7. Of Salvation

A. THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

• We believe God is an absolute sovereign, and in His Sovereignty He gave man a free will to accept or reject the salvation that He has provided. It is God’s Will that all would be saved, and that none should perish. God foreknows, but does not predetermine any man to be condemned. God permits man’s destiny to depend upon man’s free will choice. (I Timothy 2: 4; II Peter 3: 9; Acts 10: 34; John 6: 64-65; Rom. 8: 28-29; I Peter 1: 2; Eph. 1: 4-5).

B. THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN

• We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, Who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him humanity-yet without sin, honoured the Divine Law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; That His Atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinners place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all sufficient Saviour. (John 3: 17; Acts 16: 30-33; Rom. 3: 25-26; 5: 6-11; 10: 9-13; Hebrews 9: 22; I John 2: 1-2).

C. THE GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION

• We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; That the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; That it is instantaneous and not a process; That in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the Divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; That the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, not by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with Divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; That its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.

D. THE FREENESS OF SALVATION

• We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; That it is the immediate duty of all to accept salvation through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the complete and perfect Saviour; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel. (John 3: 18, 36; 5: 40; Acts 20: 21; Eph. 2: 8-9; Rom. 10: 13).

E. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

• We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification; That justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; That it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but that solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed to us. (Rom. 5: 1,9; 8: 1; Titus 3: 5-7; Isa. 53:11; Acts 13:39; Hebrews 10: 38).

F. REPENTANCE AND FAITH

• We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; Thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for Mercy, at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him has our only and all sufficient Saviour. (Luke 13: 3; Acts 20: 21; Hebrews 6: 1; Luke 18: 13; Rom. 10: 9-13; Psalms 51: 1-4).