What we believe
Calne Free Church is an independent evangelical church.What we believe
As a church we believe in the existence of a personal and loving God, who made the universe and created men and women to be in peaceful relationship with him. However, mankind has rejected God’s authority (we all naturally want to do what we want). All creation is therefore under God’s curse for what the Bible calls mankind’s sin.
But God has not given up on us – rather, history is the outworking of God’s plan to restore the world to peaceful relationship with him. And at the centre of history is a man, Jesus of Nazareth: a man who is also divine, the Son of God. He came to reconcile the whole world to God – to restore the broken relationship.
He did this by dying on the cross. As he died, he took the punishment that mankind deserves for its sin. To be reconciled to God, we need to repent of our sin and rejection of God and have faith in Jesus, believing that he died in our place and trusting him to save us.
We believe that one day God will end this world. And when he does, there will be a final judgment, in which everyone who has ever lived will face the perfectly fair and just verdict of God’s court. Those who are found ‘not guilty’ because they trust in Jesus will live forever in a new perfect creation, while those who are found ‘guilty’ because they have rejected God and his Son Jesus will suffer eternal punishment for their sin.
Why do we believe this? How can we be so sure? We believe that God has revealed his purposes to us in the Bible. The Bible is God’s letter to humanity, explaining how men and women and boys and girls can know peace with God and with one another. We don’t believe this because we have been clever enough to work it out! We believe it because God has revealed it to us in the Bible. That’s why we can be so sure.
Calne Free Church is part of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.
If you have questions about Christianity that you might be too scared or don’t know who to ask, then check out the ‘I’ve always wondered‘ page.
Churches that are part of The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical all agree to a commone Statement of Faith
The churches of the FIEC are committed to these truths of historic, biblical Christianity:
1. GOD
There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness, justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator; Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to his sovereign will for his own glory.
2. THE BIBLE
God has revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the Bible as originally given is in its entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice.
3. THE HUMAN RACE
All men and women, being created in the image of God, have inherent and equal dignity and worth. Their greatest purpose is to obey, worship and love God. As a result of the fall of our first parents, every aspect of human nature has been corrupted and all men and women are without spiritual life, guilty sinners and hostile to God. Every person is therefore under the just condemnation of God and needs to be born again, forgiven and reconciled to God in order to know and please him.
4. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to the Father. He taught with authority and all his words are true. On the cross he died in the place of sinners, bearing God’s punishment for their sin, redeeming them by his blood. He rose from the dead and in his resurrection body ascended into heaven where he is exalted as Lord of all. He intercedes for his people in the presence of the Father.
5. SALVATION
Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel. God in his love forgives sinners whom he calls, granting them repentance and faith. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into the family of God and receive eternal life.
6. THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship, service and mission.
7. THE CHURCH
The universal Church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. True fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel.
8. BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been given to the churches by Christ as visible signs of the gospel. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry into his Church but does not impart spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice offered once for all and involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received by faith.
9. THE FUTURE
The Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory. He will raise the dead and judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will be sent to eternal punishment and the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God. God will make all things new and will be glorified forever.