THE CCS STATEMENT OF FAITH

  • god

    There is one, and only one, living and true God, who is eternal and immutable. He is the Lord and sovereign over all creation. In the unity of the Godhead, there are three distinct persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God governs all things according to His will and is accomplishing His purposes in the world and in the Church.

  • THE SCRIPTURES

    The Bible, as originally given, is the inspired, inerrant and infallible word of God. It comprises the 66 books of the Old and New Testament and is true in its entirety. It is the authority by which all human conduct is governed, and all Christians must therefore submit to its supremacy and sufficiency, both individually and corporately, in all matters of belief and conduct.

  • Jesus Christ

    Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary. He is truly God and truly man, yet without sin. He was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day He was raised bodily from death, he ascended into heaven and now reigns over heaven and earth at the right hand of God the Father, where he is the only mediator between God and man.

  • Humankind

    God created humankind, male and female, in His likeness. All men and women are sinful by nature and are incapable of regaining righteousness by personal effort. All humans have equal value before God and were created to worship God and to enjoy relationship with Him. This relationship was disrupted by the voluntary disobedience of our first parents. All humans therefore fall under the just judgement of God and are alienated from Him, from each other, and from His creation.

  • Salvation

    Restoration to true righteousness and reconciliation with God is provided by God’s free gift of salvation from the guilt, penalty and eternal consequences of sin. Salvation is provided solely through the work of Jesus Christ and through no other person, creed, process or power. Salvation was accomplished through the perfect obedience, penal substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. A sinner’s justification before God from beginning to end, is by God’s grace alone, appropriated by faith in Christ alone. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to those who are saved as the only ground of acceptance before God.

  • Holy Spirit

    In order to receive salvation, a man or woman must be regenerated, or born again, by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ. It is through His work alone that sinners are convicted of sin, brought to repentance and new birth, and grow in maturity and a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship, service and mission.

  • The Church

    Christ is the head of the universal church, which is the body to which all who are saved belong. The church’s calling is to serve God in the world, to proclaim, obey and defend His truth, to exhibit His character and to demonstrate the reality of the life-transforming power of God. Members of the universal church are commanded to join together in local congregations. A local church is a visible assembly of believers, who are united under suitably qualified leadership, who meet together for Bible teaching, corporate worship, fellowship and prayer, and to encourage one another to persevere in faith and good works. A local church administers the ordinances instituted by Jesus Christ, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and exercises pastoral care and discipline. True fellowship between churches only exists when they are faithful to the apostolic gospel.

  • The Return of Christ

    The Lord Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory, to raise the dead and to bring salvation and judgement to final completion. He will grant eternal life to His people and eternal punishment to those who have not believed the gospel. God will fully establish His kingdom when he creates a new heaven and a new earth from which evil and evildoers, suffering and death will be excluded, and in which he will be glorified for ever.