living for the faith of the gospel | Anderson, California

February 23rd, 2007

Beliefs

What We Believe

Christianity is more than just a religious experience, a feeling of dependence, or even a relationship with God. It involves faith in something, and that something is the truth of Scripture. Truth is communicated to us in a variety of ways in the Bible, but the result is a body of doctrines or teachings that provide the content of faith.

We subscribe that the Heidelberg Catechism written in 1563, the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort, commonly called the Three Forms of Unity, are a faithful, systematic expression of the truths of God’s Holy Word.

  • There is one God, eternal and self-existing in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) who are to be equally loved, honored, and worshiped.
  • Through Adam’s fall from his original sinless state all mankind became lost in sin and totally depraved.
  • The Sovereign God, for no other reason than His own unfathomable love and mercy, has chosen in Christ lost sinners from every nation to be redeemed by the atoning death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
  • Those sinners whom the Spirit makes alive, come to believe in Christ as Savior by the Word of God, are born again, become sons of God, and will persevere to the end.
  • Justification is by faith alone, apart from works. Through faith alone we receive Christ and His perfect righteousness, and are thereby granted eternal pardon.
  • God relates to His people in the Covenant of Grace, in which He promises that He will be our God, and we, as well as our children, are His special people. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the sole Mediator of the Covenant of Grace.
  • Baptism is a sign and seal of God’s covenant and is properly administered to children of believers in their infancy as well as to those who come as adults to trust in Christ.
  • At death the Christian’s soul passes immediately into the presence of God and the unbeliever’s soul is eternally separated from God unto condemnation.
  • Jesus Christ will return to earth, visibly and bodily, at a time when He is not expected, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
  • The gospel of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ must be proclaimed to all the world as a witness before Jesus Christ returns.

For more information on the beliefs of the RCUS go to our denominational web site.