Our Beliefs

Our Statement of Faith

RBC's statement of faith is recorded as follows and biblically supported as noted. Please click one of the tabs below to read what we believe about that particular topic.

Lea la declaración de fe en español aquí

THE BIBLE

We believe the Bible is the Word of God. We believe the 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments were inspired by God. God the Holy Spirit moved in and through the human authors to select the very words and to produce the entire text, while at the same time preserving the individual style of each human author (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:16-21).

We believe the Bible is God’s completed revelation and that the original manuscripts were inerrant (free from error). The Bible is wholly true, accurate, and trustworthy, and is the supreme and final authority in all matters to which it speaks, whether ethical, moral, behavioral, doctrinal, historical, geographic, or scientific (Hebrews 4:12).

We believe an accurate understanding of the Bible in its entirety is arrived at through a normal, historical, grammatical and contextual interpretive process (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 2:1-13).

THE TRINITY

We believe in one God, creator and sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is equal in every divine quality and executes distinct but harmonious functions (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1, 14, 18; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:4-6).

GOD THE FATHER

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love.

In His very essence (Genesis 1:1; John 4:24; First Chronicles 29:10-13), God is self-existent, eternal and unchanging (Jeremiah 23:24; Psalm 90:2; Psalm 119:137). God is all-powerful and all-knowing and His perfect knowledge extends to all things past, present and future (Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 46:9,10; Hebrews 4:13).

Although God detests evil, He is longsuffering and compassionate toward sinful people (Psalm 116:5; Ephesians 2:4-7), He concerns Himself in the affairs of men, He hears and answers prayer, and He saves from sin and Hell all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8-11; John 3:16).

JESUS CHRIST

We believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God’s eternal Son.

God the Son has precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. We believe that He is not only perfect God, but perfect man (John 3:16; John 10:30; 1John 5:20).

We believe Jesus Christ is one person with two inseparable, yet wholly distinct, complete natures—one human and one divine. Jesus as a man was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ experienced genuine temptation but did not sin (Luke 1:31, 35; Luke 2:6-7; Mark 1:13).

We believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead in the same, yet glorified body, in which He had lived and died. Upon His ascension, He was received by His Father as the ultimate assurance that His redeeming work was accomplished (Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:37-39; Acts 1:9). He is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father, where He is engaged in intercession on behalf of His people (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1).

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the Holy Spirit and in His distinct personality. He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. His ministry glorifies Jesus Christ and implements Christ’s work of salvation (Acts 5:3,4; John 16: 8-10).

We believe the Holy Spirit regenerates (Titus 3), baptizes (1 Corinthians 12:13), seals (Ephesians 1:13), and indwells (1 Corinthians 6:19) all believers, securing them in Christ forever, and empowering them for godly living and service. Spiritual gifts are sovereignly given to all believers for the common good of the church. No gift signifies His baptism or filling, nor does any gift provide authoritative revelation beyond what has already been revealed in the Holy Scriptures (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11).

The evidence of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is demonstrated by the fruit of the Spirit and the building up of the body into Christ-likeness (Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 12:7; Galatians 5:22-24; Ephesians 4:12-16). Life in the Spirit includes trials and does not guarantee physical health, material wealth or confirming signs. Sign gifts were given for the primary purpose of authenticating the apostles as revealers of divine truth, and were never intended to be characteristic of all believers (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12; Hebrews 2:1-4).

HUMANITY

We believe God directly created the first man and first woman, Adam and Eve (Matthew 19:4), in His own image and free from sin. God created human beings as immortal, rational, and morally responsible individuals. Humanity was created for the purpose of glorifying God, enjoying His fellowship and accomplishing His will on earth (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7).

We believe, however, that Adam sinned, and as a result, all people are sinners by nature and choice, and prior to conversion are spiritually dead and at enmity with God. Because sin is rooted in the core of their being, they are totally incapable of being reconciled to God apart from divine grace (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-21; 3:21-26; Ephesians 2:1-10).

