cornerstone alexandra
christian hills
church
Our Mission + Beliefs
To glorify God through truthful, effective teaching of the bible; to honour Him with God-exalting, joyful worship; to build up His Church through loving, practical help, accountability, and encouragement; and to see the transformative, redeeming power of the gospel of Christ as we serve the community of Alexandra Hills and all of Redland City.
Our doctrinal position
We believe in:
- The nature and unity of the Godhead
- The deity and humanity of Christ
- The Holy Spirit
- The divine inspiration of the Scriptures
- The sinfulness of man
- Christ’s atonement for the sin of man
- The work of the Holy Spirit in salvation
- The Church
- The baptism of believers only, and by immersion
- The communion
- The coming return of the Lord Jesus Christ
- The resurrection of the dead
STATEMENT OF FAITH
God. We believe in one eternal, knowable, sovereign God. He knows all things, and providentially oversees all things. He is merciful, and just, loving, and holy, great in power and good in purpose.
Trinity. We believe in one God who exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three are uncreated, coeternal, and equal in power, glory, and honour. They are rightly worshiped as the one true God–three in one, and one in three.
Scripture. We believe, that while God has revealed himself in his creation, he has spoken to us most clearly in Scripture. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God, holy, complete, and inerrant.
Creation. We believe God created the entire universe out of nothing. Man and woman were the crown of God’s good creation, being created in his own image. As image-bearers, we were created to worship God and reflect him in true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.
Fall. We believe that Adam and Eve, our first parents, rebelled against God and plunged themselves and all their offspring into ruin. Because of Adam’s sin, we are all guilty sinners. We are spiritually dead until God makes us alive in Christ.
Person of Jesus Christ. We believe Jesus of Nazareth was and is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. We believe he is also the Son of the Living God. He is fully man and fully God. He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, taught the way of God’s kingdom, worked miracles, suffered, died, and (bodily) rose again.
Work of Jesus Christ. We believe Jesus Christ lived a perfect life and died a shameful death that we might be counted righteous and forgiven of our sins. He was our sacrificial substitute. He defeated Satan, removed our guilt, and became a curse for us, bearing the weight of God’s wrath.
Salvation. We believe that we are justified–declared righteous before God–through faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. The only way to be adopted into God’s family is through union with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Holy Spirit. We believe the Holy Spirit, working through the word, supernaturally converts (regenerates) the hearts of God’s people by making alive what was spiritually dead. The Spirit convicts us of sin, leads us to repentance, causes us to grow in holiness, seals us for the day of redemption that we might be assured of our salvation, and equips us with spiritual gifts for the building up of the body.
Church. We believe the church is the communion of God’s people drawn from every tribe, language, people, and nation. This invisible body, of which Christ Jesus is the head, exists locally, and imperfectly, as the visible church. Jesus Christ has given his church two sacraments: Believers baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Last Things. We believe Jesus Christ will return to earth personally, visibly, and bodily as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. At his appearing the dead shall be raised and the living and the dead will be judged. The wicked and unbelieving will be consigned to eternal punishment. Those belonging to Jesus will have eternal life in the new heavens and the new earth and live in ever-increasing joy to the glory of God.
Marriage and the Family. We believe the family is the central unit of society and is made up of a man and a woman united by God in marriage, and children as God chooses to give them. Accordingly, marriage is only between a man and a woman: Genesis 2: 21-25, Matthew 19: 1-9, Mark 10: 1-12, 1 Corinthians 7, Ephesians 5: 21-33. Our official statement of belief with regards to marriage is as follows:
We, Cornerstone Christian Church, Alexandra Hills Inc., affirm that all people are created
uniquely and wonderfully in the image of God, with intellect, will and affections which
require satisfaction ultimately in Him. As such all people are equal before God and have
intrinsic worth and dignity. We condemn attitudes and statements of inequality and
discrimination which imply LGBTIQ people are somehow inferior.
We further affirm that all people, especially ourselves, are imperfect sinners in desperate
need of forgiveness. We admit we have often not loved others and God as we should, and we
trust completely in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. It is only his sacrifice on the cross
and his resurrection from the dead which reconciles us to God and brings hope and healing to
our lives.
Equality does not mean treating everything, or everyone, the same. It is not necessarily an
unjustified discrimination to treat different things differently. Equality means treating
different types of things the same where they are alike based on relevant factors. For
example, it is not unjustified inequality or discrimination to tax higher earners more than
lower earners.
In a literal sense there is inequality and discrimination because not everyone is
being treated the same (not disputed by society – for the greater good). However, there is a
relevant difference which affects legal treatment: higher earners are able to contribute more
income than lower earners because they earn more.
As Christians, we believe in the biblical definition of marriage as explained by the Lord Jesus
in Matthew 19:4-6:
“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and
female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast
to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one
flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Here Jesus affirms marriage as an exclusive, permanent union between a man and a woman.
We believe this reveals a relevant difference between the current legal and traditional
definition of marriage, and ‘same-sex’ marriage. Because same-sex marriage is not between
a man and a woman, it is by definition and nature not ‘marriage’. Therefore, our belief that
the traditional definition of marriage should remain the legal definition is not a judgement on
the love that exists between same-sex couples. We simply do not believe that a same-sex
relationship can be marriage in this definitional sense.
This is not unjustified inequality or discrimination, but merely the acknowledgement that there is a relevant difference between the uniqueness of traditional marriage and the uniqueness of same-sex unions which ought to be retained in law.
Some may claim it is illegitimate for Christians or other religions to impose their personal
beliefs about marriage through law in a secular democracy. This is to misunderstand the
nature of democracy. To specifically identify and exclude religious beliefs as democratically
illegitimate while allowing the influence of other equally deeply held beliefs is unfair and
undemocratic.
In conclusion, our belief, based on the words of Jesus Christ, the head of our church, is that
marriage is between a man and a woman, and we maintain the legal definition should not be
changed. If the law is changed, we support broad and specific legal protections for the
religious freedom of individuals and organisations to teach and advocate for the traditional
definition of marriage, in accordance with Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights and Section 116 of the Australian Constitution.
We welcome anyone, including those within the LGBTIQ community, who wish to either speak with us about this, or visit with us, to do so.
