Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God born of a virgin. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven’s glory and will return again someday to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:14-15)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character in born again believers. He comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through the Church. He seals the believer until final redemption. He enlightens and empowers the believer. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles by which God judges us and will be the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions will be tried. The Bible is to be interpreted through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:105; Pslam 119:160; Proverbs 30:5)

People are made in the image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme act of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life. (Genesis 1:27; Psalms 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2)

Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus Christ in faith can we be saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; John 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1; Romans 10:9-10)

Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the effort of Christians. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security. (John 10:27-29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:10,14; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is heaven. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. (John 3:16; John 14:2-3; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 24:46)

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His Church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to Biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. The family is the building block for society. (Genesis 1:27-28, Malachi 2:14, Ephesians 5:22-33, Hebrews 13:4)

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in the water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the Believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. We practice Believer’s baptism, which is baptism following the commitment to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Baptism is a person’s public profession of faith. Being a church ordinance, it is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership. Members of Riverbluff Church have been baptized by full immersion. (Matthew 3:13, 16; Acts 2:38; Acts 12:8) Call the office (843.266.6328) or email sthomas@riverbluff.org to sign up or get more information about baptism.