, being witnessed by many. It was revealed first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. The Jews are temporarily blinded but they will be restored to
their Messiah Jesus when He returns in the fullness of time.
Salvation
Salvation is entirely a work of God's grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been accomplished by The Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all who truly repent and believe in the gospel. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into the family of God and receive eternal life.
Baptism and The Lord's Supper
We believe in the baptism of believers by full immersion as taught in the New Testament. It is symbolic of our death to sin and resurrection to a new life and a personal confession of our faith in Jesus. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's sacrifice, offered once for all; it involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received by faith. It is open to all who profess and practice faith in The Lord Jesus Christ.
Church
The universal Church is the body, of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. This is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are governed, as described in the New Testament, by a plurality of male elders. Members are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and The Lord's Supper; for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. True fellowship between Churches can only exist where they are faithful to the Apostles' teaching.
Second Coming
We believe in the rapture of all born again believers during the Great Tribulation, which will take place during Jacob's Trouble, as outlined in the Bible. We believe in the physical return of The Lord Jesus Christ to establish God's Kingdom on earth and that He will reign on the earth, from Jerusalem, for a thousand years as revealed in the Book of Revelation. Thereafter He will judge the living and the dead and bring in God's rule forever in a New Heaven and a New Earth. We believe that God will fulfil all His Covenant Promises (both the Old and New Covenant), which He made to the Jewish people and to the whole world, in both the First and Second Coming of Jesus Christ – Yeshua Ha Mashiach.