This doctrinal statement expresses the beliefs of the members of Giggs Hill Church and is the basis for theological qualification of elders and deacons, youth leaders and missionaries, as well as for ordination.
1. We believe in the words of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of
God and without error in the original writings. The exact meaning of the Scriptures
is essentially unchanged in any important respect in the widely accepted English
translations. The Scriptures are authoritative and without error in any category
of knowledge, including science and history, and are of supreme and final authority
in all matters about which they speak. We believe the Scriptures are to be interpreted
in a normal and literal way and that they are understood as the believer is guided
by the Spirit of God (John 10:35; Matthew 5:18; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21; I
Corinthians 2:13; I Timothy 5:18, I Corinthians 2:14-
2. We believe in one God eternally existing in three equal persons – Father, Son
and Holy Spirit (John 6:26; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3-
3. We believe that God the Son became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, who was
begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and who is true God and
true man (John 1:14; Matthew 1:18-
4. We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice
and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood
(II Corinthians 5:14; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:24-
5. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven
and in His present life there for us. Jesus now serves as high priest, intercessor
and advocate in our behalf with the Father (Romans 1:4; John 20:25-
6. We believe in the personal, bodily, visible and pre-
7. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, possessing all the distinctively
divine attributes. He is God. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement.
He regenerates, seals and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration
He baptises the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell him permanently
(I Corinthians 2:10-
8. We believe that man was created in the image of God, and that he sinned and consequently
experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death (which is separation
from God). The consequences of this sin affect the entire human race. All human
beings are born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility,
become sinners in thought, word and deed (Genesis 1:26-
9. We believe that whoever by faith receives Jesus Christ as his Saviour becomes
a child of God. This salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit (John
1:12; Ephesians 2:8-
10. We believe that all true believers are kept eternally secure by the power of
God through the new birth, the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit and intercession
of Christ (John 10:28-
11. We believe that all believers still possess a sinful nature in this life, but
that God has made full provision for believers to overcome this sinful nature and
live for God through identification with Christ, a knowledge of the Scriptures and
by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 5:12-
12. We believe that God heals with or without means in answer to prayer offered in
faith and in accord with His sovereign will. Healing cannot be claimed on the same
unconditional basis of faith as salvation is claimed (James 5:14-
13. We believe that the church in its invisible form is universal, the true body
of Christ. All believers from the day of Pentecost until the church is caught up
to heaven are members of the universal church regardless of organisational affiliation.
We believe that Christ ordained the observance of water baptism and the Lord’s supper
until He returns (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:4-
14. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men. Believers are resurrected
to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgement
and then eternal suffering apart from God (I Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16;
Revelation 20:4-
15. We believe in the reality and personality of Satan and that, when given the opportunity,
he attempts to defeat Christians. However, we believe Christians can overcome Satan’s
schemes by applying Scriptural truth (Ephesians 6:10-
16. We believe in the imminent, pretribulational, invisible return of Christ for
the church. All members of the body of Christ, living or dead, will at that time
be caught up to be with the Lord forever (I Thessalonians 4:13-
17. We believe that the purpose of the church, in addition to building up every member
of the body, is to make Christ known to the whole world. Every member of the body
shares in this purpose. In relation to the world, believers are sent by Christ to
communicate to unsaved people that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ
(Matthew 28:18-
18. We believe that all believers are to give attention to becoming spiritually mature
in order to function in the body of Christ. Although the Scriptures make reference
to spiritual gifts, they do not emphasise searching for one’s gifts in order to function.
The emphasis of Scripture for individuals is on the qualities of Christian maturity
and for the corporate body of Christ, the development of faith, hope and love. (I
Timothy 3:1-