The preaching and teaching here at Princess Chapel will reflect the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. While the preaching and teaching here reflects a Particular Baptist belief in doctrine, we are a non-denominational church. Our statement of faith here states our beliefs as follows:
The Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Scriptures are the word of God (2 Tim 3:16). That the wo
rd of God is only contained in the 66 books of the bible, 39 books of the Old Testament, and the 27 books of the New Testament. We believe that the canon of the bible is complete and that God's special revelation to believers and the church is now finished (1 Cor 13:9-10; Rev 22:18-19). We believe that the Scriptures are inerrant in the original languages (in the OT, Hebrew, and in the NT, Greek) (Pro 30:5; Isa 40:8; Matt 5:18; Titus 1:2), infallible (Psa 12:6; Isa 55:11; Matt 5:18), inspired by God (John 6:68; 2 Tim 3:16-17), authoritative (Psa 93:1-2; 1 Thess 2:13), and sufficient (Psa 1:2-3; 19:7-9; 119:89; 2 Tim 3:16-17). We believe that the Scriptures reveal the whole counsel of God of His own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life (John 6:68). God and the Trinity
We believe there is only one God (Duet 4:35;39; 6:4; 2 Sam 7:22), from whom all men are created (Gen 1:26-27) and are made to glorify Him (Gen 2:7-9;15-25). We believe that God is one God (Exo 20:3;5; Duet 6:4) and three persons being the Father (Matt 6:9;14; Eph 1:3-6; 3:14), the Son (John 1:1-4; 1 John 5:13; Hebrews 1:1-4; 4:14), and the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:18; 28:19; Eph 1:13-14). We believe that these three persons are distinct, yet they are one God (Duet 6:4), not three. We believe that the Father is not the Son, that the Son is not the Spirit, the Spirit is not the Father. We believe that the Trinity in unity is to be worshipped equally by the church and all men (Psa 95:6-7; 145:1-21; 150:1-6). We believe that God is sovereign (Psa 93:1-2; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1), holy( Isa 6:1-3; Lev 11:44-45; 1 Pet 1:16), righteous (Exo 9:27; Duet 32:4; Psa 11:7), good (1 Chron 16:34; Psa 25:8; 34:8), merciful (Psa 145:8), gracious (Psa 103:8; 111:4; 116:5), wise (Pro 3:19; Job 12:13), eternal (Psa 93:1-2; 145:13), immutable (Lam 3:22-23; 2 Thess 3:3; Heb 13:8), omnipotent (Job 42:2), omniscient (Pro 15:3; Rom 11:33-36; Psa 44:21), omnipresent (Psa 139:7-12; 1 Kings 8:27), and having aseity (Psa 90:1-4; 102:25-27; 135:6). We believe that Father, Son, and Spirit have all of these attributes in there entirety and are completely unified in how they manifest them (Gen 1:26-31). Man and the Fall of Man
We believe that God created the world in six literal days (Gen 1:5;8;13;19;23;31) and that on the seventh He rested (Gen 2:1-2). We believe that God created man, male and female in the image of God (Gen 1:27; 2:7;22; Matt 19:4). We believe that God made a covenant with man in the garden of Eden to Adam (Gen 1:28-30; 2:15-17), promising life, if he was obedient to His command (Gen 2:16), and promised him death, if he was disobedient (Gen 2:17). We believe that Adam was tempted by the serpent to eat (Gen 3:1-6), and that he ate (Gen 3:6). We believe that God chose Adam to represent us in the garden (1 Cor 15:21-22: Rom 5:12-14), so that when he ate, we ate with him. Once Adam had ate, his eyes were opened to good and evil, and his heart was dead in sin (Gen 3:7; Rom 5:12; John 8:34). God banished man from the garden (Gen 3:16-24), but also gave the man a promise that he would be redeemed through the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15). The Gospel
