- The Bible
- God
- Creation
- Man
- Salvation
- The Church
- Church Ordinances
- Church Leadership
- Head Covering for Women
- Music
- The Bible
- We believe in the unique divine inspiration, entire trustworthiness and complete authority of the Bible.
- We believe that the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament make the full revelation of God in what we call “The Bible”.
- We believe that all the words of the Bible are the words of God, inerrant and completely true.
- We believe that the Bible is to be believed in its entirety, without exception.
- We reject the “cultural interpretation” of the Bible that allows man to major changes to the eternal truth of the Bible.
- God
- We believe in God, the almighty creator of all things, one in essence, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit full of love and glory, each equally deserving worship and obedience.
- We believe God is an infinite, all-knowing Spirit, perfect in all His attributes.
- Creation
- We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally.
- We believe man was created directly in God’s image and after His own likeness. We believe that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through long periods of time from lower to higher forms.
- We believe that all animal, marine and vegetable life was made directly by God, and that any “change” is “according to its kind” and consistent with the Bible account of creation in Genesis.
- Man
- We believe man was created in the image and likeness of God.
- We believe that man was created with the purpose of glorifying God.
- We believe that he sinned through wilful disobedience, lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of physical and spiritual death and became subject to the wrath of God.
- We believe that because of the fall man became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is pleasing and acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no ability or power to repent, redeem or recover himself, man is hopelessly lost. Man’s salvation is thereby completely a work of God’s grace through the saving and redemptive work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
- We believe that because every human being originates from Adam and Eve (our first parents) we inherit a sinful nature corrupted by Adam’s sin. This nature of sin has been transmitted to every man and woman throughout every age. All men are thus sinners by nature, by choice and by God’s revelation in the Holy Bible. Jesus Christ is the only exception, being born without sin and without a sinful nature by the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit.
- Salvation
- We believe man in his fallen state is completely incapable of saving himself. Salvation, therefore, is wholly of God by grace through the redemption of Jesus Christ and the merit of His shed blood.
- We believe that God chooses the believer in Christ before the foundation of the world.
- We believe that, having chosen us in Christ, God calls us through a process known in Evangelical terms as “Effective Calling” (Effectual Calling).
- We believe that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which God imparts His divine nature and divine life to the sinner. It is instantaneous and is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit and through the reading, teaching or preaching of the Word of God. On receiving regeneration from God the sinner is able to truly repent and respond in faith placing his trust solely in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Genuine regeneration results in the saved sinner showing fruits of repentance and a transformed life as demonstrated in righteous attitudes and conduct.
- We believe that the Doctrine of Justification by Faith is a sovereign act of God by which He declares righteous all those, who through faith in Christ repent of their sins and confess Him as sovereign Lord. This righteousness is apart from any virtue, work or merit of man, and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us. By this means God is both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
- We believe that sanctification is a process in a believer that begins subsequent to conversion and justification. The believer is sanctified (set apart) to God by justification and is declared to be holy and is therefore identified as a saint. This is an instantaneous sanctification and should not be confused with progressive sanctification.
- We believe that there is also a work between the believer and the Holy Spirit called Progressive Sanctification. Through obedience to the Word of God, the empowering of the Holy Spirit and the hunger and desire of the believer, he or she is able to live a life of increasing holiness and conformity to the will of God, thus becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ. The complete eradication (destruction) in this life is not possible, but the Holy Spirit does provide for victory over the power of sin in a believer’s life.
- We believe in the assurance of salvation. It is the privilege of every believer to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly and strictly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality.
- We believe that separation from sin and separation from the ways and spirit of the world is clearly commanded in the Bible for every believer. The Bible clearly indicates that in the last days apostasy and worldliness shall increase.
- We believe that out of our deep gratitude for the undeserved grace of God shown to us and because God is so worthy of our total consecration, every believer should live in such a manner as to demonstrate our great love for God and so as to never bring reproach upon our Lord and Saviour.
- We believe that separation from all religious apostasy, false teaching and worldly and sinful practices is commanded of us by God.
- We believe that every believer should be separated from the world and separated to our Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe the Christian life is to be a life of obedient righteousness that reflects the teaching of the Beatitudes and a continual pursuit of holiness.
- The Church
- We believe that everyone who repents of their sin and places their faith in Jesus Christ is immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into one, united, spiritual body, the Church, the Bride of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the Head.
- We believe that the formation of the Church began on the Day of Pentecost and will be completed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
- We believe that wherever possible every believer is called to be a member of a local church congregation in addition to being a member of the one, united, Universal Church.
- We believe that there is only one Supreme Head of the Church (universal and local), Jesus Christ.
- We believe there are two, and only two, offices in the Church, Elders and Deacons. Elders and Deacons should always meet the Biblical qualifications for these offices. We believe in the independence and autonomy of the local church, free from external authority and control.
- We believe that the purpose of the church is to glorify God, by building itself up in the faith, by instruction of the Word, by fellowship, by keeping the ordinances of Believers Baptism and Communion (The Lord’s Table).
- We believe that the church is called to preach the Gospel locally and to support missions and evangelism.
- We believe that every born-again believer is given spiritual and/or ministry gifts to be used for building up the church and glorifying God. But these gifts are not to be used in isolation or for any personal promoting of ideas or selfish ministry.
- Church Ordinances
- We believe there are two Ordinances (Baptism and Communion/The Lord’s Supper) which are taught in the New Testament and which should be faithfully obeyed until Jesus comes again.
- Believer’s Baptism
- We do not practice Infant Baptism. We have a special Child Blessing/Child Dedication for babies and young children. The form of Baptism used in TIC is Believers Baptism by Full Immersion. Christian Baptism by immersion is the solemn and beautiful testimony of a believer showing forth his/her faith in the crucified, buried and risen Saviour and union with Him in death to sin and resurrection to a new life. It is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible Body of Christ. Baptism by full immersion is one of the two requirements in order to become a member of Trondheim International Church. The other requirement for Membership of TIC is a reasonable testimony to salvation.
- Communion (The Lord’s Supper)
- The second ordinance we observe is the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration and proclamation of Christ’s death until He comes. Communion is always preceded by solemn self-examination.
- We believe there are two Ordinances (Baptism and Communion/The Lord’s Supper) which are taught in the New Testament and which should be faithfully obeyed until Jesus comes again.
- Church Leadership
- We believe that both men and women are gifted for service in the church. We encourage both men and women to use their gifts and ministries. This includes, but is not restricted to, singing, leading worship, playing musical instruments, leading meetings, giving testimony to the glory of God, cooking and serving. However, the office of Pastor and Elder is restricted to men as qualified by Scripture.
- We believe that women should not hold offices in the church that require governing, leading or exerting authority over men.
- Head Covering for Women
- We believe that a woman is required by Scripture to cover her head in any church service where prayer, prophecy, preaching or teaching is being exercised. This is clearly taught by Paul in 1 Corinthians Chapter 11 verses 1-16. There isn’t a single verse in Scripture which either cancels the validity of this verse. This teaching is theological and universal, not cultural and temporary. Although we believe that a woman should cover her head in our meetings, it is a minor doctrine and we do not insist on this, and every woman coming to TIC has the choice of whether to cover or not. TIC has very clear teaching on this subject (Teaching on Head Covering).
- Music