What we believe….
The following paragraphs simply summarise what we believe as a college – a full statement of faith is found in the constitution of Clarence Valley Baptist Church. A copy of this will be supplied upon request.
1. The Scriptures
We believe that the Scriptures, which consist of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God; plenary in content, inerrant in the original writings, complete in revelation, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life. Isa. 40:8; Prov. 30:5, 6; II Tim. 3:16, 17; John 10:35; II Peter 1:19-21.
2. The Godhead
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We believe in the One true and living God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices.
3. God The Father
We believe that God is a sovereign, living, intelligent, rational being who is the creator and supreme ruler of heaven and earth. He is Spirit, Life, Light and Love. He is eternal, almighty, omniscient, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honour, love and worship. Gen. 1:1, 26; Prov. 30:4; Mark 12:29; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; John 1:1-4; Acts 5:3, 4; John 10:30.
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4. Jesus Christ
We believe in the Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of women, and that He is true God and true man. Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; Phil. 2:6-11; John 1:1-14.
5. The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, indwells all believers in the present age, baptizes them into the body of Christ, seals them unto the day of redemption, and that it is a duty of ever believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18).
6. The Devil
We believe in the personality of Satan; that his is not merely an abstract power of influence but a living, personal being; that he is the unholy god of this age; and that author of the powers of darkness; and is destined to the judgement of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire. Matt. 4:1-4; Mark 1:13; II Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 20:10; John 8:44; I Peter 5:8.
7. Creation
We believe and accept the literal Genesis account of creation; that man came by direct creation of God, and not by evolution.
Gen. 1:2; Col. 1:16, 17; John 1:3.
8. The Fall Of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only the physical death, but also that spiritual death which is a separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and by choice are sinners in thought, word and deed. He became alienated from God, and is totally unable to retrieve his former condition by his own merit. Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:7-9, 16, 17; Psalm 51:5; 58:3; Rom. 3:9-18; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 3:23; Deut. 1:39.
9.Salvation
We believe that the Lord Jesus died according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and rose again for our justification; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood, and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart from human merit and works. Acts 13:38; 16:31; Rom. 3:21-28; Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-8.
We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and thereby become the children of God, possessing eternal life. John 3:3-16; 1:12, 13; 5:24; 10:18, 29; I Peter 1:23; II Peter 1:4-11.
10. Security & Assurance Of The Believer
We believe that all of the redeemed, that is, those who are born again, are kept by God’s power and are secure in Christ for eternity. John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38, 39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5.
11. Eternal Destiny
We believe that everyone, saved and unsaved, shall face God in judgement. According to the Scriptures, the judgement of the saved will be separate from the judgement of the unsaved. We believe that the Scriptures teach these judgements shall be as follows:
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- Judgement Of Christians
Christians shall at this time be judged according to their works from the time they received Christ Jesus as their Saviour until the time they stand before Him in judgement. They shall be rewarded or they shall suffer loss according as their works shall be.
This takes place at the Judgement Seat of Christ.
I Cor. 3:11-15; II Cor. 5:10.
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- Judgement Of The Unsaved
All the unsaved shall at this time be judged according to their works and cast into the Lake of Fire to suffer forever according as their works shall be. This is called the Great White Throne Judgement.
Revelation 20:11-15.
12. Last Things.
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there as High Priest and Advocate.
We believe in “that blessed hope” - the personal, premillennial, pre-tribulational and imminent return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, When the church 'which is His body' will be gathered together unto Him.
13. The Church.
We believe that the Church, which is now the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this age irrespective of their affiliation with Christian organizations. Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12-14.
We believe that a local church is a congregation of baptised, born again believers, who are called out of this world unto Christ, and associated by the common faith and fellowship of the Gospel; organized to meet together for the purpose of observing the ordinances, and to carry out the principles, precepts and commission of Christ; and for the exercise of worship, prayer, testimony and all the rights, privileges, and gifts invested in them by God’s Word. I Tim. 3:15; Acts 2:41-47; 14:23; Eph. 4:11-16; Matt. 28:18-20.
We believe that the Scriptural ordinances of the church are Baptism and the Lord's Supper and are to be administered by the local church, that Baptism is by immersion and that it should be administered to only believers and as symbol of their belief in the death burial and resurrection with Him, and that the Lord's Supper should be partaken of only by believers to show forth His death, till He come.
14. Sign Gifts.
We believe that the sign gifts, namely “Healing,” “Working of Miracles,” “Tongues,” and “The Interpretation of Tongues,” were temporary in nature. The function of these gifts of the Holy Spirit was confirmatory. God was authenticating the authority and message of His servants by “bearing them witness” through the manifestations of supernatural power. Since we now have the completed Scriptures to authenticate the claims of Christ and to point the lost to Christ we believe the sign gifts are no longer valid for today. I Cor. 13:8-13; I Cor. 14:22; Hebrews 2:3-4.
Clarifying Statements.
A. We believe that Christ died to provide Salvation for all mankind and to secure it for all those who believe in him.
B. We believe that the sign gifts (such as tongues, healing, working of miracles, etc.) were given to authenticate the New Testament message and that these gifts ceased by the time the New Testament canon was complete. Therefore, we reject the charismatic, Pentecostal, and similar movements.