The Church Constitution describes the beliefs, practices and organisational structure of a church. Our practices and organisational structure are based upon our doctrinal beliefs which in turn are based upon the Bible.
Our Church Constitution has a total of 26 Articles. Out of these 26 Articles, 2 of them are doctrinal (NOTE: Although all the Articles are in a way doctrinal in nature, for they contain "teachings" in a particular subject, these two are more so because they describe our Christian beliefs). They are Article 4 (Doctrine) and Article 6 (Principle and Practice of Biblical Separation). These articles are Bible based and are reproduced for members' instruction and edification.
Article 4 (Doctrine)
4.1 The doctrine of the Church shall be in accordance with that system commonly called "the Reformed Faith" as expressed in the Confession of Faith as set forth by the historic Westminster Assembly together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
4.2 In abbreviated form the chief tenets of the doctrine of the church, apart from the Apostles' Creed, shall be as follows:
4.2.1 We believe in the divine, verbal and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures in the original languages, their consequent inerrancy and infallibility, and, as the Word of God, the Supreme and final authority in faith and life ;
4.2.2 We believe in one God existing in three co-equal and co-eternal Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
4.2.3 We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man;
4.2.4 We believe that man was created in the image of God, but sinned through the fall of Adam, thereby incurring not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and become sinners in thought, word and deed;
4.2.5 We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died a propitiatory and expiatory death as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who repent of their sins and believe in Him are justified before God on the grounds of His shed blood;
4.2.6 We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His exaltation at the right hand of God, where He intercedes for us as our High Priest and Advocate;
4.2.7 We believe in the personal, visible and premillennial return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to judge this world and bring peace to the nations;
4.2.8 We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, and that all who repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour are born again by the Holy Spirit and thereby become the children of God;
4.2.9 We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to convict and regenerate the sinner, indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service;
4.2.10 We believe that Christ instituted the Sacrament of Baptism for believers and their children and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, which sacraments shall be observed by His Church till He comes;
4.2.11 We believe in the eternal security, bodily resurrection, and eternal blessedness of the saved and in the bodily resurrection and eternal conscious punishment of the lost;
4.2.12 We believe in the real, spiritual unity in Christ of all redeemed by His precious blood and the necessity of faithfully maintaining the purity of the Church in doctrine and life according to the Word of God and the principle and practice of biblical separation from the apostasy of the day being spearheaded by the Ecumenical Movement (2 Cor 6:14-18; Rev 18:4).
We believe in the divine, verbal and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures in the original languages, - inerrant and infallible - the Word of God, the Supreme and final authority in faith and life.
Article 6 (Principle and Practise of Biblical Separation)
6.1 The doctrine of separation from sin unto God is a fundamental principle of the Bible, one grievously ignored in the church today.
6.2 This doctrine arises out of the holiness of God. Both the purity and righteousness of God (Lk 1:75) are involved. "Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Pet 1:16; also 3:11; Ex 15:11; Isa 6:3; 2 Cor 7:1.)
6.3 The Bible does speak of cooperation ("be of one mind", "that they may all be one", "labourers together", "keep the unity of the Spirit", "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord", also 1 Cor 12:25). However, biblical cooperation is based upon truth. It involves the united effort of God's people. This is not a cooperation born of a spirit of undiscerning pluralism, or that of seeking "truth" in all religions.
6.4 We maintain that Scripture teaches a separation that is based on the holiness of God, producing purity in all of life, personal and ecclesiastical.
6.5 It is the duty of all true churches of the Lord Jesus Christ to make a clear testimony to their faith in Him, especially in these darkening days of apostasy in many professing churches, by which apostasy, whole denominations in their official capacity, as well as individual churches, have been swept into a paganising stream of modernism under various names and in varying degrees.
6.6 There has been a notable growth of autocratic domination on the part especially of modernistic leaders by whom the rightful powers of true churches are often usurped and are now being usurped.
6.7 The commands of God to His people to be separate from all unbelief and corruption are clear and positive: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (2 Cor 6:14; see also Matt 6:24; Rom 16:17; Gal l; Eph 5:l1; 2 Thess 3:6,14; 2 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 3:10; 2 Pet2:l-3; 1 Jn 4:l-3; 2 Jn7-l1; Jude 3, 20-24, and Rev l8:4). We reach out to those who are part of any human system which involves compromise with error, and who thus ought to "come out from among them" (2 Cor 6:17), separate themselves unto the "Father ... the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor 6:18), thus "cleansing themselves" and perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor 7:1).
6.8 In loyalty to the revealed Word, we, as an organised portion of the people of God, are obliged to oppose all forms of modernism, cultism, Romanism, and false religions. Dialogue for the purpose of reaching a compromise between all true Bible believers and representatives of such beliefs is impious, unbiblical, treasonous and unfaithful to the holy God, as He has revealed Himself to us in His infallible, inerrant Word.
6.9 We are opposed to all efforts to obscure or wipe out the clear line of separation between these absolutes: truth and error, light and darkness (See Jer 5:20; 2 Cor 6:14-18). By 'efforts', we refer to efforts by New Evangelicals, Charismatic Christians, promoters of ecumenical cooperative evangelism and of the social gospel, and all churches and other movements and organizations that are aligned with or sympathetic to the Ecumenical Movement.
6.10 The Church, having been founded on the principle of Biblical Separation and being affiliated with the B-P Church of Singapore which is a member of the International Council of Christian Churches (ICCC), is likewise affiliated with the ICCC as long as the ICCC faithfully maintains its stand on Biblical Separation.
"... earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." - Jude 3
Defend and love these doctrines. They are our Bible based Denominational Distinctives that must not and cannot be compromised. Our founding fathers have included them for our protection and God's glorification. The downward slide into neo-evangelicalism and liberalism begins the moment these doctrines are compromised.
These doctrines are not decorative. They must be upheld and practised by every member of Calvary. Looking good and right on paper is the first step. Do not stop there. If the doctrines are not practised in our church and in our lives, we make a farce and a mockery of what we stand for. This is hypocrisy which our Lord condemns with the words "ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Matt 23:27b).
May God help us love the truth in heart and in life in these last days of ecumenical compromise. May every born again Calvarian be found faithful in serving and loving Him by holding on to these biblical doctrines till Jesus comes again. Amen.