Statement of Faith
The following statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final authority of all that we believe. We believe that this statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible.
The Bible
The Holy Bible was given by inspiration of God and was written down by holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The Scriptures are trustworthy, inerrant and infallible, and are therefore, the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. The Bible does not just contain the Word of God, but is the very Word of God. God promised to preserve His Word and has done so. By the “Holy Bible” we mean the collection of sixty-six books from Genesis to The Revelation, divinely preserved in the English language in the King James Bible. This is the official and only Bible used in all ministries of City Baptist Church. The scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical and historical meaning.
God
God is the Creator of the universe, the supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth, perfect and righteous in every way and worthy of all glory and honour. Despite being so much greater than mankind, He chose to create, love and fellowship with us. There is one triune God, eternally existing in three distinct persons: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God the Son and has eternally excisted.He became man and was born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life on this earth. In doing this, He never ceased to be God. He voluntarily was crucified, died and was buried so that He would bear the sin of all mankind through His substitutionary sacrifice.
He rose again after three days, defeating death and accomplishing our redemption. After being seen of many, He ascended into heaven where He is now exalted at the right hand of God and is our Intercessor and Advocate. He will one day return to earth to reign personally and visibly.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost as He is often referred to, indwells all true believers on the earth. He restrains evil, convicts men of sin, of righteousness and judgement, bears witness to the truth of the Gospel and regenerates those who by faith accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. He seals, fills, guides, teaches, sanctifies and comforts all believers. The gifts of the Spirit are not represented accurately by the “charismatic movement” seen today.
Salvation
Salvation is the free gift of God, offered to all mankind. Men cannot be saved by any of their righteous works. Salvation is provided to men by God’s grace and received through faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. It is instantaneous and not a process. The moment a person acknowledges their sin and trusts Jesus as their Saviour, he/she becomes a new creation, receiving eternal life and salvation from the judgement to come. Salvation is eternal and cannot be lost as it is not dependent on our works but on Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.
Church
We are an Independant Baptist church. A church is an organised assembly of born again, baptised believers who have freely covenanted to love, worship and serve Jesus Christ together. God has chosen local churches to be the means by which his people grow, serve Him and carry out the Great Commission of preaching, baptising believers and teaching them. The two offices of a church are Pastor (elder/ bishop) and Deacon.
Baptism
Baptism is the immersion in water of the believer in Christ, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
It always follows and does not precedes salvation. Baptism does not save a person nor is not apart of salvation, it is a person publically identifing with Jesus Christ, it is a picture His death burial and resurection. Believer’s baptism by City Baptist Church or a church of like faith and practice is a prerequisite to membership. Baptism is one of the two Ordinances of the Church.
The Lord's Supper
The Lord’s Supper is a provision of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, as symbols of Christ’s broken body and shed blood; partaken of by the members of a church in unity, in commemoration of the suffering and death of their Lord, and in helpful anticipation of His return. City Baptist Church practices closed Lord’s Supper, meaning that only active members of our particular church partake when we hold Lord’s Supper. The Lords Supper is one of the two Ordinances of the Church.