Below you’ll find our church’s Statement of Faith. These are considered foundational doctrines by our members. For how these doctrines are expressed in our church culture, see our core values.
To see these same doctrines expressed in a more narrative and artistic format, visit the beliefs page of one of our sister churches.
The Scripture
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible – the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. It was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and was written without error in the original manuscript. It is the supreme and final authority in faith and life in every age.
2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Mark 13:31, John 8:31-32, John 20:31, Acts 20:32
God
There is but one God, infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness and love, the Creator of the universe, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality.
Luke 10:21-22, Matthew 23:9, John 3:16, John 6:27, Romans 1:7, Romans 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:5-6, 1Timothy 1:1-2, 1 Peter 1:3, Revelation 1:6
Man
God created man in His own image, and man, as he was originally created, was innocent before God. But man chose to sin by disobeying God, and therefore was alienated from his Creator and came under divine condemnation. Thus all human beings are born with a corrupted nature and without spiritual life, and are totally incapable of pleasing God in and of themselves.
Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 3:3-4, Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 1:18-32,Romans 3:10-23, Ephesians 2:1-3
Jesus Christ
God the Father, by His own choice and out of love for sinful men and women, sent Jesus Christ into the world to reconcile sinners to Himself. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He is God in the flesh, both true God and true man.
Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and voluntarily suffered and died as our substitute to pay the penalty for our sins, thus satisfying God’s justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He bodily ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, makes intercession for His own. He will return to earth – personally, visibly and bodily – to judge all men and establish His Kingdom.
Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38, John 1:1, John 20:28, Romans 9:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:21-23, John 20:30-31, Matthew 20:28, Ephesians 1:4, Acts 1:11, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 6:9-10, Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 9:28, 1 Timothy 3:16
Salvation
Men and women are freed from the penalty for their sins, not as a result, in whole or in part, of their own works, goodness or religious ceremony, but by the undeserved favor of God alone. God declares righteous all who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation.
Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:19, Genesis 5:2, Ecclesiastes 2:11, John 3:14, John 5:24, John 5:30, John 7:13, John 8:12, John 10:26, Romans 9:22, 2 Thessalonians 1:9,Revelation 19:3, Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10-15, Revelation 21:18, Psalm 51:7, Jeremiah 17:9, James 1:14, Romans 3:19, Romans 5:19, Proverbs 28:13, 1 John 1:9, John 3:16, John 1:13, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:1
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ, to convict men and women of their sins, and to impart new life to all who place their faith in Christ. He indwells believers from the moment of spiritual birth, seals them until the day of redemption and empowers them to live a life pleasing to God.
John 14:16-17, John 14:26, John 15:26-27, John 16:9-14, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16,
1 Corinthians 6:19, Galatians 5:22-26
Assurance
All who are born again of the Spirit can be fully assured of eternal life from the very moment they put their faith in Christ. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but upon the fact of God’s election, upon Christ’s complete payment for sins and upon the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.
John 5:24, John 10:29, 1 John 5:13
The Resurrection of the Dead
At physical death, the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his or her own body to everlasting glory and blessing. At physical death, the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his or her body to everlasting suffering, judgment and condemnation.
Matthew 16:27, Mark 14:62, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, Philippians 3:20, 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 2 Timothy 4:1, Titus 2:13, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 15, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 20:11-15
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Jesus Christ instructed those who believe in Him to be baptized in water as a symbol of their new birth in Christ. Baptism would be by immersion and is only for those who have personally believed in Christ. The Lord also instituted the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of His suffering, death and resurrection. Neither baptism nor the Lord’s Supper have any merit in helping a person obtain eternal life.
Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 6:3-5, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The Church
All true believers make up the church worldwide and should assemble together in local churches for worship, prayer, fellowship and teaching, to become conformed to the image of Christ and to become equipped to carry out the “Great Commission” that Christ gave His followers in Matthew 28:19-20.
Ephesians 2:19-22, Acts 1:8, Ephesians 5:19-21, Acts 2:42, Hebrews 10:23-25
Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
Though He is gracious, God is also holy and we believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. 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. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are biblically married to each other. We believe that outside of this any form of sexual activity (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. For a full statement, please read this PDF.
Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:18-25, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5, Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Hebrews 13:4
Statement on the Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. Psalm 139:1-24, Romans 13:9, Proverbs 24:11-12
Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct
The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of The Rock Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our pastors will strive to apply proper and historical Biblical hermeneutic principles and methods of interpreting the text of the Bible. We believe that 2 Timothy 2:15 commands believers – especially church leaders – to be involved in hermeneutics: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who . . . correctly handles the word of truth.”