WHAT WE BELIEVE
THE BIBLE
The Bible, available from the original and most reliable copies of manuscripts, is the Holy Spirit inspired, breathed out, Scriptures of God in which He reveales Himself and His will to man, makes man wise unto salvation and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness to become a mature man of God and has cleansing and salvific properties, chich when applied by the Holy Spirit, achieves the will of God in any believing mans life. It gives hope and comfort to those awaiting glorification at the second coming of Christ. (Joh. 14:26, 2 Tim. 3:15-17, Rom. 15:4) The Bible has been translated manytimes and into many languages as direct translations and other types, but we trust the KJV and AFR OV 33/53. Other translations can be consulted and compared to the ones we currently trust. There are translations and Bible composisions that remove or alter very important information without authoritative sanction. When we come across it, we do not agree with it. No one must tamper with, that is add to or remove from, what God has breathed out for the salvation of man, therefor, we always strive to not make ourselves guilty of that. (Rev. 22:19)
CREATION
God, by His Word, His Son Jesus Christ, created every visible and invisble thing for Him and maintains it by that same Word unto the end of all things (Joh. 1:3, Col. 1:15-17, 2 Pet 3:7). There has been only one creation event of the current heavens and earth, not a judgement between Gen. 1:1 and 2, after which there was a so called "recreation". The current creation is not millions of years old, but more or less 6000 years; evolution, the science that attempt to prove an old creation, and the scriptural interpretations that attempt to reconcile that science with the Bible, is falsified and false.
GOD, HIS SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
There is God the Father, the Son (the Word) and Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:1-3, Joh. 1:1, 14, Joh. 17:17). They are in unbroken everlasting unity. This is the one and only true living God (1 Cor. 8:6, 1 Joh. 5:20, 1 Tim. 3:16). This Son of God, He became flesh. This is the Son of God that became the Son of man (Mat. 16:13-17, Joh. 1:14) born of the virgin Mary conceived by the miracle working power of the Holy Spirit of God. He is the image of the Father Gods person and being (Col 1:15, Heb. 1:3) for no one ever knew or saw God, but the Son (Joh. 1:18, Mat. 11:27). He was endowed with the Holy Spirit without measure at His water baptism and thus revealed by the Father as the long promised Messiah of God (Joh. 1:33, Joh 3:34, Gen. 3:15, Deut. 18:15-18, Dan 9:24-27). He is the Lamb of God; the sinless perfect Offering provided by God in order to take away the sins of the world by their faith in Him (Joh. 1:29). In Him faith, repentance and forgiveness of sins are granted; eternal salvation (Luk. 24:46-47, Heb. 9:11-12). God the Father, through the power of His Holy Spirit resurrected His human body and soul from the dead, took Him up to heaven in the clounds and glorified Him with a Name above all names while interceding for those that believe in Him unto salvation (Joh. 17, Phil. 2:5-11). No one can come to the Father except through Him (Joh. 14:6). There is thus just one way of salvation and that is through faith in the Son of God (Joh. 3:16). The everlasting Holy Spirit is not a mere force, but a Person who convicts us, enlighten us in the truth of Christ unto proper understanding and faith, cleanses us, makes us holy and righteous, gives us spiritual gifts. We cannot do anything without Him. He can be grieved and quenched which we sould always strive to prevent. God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit are omnecient, omnipresent, all powerfull and mighty, eternal and incomparible to any other living creature. He deserves all power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing (Rev. 5:12); worship belongs to Him alone, and no other created being (Rev. 19:10).
SALVATION
Salvation is a complete, full, gracious and loving initiative and act of God from the inception of the idea unto the complete glorification of the believing man (Eph. 2:4-9). As God works in man through the Holy Spirit based on the finished work of Christ (viz. His death, ressurection and heavenly intercession), man does have a responsiblity to respond to His innerworking unto belief and repentance and the works fitting to repentance. Man can do nothing apart from this innerworking of God (Isa. 64:6), therefor, should God stop this innerworking for His just reasons, man cannot be save. (Phil. 2:12-13, Acts 13:46). This salvation as a whole consists of God calling, justifying, sanctifying (1 Cor. 6:11) and glorifying man during which faith and obedience forms an integral part (Rom. 8:29-30). Someone that has experienced a true repentance and rebirth cannot loose their salvation (Joh. 10:27-30, Joh. 6:37-40, Eph. 4:30, 2 Joh. 1:2). This does not imply or condone a contineous willful life of sin, but that a true reborn person will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit unto salvation (1 Joh. 5:18, 1 Joh 5:4, 1 Joh 3:9) for it is a complete work of God in Christ, while still being able to fall into a sin ignorantly or in their weaknesses (1 Joh. 2:1-2) that is never characterized by a contineous excorcising of that sin. Man is saved from the devil, sin in all its fullness and types and eternal death (Rom. 6:23, Heb. 2:14-15); the wrath of God current and future (1 Thess. 1:10, 1 Thess. 4:13-18).
