What do you believe Paul?

As far as God’s church is concerned I believe that expository preaching and teaching is a vitally important area (1 Tim 4:13) It is through preaching and teaching that Christians are encouraged, equipped and enabled for both growth and service. (2 Tim 4:1-5) And it is through evangelism that people are brought into the position to be encouraged, equipped and enabled in this way. It has always been my personal aim to know Christ and to make Him known. All this must, of course, be saturated in prayer. (1 Thess 5:17) Prayer is totally essential to any ministry and I place a very high priority upon my time spent alone with God in prayer and the prayers of the church.
I also believe God’s Word to be the only infallible rule of faith and practice (Matt 5:18; 2 Tim 3:16; Isaiah 40:8 etc) and that it is inerrant in the original documents, infallible and God breathed.
As well as all this I accept the revelation of the triune God given in the scriptures and confess the historic faith of the gospels within the scriptures. I believe the scriptures to be trustworthy and supreme in all matters of faith and conduct. I believe that humankind has fallen and is under God’s judgement. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, being the sole and all sufficient ground of redemption from the power of sin. I believe in the illuminating, regenerating, indwelling and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. I believe in the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory.

Concerning the organisation of the church I believe that the one supreme authority for the church is Christ (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18) and that church leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures. The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are elders (who are also called bishops, pastors, and pastor-teachers; Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11) and deacons, both of whom must meet biblical qualification (1 Tim. 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Pet. 5:1–5). I believe that these leaders lead as servants of Christ (1 Tim. 5:17–22) and have His authority in directing the church.

I believe that the following five fundamental aspects of faith are the doctrines which unite true believers:
1.   The inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of Scripture as the very Word of God
2.   The deity of Jesus Christ as the second Member of the Trinity, who took on human flesh at His incarnation having been born of a virgin
3.   The substitutionary death of Jesus Christ, and the fact that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone
4.   The bodily resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, who is the Saviour and Lord of the redeemed, and who will one day return in glory
5.   The historic authenticity of biblical miracles, including those recorded in the Old Testament,
the Gospels, and the book of Acts