STATEMENT OF FAITH

Section: Marriage, Family and Sexuality

STATEMENT OF FAITH
Section: Marriage, Family and Sexuality

All matters of faith and conduct must be evaluated on the basis of Holy Scripture, which is our infallible guide (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Since the Holy Bible does speak to the nature of human beings and their sexuality, it is imperative that we correctly understand and articulate what the Bible teaches on these matters. We are committed to the home and family as set forth in Holy Scripture. We believe God has ordained and created marriage to exist between one man and one woman, with absolute marital fidelity. The Bible sets forth specific home and family values, which include the distinct roles of husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and children. It is our firm conviction that we uphold the dignity of each individual as we embrace the unchanging and long standing principles of scriptural truth. Based on Holy Scripture and the constant moral teaching of the universal Church, we believe:

  • Marriage — RHC defines marriage as the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of one man and one woman, intrinsically ordered to procreation and biological family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child. A pastor of RHC may only marry someone with the biblical qualifications as stated above. A failure to meet the above qualifications disqualifies the applicant. (Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 2:18-24, Matthew 19:4-9, Mark 10:5-9, Ephesians 5:31-33)
  • Sexual Immorality — RHC believes that sexual acts outside marriage are prohibited as sinful. Consequently, RHC members must resist and refrain from any and all sexual acts outside marriage — including but not limited to adultery, fornication, incest, zoophilia, pornography, prostitution, masturbation, voyeurism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, sodomy, polygamy, polyamory, sologamy, or same-sex sexual acts. (Exodus 20:14, Leviticus 18:7-23, Leviticus 20:10-21, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 15:19, Matthew 5:27-28, Matthew 15:19, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hebrews 13:4, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 4:17-19, Colossians 3:5)
  • Sexual Identity — RHC believes that God created mankind in His image: male (man) and female (woman), sexually different but with equal personal dignity. Consequently, RHC members must affirm their biological sex and refrain from any and all attempts to physically change, alter, or disagree with their predominant biological sex — including but not limited to elective sex-reassignment, transvestite, transgender, or non-binary “genderqueer” acts or conduct. (Genesis 1:26-28, Romans 1:26-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
  • Sexual Orientation — RHC believes that God created and ordered human sexuality to the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of man and woman, intrinsically ordered to procreation and biological family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child. Consequently, RHC members must affirm the sexual complementarity of man and woman and resist any and all same-sex sexual attractions and refrain from any and all same-sex sexual acts or conduct, which are intrinsically disordered. (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:5-9, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:25-27, Revelation 19:7-9, Revelation 21:2)
  • Sexual Redemption — RHC believes that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and should seek redemption through confession, repentance, baptism, and faith in Jesus Christ. Consequently, RHC members must try to help and treat with respect, compassion, and sensitivity all who experience same-sex attractions or confess sexually immoral acts, but are committed to resisting sexual temptation, refraining from sexual immorality, and conforming their behavior to RHC Statement of Faith. (Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1-10, I Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 2:17-18, Hebrews 4:14-16)
  • Celibacy — RHC believes that Holy Scripture grants two life-enhancing options for human sexual behavior: (1) the conjugal “one flesh” marital union of one man and one woman, and (2) celibacy. Either is a gift from God, given as He wills for His glory and the good of those who receive and rejoice in His gift to them. Celibacy and faithful singleness is to be celebrated and affirmed within the RHC. (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18, 21-24; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:5-8; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:1-8; Matthew 19:12; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Romans 12:10; 1 Timothy 5:1-2).

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13- 16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6, 15; 23:13-l4; 24:3; 29:15, 17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8, 14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7.

What are we doing?

  • Love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • Love People of all Nations.
  • Share Jesus the Messiah.
  • Make Disciples of all Nations.

What are our values?

  • A maturing relationship with the Messiah.
  • Biblical authority as God’s perfect standard for life and faith.
  • Biblical hospitality to all people to know the Love of the Messiah.
  • Ministry excellence since we serve the Messiah.
  • Ministry integrity since we are accountable to the Messiah.

What makes us successful in the eyes of the Lord?

We worship the LORD.

  • Love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • We read and study the Scriptures.
  • We pray.
  • We obey.

Love People of all Nations

  • Our family relationships are growing.
  • Our church family relationships are growing.
  • I’m involved in a Bible Study.
  • I give care to the believers at church.
  • I serve at church.

Share Jesus the Messiah

  • We are prepared to share the Gospel to the Jew first and the Gentile.
  • We are proactively developing relationships with lost people.
  • We engage in witnessing opportunities with lost people.
  • We are supporting missionaries who are taking the Gospel to the nations.

Make Disciples of all Nations.

  • We are personally accountable to other believers.
  • We are involved in equipping other believers.
  • We are multiplying disciples.
  • We are using our spiritual gifts to edify one another.

How are we doing it?

  • We worship, serve and connect weekly.
  • We reach and equip regularly.

Where is the Lord taking us?

We believe God is calling us to be a light in the darkness to a lost and ever-darkening world. The Gospel of Jesus Christ (the Good News about the Person and work of the Messiah) provided the way for sinners to move from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light. Once we receive this truth by faith personally, we’re compelled to share the effects of this spiritual change with others and to grow in our relationship with the Messiah.

To learn more about the beliefs and doctrines of RHC, please view our Statement of Faith. For more information or to connect with RHC, we encourage you to Contact Us.

ROCK HARBOR CHURCH

We're On a Mission

Rock Harbor Church is a community of believers devoted to God’s Word. Founded upon an unwavering commitment to “anchor ourselves to the rock of Christ,” we teach the entire Bible verse by verse from Genesis to Revelation, and seek to apply its truth to our daily lives in order to go deeper in our walk with the Lord. We are a growing body of believers committed to reaching our culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that the Bible is God’s Holy Word, and that it contains God’s perfect plan to redeem humanity from sin, through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

We defend God’s absolute truth in a relativistic culture. We desire to ground our understanding of current events from a biblical and prophetic perspective. We protect our people by warning of the growing apostasy inside and outside of Christendom. We value the Biblical family unit which was created by God to be the bedrock of a society. Therefore, our desire is to preserve our marriages and seek to protect and prepare our children to encounter a culture that is hostile to a biblical view of the family. We support the Jewish people, the nation of Israel, and the Lord’s plan for them.

We believe that Rock Harbor Church just didn’t happen, but that the LORD planted us in this area of Bakersfield for a specific reason. Our mission is simple and it guides everything we do: Love God, Love People, Share Jesus, Make Disciples. This mission is uniquely different compared to what the world offers to people. Our church offers what people need instead of what they think they want.