Beliefs & Vision
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is God. About two thousand years ago, Jesus left Heaven, came to Earth, and took on the form of man. He did this because man had sinned causing a division between man and God. The consequences for man’s sin would be Hell, the Lake of Fire, and eternal separation from God. Man could not and cannot save himself. This is why Jesus is often called Savior. He came to save man from the consequences of his sin.
Even though Jesus lived a perfect life, He died for sin (our sin). He died in our place. He died so we could live. Even though they buried Him, He rose again conquering death. He now offers us eternal life and life to the full (with purpose, value, and meaning) if we turn from ourselves and follow Him. This is why Jesus is often called Lord. Becoming a Christian involves faith. It is turning from serving ourselves to following Jesus and living life for Him.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:9, 13
Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of The River Church based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
We believe the entire Bible, including both the Old and the New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God and that men were moved by the Spirit of God to write the very words of Scripture. Therefore, we believe the Bible is without error. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)
We believe that there is one and only one, living and true God. He is the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth. God has revealed Himself as a Trinity in unity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are three Persons and yet one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6)
Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. He is Himself very God. He took upon Himself our nature. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary. He died upon the cross as a substitute for the sin of the world. He arose from the dead in the body in which He was crucified. He ascended into Heaven in that body glorified. He stands with us as our High Priest in heaven. He will come again personally and visibly to set up His Kingdom and to judge the living and the dead. (Colossians 1:15; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 4:14-16; Revelation 11:15-17; 20:4-6, 11-15)
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its sin. He regenerates sinners, through their salvation in Christ, and through him they are sanctified and sealed as heirs in the family of God. Actively, the Holy Spirit indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service. (I Corinthians 6:19; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38; John 14:6; John 14:15-17; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:13)
We believe that sin at its core is defined as missing the mark. As human beings we are born with a sinful flesh and desire to act in rebellion to God. Sin encompasses words, actions, desires and thoughts in opposition to God’s perfect creation. The Bible is very clear “there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Galatians 5:17; James 2:10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23)
Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin. In that sense, he is lost. This is true of all men. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ who bore our sins in His own body on the cross.
He gave His life in exchange for each of ours. By trying to outweigh our sin with good works, we reject the free gift of salvation. Trust in Christ’s perfect work is the only solution. We believe, once you are saved, you are always saved. No one can remove you from the hands of God. (Romans 3:10, 23; John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)
Hell and Heaven are real, actual places of eternity.
Hell is associated with several terms:
Perish (John 3:16)
Death (Romans 6:23)
The second death (Revelation 20:14)
Hades (Luke 16:23)
Wrath (Romans 2:8)
Fury (Romans 2:8)
Outer darkness (Matthew 22:13)
Gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50)
Fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 21:8)
Eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46)
Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14-15)
Heaven is also associated with special terms:
Eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 2:7; 6:23)
Saved (Romans 10:9)
Presence of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)
Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 5:3)
Paradise (Luke 23:43)
Everyone will end up in either place forever. It is not based on morality or lifestyle, but is a “free gift” (Romans 6:23) given by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8) for those who place their faith in Jesus (Romans 10:13). It is only by Jesus’ death for our sins, burial, and resurrection that anyone can be saved from God’s wrath (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
The Church is a gathering of believers baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body. Its mission is to reach the world with the gospel of Christ, gather with the saints and grow in the Word. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4). The Church will handle issues of discipline and peacemaking using Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians
We believe that all human beings are created by God and bear His image regardless of race, national origin or gender. Each human has special intrinsic value regardless of how young, old, able-bodied or disabled that life might be. We believe that all human life starts at conception and whether inside the mother’s womb or outside the mother’s womb, possesses God-given dignity, worth and personhood. (Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13-16)
The Bible teaches that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman, in permanent sacred fidelity. Sexual intimacy is created by God to be enjoyed within the covenant of marriage. The authority of Scripture bares witness to the nature of biblical marriage as uniquely bound to the complementarity of man and woman. We believe that the exercise of sexual expression outside the biblical definition of marriage in any manner is contradictory to God’s design for sexuality and marriage. As a consequence, The River Church regards any and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, fornication, co-habitation, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, pornography or even lustful intent, as sinful and ultimately unsatisfying.
Regarding gender, God fearfully and wonderfully created each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Since the body is a creation of God, The River Church holds sexual identity to be biologically determined, and disagreement with one’s biological sex only leads to spiritual confusion and emotional chaos.
(Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:15-25; Psalm 139; Matthew 5:27-32; Matthew 19:1-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Ephesians 5:21-33; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Timothy 1:10; Matthew 15:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:3)
REACH THE WORLD. GATHER WITH THE SAINTS. GROW IN THE WORD.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20
Our Vision
Reach
At The River Church, you will often hear the phrase, “we don’t go to church, we are the Church.” We believe that as God’s people, our primary purpose and goal is to go out and make disciples of Jesus Christ. We encourage you to reach the world in your local communities.
Gather
The goal of weekend gatherings at The River Church is to glorify Christ in all we do! Whether it be through singing, giving, serving, or any of the variety of ways He has gifted us and called us together, Jesus is at the center of it all. We celebrate that when followers of Christ gather together in unity, it’s not only a refresher, it brings life-change!
Grow
Our Growth Communities are designed to mirror the early church in Acts as having “all things in common.” They are smaller collections of believers who spend time together studying the Word, knowing and caring for one another relationally, and learning to increase their commitment to Christ by holding one another accountable.
RESOURCES
• Bylaws