What We Believe

Beginnings

Southport Church of Christ had its early beginnings on the Gold Coast in 1957 and since that time has, under God's grace, developed into an impactive local Church, known and respected not only in this locality but also throughout Australia.

Southport Church of Christ is an autonomous (self governing) local Church and is affiliated with 'the Churches of Christ in Australia', who, in turn, trace their history back to the 1830's where Christians in Britain and the USA were seeking with a common purpose the restoration of New Testament Christianity. They never saw themselves as commencing a denomination but rather thought of themselves as being part of the 'Restoration Movement', known as 'people of the Bible'. Here at Southport Church of Christ we still commit ourselves to practising the basics of New Testament Christianity.

What do we believe?

Southport Church of Christ is firmly based on the Bible which it accepts as the inspired Word of God, the sole authoritative basis for faith and practice. Here is a summary of the major tenets of our belief system. This is what we teach:

The Holy Scriptures

We teach that the Bible is the very Word of God, accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired in all parts and therefore wholly without error as originally given by God, altogether sufficient in themselves as our only infallible rule of faith and practice (Mat 5:18, John 10:35, John 16:13; 17:17, 2 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:21).

God

We teach that there is but one living and true God (Deut 6:4, Is 45:5-7; I Cor 8:6) who is personal, spirit and sovereign (Mark 12:29; John 4:24, 14:9; Ps 135:6) perfect, infinite, and eternal in His being, holiness, love, wisdom and power (Ps 18:30, 147:5; Deut 33:27);absolutely separate and above the world as its creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the upholder of all things (Gen 1:1, Ps 104:) self-existent and self-revealing in three distinct persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (John 5:26; Mat 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14) each of whom are to be honoured and worshipped as true God (John 5:23; Acts 5:3-4).

The Lord Jesus Christ

We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Godhead, the eternal Word and only begotten Son, our great God and Saviour (Jn 1:1, 3:16, Titus 2:13, Ro 9:5); that without any essential change in His divine person (Heb 13:8) He became man by the miracle of virgin birth (John 1:14, Mat 1:23), thus to continue forever as both true God and true man, one person with two natures (Col 2:9, Rev 2:16); that as man He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15, John 8:46); that as the perfect Lamb of God, He gave Himself in death upon the cross, bearing there the sin of the world, and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our place (Isa 53:5-6, Mat 20:28, Gal 3:13, John 3:29); that He rose again from the dead and was glorified in the same body in which He suffered and died (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:25-28); that as our great High Priest, He ascended into heaven, there to appear before God as our Advocate and Intercessor (Heb 4:14,9:24 John 2:l).

The Holy Spirit

We teach that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead (Mat 28:19, Acts 5:3-4),the divine agent in nature, revelation and redemption (Gen 1:2, Ps 104:30, 1 Cor 2:10,2 Cor 3:18); that He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement (John 16:7-11), regenerates those who believe (John 3:5); and indwells, baptises, seals, empowers, guides, teaches and sanctifies all who become children of God through Christ (1 Cor 6:19,12:13, Eph. 4:30, 3:16; Rom 8:14, John 14:26, 1 Cor 6:11).

Man

We teach the creation and fall of man; that he was the direct creation of God, spirit and soul and body, made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-28, 2:7, 18-24; Mt 19:4, 1 Thess 5:23); that by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, man became a sinful creature and the progenitor of a fallen race (Gen 3:1-24 5:3) who are universally sinful in both nature and practice (Eph 2:3 Ro 3:23, 5:12), alienated from the life and family of God (Eph 4:18, Jn 8:42-44), under the righteous judgement of the wrath of God (Ro 3:19, 1:18), and have within themselves no possible means of recovery or salvation (Mk 7:21-23; Mt 19:26 Ro7:18).

Salvation by Grace Through Faith

We teach salvation by grace through faith, that salvation is the free gift of God (Ro 3:24, 6:23), neither merited or secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man (Tit 3:5; Ro 4:4-5, 11:16), but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 3:16,6:28-29, Acts 16:30-31, Eph 2:8-9) in whom all true believers have as a present possession the gift of eternal life, a perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and security from all condemnations, every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish (1 John 5:13, Ro 3:22, Gal 3:26, Jn 5:24; Eph1:3,2 Pet 1:3, Jn 1:27-30); that this salvation includes the whole man, spirit and soul and body (1 Thess 5:23-24); and apart from Christ there is no possible salvation (Jn 14:6 Acts 4:12).

Righteous Living and Good Works

We teach righteous living and good works, not as the procuring cause of salvation in any sense, but as its proper evidence and fruit (1 John 3:9-11, 4:19, 5:4, Eph 2:8-10, Tit 2:14, Mt 7:16-18, 1 Cor 15:10), and therefore as Christians we should keep the word of our Lord (Jn 14:23), seek the things which are above (Col 3:1), walk as he walked (1 John 2:6), be careful to maintain good works (Tit 3:8), and especially accept as our solemn responsibility the duty and privilege of bearing the Gospel to a lost world in order that we may bear much fruit (Acts 1:8, 2 Cor 5:19, Jn 15:16) remembering that a victorious and fruitful Christian life is possible only for those who have learned they are not under law but under Grace (Ro 6:14), and who in gratitude for the infinite and undeserved mercies of God have presented themselves wholly to Him for His service (Ro 12:1-2).

The Second Coming

We teach the second coming of Christ, that His return from heaven will be personal, visible and glorious - a blessed hope for which we should constantly watch and pray, the time being unrevealed but always imminent (Acts 1:11, Rev 1:7, Mark 13:33-37, Tit 2:11-13, Rev 22:20) that when He comes He will first by resurrection and translation remove from the earth His waiting church (1 Thess 4:16-18) then pour out the righteous judgements of God upon the unbelieving world (Rev 6:1-18:24).

Future Life, Bodily Resurrection and Eternal Judgement

We teach that there is a future life, bodily resurrection and eternal judgement; that the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with Christ in heaven (Phil 1:21-23,2 Cor 5:8) where they abide in joyful fellowship with Him until His second coming, when their bodies shall by raised from the grave and changed into the likeness of His own glorious body (Phil 3:20-21, 1 Cor 15:35-38, 1 John 3:2), at which time their works shall be brought before the judgement seat of Christ for the determination of rewards, a judgement which may issue in the loss of rewards but not the loss of the soul (1 Cor 3:8-15), that the spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades where they are kept under punishment until the final day of judgement (Luke 16:19-31, 2 Pet 2:9) at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, they shall be judged according to their works and cast into the place of final and everlasting punishment (Rev 20:11-15, 21:8, Mark 9:43-48, Jude 13).

One True Church

We teach that there is one true church, the mystical body and bride of the Lord Jesus (Eph 4:4, 5:25-32) which He began to build on the day of Pentecost (Mat 16:18, Acts 2:47) and will complete at His second coming (1 Thess 4:16-17) and into which all true believers of the present age are baptised immediately with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 1:13,14), that all the various members of this one spiritual body should assemble themselves together in local churches for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching united testimony and the observance of the ordinance of our Lord (Heb 10:25, Acts 2:41-47). The baptism of believers by immersion, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:20). The Lords Supper/Communion (1 Cor 11:23-24).