our beliefs

THE THEOLOGY THAT STEERS OUR PRACTICE

The Church at Sandhurst is an independent Bible church. This means that we are not associated with a larger denomination, and the truths we believe are those revealed by God in the Bible. Our members come from many different denominational backgrounds and we unite under Christ, not under one particular denominational banner.

Our goal is to be a modern expression of the historic Christian faith, or in other words - to keep our feet planted on the ancient Word, and our finger on the pulse of today.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

We are committed to being not only a loving and welcoming church but also a thinking and theologically grounded church. The fundamentals of our faith are outlined on this page. We encourage everyone who calls Sandhurst their home to read and grasp these truths.

CORE

The Bible: The Bible is God's infallible Word, written by men who were divinely and uniquely inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that it is our supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice.

God: There is one God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in God the Father, sovereign over all the universe. We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who atoned for the sins of the world by His death on the cross, rose from the dead and will return. We believe in the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin, comforts and seals forever those who belong to Christ.

People: People were created in the image of God to fellowship with Him, but sinned against God, becoming spiritually dead and alienated from that relationship. We believe, therefore, that those who trust Christ as Savior are rescued eternally from sin and reunited with God.

Salvation: People are saved from sin by grace through faith in Christ alone, apart from merit – meaning it is God’s gift!

Church: The church is the body of Christ of which Jesus Christ is the Head. The members are those who have trusted by faith in the finished work of Christ. We believe that the local church is composed of believers united for worship, fellowship and mission.

Missions: Because God is on mission to spread His love to all – we join Him on mission! “Mission exists because worship does not” (John Piper), and so we will go across the street, across town, and across the world to share God’s love for us with those who need to hear and see it. We participate in missions through praying, giving and going!

COMPLETE

SCRIPTURES

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God breathed.

(II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13).

GOD

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections.

(Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14).

CHRIST

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful people.

(John 1:1, 2, 14; Luke 1:35).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross, as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal physical resurrection from the dead.

(Romans 3:24, 25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1, 2).

HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption.

We believe that He bestows spiritual gifts upon each one. We believe that the believer has received one or more spiritual gifts so that he may exercise them for the strengthening and outreach of the body of Christ.

We believe that miraculous sign gifts were given to authenticate the message the Apostles delivered and gradually ceased at the end of the apostolic period, The practice of any gift in any gathered body shall be governed by the Scriptures.

(Hebrews 2:3, 4; John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13, 14;

I John 2:20, 27; Ephesians 5:18).

MAN

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.

(Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12; Titus 3:3-7).

SALVATION

We believe that Salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by a person by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.

(Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).

ASSURANCE

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever.

(John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:3-5).

We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation according to God’s promises. Even so, the Bible clearly forbids the abuse of Christian liberty, for selfish indulgence of the flesh.

(Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

BELIEVERS

We believe that every saved person continues to struggle with sin. In this life, the believer has two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural.

(Romans 6:13; 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; I Peter 1:14-1.6; I John 3:5-9).

HOLINESS

We believe that all the saved should live in a way that brings honor to Christ. The church should be aware of and avoid heresy, hypocrisy, and those who support them.

(II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1-12; 14:13 I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians 6:14; 7:1).

MISSIONS

We believe that it is the responsibility of all Christians to show the truth of the Gospel to all people by life and word.

(Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:18-20).

THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church, which is the body and bride of Christ. The church is both an organism – living and growing, and an organization – with the structure for order and growth. The church is a family which exists on three levels: worldwide, area, and local.

(Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 12:2; Acts 14:27; 20:17; 20:32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

SATAN

We believe that Satan is the author of sin and the cause of the fall of mankind; that he is the enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in hell.

(Job 1:6, 7; Isaiah 14:2-11; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20: 10).

SECOND COMING

We believe in the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His bride the church, and in His subsequent return to earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom

(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6; I Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

ETERNITY

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.

(Matthew 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25, 26; Revelation 20:5, 6, 12, 13).

We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord; and that there in the conscious joy they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.

(Luke 23:43; Revelation 20:4-6; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16, 17).

We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the Second Resurrection, when with the soul and body reunited they shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting punishment.

(Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:6-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15).

BAPTISM

We believe that the Christian Baptism of Believers is an ordinance testifying to the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior, and for growth in holiness and maturity. Baptism is an identification with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection.

We understand that earnest Believers differ as to the mode; however, we are committed to baptism by immersion.

(Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:37-38; Romans 6:3-5).

Baptism is an ordinance given by the Lord Jesus after conversion. The Church is committed to and will teach baptism by immersion on the basis of the examples in scripture and the meaning of the word "baptize," i.e., to dip, immerse. Understanding that sincere Believers may differ as to the mode, we will recognize the sprinkling of a person after conversion.

COMMUNION

We believe that all true believers in Christ have a place at the Lord's Table, in which the members of Christ's body, by use of the symbols of bread and the fruit of the vine, remember the death of the Lord until He comes. Participation in communion should be preceded by self-examination.

(Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:23-26).

This ordinance is observed at least once each month, usually on the first of each month.