gilgal

our beliefs

Our Beliefs

Our aim at Gilgal Baptist Church is “to know Jesus better and to make Him better known”.

The Christian faith is about a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. True Christian faith involves a spiritual experience in the heart as much as a biblical knowledge in the head. This summary of the main truths of the Christian faith is not intended to be a substitute for our need to study and understand the bible more fully for ourselves. It is a summary for those who would like to know what the Christians at Gilgal Baptist Church believe. 

It may be of help for those who want to know more about the Christian faith, for new Christians and for Christians who are considering becoming church members at Gilgal. 

Our beliefs are based on the teaching of the bible as listed below . . . 

Walk of Witness

  • THE ONE TRUE GOD

    who lives eternally in three persons — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

  • THE LOVE, GRACE & SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

    in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.

  • THE DIVINE INSPIRATION

    and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God — fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.

  • THE DIGNITY OF ALL PEOPLE

    made male and female in God’s image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgment.

  • THE INCARNATION OF GOD'S ETERNAL SON

    the Lord Jesus Christ — born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.

  • THE ATONING SACRIFICE OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS

    dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.

  • THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

    the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.

  • THE JUSTIFICATION OF SINNERS

    solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.

  • THE MINISTRY OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

    who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christhrough new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.

  • THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST

    both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers —given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit’s gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.

  • THE PERSONAL & VISIBLE RETURN

    of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgment, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.

  • WE BELIEVE IN BAPTISM

    that all who have personally and sincerely repented of their sin and are trusting in Christ as their Saviour and Lord are to be baptised by immersion, symbolising their dying with Christ, and their rising with Him to newness of life. 13

  • WE BELIEVE IN THE LORD's SUPPER

    that the bread and wine are symbols of the once and for all offering of our Lord at Calvary. This meal is at the heart of our worship – partaking in faith expresses our continuing union with Christ. We meet by our Lord’s command and receive and feed on Him spiritually. Gathered around His table we confess afresh His death and resurrection, until He comes.

  • WE BELIEVE IN MISSION

    that the commission given by Christ to make disciples of all nations is binding on His Church to the end of the age. This task is to proclaim the Gospel to everyone, baptizing them, teaching them the words and ways of the Lord, and gathering them into churches able to fulfil their Christian calling among their own people. We should always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us, but do so with gentleness and respect.