Statement of Faith
Statement of Faith
The Cairns South Baptist Church Statement of Faith is a summary of Christian beliefs (doctrines). Acceptance of our Statement of Faith, as the Church’s stance on these issues, is a key condition of fellowship and church membership.
Our Statement of Faith helps our congregation maintain unity in Christ, guards the church from error, and points us to the Scriptures as our rule for faith and practice.
1. The Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man, and thus the 66 books of the Bible (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament) given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the complete and inspired Word of God (1 Cor 2: 7-14; 2 Pet 1:20-21). We believe the Bible is inerrant in the original documents, infallible, God-breathed and verbally inspired in every word. (2 Tim 3:16).
Additional or apocryphal chapters, books and writings are non-biblical. There are no other writings (including church documents) with the same authority as the scriptures.
We believe that God spoke and revealed His word by the Holy Spirit to the Prophets and Apostles in the past – and that the canon (full measure) of scripture is now closed.(Heb 1:1-2) This means there will be no further revelations on par with the existing scriptures, and all ‘words of knowledge, prophecies, visions, dreams and ideas’ a believer may have – are subordinate to the scriptures
We believe in biblical interpretation that is:
- Literal
- Literary (takes into account the following):
- Genre of the Biblical book
- Author’s intent
- Original intended audience
- Cultural/time period background
- Internal literary devices
- Descriptive vs Prescriptive elements
- Contextual
- Grammatical
- Historical
- Christ-centred
- Discipleship-Oriented
It is the responsibility of believers to ascertain carefully the true intent and meaning of Scripture, recognizing that proper application is binding on all generations. The truth of Scripture stands in judgment of men; never do men stand in judgment of it. (Jn 7:17; 16:12-15; 1 Cor 2:7-15; 1 Jn 2:20).
2. The Trinity
We believe the Scriptures reveal that the one God eternally exists in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person of the Godhead has distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being. (Deut 6:4; Matt 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14).
3. Father
We believe there is only one living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, sustainer and ruler of all things, having in and of Himself, all perfections, and being infinite in them all. To Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience that springs from the fear of God and trust in Him (1 Sam 15:22; Ps 145:3; Jn 1:1-18;Col 1:16; 1 Thess 1:9; Heb 12:28).
We believe the Father from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet in no way is He the author or approver of sin, nor does He destroy the free will and responsibility of men and women. (Isa. 46:9-11; Prov. 16:33).
4. Son
We believe Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, is fully God and fully man and is the divinely appointed mediator between God and man. We believe He was conceived by Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the law; suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners.
He was buried, and rose again on the third day, and ascended to the Father, at whose right hand He lives forever to make intercession for His people. He will return again visibly and bodily.
He is the only Mediator, Prophet, Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe (Isa 53:10-12; Jn 1:1, 14; Acts 1:9-11; Rom 3:21-26; 8:34; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Gal 3:13; Eph 5:23, 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 1:1-3, 2:17, 4:14; 1 Jn 2:1).
5. Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit has been active in the world since creation; that He spoke through the prophets and that He enabled the virgin Mary to conceive Jesus, the Son of God. (Gen 1:2, 2 Peter 1:21, Matt 1:18, Lk 1:35).
We believe the work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost, when He came from the Father as promised by Christ (Jn 14:16-17; 15:26), to initiate and complete the building of the Body of Christ, which is His church (1 Cor 12:13).
We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells a person immediately when they come to believe in Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:9; Gal 3:2; 4:6)
The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ and transforming believers into the image of Christ (Jn 16:7-9; Acts 1:5; 2:4; Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18; Eph 2:22).
6. Human Race
We believe that all humans are created in the image of God and therefore, have inherent and equal dignity and worth. The greatest purpose, responsibility and joy of every person is found in bringing glory to God by worshipping, obeying and loving Him. We believe that by voluntary choice Adam fell from right relationship with God and His creation. Because of this, all of humanity are sinners, not only by constraint but also by choice.
Having inherited a nature that is corrupted by sin and inclined to evil, every person is under the just judgement of God and without excuse. (Gen 1:27; 2:17; John 5:22; Acts 17:31; Rom 3:23).
7. Redemption
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11).
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. (Mk 12:28-31; Lk 6:31). Hateful and harassing behaviour or attitudes directed towards any individual are to be rejected and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of the Cairns South Baptist Church.
8. Salvation
We believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It is a free gift springing out of God’s love, mercy and grace. It is ours only in the provision of the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect life, His atoning death, His powerful resurrection, His glorious ascension, His ongoing Priesthood, and His certain return. Salvation is received immediately when faith is placed in Christ’s atoning death and resurrection, yet it is also an on-going process until it is finally completed at the return of Christ. It is the beginning now of eternal life with God which will be ours throughout eternity. (Jn 3:16; Rom 1:16-17; 3:21-26; 5:1-11; 8:1, 28-30; Eph 1:4-10; 2:1-10; Phil 1:29; 2:6-11; 1 Jn 4:9-12).
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom 5:9-10; 8:1, 31-39; 1 Cor 1:4-8; Eph 4:30; Heb 7:25; 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24).
We teach that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality (Rom 6:15-22; 13:13-14; Gal 5:13; 25-26; Titus 2:11-14).
9. The Future
We believe in the personal, visible and glorious return of the Lord Jesus. We believe that He will raise the dead and judge the world in righteousness. The unrighteous will be sent to eternal punishment and the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God. God will make all things new and will be glorified forever. We believe that this should motivate us to share the good news about the way of salvation in the Lord Jesus. w(Isa 65-66; Dan 12:2; Matt 16:27; Mk 14:62; Jn 14:3; Acts 1:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13; 2 Thess 1:7-10).
