The simple answer
At Hunter Bible Church, we’re all about Jesus. The Jesus revealed to us in the pages of God’s written Word, the Bible.
What Type of Church Are We?
We’re an independent evangelical church. ‘Evangelical’ just means we take the Bible seriously, we believe it’s the word of God, and we’re committed to teaching it faithfully each week.
We’re also a member of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches in Australia. A network of like-minded churches who want to see gospel growth across Australia.
Some Foundational Beliefs
If you’re interested to know what “type” or “brand” of church we are, then you might find some of our following definitions helpful.
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God is the eternal, personal, good Creator of all things. All creation is always known to him, seen by him, and under his sovereign control. God exists eternally as a unity of three persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God has truly revealed himself to humanity as both loving and just by his Word and through his Son, Jesus Christ.
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Jesus Christ is “God; the Son”; “the Eternal Word of God the Father”, who has become fully human, while never ceasing to be fully divine. The eternal Person of Jesus Christ was the agent of all creation and eternally sustains the existence of all things. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary. He lived in Nazareth, performed divine miracles, was crucified, died, was buried, and was physically resurrected. He ascended to heaven to rule as Lord and is ready to return as the final judge of all mankind.
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God’s Spirit is the personal, living being of the triune God. He works to change the sinful hearts and minds of disobedient people. He directed people writing the Bible and now opens our eyes to understand and believe the truth of the gospel of Jesus. He dwells in each Christian and unites us to Jesus by this faith, so we enjoy a new life with God. Then he works in us to make our characters more like Jesus; full of love for God and others.
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The Bible is the exact record of what God chose to say through God’s Spirit guiding his human authors – it is true in everything it affirms. So the Bible is how the invisible God speaks to us, as he interprets his powerful deeds in history. The Bible unveils God; his majestic goodness, love and justice. And the Bible outlines God’s plans and purposes, climaxing in the person of his Son Jesus. The Bible enables us to know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and to know how to live and please Jesus. The Bible is God’s completely sufficient means to teach, rebuke, correct and train us to live as God wants.
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As disobedient creatures, we deserve to be judged by our righteous God. But our loving God doesn’t treat us as we deserve. He initiated his plan to save us through his willing and righteous Son, Jesus. On the cross, God judges Jesus for our wrongdoing. Therefore, God graciously promises to forgive us, wipe away our guilt and give us new life. We are to trust Jesus and his death alone to be saved. Our good works play no part in gaining salvation for ourselves.
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The Church is God’s family, people he bought with his own blood and adopted as his own children. Church consists of all Christians in history united to God’s risen Son, and so gathered now in heaven with Jesus singing our Father’s praises. HBC is one of many earthly churches visibly expressing this as we gather as a loving family. We hear our Father speak to us, talk to and praise our Father, and encourage each other to obey Jesus more.
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After being saved, the Christian life is to become more like our Lord Jesus in our attitudes, motives and actions according to his commands. This is a constant inward battle between our sinful desires and godly desires, only ceasing when we’re taken to heaven. So we strive by God’s Spirit not to give up but to grow to know, obey, love and enjoy God more, whilst we’re persecuted and ridiculed like Jesus. This strengthens our faith in Jesus, and teaches us to long for heaven, when we will fully experience God’s blessings.
Statement of Beliefs
If you’re looking for a deeper outline of where Hunter Bible Church beliefs fit, below is our official Statement of Beliefs.
The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture as originally given and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
The universal sinfulness and guilt of humanity since the fall, rendering men and women subject to God’s wrath and condemnation.
The conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit and his birth by the Virgin Mary.
Redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death, as our representative and substitute, of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective in the individual sinner, granting him or her repentance towards God, and faith in Jesus Christ.
The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Connect Series
Find out more about what we believe at the Connect Series. This is the best way to connect into our church family, meet other people new to church, hear from our pastors, and learn more about who we are and what makes us tick.
Position Papers
Sometimes its helpful for churches to make clear what our belief and practice is concerning certain issues. For this reason we have developed position papers on Justification and Men & Women in Ministry.