Rivers of Life Outreach Ministry's
Statement of Faith
Statement of Faith
1. The Scriptures Inspired
The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21)
2. The One True God
One true God has revealed himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM" the creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has futhered revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Ghost. (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 43:10, 11; Matt 28:19; Luke 3:22)
3. The Deity of Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:
- His virgin birth (Matt 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35
- His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22)
- His miracles (Acts 2:22, 10:38)
- His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor 15:3; 2 Cor 5:21)
- His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Cor 15:4)
- His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11, 2:33; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3)
4. The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead. It is He that convicts individuals of thier sinfulness, draws them to Jesus Christ, and bears witness to their new birth (Rom 8:16; John 16:7-11; I Thess. 1:5-6; James 1:18) At salvation, the believer is baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13) The Spirit indwells, seals and gives spiritual gifts to all believers for ministry in the church and society. (Romans 8:9-11, 12:5-8, Eph 1:13-14; 1 Peter 4:10)
5. The Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for God said "Let us make man in Our Image after Our Likeness." However man, by voluntary transgression, fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. (Gen 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans 5:12-19)
6. The Salvation of Man
Man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
- Conditions to Salvation -- Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:27; John 3:3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7)
- The Evidences of Salvation -- The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Rom 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Eph 4:24; Titus 2:12)
7. The Ordinances of the Church
- Baptism in Water -- The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matt 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:40).
- Holy Communion -- The Lord's Supper, consisting of elements-bread and the fruit of the vine-is the symbol (expressing and sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death 1 Cor 11:26) and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Cor 11:26) and is enjoined on all believers "till He comes!"
A divinely called and scriptural ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the church in:
- Evangelization of the world (Mk 16:15,20)
- Worship of God (John 4:23-24)
- Building a body of saints being perfected in the Image of His Son (Eph 4:11,16)
9. Divine Healing
Divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel. Deliverance from sickness and addictions are provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Is 53:4,5; Matt 8:16,17; James 5:14-16)
10. The Church and it's Mission
The Church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and the church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven (Eph 1:22,23; 2:22; Heb 12:23) Since God's purpose concerning man is to seek and build a body of believers in the Image of His Son, the priority reason-for-being of the Church is:
- To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matt 28:19,20; Mk 16:15,16)
- To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Cor 12:13)
- To be a channel of God's purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the Image of His Son (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Cor 12:28, 14:12)
11. Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Rom12:1,2; 1 Thess 5:23; Heb 13:12) Scriptures teach a life of "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb 12:14). But with the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet 1:15,16). Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Phil 2:12-13; 1 Pet 1:5)
12. The Infilling of the Holy Ghost
The church exist expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This continuing experience:
- Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:15-20;Acts 4:29-31; Heb 2:3-4)
- Adds a necessary dimension to a worshipful relationship with God (1 Cor 2:10-16; 12:14)
- Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruit, gifts, and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of the Body of Christ (Gal 5:22-26; 1 Cor 14:12; Eph 4:11,12; 1 Cor 12:28; Col 1:29)
13. The Blessed Hope
The resurrecting of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thess 4:16,17; Rom 8:23; 1 Cor 15:51, 52)
14. The End Time
There will be the visible return of Christ with his saints to reign on the earth for one thousand years (Zech 14:5; Rev 1:7, 19:11-14, 20:1-6). Then there will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be judged according to their deeds. Those not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matt 25:46, Mk 9:43-48; Rev 19:20, 20:11-15) We who are saved, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth ( 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21, 22)
