
Our Articles of Faith

Riverview Baptist Church Statements of Faith
We believe the Bible is God's Word given by divine inspiration, the record of God's
revelation of Himself to humanity (2 Timothy 3.16). It is trustworthy, sufficient, without
error -- the supreme authority and guide for all doctrine and conduct (1 Peter 1.23-25;; John
17.17;; 2 Timothy 3.16-17). It is the truth by which God brings people into a saving
relationship with Himself and leads them to Christian maturity (John 20.31;; 1 John 5.9-12;;
Matthew 4.4;; 1 Peter 2.2).
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We believe in one living and true God, perfect in wisdom, sovereignty, holiness, justice,
mercy and love (1 Timothy 1.17;; Psalm 86.15;; Deuteronomy 32.3-4). He exists eternally in
three coequal persons who act together in creation, providence, and redemption (Genesis
1.26;; 1 Peter 1.2;; Hebrews 1.1-3).
We believe God created man in His own image to have fellowship with Himself and to be
steward over His creation (Genesis 1.26-28). As a result, each person is unique, possesses
dignity, and is worthy of respect (Psalm 139.13-17). Through the temptation of Satan,
Adam chose to disobey God;; this brought sin and death to the human race and suffering to
all creation (Genesis 3;; Romans 5.12-21;; 8.22).
We believe salvation is redemption by Christ of the whole person from sin and death (2
Timothy 1.9-10;; 1 Thessalonians 5.23). It is offered as a free gift by God to all and must
be received personally through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2.4;;
Ephesians 2.8-9;; Acts 20.21). An individual is united to Christ by the regeneration of the
Holy Spirit (Galatians 2.20;; Colossians 1.27). As a child of God, the believer is acquitted of
all guilt and brought into a new relationship of peace (Romans 5.1). Christians grow as the
Holy Spirit enables them to understand and obey the Word of God (2 Peter 3.18;; Ephesians
4.15;; 1 Thessalonians 3.12).
We believe the Church is the body of which Christ is the head and all who believe in Him
are members (Ephesians 1.22-23;; Romans 12.4-5). Christians are commanded to be
baptized upon profession of faith and to unite with a local church for mutual encouragement
and growth in discipleship through worship, nurture, service, and the proclamation of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world (Acts 2.41-42, 47;; Luke 24.45-48). Each church is a
self-governing body under the lordship of Christ with all members sharing responsibility
(Acts 13.1-3;; 14.26-28). The form of government is understood to be congregational
(Matthew 18.17;; Acts 6.3-6;; 15.22-23).
We believe the ordinances of the church are Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is
the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit (Matthew 28.18-20). It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer􀂶s
identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6.3-5). The
Lord's Supper is the partaking of the bread and of the cup by believers together as a
memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. It is an act of thankful dedication to
Him and serves to unite His people until He returns (1 Corinthians 11.23-26).
We believe religious liberty, rooted in Scripture, is the inalienable right of all individuals to
freedom of conscience with ultimate accountability to God (Genesis 1.27;; John 8.32;; 2
Corinthians 3.17;; Romans 8.21;; Acts 5.29). Church and state exist by the will of God.
Each has distinctive concerns and responsibilities, free from control by the other (Matthew
22.21). Christians should pray for civil leaders, and obey and support the government in
matters not contrary to Scripture (1 Timothy 1.1-4;; Romans 13.1-7;; 1 Peter 2.13-16). The
state should guarantee religious liberty to all persons and groups regardless of their
religious preferences, consistent with the common good.
We believe Christians, individually and collectively, are salt and light in society (Matthew
5.13-16). In a Christ-like spirit, they oppose greed, selfishness and vice;; they promote
truth, justice, and peace;; they aid the needy and preserve the dignity of people of all races
and conditions (Hebrews 13.5;; Luke 9.23;; Titus 2.12;; Philippians 4.8-9;; 1 John 3.16-17;;
James 2.1-4). We affirm the family as the basic unit of society and seek to preserve its
integrity and stability (Genesis 2.21-25;; Ephesians 6.1-4).
We believe God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring all things to their
appropriate end and establish the new heaven and new earth (Ephesians 1.9-10;; Revelation
21.1). The certain hope of the Christian is that Jesus will return to the earth suddenly,
personally, and visibly in glory according to His promise (Titus 2.13;; Revelation 1.7;; 3.11;;
John 14.1-3). The dead will be raised, and Christ will judge mankind in righteousness (John
5.28-29). The unrighteous will be consigned to the everlasting punishment prepared for the
devil and his angels (Matthew 25.41,46;; Revelation 20.10). The righteous, in their
resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever with the Lord
(Philippians 3.20-21;; 2 Corinthians 5.10;; 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18).
(Rev 1.2013)