What We Believe
We believe in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21.
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19-20.
We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.
Matthew 1:20-25; John 1:1; John 1:14.
We believe that all mankind is by nature and by choice sinful and in need of salvation.
Romans 5:12-21; Romans 3:23.
We believe that salvation is the gift of God offered to man by His grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, was buried, was bodily resurrected from the dead, and is presently at the right hand of the Father as our Mediator.
Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians. 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:21-26; 1 Timothy 2:5.
We believe that all genuine believers are eternally secure, being kept by God’s power.
John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:28-39; 1 Peter 1:3-5.
We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again by the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer to enlighten, enable, guide and control him in life and service.
John 3:6-7; 1 Corinthians 2:12; John 14:16-26; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17.
We believe in the local church.
- We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ, are placed into His body, the Church. We believe they are placed into the church by God at the same moment they receive Jesus Christ by faith and have the Holy Spirit placed in them. We believe the local church consists of all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ, who have publicly professed Him, and who God in providence has brought together in a local area.
Acts 2:37-47; Romans 1:7; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-10. - We believe that each believer in the local body is spiritually equipped for and capable of relationship with God, worship and ministry. We believe each believer is also directly responsible to God for his spiritual walk, including his sin.
John 1:11-13; Acts 2:37-47; Romans 12:6-21; 2 Corinthians 12:4-27; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 John 1:6-2:2. - We believe the church is God’s primary agent for accomplishing His divine work here on Earth.
Ephesians 4:4-6; Romans 12:1-2, 4-5; 1 Corinthians 11:20-34; 12:12-27; Acts 2:1-4, 41-47; 8:36-38; 18:8; 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10; Matthew 28:19-20. - We believe the church’s purpose in relationship to God is to bring glory to God both on earth and in heaven 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 3:8-10 resulting in true worship to the triune God.
John 4:20-24. - We believe the church’s purpose in relationship to each other is to build each other up, which is accomplished by each member ministering to one another as each is gifted and empowered by the Spirit of God Romans 12:1-16; 1 Peter 4:7-11, advancing toward maturity Ephesians 4:11-16, while attaining a unity in relationship to one another and to Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13-14; Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 4:13, 16. - We believe the church’s purpose in relationship to the world is the effective local and worldwide proclamation of the gospel Acts 1:8; 2:47; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:1-2, for the conversion of sinners and their addition into the Body of Christ for fellowship, growth and protection.
- We believe that the church is a theocracy, ruled by its Head, Jesus Christ, through a plurality of elders who are devoted to serving the congregation. These elders have authority under God, and the people are committed to their serving leadership. The primary requirement for eldership is spiritual maturity as evidenced in a person’s character. The elders are responsible for the shepherding and maturing of the believers and to give the church order.
Colossians 1:18; 2:19; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-12; Acts 14:23; 20:17-38; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 5:17,18; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5.
We believe that water baptism is for believers and that it is the act of personal obedience and public declaration signifying His death, burial and resurrection to new life in Christ. We believe that this baptism is best symbolized by and taught in Scripture to be by immersion.
Romans 6:1-6; Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 2:12.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the memorial service ordained by Christ, in which the believers do remember Christ’s death on the cross as our only hope of salvation.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
We believe spiritual gifts are God-given abilities given to born-again believers for the purpose of glorifying God and building up the body of Christ. The distribution of these gifts is by the Holy Spirit and it is essential that each member develops and employs his spiritual gift(s) for the church to accomplish its task.
Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 31; 14:1-40; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Peter 4:10-11.
We believe in the personal, premillennial and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Revelation 19:11-21.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.
Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:3-4.
These statements are taken from the Constitution of Riverside Community Church.