Statements Of Faith And Doctrine

The corporation accepts the Scripture as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity, adopts these fundamental tenants of faith and doctrine.

The Scriptures Inspired

‍The Bible is the inspired word of God, a revelation from God to man, the living, infallible, and everlasting rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason (II Timothy 3:15-17; I Peter I :23-25; Hebrews 4:12).

The One True Godhead

‍The triune Godhead is comprised of three separate and distinct personalities, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are eternally self-existent, self-revealed, and function as one entity. Jesus Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh, is the second member of the Godhead, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 1:1-5, 10:14; Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:18-20).

Man, His Fall and Redemption

‍Man was created good and upright, for God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." But, man, by voluntary transgression, fell, and his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Genesis I :26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:1221).

The Salvation of Man

Man's only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24; John 3:3). On the cross, Jesus Christ became sin and sickness providing both salvation and divine healing for all mankind (Psalm 103:3), being justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. For by grace, we are saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8). “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart; that is, the word of faith which are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:8-10).

The evidences of salvation: the inward evidence to the believer of his salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16; John 3:18-19, 24); the outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and holiness. “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7: 16-20).Faith and works: Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and not by human works; however, the works are observable expressions of faith and love of God and will determine the rewards in eternity (Ephesians 2:8-10; Galatians 2:16; II Corinthians 5:10).

Baptism in Water

The sacrament of baptism by a burial with Christ should be observed as commanded by the Scriptures by all who have truly repented in their hearts and have believed on Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they declare to the world that they have been included in Christ's death and Christ has included them in His resurrection to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Acts 10:47-48).

The Lord's Supper

“And when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup." (I Corinthians 11:24, 28).

The Promise of the Father

All believers are entitled to, and should ardently expect and earnestly seek, the promise of the Father, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5; Acts 2:38). With it come the endowments of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). This wonderful experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 2:38; 10:44-46, 11:14-16).

The Evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

The full consummation of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and/or by the subsequent manifestation of spiritual power in public testimony and service (Acts 1:8; 2:4; 10:44-46; Galatians 5:16-26).

The Church

The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the first born, whose names are written in Heaven (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23).

Total Prosperity

  • Spiritual Prosperity: III John 2; II Corinthians 5:17-21

  • Mental Prosperity: II Timothy 1:7; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3

  • Physical Prosperity: Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24

  • Financial Prosperity: Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-15; Deuteronomy 28:1-14

  • Social Prosperity: Proverbs 3:4; Luke 2:52; Esther 2:15

Blessed Hope

Jesus is coming again to gather all His Saints to ever be with Him (I Corinthians 15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The Lake of Fire

Those who have not accepted the redemptive work of Jesus Christ will suffer eternal separation from the Godhead. The devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment in the Lake of Fire which burns with brimstone. This is the second death, the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20; 20:10-15).

The Millennial Reign of Jesus

The Scriptures promise the return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His saints from Heaven to rule and reign for one thousand years on earth (II Thessalonians 1:7; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6). After this, there shall be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21).

Marriage and Sexual Relations

The River Church shall not endorse or conduct any marriage between persons of the same gender because this is outside our expression of worship. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family, the basic structure of human society (Genesis 2:24, I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Timothy 1:9-11). God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in other than in the context of marriage between a man and a woman (Genesis 19:5; 26:8-11; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:l; 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).

Sexual Perversions

Any form of sexual perversions is deemed by the Word of God as detestable and inconsistent with the Christian life (I Corinthians 6:9-10; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13).