We accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the living Word of God and, therefore, the only infallible source of faith and life. We believe that the Bible not only contains but is in itself, in the original, the inerrant written record of God’s intervention with man, and that God spoke through the personalities of those whom He called for the purpose of recording His Word. We believe that the Bible is the believer’s only infallible written guide to Christian commitment and mature faith, and is to be understood within its historical and cultural framework interpreted by the Holy Spirit.
We believe in one eternal and changeless God, Creator and sustainer of man and the universe, perfect in all ways, holy and infinite. He has always existed in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, uniquely identified, yet of one substance, equal in power and glory.
We believe in God the Father who rules and reigns as Sovereign Lord of all things in heaven and earth. He abounds in grace and compassion and desires that all become His children and heirs through acceptance of the salvation offered in His Son Jesus Christ.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, was crucified and bore the past, present and future sin of man upon the cross. He arose from the dead to reign with the Father in Heaven, where He is today. We believe His to be the sole mediation between God and man and that eternal life is available to those who repent of their sin, seek and receive His forgiveness and call upon His name as Saviour and Lord.
We believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son and is resident within all who have received Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf of believers through Jesus to the Father; is convicter of sin, comforter, teacher, and guide. we believe that through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit man is able to be sanctified.
We believe that, just as the apostles received the enabling power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, so we too are called upon to receive this baptism which the Heavenly Father gives to all who ask. We believe that in receiving the Holy Spirit baptism, all believers receive gifts which are for the edification and strengthening of the body. These gifts are manifested under the direction of the Holy Spirit. We believe that all of these gifts are available today.
SIN
We believe that man was created in God’s own image to worship and to fellowship with God. Man exercised his God-given free will to rebel against God, and as a result of this wilful disobedience fell from grace. Further we believe that through man’s estrangement from God, sinfulness continues until the time appointed by God for final judgement.REDEMPTION
We believe that God in his infinite mercy and grace provides a means whereby man’s sin may be forgiven, and that redemption is possible only because God sent His only begotten Son to bear man’s sin in his place, thereby discharging, by the shedding of His blood, the full penalty of our sin. Redemption is available to all who acknowledge their sin and repent of it believing that Jesus is eternal life.JUSTIFICATION
We believe that when man accepts redemption the penalty for his sin has been paid, and through the atonement of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, our past sins are not only forgiven but forgotten. Justification by faith leads to, but does not proceed from, good works.SANCTIFICATION
We believe that when we have been regenerated we enter into a covenant with God in which we allow Him, through the Holy Spirit, to begin the process of change whereby we are enabled to fulfill the Divine plan God has for each of our lives. This process continues throughout our earthly life.CHURCH
We believe in the universal church which consists of all who confess Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. We also believe that God places believers within branches of the universal church to worship and fellowship together and fulfill the Great Commision to which all Christians are called.
The Lord’s Supper - We believe that to commemorate the Lord’s Supper is to remember the sacrificial love of Jesus, and celebrate the joyous expectation of His return.
We believe that regeneration should be followed by water baptism as an outward symbol of our death to sin through Christ and our new life in His resurrection. Baptism shall be by immersion when possible.
We believe in the priesthood of all believers. We also believe that those whom God calls to be elders/overseers are to be recognized through ordination. Further we believe in a governing structure of elders and deacons as set forth in Scripture.
We believe that in order to experience the fullness of salvation and God’s supreme purpose for our lives it is necessary to daily study God’s Word, and spend time in praise and prayer and to regularly fellowship and worship within a body of believers. Further, we believe that we must be obedient and yielded to the work God desires to accomplish in us by the Holy Spirit’s power that we might be equipped to fulfill His command to love our neighbour as ourselves.
We believe in the coming of Christ. Jesus will return to earth in glory. There will be a final judgement after which all men reside forever in heaven or in hell.
STATEMENT OF THEOLOGICAL DISTINCTIVES
While the beliefs set forth in the Tenets of Faith are recognized to be universal and primary within the Church, there are a few subordinate items that RCBC hold up as important biblical truths. These form the underlying philosophy of our local church and give shape to how and why we live the way that we do. These are concepts that emerge from the above Tenets of Faith and the study of Scripture, and while it is not a requirement that all members are as excited about each of these doctrines as we are, it is asked that each member is able to hold these things in good conscience since they are fundamental to the identity of the church.
We are gospel-centred
this means we don’t move past the core of the gospel, but continue to celebrate it as God’s grace for us throughout our Christian walk.
this also means our preaching is primarily exegetical (explaining and expounding on Scripture) because it is God’s Word we need, not the message of a man.
We love the relationship of God’s glory to man’s joy
We enthusiastically embrace the sovereignty of God’s grace in saving sinners
We recognize the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence
We acknowledge the fundamental spiritual and moral equality of male and female and to men as responsible servant-leaders in the home and church
We hold to a missionary understanding of the local church and its role as the primary means by which God chooses to establish his kingdom on earth.