Statement of Faith

Section: Conclusion

RHC Statement of Faith

Conclusion

Whether one agrees with having a formal or informal membership is irrelevant. It is the decision of the local body of believers what type of membership dynamic they will use with its members. A church must decide what system is best for them in their cultural and contextual climate so that the many duties and responsibilities of believers can be lived out without any hindrance. Therefore, freedom in Christ is given for a church to make this kind of decision indicative to their situation. For RHC, a formal membership process fits our church’s needs.

Rededicating Your Life to Christ

Perhaps you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior but you have been away from fellowship with the Lord. We can never lose our salvation but we can lose fellowship with the Lord due to many issues. For example, a child can lose fellowship with his or her parents due to bad behavior. However, that child is always their child. The union always remains but the fellowship can be broken. Likewise, the same can happen between us and God. Even though our union with Christ can never be broken, we can stop living for Him, get involved into sinful behavior, harbor unconfessed sin, or simply become indifferent towards the Lord. If you have been out of fellowship with the Lord, He desires that you come back to restore your relationship with Him.

Baby/Child Dedication

Baby/Child dedication is intended to be a public statement by the parents that they will train their children in the Christian faith and seek to instill that faith in them. Baby/Child dedication is a symbolic ceremony undertaken by Christian parents soon after the birth of a child. The Act is intended to be a public statement by the parents that they will train their children in the Christian faith and seek to instill that faith in them. There is no implied salvation in the ceremony whatsoever. The idea of dedicating a child to the Lord can certainly be found in the Bible. Hannah was a barren wife who promised to dedicate her child to God if He would give her a son (1 Samuel 1:11). Luke 2:22 begins the account of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple after forty days in order to dedicate Him to the Lord as a firstborn.

How to be Saved

1. Understand that the Bible declares you to be a sinner who is in need of forgiveness from God due to the penalty attached to sin, which is both physical death and spiritual. Those who die physically without forgiveness will die a second death by being placed in Hell for all eternity. However, God has provided the means of that forgiveness, which is found in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23 & 6:23 – “All have sinned”, “The wages of sin is death.”)

2. Therefore, believe (trust/be persuaded/rely on) that Jesus Christ is God who came in the flesh and was the perfect substitutionary sacrifice on your behalf when He died on a cross for your sins, was buried, and rose physically from the dead on the third day. Trust/believe that Jesus, the Messiah, is your substitute for and as your Savior from the penalty of sin (John 1:1 “The Word was God” & Romans 5:8 “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”)

3. Since Jesus accomplished the work of salvation on your behalf, you must understand that salvation is a gift from God that cannot be earned nor worked for. It is provided to the individual by grace and through the means of faith. Faith (trust/believe/be persuaded by/rely on) in Jesus the Messiah’s death as your substitute for your sins, His burial and resurrection is the only necessary condition for salvation. (Ephesians 2:8, 9 – “By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask you to forgive me of all my sins. I believe you are God who came in the flesh and lived the perfect life I couldn’t live. I believe You died on a cross for my sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. I receive and trust You as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me and giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.