1) God - We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
2) Jesus Christ - We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus is Israel’s promised Messiah and was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, and according to God's set purpose and foreknowledge was crucified under both Roman and Jewish authority, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest, Advocate and Judge.
3) The Work of Christ - We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
4) The Work of the Holy Spirit - We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its sin. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and others-edifying and church-unifying service.
5) The Bible - We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises. At Solid Rock, we affirm and teach from all modern translations that are faithful to the original writings.
6) The Human Condition - We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they committed sin when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
7) The Church - We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifested in local churches, whose membership is composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
8) Ordinances Of The Church - Water baptism is only intended for the individual who has received the saving benefits of Christ's atoning work and an essential step in becoming His disciple. Therefore, in obedience to Christ's command and as a testimony to God, the church, oneself and the world, a believer should be immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Water baptism is a visual and symbolic demonstration of a person's union with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection. It signifies that his former way of life has been put to death and vividly depicts a person's release from the mastery of sin.
The Lord's Supper is to be observed only by those who have become genuine followers of Christ. This ordinance symbolizes the breaking of Christ's body (bread) and the shedding of His blood (the cup) on our behalf, and is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian life as a sign of continued participation in the atoning benefits of Christ's death. As we partake of the Lord's Supper with an attitude of faith and self-examination, we remember and proclaim the death of Christ, receive spiritual nourishment for our souls, and signify our unity with other members of Christ's body.
9) Christian Living - We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and the spiritual disciplines of fasting, study of scripture and prayer, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
10) Christ’s Return - We believe in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
11) Response and Eternal Destiny - We believe that God commands a person to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment (hell) and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth for the sole purpose of knowing the full presence of God and enjoying Him forever.