SANCTIFICATION
Starts at justification and rebirth, and it continues unto glorification (1 Thess. 3:13). It is the contineous innerworking and cleansing of the Holy Spirit based on the finished work of Christ that results in man bringing forth and bearing the image of Gods Son in true holiness and righteousness (Gal. 5:22-25, 1 Cor 13, Gal. 4:19). Holiness is characterised by purity of heart, fervant love for God and neighbors and spontaneous witnessing of and for Christ in the Spirit and prayer (Acts 2, 1 Pet. 1:22-25). The reborn man has a responsibility to complete it in this life (2 Cor. 7:1). It is attained the same way salvation is attained, by faith an honest acknowledgment/agreement of the truth of our sin and wretched spiritual condition before God in the desire to change into His purposes and will from which one has strayed by the working of the Holy Spirit based on the completed work of Christ. It is not to become re-reborn, it is merely restoring the relationship unto which we have been, by the grace of God in Christ, justified (1 Joh. 1:5 – 2:2).
GLORIFICATION
At the second advent of Christ when He resurrects all those who died in Christ Jesus, He will raise the dead first and cloth the risen and those alive at that moment with eternal glory. We will become liken unto what Christ is now. It is our blessed hope in which we faithfully and patiently strife to be and remain pure like He is.
THE ECCLESIA (CHURCH)
There is only one group of called out people (Mat. 16:18) irrelevant of their nationality and tongue (Eph. 2:16) which is called the temple of God (1 Cor 3:16) and the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13); the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16). It is one body through one baptism, one calling, one Holy Spirit (Eph 4:4-6) who provides the necessary gifts as He sees fit for the edification of the body of Christ and the saving of lost souls (1 Cor 12:7). This body is governed by Christ (Col. 1:18), the only Head, through His Word, Spirit and cared for by Overseers of Shepards (1 Pet 5:2) and Deacons (Act 6:3) set over His geographical dispersed congregations respectively as appointed by the Holy Spirit in the example of Christ (Act 20:28). A person becomes part of this temple and body as soon as they have received the revelation of God the Father that Christ Jesus, the Son of man, is the Messiah and Son of God and then after receives Him as such with complete irreversible trust unto repentance and forgiveness unto eternal life; hence they are reborn by water and Spirit (Act 2:41, 47) Church is not the correct word to be used when referring to Christs ecclesia, for "church" refers to a physical place of worship, viz. a building, while the Tempel of God, His body, is not a place of worship but a gathered together group of souls actively engaging in worship at a place of worship. The body of Christ worships at a church.
