What We Believe

At Redeemer, we are not committed to just believing the bare minimum about the Christian Faith. In that spirit, we have a summary statement of faith as well as subscribing to the New Hampshire Confession of Faith as the teaching standard* for our fellowship.

We would also be in substantial agreement with the Second London Baptist Confession.

*By teaching standard, we mean the beliefs we expect anyone involved in teaching ministry at Redeemer to hold to.

SCRIPTURE

We believe that the scriptures, consisting only of the 39 books of the OT and the 27 books of the NT, are inerrant and authoritative for the church and we are committed to the centrality of God’s word in the life of this church both for doctrine and Christian living (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

GOD

We believe that there is only one God (Deut. 6:4), who exists eternally in three persons: the Father (Eph. 4:6), the Son (Jn. 1:1; 8:24), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4). He alone is the Creator of all things, the Savior of His people, and is sovereign over His universe (Eph. 1:11).

JESUS CHRIST

We believe that Jesus Christ is the virgin-born, sinless, and only begotten Son of God (Mt. 1:23; Heb. 4:15; Jn. 1:18), truly God and truly man (Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:6-7), who came into the world to save sinners from hell by His penal-substitutionary death (Mt. 1:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Isa. 53:4-6). In triumph, He arose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God. (Eph. 1:20f.).

MAN

We believe that all me and women are by nature spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1-3), and are totally unable to do any good in the sight of God, being wholly inclined towards sin (Rom. 3:10-12; 8:5-8). As a depraved sinner by nature, they are without any ability whatsoever to come to saving faith on their own (Jn. 6:44; 1 Cor. 2:14).

SALVATION

We believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9), because our righteousness is like a “filthy garment” to God (Isa. 64:6).

We believe that salvation is a work of God whereby the Father graciously elects whom He will save (Jn. 6:37, 39; Eph. 1:4), the Son redeems those given to Him by the Father (Mt. 1:21; Jn. 10:11; Eph. 5:25), and the Holy Spirit applies this salvation to the heart of the elect by effectual calling and regenerating them, that their “opened hearts” (Acts 16:14) will believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Jn. 6:44, 63; Rom. 8:30; 1 Cor. 2:12, 12:3; Jer. 24:7). Therefore, saving faith is a gift of God (Acts 11:18; 2 Cor. 4:6; Phil. 1:29; Eph. 2:8-9). We also affirm that it is the responsibility of the church to preach the gospel to the world as it is the means by which God draws His people to Himself, (Rom. 10:13-15; Mt. 28:18-20; Acts 17:30).

REPENTANCE

We believe in the doctrine and necessity of repentance. Repentance is an act of God in the heart of man that results in a radical turning from sin unto Christ for salvation. Yet repentance is more than just a change of mind about sin, it is a changed heart and behavior.

Whereas “there is none that does good and sinneth not,” and the best of men may, through the power and deceitfulness of corruption dwelling in them, with the prevalence of temptation, fall into great sins and provocations, God has mercifully provided that believers so sinning and falling be renewed through repentance unto salvation (Eccl. 7:20; Lk. 22:31,32).

This saving repentance is a grace, whereby a person, being made sensible by the Holy Spirit of the many evils of one’s sin, does, by faith in Christ, humble himself for it with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrence, praying for pardon and strength of grace, with purpose and endeavor, by supplies of the Spirit, to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things (Zech. 12:10; Acts 11:18; Ez. 36:21; 2 Cor. 7:11; Ps. 119:6, 128).

As repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives, on account of the body of death, and the motions thereof, so it is every person’s duty to repent of particular know sins (Lk. 19:8; 1 Tim. 1:13,15).

Repentance leads one to the Lamb of God, Christ our High Priest, through whom provision is made by His blood for renewal and restoration to our fellowship with God.

SAVING FAITH

We believe that all who possess true saving faith are eternally secure in Christ and unable to lose their salvation (Jn. 6:37-40; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; Jn. 6:37-40; Mt. 7:16-18; Phil. 1:6, 2:13; 1 Jn. 3:9, 5:18).

