ARTICLES OF BIBLICAL FAITH

HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the ﬁnal authority for faith and life. They are the results of plenary verbal inspiration, are inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3216-17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13). We follow a dispensational, premillennial approach to the Bible.

GODHEAD

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and have the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became a man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1, 2, 14; Luke 1:35).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacriﬁce; and, that our justiﬁcation is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead Romans 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulﬁlls the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 129-10; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 221-2).

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers in to the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).

We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27).

We believe that each believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God from the moment of salvation. And it is the believer's responsibility to constantly yield himself to the Spirit's control (1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 5:18).

THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God and, that man is totally depraved, and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his 10st condition (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12;Ephesians 221-3, 12).

SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 228-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

THE ETERNAL SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF BELIEVERS

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5).

We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for the ﬂesh (Romans 13:13,14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

THE TWO NATURES OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for Victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural (Romans 6:13; 8: 12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 325-9).

SEPARATION

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon the Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasure, Practices, and associations is commanded of God (2 Timothy 321-5; Romans 12: 1-2; 14:13; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 1 Corinthians 2:14-7:1).

MISSIONS

We believe that it is the Obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20).

THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe gifts for service are given by God to all who are saved (1 Corinthians 12:7). Some gifts of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues and working of sign miracles were temporary and gradually ceased during the ﬁrst century (Acts 5:15—16; 19:11-12; 2 Corinthians 1227-10; Philippians 2:25-27; 1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:20a; Hebrews 2:3-4; 1 Corinthians 13:8). God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1 1). On occasion He may break into human existence and perform a miraculous event to demonstrate His power. This does not mean sign gifts have been reactivated, nor does it mean it is to be expected or considered normative.

We believe that God does hear and answer prayers of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afﬂicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14,15).

THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:12).

We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and deﬁned in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28, 32; 1 Timothy 321-13; Titus 125-11).

We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; 1 Corinthians 329-16; 5:4—7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

We recognize the ordinances of water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age (Matthew 28:19—20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

MARRIAGE

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complimentary genders together reﬂect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of God within that person.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Redwood Valley Community Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the Redwood Valley Community Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Redwood Valley Community Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to, and abide by this Statement on Marriage. (Matt. 5:16, Phil. 2:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:22.)

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 1029-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11.) We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.)

THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:16-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelations 20:10).

THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST

We believe in that "Blessed Hope”, the personal imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones (Zechariah 14:4-11; John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 19:11-16; Acts 1:11).

THE ETERNAL STATE

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Leviticus 20:12-13).

We believe that the souls of the redeemed one, are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, Where in conscious bliss they await the time when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be gloriﬁed forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3 :21; 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17).

We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the time when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46, 2 Thessalonians 127-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15).