WHAT WE BELIEVE
THE GOOD NEWS!
It’s pretty obvious when you look around the world, even in our own backyard here in NZ, that something is wrong. The Bible explains what’s wrong but also offers us some incredibly good news.
The Bible teaches that God made the whole universe. At the start everything was perfect, but humans ruined it all by rebelling against God. They didn’t want him as their King. They wanted the freedom to do their own thing. Nothing has changed. Today we do the same, choosing to live our own way instead of how God has told us to live. The Bible calls this sin. It affects every aspect of our lives, our own thoughts and actions, our relationships and even nature.
This leaves us with a big problem. God is perfectly good, and we are totally not good! What is worse, because he is just, he can’t simply ignore our sin. He must punish it with eternal death. That is how serious sin is.
But the good news is this: God hasn't given up on his world. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save the world. Jesus, a real man and also fully God, was killed on a cross over 2000 years ago to pay the debt for our sin that we could never pay. But he didn’t stay dead. He came back to life, confirming that he had fully atoned for sin and in the process had defeated our greatest enemy, death.
Now, whoever believes him as their King and Saviour can begin to enjoy life the way God intended it to be—in relationship with him.
Because of this, Christians can live in our broken world with confidence and hope. Confident, because God loves them and is working for their good no matter what their circumstances. And hopeful, because one day Jesus will return. When he returns he will judge every person who has ever lived. Those who during their lives refused to submit to him will be rejected by him forever. Those who have trusted in Jesus will be accepted by God and will be rewarded with eternal life in a perfect new world, living in perfect harmony with God and each other.
WHAT WE BELIEVE IN DETAIL
GOD'S WORD IS OUR GUIDE
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Inspired by God the Holy Spirit, the Bible is:
Infallible – completely trustworthy.
Inerrant – without error.
Sufficient – revealing all that we need to believe in order to be saved and to have a relationship with God).
Authoritative – it must shape how we think and live.
WHAT DOES "REFORMED" MEAN?
The word “Reformed” refers to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. The church had been drifting from the teaching of the Bible. People like Martin Luther and John Calvin sought to bring the church back in line with what the Bible taught.
The following five convictions emerged out of the Reformation:
Scripture Alone – the Bible alone is our highest authority.
Faith Alone – we are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
Grace Alone – we are saved by the grace of God alone.
Christ Alone – Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Saviour, and King.
To the glory of God alone – we live for the glory of God alone.
CREEDS & CONFESSIONS
Because the Bible is long and complex, it is helpful to have a summary of the key teachings of the Bible presented in an orderly way.
Creeds and confessions are one way to do this. Below you'll find links to the creeds and confessions which our churches hold to.
It's important to note, that as human documents, they possess only secondary authority. Our creeds and confessions are always subject to what the Bible says.
