Statement of Faith

On This Rock Statement of Faith

A. THE SCRIPTURES. The Bible the inspired Word of God, breathed by God, and written by selected men through the divine influence of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the inerrant, and the reliable guide in matters pertaining to holiness, conduct, instruction in righteousness, correction, and doctrine.

2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:12

B. THE GODHEAD. Our God is One living and true God, everlasting, all powerful, all knowing, and holy, the maker and preserver of all things. And in unity of this Godhead, there are three persons (or personalities) in one: The Father, The Son Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2:6; Matthew 3:15-17

C. MAN, HIS FALL AND REDEMPTION. Man is a created being, made in the image and likeness of God. Through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world. Jesus Christ was born perfectly God and perfectly human, to undo the work of the Devil. He gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man to God. 

Romans 5:12; Romans 3:2; Romans 3: 9-10; 1 John 3:8; Galatians 3:13-14

D. SALVATION is the Gift of God to man, is made available to all who believe, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.   We receive our new birth through our belief in the gospel – the good news – of Jesus Christ. We believe in repentance as a sorrowful work to renounce and turn away from sin.

2 Corinthians 7:10; 1 John 5:12; John 3:3-5; Ephesians 2:8

E. BODY, SOUL, SPIRIT. Man was created in three parts: body, soul, and spirit. A believer’s new birth takes place in the spirit. The soul – the sum of everything happening in the mind – needs God’s continual sanctification. Therefore, God renews our minds, by allowing the Holy Spirit to remove the unholy thoughts, enabling us to see creation through His loving eyes.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

F. WATER BAPTISM. Baptism in water is a command of our Lord and is for believers only. The ordinance is an outward and visible symbol of an inward and invisible work. Water baptism symbolizes the Christian's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:36-39

G. BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s fire cleanses our soul during the process of sanctification.
Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5; Luke 3:16

H. SANCTIFICATION. The Bible teaches that without Holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe in the doctrine of sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation.
Hebrews 12:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:12-14

I. DIVINE HEALING. Healing is for the physical and emotional ills of the body and is wrought by the power of God through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. It is the privilege of every member of the Church today.
Mark 16:18; James 5:14-20; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:4-6

J. RESURRECTION OF THE JUST AND THE RETURN OF OUR LORD. Jesus will return for His bride, the true church. He shall return to the Earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and together with His saints, He shall reign a thousand years.

Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-17 Revelation 20:6

 

K. HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION. The one who physically dies in his sins without Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the lake of fire and therefore has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or for repentance. The lake of fire is literal. The terms "eternal" and "everlasting", used in describing the duration of punishment of the damned in the lake of fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in describing the duration of joy and ecstasy of the saints in the presence of God.
Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 19:20; Hebrews 6:1-2

L. COMMUNION - THE LORD'S SUPPER. We partake of the Lord's Supper to show the Lord's death until He comes. The bread symbolizes the Lord's broken body and the cup symbolizes the new covenant in His blood which provides us with forgiveness and relationship with God.
1 Corinthians 11:23-31

M. LAYING ON OF HANDS.

In obedience to the example and words in the Bible, we believe in laying on of hands for blessing, for healing of the sick, to confer office, to receive the Holy Spirit, to receive anointing and for ordination to consecrate and receive the necessary ministry tools.
Mark 10:13-16; Mark 5:22-23; Acts 8:16-17; 1 Timothy 4:14

N. HUMAN SEXUALITY

The practice of homosexuality, as well as every other sexual perversion, is sinful, and offensive to God. We believe that homosexuality is a choice, perverting the soul, and disqualifying the practicing homosexual from the Kingdom of God. Good loves all people. As such, we believe that dynamic ministry must be offered to homosexuals in the hope of conviction, repentance, and restoration, setting the soul free from the bondage of homosexuality.

On This Rock Church will not issue credentials to a person who practices a homosexual lifestyle.

Legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities outside of marriage including but not limited to, adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, and pedophilia are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious conduct, transgender behavior, and the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography, are incompatible with the biblical witness.

Genesis 13:13; Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11
 

O. MARRIAGE:
Marriage has been established by God. This church defines “marriage” as the exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman in which such union is a lifetime commitment. A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found in these Articles.

Genesis 2:24; Matthew 10:7
 
P. THE SANCTITY OF LIFE:   

All human beings are created in the image of God with fundamental dignity and value. All are equally precious from the moment of conception, which marks the start of human life and personhood, until their final breath. The Bible teaches us to oppose the taking of innocent life whether through abortion or euthanasia.  We also affirm the personhood and dignity of those who are or would be medically, mentally, physically, or socially disadvantaged, because as followers of Christ we are committed to the Biblical calling to care for the more vulnerable members of our society. 

Psalm 68:20; Deuteronomy 27:25; Psalm 139; Jeremiah 1:5