We believe all people stand in need of the Savior, who alone can address their spiritually dead condition. We believe those who repent and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are reconciled to God. We believe genuine saving faith should, and will be, evidenced by a life of faith expressed through obedience to the Word, righteous living, and good works (John 14:1-6; Acts 26:20; Romans 1:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Titus 3:3-7; James 2:14-26).

We believe that righteous living includes adherence to the establishment of marriage by God (Genesis 2:24, 25; Matthew 19:4, 5); we define marriage as a lifelong covenantal human relationship between one biological male and one biological female (Romans 7:2).  A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by this church only to the extent that it is consistent with this definition of marriage.

We believe marriage is the only permissible context for sexual relations and is the foundation for the human family (1 Corinthians 7:1-9). Hence, sexual activities outside of marriage including but not limited to, adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, and pedophilia are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and this church. Further, lascivious conduct, transgender behavior, transsexual behavior and the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography, are incompatible with the biblical requirements for Christian conduct.

We believe in the sanctity of human life (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13-15) which has great value in God’s sight from conception until death (Psalm 51:5).

SALVATION

We believe salvation is provided wholly by God’s grace alone and received through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9).

We believe God the Father, by His love and grace gave His Son as the sinless, substitutionary sacrifice. In the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, full payment was made for sin  and God’s perfect justice was satisfied resulting in the salvation of those who believe (Isaiah 53:5-6; Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:19-20; Hebrews 10:12-14; 1 John 2:1-2).

We believe personal salvation is received through faith in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ alone, apart from any human merit, deed, or ritual. Upon faith God forgives, redeems, justifies, and gives eternal life. God’s faithfulness guarantees the eternal security of all true believers (John 6:47; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:35; Romans 11:6; 1 John 5:13; Titus 3:5).

THE CHURCH

We believe the Church is the spiritual body of Christ of which He is the head and the builder. We believe the Church began on the Day of Pentecost and is comprised of all persons who have saving faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:13-27; Colossians 1:18).

We believe the Church is expressed in local congregations whose members have been baptized by immersion upon credible confession of faith and associated themselves for worship, instruction, evangelism, and service. Each believer has equal access to God and the responsibility to offer up sacrifices, including self, praise, and possessions (Matthew 28:19; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 10:23-25; Hebrews 13:15, 16; 1 Peter 2:5).

We believe there are two ordinances for the local church: Believer’s Baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39; Acts19:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

We believe the Lord’s Supper is a solemn memorial to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. The elements of the Lord’s Supper are symbolic of His body and blood. There is no real presence of Christ in them, nor is grace received through participation (1 Corinthians 11:23-32).

We believe in the autonomy of each local church, while recognizing the value of cooperation and interdependency with like-minded ministries. The leadership of the church is responsible and accountable first to Jesus Christ as the Chief Shepherd, then to the congregation, as servants, overseeing in love and humility. We believe only biblically qualified men are to serve in the position of pastor or elder (Romans 15:25-27, 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2, 3).

SEPARATION OF CHURCH & STATE

We believe that each local church is self-governing in function, and must be free from interference by an ecclesiastical or political authority.  We believe God in His wisdom has ordained human government as an instrument for demonstrating and promoting good and punishing evil among those governed. The church is God’s instrument for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. The church and state are best served when citizens are free to faithfully “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:15-22; Romans 13:1-7, Titus 3:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-17).

CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in his life, that his conduct should be blameless before the world, that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions and that he should seek to realize for himself the full stature of maturity in Christ (Acts 26:20; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:3-4; 4:13-16; 1 Peter 2:12; Titus 2:11-14).

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

We believe a person’s eternal destiny is forever sealed by their acceptance or rejection, in this lifetime, of Christ and His work on the cross. Believers will experience eternity in the presence of God in Heaven. Unbelievers will be in Hell, a place of suffering, loss, and eternal torment (Matthew 10:28; John 3:16-18, 36; John 14:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:9).

We believe in the personal return of Jesus Christ in the air for His Church, and in the pre-millennial coming of Jesus Christ to the earth with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom on earth. After this, there will be a new heaven, a new earth and a new Jerusalem where believers will live with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-10; 21:1-5).