Doctrinal Statements

The Plant is a theologically evangelical church. All signed-up members of The Plant subscribe to the doctrinal basis of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) which is a classic description of evangelical Christianity: View IFES Doctrinal Basis

IFES Doctrinal Basis

We rejoice in the central truths of Christianity as revealed in Scripture, including:

• The unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
• The sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgement.
• The divine inspiration and entire trustworthiness of Holy Scripture, as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
• The universal sinfulness and guilt of all men since the fall, rendering them subject to God's wrath and condemnation.
• Redemption from the guilt, penalty, dominion and pollution of sin, solely through the sacrificial death (as our representative and substitute) of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
• The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and his ascension to the right hand of God the Father.
• The presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration.
• The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith alone.
• The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
• The one holy universal Church which is the body of Christ and to which all true believers belong.
• The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

North West Partnership Doctrinal Basis

The Plant's leadership also subscribes to the doctrinal basis of the North West Partnership of evangelical churches:

• The existence of one, eternal immutable God, Creator and Lord of the universe, who in the unity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, both governs all things according to his will and is accomplishing his purposes in the world and in the Church.
• The Bible, as originally given, is the inspired, inerrant and infallible word of God. Christians must therefore submit to its supreme authority and sufficiency, both individually and corporately, in every matter of belief and conduct.
• The inherent value of all human beings, made by God in his own likeness, and their sinfulness and guilt since the Fall. This has rendered them subject to God’s wrath and condemnation, and has resulted in their alienation from his life, suppression of his truth, and hostility to his law.
• The Lord Jesus Christ , God’s incarnate Son, is fully God; he was born of a virgin; his humanity is real and sinless; he died on the cross, was raised bodily from death and is now reigning over heaven and earth.
• Salvation from guilt, penalty and all other consequences of sin solely through the work of Jesus Christ — his perfect obedience, penal substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and exaltation as Lord. He alone is truly God and truly man, the only mediator between God and man. There is salvation through no other person, creed, process or power. The entirety of a sinner’s justification, from beginning to end, is only by his grace alone appropriated through faith alone.
• Before the foundation of the world God in his mercy chose a people for himself out of the human race. He did not choose them on the basis of their foreseen faith or works, but solely on the basis of his perfect desire to glorify himself in his Son by their redemption.
• The necessity and sufficiency of the work of the Holy Spirit for the individual’s new birth and growth to maturity, and for the Church’s constant renewal in truth, wisdom, faith, holiness, love, power and mission.
• The only holy universal church is the Body of Christ, to which all true believers belong. The Church’s calling is to worship and serve God in the world, to proclaim and defend his truth, to exhibit his character and to demonstrate the reality of his new order.
• The personal and visible return in glory of the Lord Jesus Christ to raise the dead and bring salvation and judgement to final completion. God will fully establish his kingdom when he creates a new heaven and a new earth from which evil and evildoers, suffering and death will be excluded, and in which he will be glorified for ever.

The Plant also has its own doctrinal distinctives. In due course, material outlining the leadership's position on other issues will be published here.

Those interested in theology might find this website stimulating: www.theologian.org.uk