The history of the Church of the one true living God began at the very beginning of time, immediately after man’s fall in Paradise. In Genesis 3:15 the Lord God declared that the offspring of the woman would bruise the head of Satan to whom man had given his allegiance by eating a fruit in the Garden of Eden God had forbidden. By this promise the Lord God of heaven and earth ensured that He would have a people who would worship and serve Him. The Church’s existence is therefore His Story, that is, God’s Story in which He calls sinners to a renewed relationship with Himself. In doctrinal terms, we call this the Way of Salvation.
The English term ‘Church’ comes from the Greek word “ekklesia”. The original Greek term comes from the compound “ek” meaning ‘out of’ and “kaleo” which means ‘to call’. This means that the Church of God is a body of people who are called out from this world which lies under the powers of darkness. 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18; Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Peter 2:9-11. Christians are therefore to be a separated, holy people whose lives are consecrated to the Lord and His service. Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Peter 2:9-11.
Local Church in Hamilton
Our local church has been in existence approximately 70 years. Originally it was comprised of Dutch Calvinistic emigrants whose love for the doctrines of grace and desire for experiential preaching impelled them to start a denomination similar to what they were accustomed to in their fatherland. The Dutch Reformed Church came into existence in the 1580s and as a local church we desire to maintain Biblical truths as they were adhered to then. Reformed orthodoxy seeks to uphold the foundational truths of a rich Christ for poor, needy, and bankrupt sinners. These two can only be reconciled through the miracle of regeneration which involves being ‘born again’ by the Spirit of God. Ezekiel 36:26, John 3:3. The church militant must always be looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith. Hebrews 12:2.