THE CHURCH

ACTS 2:47 – “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And
the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
INTRODUCTION: We believed that the Holy Scriptures are the only and
all-sufficient rule of both faith and practice. This stands in contast to
other historic criteria such as religious tradition, ecclesiastical authority,
creeds, church councils, rationalism, and modern religious irrationalism
which often stresses experience and emotionalism above the
inscripturated Word of God.

1. THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH IS TO GLORIFY GOD.

- The Church does not exist for the sake, interest or convenience of
either its members or society at large. Rather its existence is for the
glory of God in all things! God created all things for His own glory,
including His Church. (Revelations 4:11 ; Romans 11:36; I Peter 4:11;
Ephesians 3:21). Thus, the Church is corporately to seek glory of God
in its love, worship, obedience, evangelism, fellowship, ministry and
love of the truth.

2. GLORIFYING GOD BY REFLECTING HIS LOVE.

- The closest relationship is to exist between and among believers,
especially those who are corporately joined together in the context of
the local assembly. This primary and intimate relationship is to be
characterized by love – a love that manifest the moral self-consistency
of the Triune God. (Matthew 5:44 ; Matthew 22:37-39 ; Romans 5:8 ;
Romans 8:28-29 ; I Corinthians 2:9-10 ; Galatians 2:20 ; I John 2:3-5 ;
I John 5:1-3 ; Revelations 1:5)