What We Believe
Here at Rives it is our desire to remain Biblically accurate while relating to the everyday person. Listed below are the essential Biblical beliefs that we hold to. If you have questions about any of these or need further explanation, we would love to have a conversation with you.
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He eternally exists in three persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Deuteronomy 6:4, Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; Romans 1:20;
2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 6:15-16; 1 Peter 1:2; Revelation 4:8.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus, born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. After three days, He rose from the dead to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5, 14, 18, 14:10-30; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 1:20-21.
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God and is an equal
participant in creation. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is godly. He gives every believer at least one spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8, 2:38, 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, 12:1-11; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18; Galatians 5:25; 1 Peter 4:10
We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that God created mankind.
Genesis ch. 1 & 2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17
God created mankind in the image and likeness of Himself. He created us as male or female and we are the supreme object of God’s love. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us have fallen short and are justifiably condemned to Hell because of our sin and sin nature.
This first occurred in the Garden of Eden when Satan deceived Eve and she ate of the fruit. Adam was not deceived but chose to sin. Satan continues to tempt and deceive mankind to sin just as he did in the garden. Mankind’s decision to sin separates us from God and is the source of all our problems in life.
Genesis 1:27, 3:1-19; Psalm 8:3-8; Isaiah 53:6a, 59:1-2; Romans 3:23, 5:12; 1 Timothy 2:14
Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works. Salvation is completely through God’s grace alone. We can only be saved from sin’s penalty by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s complete payment for our sin. Salvation occurs the moment a person accepts Jesus Christ into their life by faith.
John 1:12, 14:6; Romans 5:1, 6:23; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5
God gives us salvation through Jesus Christ. Believers are secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been saved, you cannot “lose” your salvation. Salvation is eternally secured by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the believer.
John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 10:14, 13:5; 1 Peter 1:3-5
The Bible is God’s Word. It is composed of 66 books written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. It is inspired by God; and is the truth without error.
Psalm 12:6-7, 119:105,160; Proverbs 30:5-6; 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21, 3:15-16; Hebrews 4:12
We believe that the church is the body of Christ and it exists in two forms; the universal body and the local body, which is a group of believers who meet together regularly.
Acts 2:41-42, 15:13-18, 20:17-28; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1, 22-23, 4:11-13, 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:17
We believe that after a person comes to faith in Christ they should be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is a symbol of their identification with and their faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior. We believe that the Bible teaches baptism by immersion. We believe in the participation of the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of Christ’s death until He returns.
Matthew 26:26, 28:19-20; Luke 24:30; Acts 2:41, 10:47; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28
We believe in:
1. The rapture of the church – 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
2. The tribulation period – Daniel 9:27; Mathew 24:4-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4; Revelation ch. 4-19
3. The literal return of Christ – John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:8
4. The millennial reign of Christ – Isaiah 11:1-12, 32:1; 1 Corinthians 15:23-26; Revelation 20:4-7
5. The eternal state – Revelation 21:1-27, 22:1-5