What We Believe
Muckamore Church is part of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. We organise ourselves and our practices in agreement with the Presbyterian model. Presbyterian means that our church is governed by a group of Elders (called a Kirk Session), made up of individuals who seek to oversee all the spiritual matters of the congregation. All of the Presbyterian churches in Ireland is then a member of a local grouping called a Presbytery, of which we are part of the Templepatrick Presbytery). Each Presbytery is then represented on the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, which is situated in Belfast (Assembly Buildings on Fisherwick Place). Within the Assembly, the local churches can unite and agree on various matters and therefore present a united stand.
We believe in ...
The Bible
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were inspired by God, and they are of supreme and final authority. The Bible is the written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts. The Bible is sufficient for all that God requires for us to believe in Him and His purposes.
God
There is only one true God, who is eternal and of one essence; yet co-equal persons - we call this the Trinity: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. He is gracious and faithful to His people, not simply as individuals but as families in each generation according to His Covenant promises.
Jesus Christ
The second person of the Trinity (the Son), is Jesus Christ, who was from God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. God's eternal Son entered into our world as truly divine and truly human, yet without sin. Jesus is the perfect revelation of who God is, being "the exact imprint of His nature."
The Holy Spirit
The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He is in the life of the believer and He empowers the Word of God when it is preached and read. He gives us the grace of repentance and saving faith to believe the good news, and strengthens us to live holy lives in obedience to Jesus.
Human Dignity
We believe that all humanity is created in the image of God and possesses intrinsic dignity and worth. God made humanity - male and female - in His own image. All men and women, bearing the image of God, are meant to represent God in His creation. In God's wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but they complement each other in mutually enriching ways.
The Fall
We believe that sin has fractured all things, leaving the world in desperate need of salvation. Through the temptation of Satan, humanity transgressed the command of God and fell from their original holiness and righteousness. Sin has separated all people from God, causing our physical and spiritual death.
The Cross
Due to universal death through sin, no one can enter heaven. God then provided a plan of rescue by sending Jesus, who lived a perfect life, died for sin to be a representative and substitute sacrifice, and all who believe in Him as their Saviour are justified on the basis of His perfect blood being shed.
The Resurrection
Three days after His death, Jesus, literally and physically, rose again from the dead and then ascended into heaven, where He is sitting at the right hand of the Father as our King, High Priest and Advocate for us.
The New Birth
All who receive Jesus through faith are declared righteous by God and become His children. The new birth is the act of God when the Holy Spirit imparts a new nature and a new spiritual life. This person's heart is transformed from a love of sin and self to a love of holiness and God.
The Second Coming
We have a hope in a personal, visible and imminent return of Jesus as Lord and King. This includes the resurrection of the dead and glorification of those alive in Christ, the judgment of the just and unjust, and arrival of the New Heavens and New Earth.
The Church
God has created a new community in this world called the Church. The Church is made up of the children of God, who are called to study the Scriptures, pray, worship and practice the ordinances of the Church - the Lord's Supper and Baptism.
The Great Commission
The Gospel is God's good news for the whole world, and we are called by His grace to obey Christ's commission to proclaim it to all humanity and make disciples. We seek to do this locally through personal and church-shared evangelism, and globally by mission support through prayer and finance.