What Christians believe
The ultimate authority for our beliefs comes from God’s Word to us in the Bible, which is the written record of God’s message to humanity, given by inspiration of His Spirit to various human authors. The Bible (consisting of sixty-six books, divided into Old and New Testaments) is without error in its original languages, and provides us with the truth of who God is, what He has done in the past, and what He has promised to do in the future. It also shows us why we exist, how we can have an eternal relationship with God, and how God calls us to live in the present.
The Scriptures teach that God exists eternally in three Persons: Father, Son & Holy Spirit. He is completely loving, holy and righteous, and He is ultimately sovereign over all things.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He created human beings as male and female, in His image, to bring glory to Him. All that God originally made was perfect.
But humankind chose to sin against Him, spoiling His good creation, and bringing suffering and death into existence. Ever since that time, creation does not always function exactly as God intended it to, and we human beings do not always bring Him glory. Sin made us enemies of God and deserving of His punishment.
The good news is that God still loves us, and wants us to be in right relationship with Him forever! So He sent His Son into this world for our sakes. Jesus is fully God and fully Man, and is the ‘Messiah’ or ‘Christ’ (the Saviour and King promised by God in the Old Testament). He demonstrated this during His earthly life by performing various miraculous deeds, teaching people with authority, and showing divine love to all He encountered. Jesus is the only human being who has ever lived a perfect life, without any sin.
As the Scriptures had foretold, Christ willingly gave up His life in death on the cross, taking upon Himself the punishment we deserve for our sins. Three days later, He was raised to life again as Lord of all, and was seen by over five hundred eyewitnesses. He then physically ascended to heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only way for a person to be saved and receive eternal life.
One day, He will return to establish His perfect kingdom on earth, to bring judgement upon those who do not believe, and to usher in a new creation. He will restore creation to what God originally intended it to be, and all who trust in Him will live with Him in glory forever.
In the meantime, God has sent His Spirit to dwell within the hearts of all those who trust in Christ, helping us to begin living a new life and equipping us to serve Him. He has called every genuine believer (Christian) to be part of the church: the worldwide community of people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. Christians are called to live according to God’s ways, love one another as family, gather together regularly, serve God and each other, grow and mature in our faith, and share the good news of Christ with others.
The Anglican Church also holds to the teachings of the early and apostolic church, which are described in historic creeds and explained generally in the ‘Thirty-nine Articles of Religion’. Our prayer books also articulate some of our core beliefs. All of these provide Biblically-based summaries of the Christian faith, while never replacing Scripture as our highest authority.
What if I am not a Christian?
If you are not a believer, you are still very welcome to attend our church services and activities. This is a great way for you to discover more about what we believe and why, and it would be our privilege to answer any questions you have, as best as we can. From time to time we also run courses designed for those who are wishing to explore faith further.
If you want to be right with God, you need only repent (acknowledge that you are a sinner), and accept His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life by putting your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for your sins and rose again. Share that decision with God in prayer, and then it is a good idea to tell another Christian, so that we can rejoice with you and encourage you as a member of our family!
Through His Son and His Spirit, God gives us eternal peace, joy, meaning and hope that cannot be found in anyone or anything else. So what are you waiting for?