WATER BAPTISM
Water baptism is a commandment of Christ to be received by all nations who have become disciples of Christ Jesus (Mat. 28:19). It is an answer of / prayer unto a good conscience before God (1 Pet 3:21). This baptism is only administered when any person is able to hear, understand and receive the gospel by faith (Act. 2:38, Act. 10:44, Act. 19:5, Act 18:8). It can be administered before (Act 8:15-16) or after (Act 10:47) the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but should not be administered if no true repentance, faith and profession can be made (Act 8:13, 18-24). Genuine faith and repentance will always lead to the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Act. 2:38-39). The absence of genuine faith and repentance before, during or after water baptism does not lead to baptism with the Holy Spirit (Act 8:18-24). Water baptism for babies is not scriptural. We make distinction between a baby (παιδίον[paidon]) and a child (τέκνον[teknon]) in scriptures that are incorrectly used to prove water baptism for babies. Babies cannot believe or repent (Jonah 4:11), while old enough children can, therefor baptism is for children up to any age from the moment they can understand and believe and for adults who genuinely believes and repents (Act 18:8). Baptism is accompanied by the teaching of the gospel and the doctrine of water and Spirit baptism (Heb. 6:1-2). Babies and children are holy, not sanctified, but set apart for the Lord already by the believing parents (1 Cor. 7:14), therefor they can be baptized when old enough to hear and believe, while parents out of a love for Christ can disciple their children unto that day. The scriptures used to prove water baptism for children administered by the apostles are Act 15:16, Act 16:33, Act 18:8. In these verses by the following words respectively infant baptism is assumed not proven; in Act 15:16 the words "her household", in Act 16:33 the words "and all his" and in Act 18:8 the words "with all his house". In none of these words it is explicitly said that infants were baptized. On the contrary, in Act 16:33 "and all his" were individuals that could hear the gospel preached to them (Act 16:31-32) and they believed (Act 16:34). In Act 18:8 "all his house" were individuals that could here the gospel preached to them known by the words just before "believed on the Lord with all his house". The only one that is obscure, is Act 15:16, but from an obscure passage, none must build a doctrine; it is then left inconclusive, assumed and not proven. The majority of scripture evidence is thus against infant baptism and not for it. Neglecting / refusing to baptize infants does not eliminate the infants opportunities to be saved. Striclty adhering to infant baptism does not guarantee the infants salvation
WATER BAPTISM
Water baptism is a commandment of Christ to be received by all nations who have become disciples of Christ Jesus (Mat. 28:19). It is an answer of / prayer unto a good conscience before God (1 Pet 3:21). This baptism is only administered when any person is able to hear, understand and receive the gospel by faith (Act. 2:38, Act. 10:44, Act. 19:5, Act 18:8). It can be administered before (Act 8:15-16) or after (Act 10:47) the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but should not be administered if no true repentance, faith and profession can be made (Act 8:13, 18-24). Genuine faith and repentance will always lead to the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Act. 2:38-39). The absence of genuine faith and repentance before, during or after water baptism does not lead to baptism with the Holy Spirit (Act 8:18-24). Water baptism for babies is not scriptural. We make distinction between a baby (παιδίον[paidon]) and a child (τέκνον[teknon]) in scriptures that are incorrectly used to prove water baptism for babies. Babies cannot believe or repent (Jonah 4:11), while old enough children can, therefor baptism is for children up to any age from the moment they can understand and believe and for adults who genuinely believes and repents (Act 18:8). Baptism is accompanied by the teaching of the gospel and the doctrine of water and Spirit baptism (Heb. 6:1-2). Babies and children are holy, not sanctified, but set apart for the Lord already by the believing parents (1 Cor. 7:14), therefor they can be baptized when old enough to hear and believe, while parents out of a love for Christ can disciple their children unto that day. The scriptures used to prove water baptism for children administered by the apostles are Act 15:16, Act 16:33, Act 18:8. In these verses by the following words respectively infant baptism is assumed not proven; in Act 15:16 the words "her household", in Act 16:33 the words "and all his" and in Act 18:8 the words "with all his house". In none of these words it is explicitly said that infants were baptized. On the contrary, in Act 16:33 "and all his" were individuals that could hear the gospel preached to them (Act 16:31-32) and they believed (Act 16:34). In Act 18:8 "all his house" were individuals that could here the gospel preached to them known by the words just before "believed on the Lord with all his house". The only one that is obscure, is Act 15:16, but from an obscure passage, none must build a doctrine; it is then left inconclusive, assumed and not proven. The majority of scripture evidence is thus against infant baptism and not for it. Neglecting / refusing to baptize infants does not eliminate the infants opportunities to be saved. Striclty adhering to infant baptism does not guarantee the infants salvation
DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES
There is only one truth, and that is Gods truth as revealed in His Word and ministered by His Spirit. Therefor, all doctrinal differences are setteled by inviting the parties to prayerfully, patiently, lovingly and humbly gather around the Word of God to systematically apply approved hermeneutic rules and principles to Scritpure interpretation in order to reveal where the misinterpretion or error may be. The party in error, should submit to the scriptural evidence and repent and believe accordingly.
Our Mission
TO TEACH THE NATIONS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT
MATTHEW 28:19
Our Values
SOLA SCRIPTURA
SOLA CHRISTOS
SOLA FIDE
SOLA GRACIA
SOLI DEO GLORIA