We believe that the distance between man and God is great (Isa 59:2) , that the only way in which man can be saved is if God would condescend and make a covenant with them (Isa 43:11). We believe that in eternity past, the Father entrusted to the Son a people (Eph 1:3-6), and that the Son willingly chose to go save those people (John 10:11- 18; Eph 1:7-12; Phil 2:5-11). We believe that the second person of the trinity, the Son, condescended taking on flesh (John 1:1-4; 14) as He was conceived by the virgin Mary (Matt 1:18-25; Luke 2:10-12). We believe that Jesus lived in perfection to the law of God, as we were to (Matt 5:17-18). We believe that Jesus, then took upon Himself the sins of His people (Matt 1:21; John 10:11), bearing the full wrath of God upon the cross (Isa 53:3-10; Matt 26:39;42), dying (Matt 27:33-50; Mark15: 22-37; Luke 23:33-46; John 19:16-30; 1 Cor 15:3), being buried (Matt 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-27; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:31-42: 1 Cor 15:4), and raising from the dead on the third day( Matt 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-7; John 20:1-9; 1 Cor 15:4). We believe that Jesus after rising from the grave, He ascended to His throne in heaven (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-11; Heb 12:2) and now commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins (Matt 3:2; Mark 1:15: Acts 17:30-31), and to believe on Him (John 6:29; Rom 10:8-13; Eph 2:8-9). We believe in the 5 sola's of the Reformation. We believe that we are saved by God's sovereign grace alone (Eph 2:5;8; Titus 3:5), through faith alone (Rom 1:16-17; 3:22-26; 4:3; 5:1; 10:9-13; Gal 3:11;Eph 2:8-9), in Christ alone (Acts 4:12; Rom 5:6-10; 7:24-25; 8:1-4; Eph 1:7-12; 2:4-7; 13; Phil 1:6; 29; Heb 12:1-2), according to scripture alone (Rom 10:8-17; 1 Cor 1:18-24; Gal 1:6-9; 1 Tim 3:16; 2 Tim 3:16-17), and all for the glory of God alone (Rom 11:33-36; Eph 1:3-14). We believe that man can only be justified before God by faith alone (Eph 2:8-9) in Christ alone (Acts 4:12; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 John 2:1). We believe that man is to repent of his sins (Acts 17:30-31), and to trust alone that Jesus Christ is his righteousness before God alone (2 Cor 5:21). We believe that there is no other name (Acts 4:12), no other way, no other truth, and no other life (John 14:6) that anyone can be saved outside of placing faith in Jesus Christ. We believe however that man is dead in his sin utterly (Job 15:16; Jer 17:19; Isa 59:2; John 8:34; Rom 3:10-20;23; 5:12-14; Eph 2:1-3). We believe that man is incapable to believe on his own (John 3:3; 6:44; 65; 8:34). We believe that God must act by sending His Spirit to regenerate the heart of man that he is, then able to believe (Eze 36:25-27; John 3:3-8; Phil 1:6; 29 Titus 3:5). We believe that once man has been filled with, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, that he is also sealed (Rom 8:28-39; Eph 1:13-14; 4:30). We believe that the Spirit adopts us to be children of God (Eph 1:3-14; 1 John 3:1; 9-10; 4:7). We believe that it is impossible to lose salvation (John 6:37-40; Rom 8:28-39; Phil 1:6; Heb 12:1-2). In the fall of man, Adam represented us and failed (Rom 5:12-14; 1 Cor 15:21-22). In the covenant of grace (2 Cor 3:5-6; Heb 8:13), Jesus becomes our new representative before God (Rom 5:14-21; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 8:6) and thus our keeping of salvation is dependent upon Him alone. We do, however, believe that the bible warns believers to test themselves so that, they can be assured of their salvation (Phil 2:12; 2 Pet 1:10-11). We believe that after man is justified (Rom 8:1-4), he then is being sanctified by the Spirit (Rom 8:5-14), until the day on which the body, with the soul will be completely glorified by the Spirit (Rom 8:22-30). The Church
