Statement of Faith
The church meeting at Heath Gospel Hall is a fellowship of baptised believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are a non- denominational body, meeting solely in His Name, upholding His Lordship and responding only to Him, rather than any human authority.
It is only right that you should know what is taught at Heath Gospel Hall,so you can have confidence about attending. So,here is a brief statement about what we believe.
Foundational Beliefs
The source and basis for all our beliefs and practices is the Living and eternally inerrant Word of God - the Bible, which is also referred to as The Holy Scriptures.
All of the teachings found therein are essential to the core Gospel message,which we preach and serve as pillars for the teaching and understanding of sound doctrine. They are vital for genuine,healthy and faithful Christian living.
1. The Bible:
The Bible is God’s inspired Word and complete in its revelation. It stands without error in its original manuscripts. It is the complete and sufficient guide for all believers. It provides the foundation for doctrine,rebuke,correction and training in righteousness which has been faithfully passed down and upheld by the Church.
Believers are called to diligently study God’s Word, as it is the unchanging standard by which all conduct, creeds and opinions should be tested. We affirm that Scripture alone judges us and we do not stand in judgment of it.
Scripture references:
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Timothy 3:15; Exodus 24:4; Psalms 19:7-10;Matthew 5:17-1.
2 The Triune God:
There is one eternal,Holy God who exists in three distinct, co-equal Persons: Father, Son,and Holy Spirit. Together they share the same essence, though each Person performs a unique role within the Godhead.
Scripture references:
Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; Psalm 90:2;John1:1-2;Hebrews9:14
A) God the Father:
God the Father is a Spirit Being, who reigns in sovereignty over all creation,guiding history to fulfil His purposes. He is all-powerful, all-knowing and His all-seeing presence is everywhere. As a Righteous and Holy God, He must judge and punish all sin and iniquity. As a loving and merciful God, He has provided the means of eternal forgiveness and salvation to all who repent of their sins and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
Scripture references:
Genesis 1:1; John 4:24; Matthew 6:9; Ephesians 4:6; Psalm 18:20-27; John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9.
B) God the Son:
The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, humbled Himself and took on human form to live in this world among men.He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Thus He was fully God and fully man. He is the only sinless man who ever lived. He could not sin,He did no sin,nor could He be tempted to sin. All His words were pure and truthful. As such, God the Father found great delight Him, and declared Him as “my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”.
On this earth, God was revealed to mankind by His Son, in the miracles which He did ,the words which He spoke and by His very character as He walked among fallen humanity.
The ultimate purpose of His coming was to provide us with the means of salvation by submitting Himself to the death of the cross. There, He bore the judgment of God for sin; not His own, but ours. He was raised from the dead, affirming His victory over sin and death. He ascended to back to heaven as a man and now intercedes for believers as our Great High Priest. He has promised to return to take all believers to be with Him eternally.
Scripture references:
Luke 1:34-35;John 1:1-18; Philippians 2:5-11; 1Timothy 3:16; John 14:3.
C) The Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is one of the 3 Persons of the Godhead. He is not merely an
“influence”or “power”. Part of His great work is to seal, indwell, fill and anoint all true believers, immediately upon conversion. (All believers have been baptised in the Holy Spirit. No “ second blessing “ is required, nor found in Scripture.) He indwells believers,empowering them for service, worship and witness and guides them into all truth.
Every believer possesses one or more spiritual gifts to be used for the glory of God and the benefit of the church. However these no longer include the “revelatory” and the “sign gifts” - including prophecy, tongues and miraculous healing. These had
ceased by the close of the first century AD, with the passing of the apostles and the completion of the Scriptures.
Scripture references:
John 16:13-14; Ephesians 1:13; 1Corinthians 6:19; Titus3:5; Acts 5:3;Romans 8:9; Galatians 3:6, 4:6; 1 Corinthians 12:7,13, 13:8; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.
3. Humanity:
Humans are distinct from all other creatures, being created in God’s image. Adam’s
sin of disobedience to God’s direct command,( the original sin ),caused separation from God and ultimately physical death. The whole human race has inherited Adam’s fallen nature and therefore we all need the redemption that only God’s Grace can provide through the sacrificial death of His Son.
Scripture references:
Genesis 1:26-30; Romans 3:23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:8-10.
4. The Gospel and Salvation:
Through Christ‘s sacrifice on the cross, salvation is freely offered to all who repent of their sins and place their faith in Him. Those who believe the Gospel, ( Good news of salvation ) by simple faith, are saved. Their sins are forgiven, they are “born again“, they have peace with God and their eternal home is in heaven.
Salvation is a gift of God’s grace and not by works. No human efforts or religious observances can bring salvation, apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Those who truly believe can never lose their salvation.
Scripture references:
Romans 5:8-10; John 3:3-21; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Ephesians 2:8-9.
5. The Church:
The church is not the building where Christians meet. It is a term for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, who have formed a corporate body of Christian testimony in the world from the Day of Pentecost and will continue until the return of Christ at the Rapture. Christ alone is the Head of the Church. Local churches in various places are expressions of the universal or dispensational church and believers gather, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ ,for worship, fellowship,the breaking of bread, prayer and Gospel witness, following the practice of the New Testament churches.
Leadership is given by a plurality of elders / overseers who guide the local church under the authority of Christ.
Scripture references:
Ephesians 1:22-23; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Acts 20:17,28; 1 Peter 5:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-15.
6. Church Ordinances:
A) Baptism:
As an act of obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus, baptism symbolises the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Baptism is for true believers only and is performed by bodily immersion in water, in the Name of The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Scripture references:
Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; Romans 6:3-5.
B) The Lord’s Supper / The breaking of bread:
In obedience to Christ’s command, baptised believers, in the fellowship of the local assembly, gather on the first day of each week, to commemorate His sacrificial death on the cross, by partaking of the bread and the cup. It is also a time of reflection and worship led by the Holy Spirit.
Scripture references:
Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; Acts 20:7.
7. The Priesthood of all believers:
All Christians have the privilege and responsibility to approach God directly in prayer. This removes any need for human mediation as all have equal access to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Scripture references:
1 Peter2:5; Hebrews 4:16.
8. The Lord’s return
As the Lord Jesus promised, He will return again. Firstly, He will come to receive all true believers, both dead and alive, unto Himself in the air and conduct us into heaven. This wonderful event is known as the Rapture. Subsequently He will also return in great glory to establish His kingdom and judge the world in righteousness.
He will grant eternal reward to believers but eternal separation in the lake of fire to all who reject Him.
Scripture references:
1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Revelation 19:11-16.