The Rock Church

Who We Are / Statement of Faith

Statement of Faith

    • Scripture

      The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. It was uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and was written without error in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority.

        • 2 Timothy 3:16
        • Luke 24:27, 44
        • 2 Peter 1:21

    • 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.

        • Genesis 1:26
        • 1 John 5:7
        • John 5:22-23, 26-27

    • 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 fully God and fully 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.

        • Luke 2:26-27, 30-31
        • 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
        • Hebrews 1:2-3

    • 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.

        • Luke 12:12
        • Mark 1:8
        • Acts 1:8

    • 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 corrupt nature and without spiritual life, and are totally incapable of pleasing God in and of themselves.

        • Romans 3:10-12, 20-23
        • Jeremiah 17:9
        • Ecclesiastes 12:14

    • Salvation

      Men and women are freed from the penalty for their sins not as a result 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.

        • Romans 3:24-25
        • Ephesians 2:8-9
        • 1 John 1:9

    • 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 their inheritance.

        • John 10:14
        • Romans 10:9, 13
        • Romans 6:23

    • 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 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.

        • Acts 4:33
        • 1 Corinthians 6:14
        • 2 Corinthians 4:14

    • Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

      Jesus Christ has instructed those who believe in Him to be baptized in water as a symbol of their new birth in Christ. Baptism is 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.

        • Mark 1:4
        • Acts 22:16
        • 1 Corinthians 11:26

    • The Church

      All true believers make up the church worldwide and should assemble together in local churches for worship, prayer, fellowship and teachings 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.

        • Romans 12:4-5
        • 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27
        • 1 Corinthians 1:10

    • Marriage Policy

      Because God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and Himself, The Rock Church will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Further, the pastors and staff of The Rock Church shall only participate in weddings and solemnize marriages between one man and one woman. Finally, the facilities and property of The Rock Church shall only host weddings between one man and one woman.

        • Genesis 2:22-24
        • Ephesians 5:25-33
        • Hebrews 13:4-7

    • 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.”

    You can find a printable version here.