What We Believe

Mission Statement

We are a family of disciples transformed by the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ, living in COMMUNITY, and living out his disciple-making MISSION for the glory of God.

Core Values

It is our prayer that these core values define and drive our existence as a church. We believe the Lord will use us greatly for his Kingdom if we devote ourselves to living out the implications of the gospel, community, and mission.

Gospel

The gospel is the good news that God is redeeming people for himself and restoring his good creation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the power of God to change lives and renew cultures. It motivates everything we do as a church. It changes the way we love, give, serve, speak, parent, and view others. Because we know God and his gospel through the Bible, we saturate everything we do with God’s Word. Ultimately, to say we value the gospel is to say we treasure Christ more than anything life can give or death can take away.

Community

The gospel creates a new community of people who covenant to live life together as the church. Like the early church, we gather for corporate worship and in small groups throughout the week. We strive to be a diverse and friendly community of faith welcoming people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. Because Jesus said that our love for one another demonstrates that we belong to him, we serve one another, pray for one another, support one another, rejoice with one another, and bear one another’s burdens. As we live in community we point to the veracity and power of the gospel.

Mission

The gospel also calls us to be a part of God’s mission. Just as God seeks to glorify himself through redeeming worshipers and restoring his good creation, we seek to glorify him by declaring and displaying the gospel in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and social networks. This means that every member of Redemption Hill lives like a missionary by striving to make disciples of all nations. We also labor sacrificially for the good of our city and the world by engaging in deeds of mercy. Ultimately, we desire to play our part in God’s mission of redemption by planting churches everywhere from our community to the ends of the earth.

 

Statement of Faith

At Redemption Hill we believe theology is vitally important. What we believe about God and his Word provides the foundation and guide for our understanding of the gospel and everything in our lives. Our Statement of Faith details the central beliefs of our church.

* Our Statement of Faith is rooted in historic Baptist confessions of faith like the New Hampshire Baptist Confession (1833) and the Abstract of Principles (1858) and is in agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message (2000).

I. The Scriptures.

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God. Therefore, all scripture is authoritative, infallible and inerrant. The Scriptures are the only sufficient rule for faith and practice (Ps. 19:7; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

II. God.

There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of Himself, all perfections, and being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience that springs from faith (Deut. 6:4; Ps. 145:3; John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; 1 Tim. 1:17).

III. The Trinity.

The Scriptures reveal that the one God eternally exists in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person has distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:3-14).

IV. Providence.

God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any way to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures (Isa. 46:9-11; Prov. 16:33; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3; Jas. 1:13-15).

V. Man.

Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. Through the temptation of Satan, Adam transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness whereby his descendants inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law. As a result, they are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. Every human life is sacred from the moment of conception to natural death. This truth is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Gen. 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalm 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Rom. 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12-19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; Eph. 2:1-3).

VI. God’s Purpose of Grace.

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility (Rom. 8:28-30; 1 Cor. 1:27-29; Eph. 1:4, 11).

VII. The Mediator.

Since Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is fully God and fully man, He is the divinely appointed mediator between God and man. Having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the law, suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended to His Father, at whose right hand He ever lives to make intercession for His people. He will return again visibly and bodily. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe (Isa. 53:10-12; John 1:1, 14; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 3:21-26; 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Gal. 3:13; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:1-3).

VIII. The Holy Spirit.

We believe that God the Holy Spirit brings glory to the Father and the Son. He applies the work of Christ to believers and distributes spiritual gifts to every believer according to His sovereign good pleasure for the purpose of building up the body of Christ. He is the Comforter, the Spirit of Adoption, the Seal of our Salvation, and the Guarantor of our inheritance in Christ (John 14:16-17; 16:14; Acts 5:3; Rom. 8:14-17; Eph. 1:13-14).

IX. Regeneration.

Regeneration is a change of heart, brought about by the Holy Spirit, who gives life to those dead in trespasses and sins, enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the word of God, and renewing their whole nature, so that they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God’s free and special grace alone (Eph. 2:1-6; Tit. 3:5; 1 John 5:1).

X. Repentance.

Repentance is a gift of God, wherein a person being by the Holy Spirit, made sensible of the manifold evil of his sin, humbles himself for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrence, with a purpose and endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all things (Acts 2:37-38; 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:10-11).

XI. Faith.

Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatever is revealed in His word concerning Christ, accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life of holiness (Rom. 3:27-28; 4:1-5; 4:17-25; 10:14, 17; Phil. 1:29; Eph. 2:8; Jas. 2:14-26).

XII. Justification.

Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners, who believe in Christ, from all sin, through the propitiation that Christ has made, not for anything wrought in them or done by them, but on account of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, they receive and rest on Him and His righteousness by faith (Acts 13:38-39; Rom. 3:21-26; 8:34; 10:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).

XIII. Sanctification.

Those who have been regenerated are also sanctified by God’s word and Spirit dwelling in them. This sanctification is progressive through the supply of Divine strength, which all saints seek to obtain, pressing after a heavenly life in joyful obedience to all Christ’s commands (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:26-27; Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:13-24; 2 Pet. 1:3-11).

XIV. Perseverance of the Saints.

All those whom God has regenerated will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall through neglect and temptation, into sin, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the church, and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (John 6:37-40; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:28-39; 1 Cor. 1:8-9; Phil. 1:6).

XV. The Church.

The Lord Jesus is the head of the church, which is composed of all His true disciples, and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According to His commandment, Christians are to associate themselves into particular churches; and to each of these churches He has given needful authority for administering that order, discipline and worship which He has appointed. The regular officers of a church are Pastors and Deacons. The mission of the church is to engage in God’s mission of redeeming people from all the peoples of the world (Matt. 28:18-20; John 10:16; Acts 20:17, 28; Eph. 1:22; 5:23; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 5:17-18; Tit. 1:5-9; Heb. 10:25).

XVI. Baptism.

Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of giving himself up to God to live and walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to church membership (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13).

XVII. The Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine, and to be observed by His churches until the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate His death, to confirm the faith and other graces of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge and renewal of their communion with Him and of their church membership until He returns (Matt. 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:23-34).

XVIII. The Lord’s Day.

The Lord’s Day is a Christian institution for regular observance, and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Rev. 1:10).

XIX. Liberty of Conscience.

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary to His word, or not contained in it. Civil magistrates, being ordained of God, ought to be yielded by us in the Lord through subjection in all lawful things commanded by them, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake (Matt. 15:9; Rom. 13:1-7; 14:4; Acts 5:29; Col. 2:20-23).

XX. The Family

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.

Marriage is the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. His God-given responsibility is to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. Her God-given responsibility is to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.

Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exo. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; 1 Sam. 1:26-28; Psalm 51:5; 127; 139:13-16; Matt. 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Titus 2:3-5; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7.)

XXI. The Resurrection.

The bodies of men after death return to dust, but their spirits return immediately to God—the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked, to be reserved under darkness to the judgment. The bodies of all the dead, both just and unjust, will be raised (John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:12-28; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Phil. 1:23).

XXII. The Judgment.

God has appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when everyone shall receive according to his deeds; the wicked shall go into everlasting and conscious punishment and the righteous into everlasting life (Matt. 25:46; John 5:22, 27-29; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:6-11; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 7:13-17; 14:9-11).