We believe that true believers are in a spiritual warfare and due to our indwelling sin may fall into grievous sins. However, those who profess faith in Christ but continue to live in sin and disobedience without repentance, and who fail to progress in any form of sanctification have no biblical basis for being born again (Tit. 1:16; Heb. 12:14; Jas. 2:14-26; 1 Jn. 2:4, 29, 3:9-10).

SANCTIFICATION

We believe that sanctification is a sovereign work of God whereby He gradually renews the believer into His own image (Phil. 1:6; Col. 3:10). In this work of renewal, God uses various means of grace which each believer should diligently pursue: the study of scripture, prayer, godly fellowship, the fruit of the Spirit, the Lord’s supper, good works, etc., (2 Pet. 1:5-11). Although sanctification is imperfect in this life due to indwelling sin, it will be completed and perfect in heaven (Col. 1:22).

THE LAW OF GOD

We believe that the Old Testament moral law is eternal and has been incorporated into the law of Christ (1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 5:14, 6:2; Rom. 13:8-10). The moral law has two primary functions: (1) to reveal sin (Rom. 3:20, 7:7; 1 Jn. 3:4) and, (2) to set forth the paths of righteousness which only the redeemed, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are able to obey (Rom. 8:4; 1 Jn. 2:3, 29; Gal. 5:16). The ceremonial and civil laws of the O.T. have expired due to their temporary and typical nature. However, the ceremonial laws are valuable to study in that they point forward to Christ and His church, and the civil law still provides principles relevant to the church (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 1 Cor. 9:9-10; 2 Cor. 13:1).

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe that every believer is gifted by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-31), and should use his or her gift for “the building up and edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12; Rom. 12:3-8). The Holy Spirit glorifies neither Himself nor His gifts by ostentatious displays, but He does glorify Christ by implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the most holy faith ( John 16:13-14 ; Acts 1:8 ; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ; 2 Corinthians 3:18 ).

We teach, in this respect, that God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints today and that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles in the beginning days of the church were for the purpose of pointing to and authenticating the apostles as revealers of divine truth, and were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:12 ; Ephesians 4:7-12 ; Hebrews 2:14 ).

CHURCH OFFICES

We believe that there are two church offices: Elders and Deacons. We affirm that there is only one Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:23), and that each local church should have a plurality of elders who function as under-shepherds, pastors and overseers (Acts 14:23). They should be qualified men (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9), who are able to guard the truth (Acts 20:28-32), and lead with a godly example (1 Pet. 5:1-3), and a servant’s heart (Jn. 13:14-15). Deacons are also to be qualified men (1 Tim. 3:8-13) who serve, assist, and help in the various ministries of the church.

CHURCH ORDINANCES

We believe that the ordinances of baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper are for those who profess faith in Christ (Acts 16:31-34; 18:8; 1 Cor. 11:23-34). The Lord’s Supper, commemorated by God’s people in remembrance of Him, and baptism are ordinances of Christ, to be continued till His coming.

CHURCH DISCIPLINE

We believe in the importance of church discipline for those in the church who is engaged in unrepentant sin of a serious magnitude (Mt.18:15-17).

THE DEVIL

We believe the scriptures teach that Satan is a spiritual creature, cast out of heaven, the adversary of God and man, reserved for the last judgment when he shall be cast into the lake of fire prepared for him and his angels (Ez. 28:11-19; Is. 14:12-15; Lk. 10:18; 1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Cor. 11:14,15; Eph.6:10-13; Rev. 12:7-11; 20:10).

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

We believe in the future coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ, and as in His Ascension so shall His second coming be – bodily and visible (Jn. 14:3; Acts 1:11; Titus 2:13; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Jn. 3:1-2).

THE LAST JUDGMENT

We believe in the resurrection of the body, both of the just and the unjust (Acts 24:15; John 5:28-29); that the just (saved) shall be raised up in glory and honor (Mt. 24:31; 25:31-40) and be openly acknowledged and fully acquitted in the judgment day, before angels, devils, and sinners, and made fully and eternally blessed both in body and soul, and that the wicked shall be raised up to be condemned, body and soul, to the unspeakable torments of the lake of fire forever and ever (Is. 26:19; Dan. 12:2; Mt. 25:31-46; Jn. 5:28-29; Acts 23:6; Rom. 6:23; 8:11, 23; 14:10-12; 1 Cor. 15:52; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:12-15).