REDLAND CHURCH STATEMENT OF FAITH
(a) THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible consists of the Old and New Testaments and every word is the verbally inspired Word of God. The Bible is without error in the original manuscripts and is the only and final authority for faith and practice in all matters of which it addresses. The Bible, as God’s only written revelation to mankind, is to be interpreted normally and literally in regard to all of its contents. (John 10:35; Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; I Corinthians 2:13; I Timothy 5:18; I Corinthians 2:14-16)
(b) GOD
1. We believe in one God who is eternal and immutable, who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (John 6:27; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3,4; Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; Isaiah 48:16)
2. We believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, God the Son in human flesh. That he is totally without sin; was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; and is both fully God and fully man. (John 1:14; Matthew 1:18-25; John 11:33; John 8:40; Hebrews 1:8, 2:14)
3. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person, possessing all the distinctively divine attributes. He is God. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell him, bestows spiritual gifts on each one for the common good of the church and fills each one yielded to Him. (I Corinthians 2:10-11, 12:11, 13; Isaiah 40:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18)
(c) THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE WORK OF CHRIST
1. We believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all humanity as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood. (2 Corinthians 5:14; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:24-26; I Peter 3:18; Romans 5:8-9)
2. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us. Jesus now serves as High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate in our behalf with the Father. (Romans 1:4; John 20:25-27; I John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11)
3. We believe in the personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ in the glory of His Father to set up on earth a kingdom in which He shall reign in righteousness and peace. (Acts 1:11; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 20:4-6; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:2-5)
(d) MAN
1. We believe that the first man and woman were created in the image of God and thus man has great value in God's sight. But man sinned and consequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death (which is separation from God). The consequences of this sin affect the entire human race. All human beings are born lost and separated from God and with a sinful nature. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:6; Romans 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Mark 7:20-23; John 2:24-25)
2. We believe that all believers still struggle with the flesh in this life, but that God has made full provision for believers to resist this flesh and to live for God through identification with Christ, a knowledge of the Bible, and by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:12-19; 6-8; Ephesians 2:1-3, 10; 2 Peter 1:3; Philippians 2:12-13)
3. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and eternal suffering, and separation from God. (I Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:4-6, 12-15; John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; Revelations 21:1-8)
4. Marriage and Sexuality
i. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one legitimate meaning, and that is marriage sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, covenantal union as delineated by Scripture. Marriage ceremonies performed in any facility or space owned, leased, or rented by this church will be only those ceremonies sanctioned by God, joining one man with one woman as their genders were determined by anatomy at birth (and not subject to change). Whenever there is a conflict between the church’s position and any new legal standard for marriage, the church’s statement of faith, doctrines, and biblical positions will govern. (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:22-23; Mark 10:6-9; I Cor. 7:1-9)
ii. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage as defined in (a) above. We believe that any other type of sexual activity, identity, or expression that lies outside of this definition of marriage, including those that are becoming more accepted in the culture and the courts, are contradictory to God’s natural design and purpose for sexual activity. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9-10; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
iii. We believe that God creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, unchangeable genders together reflect the image and nature of God, and the rejection of one's biological gender is a rejection of the image of God within that person. (Genesis 1:26-27)
5. Sanctity of Life
i. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:13-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:36, 44) However, we recognize that in rare occasions, conflicts of life with life must be considered.
ii. We believe that the acts of assisted suicide and euthanasia are assuming a decision that is to be reserved for God. (Ex. 20:13; 23:7; Matt. 5:21; Acts 17:28)
6.. Love. We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal graciously, humbly, gently, and patiently with those who oppose us. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I Peter 3:8-9; 1 John 3:17-18)
7. Protection of Children. We believe that children are from the Lord and must be absolutely protected within the church from any form of abuse or molestation. The church has zero tolerance for any person, whether paid staff, volunteer, member, or visitor, who abuses or molests a child. (Ps. 127:3-5; Matt. 18:6, 19:14; Mark 10:14)
(e) SATAN
We believe that Satan is a personal being, the author of sin who provoked the fall of man. We believe that he is the great adversary of God’s person, program and people, but is a defeated foe who is destined to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. In Christ believers have the victory over Satan (1 Peter 5:8, Rev. 12:11) and his demons (Isaiah 14:12-15; Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:7-12, Revelation 20:10) and we put on the whole armor of God to protect us from any evil attacks (Ephesians 6:10-18) and full authority to drive out demons when they manifest (Matthew 10:1, Mark 16:17; Matthew 7:22; Luke 10:17; Acts 19:13; Matthew 12:27).
