We believe the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and useful for the purposes of spiritual inspiration, instruction and guidance in the life of the individual Christian and the life of the church. The Bible is the final authority on issues regarding the nature of God and man, the purpose of our lives and conduct and governing of our lives and the life of the church. Since the Holy Bible does speak to the nature of human beings and their sexuality, it is imperative that we correctly understand and articulate what the Bible teaches on these matters.
We believe in the triune God, manifested in three persons; God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.
We believe man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God and created for eternity. Through the disobedience of Adam, sin has come into the world and separated us from our intended relationship with God. Sin has separated every person from God and has condemned us to an eternity without God but He has made provision for this sin by sending His own Son, Jesus Christ, to pay our penalty by His willing death on the cross.
We believe it is only by the atoning death of Christ that a person can access eternity with God. It is the responsibility of every person to personally confess his/her sinful nature, accept the forgiveness of Jesus and turn from his/her sinful ways by inviting Jesus into his/her own heart and following the leading of the Holy Spirit to be made new into the image of Christ.
We believe Jesus was resurrected from the dead after three days and after instructing His disciples returned to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father. He will return again for His own and those who call on His name will likewise be raised in a bodily form.
We believe in the existence of evil personified by Satan and that the Christian is given authority over Satan through the power of Christ. It is the right and responsibility of every Christian to exercise this power through prayer and resisting of the enemy in our personal lives and in the ministry of the church.
We believe that baptism is for believers only and that water baptism by immersion is a direct commandment of our Lord. It is the outward symbol of the inward change that occurs when we receive Christ into our lives.
We believe the Lord’s Supper (communion) is the reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for us and the right and responsibility of every believer.
We believe the Holy Spirit is necessary for the daily living of our faith and that all of the gifts of the Spirit are for today. We believe the responsibility of every Christian is to seek, and put into use, the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to him/her for the building up of the Body of Christ.
We believe it is the duty and the responsibility of every Christian to grow and mature in his/her faith by diligent reading and study of the Scripture, prayer, and participation in the life of a church and serving in ministry as the Lord directs.
We believe the Church is the Body of Christ evident in the world today and directly ordained by Jesus to fulfill His Great Commission. Without the church, the Christian cannot be fully effective. It is the duty of every Christian to support his/her church by regular attendance, serving as the Lord directs with the encouragement of the church, and giving financially according to what the Scripture teaches. We believe churches have a responsibility to unite with each other to fulfill the full purpose of the Body and that unity within the Christian Church is essential to witness the love of Christ to the world.
We believe in the sovereign authority of the local church to govern and minister as God directs. We believe in the separation of church and state- that the state should protect all religious groups and favor none.
We are committed to the home and family as set forth in Holy Scripture. We believe God has ordained and created marriage to exist between one man and one woman, with absolute marital fidelity. The Bible sets forth specific home and family values, which include the distinct roles of husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and children. It is our firm conviction that we uphold the dignity of each individual as we embrace the unchanging and longstanding principles of scriptural truth.
We believe in the principles of the Statement of Faith on Marriage, Sexuality, and Gender Identity further described in the document titled: Richford First Baptist Church Statement of Faith on Marriage, Sexuality, and Gender Identity.
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 Richford First Baptist Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Diaconate and Board of Trustees are the church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
