What We Believe

 

We are a reformed evangelical church wholeheartedly committed to the truths of historic, Biblical Christianity

Our Core Beliefs

 

Here is a summary of our core Christian beliefs, which all the members of Redeemer Church joyfully affirm

  

God

There is only one true God – the eternal, unchangeable, uncreated Creator of all. God is holy, wise, just and almighty. He is the Lord, Saviour and Judge. He sustains and governs all things according to his sovereign will and is accomplishing his good purposes in the world and in the Church for his glory. In the unity of the Godhead, there are three distinct persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is entirely sufficient and perfect in and of himself and does not need us. Yet in his amazing grace, goodness and love, God has stooped down to enter into relationship with us his creatures.

The Bible

The Bible, as originally given, is the inspired, inerrant and infallible word of God. It comprises the 66 books of the Old and New Testament and is true in its entirety. It is the authority by which all human conduct is governed, and all Christians must therefore submit to its supremacy and sufficiency, both individually and corporately, in all matters of belief and conduct. God has spoken through his word, which understood rightly gives us a true knowledge of God, ourselves, the world we live in, and the only way of salvation and true life.

Humanity

God created humans, male and female, in his own image. All humans have equal dignity and value before God. We were created to worship and glorify God and enjoy relationship with Him forever. This relationship was broken by the wilful rebellion of our first parents Adam & Eve. Since the Fall, all humanity is subject to God’s just wrath and condemnation. We are alienated from God, without spiritual life, and hostile to him and his good law. We suppress the truth in spite of his continued kindness towards us. All people are sinful by nature and choice – the only exception is the Lord Jesus Christ. Every aspect of human nature has been corrupted, and we are incapable of regaining righteousness by personal effort, works or religion.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. In the fullness of time he took on a human nature – conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He is fully God and fully man. His humanity is real and sinless. Jesus lived a perfect life, and on the cross died in our place, bearing God’s righteous wrath and the punishment for our sin, redeeming us by his blood. He was buried and on the third day was raised bodily from death. Through his life, death and resurrection, Christ has conquered sin, death and the Devil. Jesus ascended into heaven and now reigns as Lord over heaven and earth at the right hand of God the Father. He is the only Mediator between God and humanity; the Head and Saviour of the church; the Heir of all things; the Judge of the world; our Prophet, Priest, and King; our Lord and our God. 

Salvation

All who repent of their sin and trust in Christ alone for salvation are saved from the guilt, penalty and eternal consequences of sin; receive the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and adoption as his children; and are delivered from their slavery in this life to sin, death, and the Devil. Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It comes solely through Jesus Christ and through no other person, religion, process or power. It has been accomplished through the perfect life, penal substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection and exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is freely offered to all in the gospel. Central to salvation is our justification, which involves the receipt from God of a sure and certain pardon of all sin, past, present and future, and the imputation of the perfect obedience of Christ by which God can declare us righteous. Our salvation and justification before God from beginning to end, is by God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is eternally and fully God. He has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of salvation to us. In order to receive salvation, a person must be regenerated by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is through his work alone that we are convicted of our sin, brought to repentance and new life, and grow in maturity and a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church, empowers its members for worship, service and mission, and enables us to live for Christ in all of life.

The Church

Christ is the head of the universal church, to which all who are saved belong. This is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who gather together for Bible teaching, corporate worship, fellowship, prayer, and to encourage one another to persevere in faith and good works. A local church administers the two ordinances instituted by Jesus Christ – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; exercises pastoral care and discipline; and plays its part in the fulfilment of the Great Commission. A local church should be united under suitably qualified leadership. The church’s calling is to serve God in the world, to proclaim, obey and defend his truth, to exhibit his character, to demonstrate the reality of the life-transforming power of God, and to declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. Fellowship within and between churches is truly Christian fellowship only insofar as they are faithful to Christ and his gospel as revealed in Scripture.

The Return of Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory, to raise the dead and to bring salvation and judgment to final completion. He will grant eternal life to his people and eternal punishment to those who have persisted in rebellion against God and have not believed the gospel. God will fully establish his kingdom when he creates a new heaven and a new earth from which evil and evildoers, suffering and death will be excluded. God himself will dwell with us, he will wipe every tear from our eyes, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, and the Lord shall reign and be glorified for ever and ever.
 

Our Doctrinal Distinctives & Ethical Statements 

In addition to our Core Beliefs, the Elders at Redeemer Church joyfully affirm these Doctrinal Distinctives and Ethical Statements as reflecting the teaching of the Bible.

If you have any questions about any of the above, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us and we'll do our best to clarify or answer any questions you may have.