- We believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God. It is divinely inspired and is the truth, authority, and guide to live by. (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)
- We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
- We believe Jesus was born of a virgin in the image of God. He is the only Son of God and the Lord of all creation. He died for the sins of all people and bodily arose from the grave. He is fully God and fully man and will one day return. (Matthew 1:23; Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 2:14-18)
- We believe the Holy Spirit is divine, eternal, and coequal with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer, teaching and bearing witness to Jesus. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, intercedes for us in prayer, and empowers us to stay faithful (1 Corinthians 3:16, Romans 8:9-11).
- We believe God created the world and life by spoken word according to Genesis 1 and 2 in six literal days. (John 1:1-3; Hebrews 11:3)
- We believe that man was created in the image of, and for the purposes of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death - but also spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature. (Romans 3:23-26, 5:12; Ephesians 2:10)
- The Bible defines sin as “missing the mark” of God’s standard. A good one-word definition of sin is “disobedience.” The Bible says that “we have all sinned and fall short of God’s will for our lives.” (Romans 3:23)
- We believe we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, the Son of God. God has sent His Son as the sacrifice for our sin. Our response is to surrender to God and obey His commands. (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16-17, 36)
- We believe that when a person is saved, they are sealed with the Holy Spirit, will persevere in Christ until the end of their life journey, and are eternally secure in Christ. The believer is continually transformed by the Holy Spirit in their walk with Christ. (Ephesians 1:13; John 6:37-39 & 8:29; Matthew 24:13; Titus 2:14; 1 Corinthians 6:11)
- We believe that baptism is the immersion in water of an obedient believer. In the New Testament church, every believer was commanded to be baptized in a manner of being united to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:3-5; Acts 2:36-41)
- We believe Jesus established two ordinances for believers: The Lord’s Supper (Communion) and Baptism. Only Christians who have carefully examined themselves should partake of this supper. The Bible does not set a prescribed time for observing this supper but we make it available each Sunday here at Riverlawn. (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32)
- We believe the church is the body of Christ. The head of the body is Jesus. The mission of the church is to carry out God’s stated purpose to make disciples of Jesus throughout the world and equip them for ministry. (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:11-16; Ephesians 5:23b; Colossians 1:8)