10. The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church:
Believer’s Baptism:
We believe Baptism is an ordinance the Lord Jesus Christ commanded for every believer, where upon profession of faith in Jesus and repentance towards God, the believer is immersed in water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It is a sign of their fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of giving themselves to God, to live and walk in newness of life. Although it is not essential for salvation, baptism is a prerequisite to Church membership (Matt 28:19; Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3-5).
The Lord’s Supper:
We believe the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with the elements of bread and grape juice, and to be observed by His church till the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate His death, and to be a bond, pledge and renewal of our communion with Him, preceded by teaching and genuine self-examination. (Matt 26:26-29; 1 Cor 11:23-34).
11. Sanctity of Life
We believe that man was created in the image of God and that all human life is sacred and given by God.
Abortion:
We believe that each individual human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, inexcusable taking of unborn innocent human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, birth or population control, the mental well-being of the mother, or gender selection are acceptable. We believe the biblical prohibitions of murder also include the use of drugs, devices or services that have the intent, design, effect or risk of terminating unborn human life or preventing its implantation and growth post-fertilization. (Ex 21:22-25; Job 3:16, Ps. 51:5, 139:14-16, Is 44:24, 49:1-5, Jer 1:5, 20:15-18, Lk 1:44)
Euthanasia:
We believe only God has the authority and divine right to end life. God has numbered our days, and He is sovereignly in control over our whole life. When illness, injury, or accident brings pain and hardship in our life it is our Christian duty to pray, seek the aid of physicians and medicine and maintain that God’s grace is always sufficient. Ultimately God is the Great Physician who often uses doctors and medicine in the healing process. At other times God sovereignly heals either by His own choosing or in answer to prayer, and still other times physical healing is not granted. We believe when decisions about life and death need to be made, they should be governed by the sanctity of life standard rather than by the quality of life standard.
We believe it is murder to assist someone in suicide or to take one’s own life. (Gen. 1:26-28, Job 1:18-22, Col. 1:12-17, Matt. 9:12, I Tim. 5:23, II Cor. 12:7-10, Ps. 90:9-10, 103:1-4, Ex. 20:13)
12. Marriage, Gender & Sexuality
Gender:
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27). We believe rejection of one’s biological gender is a rejection of God’s creation, and is therefore sinful. We affirm that ‘gender’ and ‘biological sex’ are synonymous terms.
Marriage
We believe that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others, in covenant commitment for a lifetime, as defined in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25). It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race (Gen 2:24; Matt 19:5-6; Eph 5:31-33).
Divorce
We believe that God hates divorce, and that remarriage is permitted for a believing partner, but only when the divorce was on biblical grounds. , (Mal. 2:14–16; Matt. 5:32, 19:9; 1 Cor. 7:12–15).
Sexuality
We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, pornography, any attempt to change one’s sex or disagreement with one’s biological sex is sinful and offensive to God. (Lev 18:1-30; Mat 15:18-20; Rom 1:26-29; 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Thes 4:1-8).
13. The Church
We believe all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual body, the church, the bride of Christ, of which Christ is the head. We believe that a Christian Church is a congregation of baptised believers, united in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges given to them by His word. The Church’s only scriptural officers are elders or pastors, and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.
We believe that Christ has washed us from our sins and made us priests of God (Priesthood of all believers) and acknowledge that we each have a ministry to fulfil within the body of Christ (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor 12:4-7, 11-13; Eph 1:22; 4:11-16; Col 1:18; 1 Tim 3; Titus 1; 1 Peter 2:9).
14. Spiritual Gifts
We believe the Holy Spirit gives every believer a Spiritual Gift/s which are for the purpose of edifying the church, the body of Christ. (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:7, 14:12). The Holy Spirit glorifies neither Himself nor His gifts, but He does glorify Christ. (Jn 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor 12:4-11; 2 Cor 3:18).
We believe, in this respect, that God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the believers today. We believe that the gifts of speaking in tongues, casting out demons and miraculous healing, as in the early days of the church, were for the purpose of authenticating the apostles as revealers of divine truth. These gifts were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers. (1 Cor 12:4-11; 13:8-10; 2 Cor 12:12; Eph 4:7-12; Heb 2:1-4)
We believe there were two kinds of gifts given to the early church: miraculous gifts of divine revelation and healing, given temporarily in the apostolic era for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of the apostles’ message (Heb 2:3-4; 2 Cor 12:12); and ministering gifts, given to equip believers for edifying one another.
With the New Testament revelation now complete, Scripture becomes the sole test of the authenticity of a man’s message, and confirming gifts of a miraculous nature are no longer necessary to validate a man or his message (1 Cor 13:8-12). Miraculous gifts can be counterfeited by Satan so as to deceive even believers (1 Cor 13:13-14:12; Rev 13:13-14). We believe the only gifts in operation today are those given for edification of the church. (Rom 12:6-8).
We believe that no one possesses the gift of healing today, but that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith and will answer in accordance with His own perfect will for the sick, suffering, and afflicted (Lk 18:1-6; Jn 5:7-9; 2 Cor 12:6-10; James 5:13-16; 1 Jn 5:14-15).
15. Satan
We believe that Satan is real and responsible for the evil in this world. He is the enemy of God and of all mankind. He has been defeated through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is destined to judgment for eternity in the lake of fire (Jn 8:44; 2 Cor 4:3-4; Eph 6:11-12; Heb 2:14; 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 12:9-12; 20:10).