We believe that Jesus had Apostles (Acts 1:12-26), whom He left by His authority to preach (Acts 2:14-36; 17:22-34), teach, and setup the Church (Eph 4:11). We believe that God gave them sign gifts to affirm their apostleship in the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and healing (Acts 2:4-6; 1 Cor 12:7-12). We believe that after they had died, those sign gifts ceased because the special revelation of God (Rev 22:18-19), the scriptures, was complete (1 Cor 13:8-10). We believe that the Apostles established a government to the church (Acts 6:1-4; Eph 4:11; 1 Tim 3:1-11; 12-16; Titus 1:5-9). The office of Pastor/elder (Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-11; Titus 1:6-9) is to lead the church in all regards and there is to be a plurality of them (Titus 1:5). The office of deacons (1 Tim 3:12-16) are to help the church in any service for the purpose of allowing the pastors/elders to give themselves to the scriptures and prayer (Acts 6:1-4). We believe that once someone comes to faith that they join the universal (catholic) Church (1 Cor 12:12-27; Eph 1:22-23). The universal church is the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27). Yet, it is necessary that believers become members and covenant with a local church (Exo 20:8; Matt 18:15-17; 1 Tim 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-9; Heb 10:23-25; 13:17). This is for the equipping of their mind and soul for the great commission (Matt 28:18-20; Eph 4:11-13; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 4:1-2). The great commission is to be carried out by the local church in their immediate area, and across the whole world (Matt 28:18-20). We believe that God has given us a command to observe, keep holy, and remember the Sabbath (Exo 20:8-11). We believe that we are to gather on the Lord's Day (Exo 20:8-11; Matt 12:18; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:1-2; Rev 1:10), and on other days as the church, we are to worship God by the means of prayer (Psa 65:2; 1 Tim 2:1-3), confessing truth( Heb 10:23-25), singing of hymns, psalms, and songs to God (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16), and by the reading, preaching and teaching of scripture (1 Tim 4:13; 2 Tim 4:1-2). We believe that this is to be done corporately (Col 3:16; 1 Tim 4:13; Heb 10:23-25). We believe in the regulative principle of worship, meaning we only worship God in the way He has commanded us explicitly to (1 Sam 15:22; Matt 15:9). We also observe the sacraments of the Lord's Supper (Matt: 26:26-29; 1 Cor 11:23-34), and Baptism (Matt 28:18-20) that our Lord Jesus instituted. We believe that the Lord's Supper is how we, corporately as the church, proclaim the Lord's death by the eating of bread and the drinking of the cup in remembering the Lord's sacrifice for us (1 Cor 11:26). We believe that once man has come to faith that he is to be baptized (Matt 28:18-20), by immersion (Matt 3:16; Acts 8:36-38; Rom 6:3-7; Col 2:12) in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:18-20). We believe that Baptism is the sign, and seal of the New Covenant (Col 2:9-12). We believe that the sacraments are given to the local church (1 Cor 1:14; 11:23-34). We believe it is right that non-members of a local church be withheld from the sacraments (1 Cor 11:27-32), unless they join in covenant with said local church. The Last Days and the Judgement. At Princess Chapel, we do not have an official eschatological position as a church. Here you can be pre-millennial, amillennial, or post-millennial, and that is fine because it is not essential to be saved. We however do believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is going to return (Matt 25:31-34; John 14:1-5; Rev 19:11-19) to receive His bride (Rev 19:7-10), the church (Eph 5:22-32), and to judge the living and the dead (Matt 25:31-34; 2Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11-15). We believe that on the Last Day that Jesus as the good shepherd will divide the living and the dead (Matt 25:31-46), and that He places on His right, His sheep, and the left the goats. We believe all that have placed faith in Jesus Christ will enter into the dwelling place of God, where they will eternally reign with God on high (Rev 5:11-14; Rev 21:10). We believe that those who didn't place their faith in Christ will be condemned to have the full righteous wrath of God placed upon them in the lake of fire eternally (Psa 1:4-6; 5:4-6; 7:11; Prov 11:21; Rev 20:11-15).
