What we Believe
Cranbrook Baptist Church adheres to the Evangelical Alliance Statement of Faith. The following represents what we believe to be essential truths of historic, biblical Christianity and the Christian faith:
I. There is one only God, who exists
eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness,
justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator; Saviour
and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to his
sovereign will for his own glory. This one and true God has
revealed himself to mankind.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-6; 46:9-10; John 17:3; 1
Corinthians 8:4-6; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5; Psalm 45:6-7;
110; Matthew 3:13-17; 28:17-20; John 5:18-47; 14:8-17; 20:28;
Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 13:14; Philippians 2:5-11;
Colossians 1:15-23; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 1:2; Jude 20-21)
II. God has revealed himself in the
Bible, which consists of 66 canonical books - the Old and New
Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human
authors, so that the Bible as originally given is in its
entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in
fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority
and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and
practice.
(Deuteronomy 31:24-26; Psalm 19:7-11; Jeremiah 30:1-4; 1
Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:15-16)
III. All men and women are created by
God in His image and likeness, with inherent and equal dignity
and worth. Their greatest purpose is to glorify God, enjoy
God’s fellowship, live their life in the will of God. As a
result of Adam’s sin of disobedience, everyone lost their
innocence; incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical
death; became subject to the wrath of God. Every person is
under the just condemnation of God and needs to be born again,
forgiven and reconciled to God in order to know and please
him. This salvation is wholly of God’s grace through the
redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Genesis 2:7 , 15-25 ; James 3:9; Isaiah 43:7 ; Colossians 1:16
; Revelation 4:11; Genesis 2:16-17 ; 3:1-19 ; John 3:36 ; Romans
3:23 ; 6:23 ; 1 Corinthians 2:14 ;Ephesians 2:1-3 ; 1 Timothy
2:13-14 ; 1 John 1:8).
IV. Jesus Christ, the second Person of
the Trinity, is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with
the Father. God the Father created according to His own will,
through His Son, Jesus Christ, by whom all things continue in
existence. Jesus Christ was virgin born; He was God incarnate;
and that the purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God,
redeem men, and rule over God’s kingdom. In His incarnation,
the eternally existing second Person of the Trinity accepted
all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became
the God Man. Jesus Christ represents humanity and deity in
indivisible oneness.
(John 10:30 ; 14:9; John 1:3 ; Colossians 1:15-17 ; Hebrews 1:2;
Philippians 2:5-8 ; Colossians 2:9; Micah 5:2 ; John 5:23 ;
14:9-10 ; Colossians 2:9; Isaiah 7:14 ; Matthew 1:23 , 25 ; Luke
1:26-35; John 1:1 , 14; Psalm 2:7-9 ; Isaiah 9:6 ; John 1:29 ;
Philippians 2:9-11 ; Hebrews 7:25-26 ; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
V. Jesus Christ accomplished our
redemption through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial
death on the cross. His death was voluntary, vicarious,
substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive. Our
justification is made sure by His literal, physical
resurrection from the dead and that He is now ascended to the
right hand of the Father, where He now mediates as our
Advocate and High Priest.
(John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25, 5:8 ; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 28:6;
Luke 24:38-39; Acts 2:30-31; Romans 4:25, 8:34 ; Hebrews 7:25,
9:24; 1 John 2:1; John 1:29; 10:1-18; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians
15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:3-5; 1 Peter 3:18).
VI. In the physical resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the grave, God confirmed the deity of His
Son and gave proof that God has accepted the atoning work of
Christ on the cross. Jesus’ bodily resurrection is also the
guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers.
(John 5:26-29,14:19; Romans 1:4, 4:25, 6:5-10; 1 Corinthians
15:20,23; Matthew 28; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24; John 14:3; 20-21;
Acts 1:10-11; 1 Corinthians 15:12-34; 1 Thessalonians 4:16;
Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 1:7)
VII. Jesus Christ will return to
receive the church, which is His Body, unto Himself at the
rapture, and returning with His church in glory, will
establish His kingdom on earth. God will judge all of mankind
through Jesus - which inclused the believers, those living on
the earth at His glorious return and the unbelieving dead.
(Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 5:22-23; 1
Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46;
Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 28; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24; John
14:3, 20-21; Acts 1:10-11; 1 Corinthians 15:12-34; 1
Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 1:7)
VIII. Jesus Christ reigns and rules
over his Church, which is the body of which Christ is the head
and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in
local churches, which are congregations of believers who are
committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching
of the Word, the administering of Baptism and the Lord’s
Supper; for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism.
The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and
between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. True
fellowship between churches exists only where they are
faithful to the gospel.
(John 8:31-47; Romans 8:29; 10:9-11; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27;
Galatians 3:7-9; Ephesians 1:18-23; 2:11-22; 4:4-16; Colossians
3:1-4; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Peter 2:9-10)
IX. In a future physical resurrection
of the dead, those who trust in Jesus Christ will be raised to
an eternal life. Those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ
will be raised to eternal death.
(Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Romans 2:1-16;
Revelation 20:11-15)
X. Only by trusting in the person and
work of Jesus Christ alone can we be reconciled to God,
receive forgiveness for our sins, and experience true life and
joy.
(John 3:16-21; 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:21-26; Galatians
2:15-21; Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Timothy 2:5-6)
XI. There are two ordinances instituted by the Lord Jesus: believers baptism and the Lord's Supper - as visible signs of the gospel. Neither of these has, in itself, the power to save people from their sins, but are outward symbols of inward, spiritual realities. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry into his Church but does not impart spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice offered once for all and involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received by faith.
XII. The Lord Jesus Christ will return
in glory. He will raise the dead and judge the world in
righteousness. The wicked 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 wait in expectancy for that
day!
What is the Gospel?
The gospel is the good news of God’s grace invading the darkness of this world. It is the grand narrative of creation, fall, redemption and consummation ordained by God and orchestrated through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Christ’s crucifixion is the heart of the gospel. His resurrection is the power of the gospel. His ascension is the glory of the gospel.
Christ’s death is a substitutionary and propitiatory sacrifice to God for our sins. It satisfies the demands of God’s holy justice and appeases His holy wrath. It also demonstrates His mysterious love and reveals His amazing grace. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which men can be saved. At the heart of all sound doctrine is the cross of Jesus Christ and the infinite privilege that redeemed sinners have in glorifying God because of what He has accomplished. Therefore, we want all that takes place in our hearts, churches and ministries to proceed from and be related to the gospel.