(f) SALVATION
1. We believe that man's redemption and reconciliation with God occurs as an act of God's forgiving and justifying grace, not of works, that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in His death and resurrection are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. (Romans 3:21-24; I Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12-13; Titus 3:5-7; I Peter 1:18-21)
(g) THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST
1. We believe that the Church in its invisible form is universal, the true body and bride of Christ. All believers from the day of Pentecost until the Church is caught up to heaven are members of the universal Church regardless of organization affiliation.
2. We believe that as the individual Christian has a responsibility to make Christ known, so does every local church have a corporate responsibility for making Christ known.
3. We believe in the imminent return of Christ for the Church. All members of the body of Christ, living or dead, will at that time be caught up to be with the Lord forever. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-53; Titus 2:13)
4. We believe that the spiritual oversight of the local church is given to the pastor.
5. We believe that Christ ordained the observance of water baptism and the Lord's Supper until He returns. We believe that baptism is an outward testimony of a person's belief in Christ and should be administered upon confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We thus believe in adult baptism and infant dedication where a child is dedicated to God and through the church’s spiritual nurture will come to a point of personal belief in Christ that will lead to adult baptism. We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's death, the elements being symbols of His body and blood. We thus remember the Lord’s death and resurrection and the promise we have of our salvation in Him (John 3:16). We believe that every Christian in good standing has a right to partake of the elements of the Lord's Supper but that participation should always be preceded by solemn self-examination. (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:4-6; Acts 1:5, 11:15-16; I Corinthians 11:24-26, 28)
- The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the statement of faith accurately represents the teachings of the Bible and, therefore, is binding upon all members, staff, and volunteers. All literature, whether print or electronic, used in the church shall be in complete agreement with the statement of faith. All activities permitted or performed in any facilities owned, rented, or leased by this church, or engaged in by any member of the church staff (volunteer or paid), and all decisions of the administration of this church shall not conflict with the statement of faith. In all conflicts regarding interpretation of the statement of faith, the pastor and Administrative Council, on behalf of the church, have the final authority.
(a) THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible consists of the Old and New Testaments and every word is the verbally inspired Word of God. The Bible is without error in the original manuscripts and is the only and final authority for faith and practice in all matters of which it addresses. The Bible, as God’s only written revelation to mankind, is to be interpreted normally and literally in regard to all of its contents. (John 10:35; Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; I Corinthians 2:13; I Timothy 5:18; I Corinthians 2:14-16)
(b) GOD
1. We believe in one God who is eternal and immutable, who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (John 6:27; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3,4; Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; Isaiah 48:16)
2. We believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, God the Son in human flesh. That he is totally without sin; was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; and is both fully God and fully man. (John 1:14; Matthew 1:18-25; John 11:33; John 8:40; Hebrews 1:8, 2:14)
3. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person, possessing all the distinctively divine attributes. He is God. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell him, bestows spiritual gifts on each one for the common good of the church and fills each one yielded to Him. (I Corinthians 2:10-11, 12:11, 13; Isaiah 40:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18)
(c) THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE WORK OF CHRIST
1. We believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all humanity as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood. (2 Corinthians 5:14; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:24-26; I Peter 3:18; Romans 5:8-9)
2. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us. Jesus now serves as High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate in our behalf with the Father. (Romans 1:4; John 20:25-27; I John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11)
3. We believe in the personal, bodily return of Jesus Christ in the glory of His Father to set up on earth a kingdom in which He shall reign in righteousness and peace. (Acts 1:11; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 20:4-6; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:2-5)
(d) MAN
1. We believe that the first man and woman were created in the image of God and thus man has great value in God's sight. But man sinned and consequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death (which is separation from God). The consequences of this sin affect the entire human race. All human beings are born lost and separated from God and with a sinful nature. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:6; Romans 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Mark 7:20-23; John 2:24-25)
2. We believe that all believers still struggle with the flesh in this life, but that God has made full provision for believers to resist this flesh and to live for God through identification with Christ, a knowledge of the Bible, and by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:12-19; 6-8; Ephesians 2:1-3, 10; 2 Peter 1:3; Philippians 2:12-13)
3. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and eternal suffering, and separation from God. (I Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:4-6, 12-15; John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; Revelations 21:1-8)
4. Marriage and Sexuality
i. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one legitimate meaning, and that is marriage sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, covenantal union as delineated by Scripture. Marriage ceremonies performed in any facility or space owned, leased, or rented by this church will be only those ceremonies sanctioned by God, joining one man with one woman as their genders were determined by anatomy at birth (and not subject to change). Whenever there is a conflict between the church’s position and any new legal standard for marriage, the church’s statement of faith, doctrines, and biblical positions will govern. (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:22-23; Mark 10:6-9; I Cor. 7:1-9)
ii. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage as defined in (a) above. We believe that any other type of sexual activity, identity, or expression that lies outside of this definition of marriage, including those that are becoming more accepted in the culture and the courts, are contradictory to God’s natural design and purpose for sexual activity. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9-10; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
iii. We believe that God creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, unchangeable genders together reflect the image and nature of God, and the rejection of one's biological gender is a rejection of the image of God within that person. (Genesis 1:26-27)
5. Sanctity of Life
i. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:13-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:36, 44) However, we recognize that in rare occasions, conflicts of life with life must be considered.
ii. We believe that the acts of assisted suicide and euthanasia are assuming a decision that is to be reserved for God. (Ex. 20:13; 23:7; Matt. 5:21; Acts 17:28)
6.. Love. We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal graciously, humbly, gently, and patiently with those who oppose us. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I Peter 3:8-9; 1 John 3:17-18)
7. Protection of Children. We believe that children are from the Lord and must be absolutely protected within the church from any form of abuse or molestation. The church has zero tolerance for any person, whether paid staff, volunteer, member, or visitor, who abuses or molests a child. (Ps. 127:3-5; Matt. 18:6, 19:14; Mark 10:14)
(e) SATAN
We believe that Satan is a personal being, the author of sin who provoked the fall of man. We believe that he is the great adversary of God’s person, program and people, but is a defeated foe who is destined to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. In Christ believers have the victory over Satan (1 Peter 5:8, Rev. 12:11) and his demons (Isaiah 14:12-15; Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:7-12, Revelation 20:10) and we put on the whole armor of God to protect us from any evil attacks (Ephesians 6:10-18) and full authority to drive out demons when they manifest (Matthew 10:1, Mark 16:17; Matthew 7:22; Luke 10:17; Acts 19:13; Matthew 12:27).
(f) SALVATION
1. We believe that man's redemption and reconciliation with God occurs as an act of God's forgiving and justifying grace, not of works, that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in His death and resurrection are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. (Romans 3:21-24; I Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12-13; Titus 3:5-7; I Peter 1:18-21)
(g) THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST
1. We believe that the Church in its invisible form is universal, the true body and bride of Christ. All believers from the day of Pentecost until the Church is caught up to heaven are members of the universal Church regardless of organization affiliation.
2. We believe that as the individual Christian has a responsibility to make Christ known, so does every local church have a corporate responsibility for making Christ known.
3. We believe in the imminent return of Christ for the Church. All members of the body of Christ, living or dead, will at that time be caught up to be with the Lord forever. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-53; Titus 2:13)
4. We believe that the spiritual oversight of the local church is given to the pastor.
5. We believe that Christ ordained the observance of water baptism and the Lord's Supper until He returns. We believe that baptism is an outward testimony of a person's belief in Christ and should be administered upon confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We thus believe in adult baptism and infant dedication where a child is dedicated to God and through the church’s spiritual nurture will come to a point of personal belief in Christ that will lead to adult baptism. We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's death, the elements being symbols of His body and blood. We thus remember the Lord’s death and resurrection and the promise we have of our salvation in Him (John 3:16). We believe that every Christian in good standing has a right to partake of the elements of the Lord's Supper but that participation should always be preceded by solemn self-examination. (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:4-6; Acts 1:5, 11:15-16; I Corinthians 11:24-26, 28)