Jude exhorts the Church to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). One way we do this is by confessing what the Bible teaches concerning Church government, doctrine, and worship. As members of the universal catholic church (Westminster Confession of Faith 25:2) we confess the ancient Creeds of Nicea-Constantinople (325, 381 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD). As members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America we confess the Westminster Confession of Faith, Shorter & Larger Catechisms, and the RP Testimony (all are included in the RPCNA constitution). Thus, we are a confessionally Reformed and Presbyterian Church. Please consult the RPCNA constitution for full details to what we believe.

What we believe

Below is a brief summary of our faith:

The Triune God

WE confess the Holy and Blessed Trinity. We believe that God exists as one undivided being who eternally subsists in three distinct persons (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Matthew 28:19; 1 John 5:7). God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost are of one substance and equal in power and glory. “The Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.” (Westminster Confession of Faith 2:3; John 1:1, 14, 18; 3:16; 15:26; 1 Peter 1:11). The Triune God is the creator of all things, the source of our salvation, and the object of our worship and adoration (Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 1:3-14).

The Bible

We confess that the Bible is the revelation of the Triune God and is the very Word of God. The Bible’s source is God Himself and is therefore infallible and inerrant (Matt 5:18; 1 Peter 23-25). The Scripture alone is our final and sufficient authority for all things pertaining to faith, life, godliness, and doctrine (2 Timothy 3:15-17). God “by His singular care and providence” has “kept pure in all ages” His original Word and is preserved in every generation so that not a single word is missing but every “jot and title” is available to His Church in every generation (Westminster Confession of Faith 1:8; Matthew 5:18).

Jesus Christ the Mediator

We confess Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God became truly man to be the Mediator of God’s elect (John 1:1, 14; 1 Timothy 2:5). As God-man Christ is of infinite glory and beauty, full of grace and truth, and has come to “save his people from their sins” (John 17:3; John 1:14, 16; Matthew 1:21). Our Lord “was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell [under the state of death and the grave Psalm 16:10]. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead” (The Apostles Creed). By His perfect obedience of the law and satisfaction of Divine justice, Christ has perfectly accomplished salvation for His people (Hebrews 10:14). It is through Christ alone is man saved (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

The Doctrines of Grace

We confess that we are redeemed by God’s sovereign free grace alone and therefore “salvation is of the Lord“ (Ephesians 1:3-6; 2:1-10; Jonah 2:9). Grace is God’s undeserved and unmerited goodness to hell deserving sinners. God’s grace is sovereign for He alone ordains from all eternity whom He will save; and it is free for it is not conditioned upon man but God’s free authority to love whom He desires; this is all for His own glory and “according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:3-11; Romans 9; John 17:1-3). The doctrines of Grace are helpfully summarized in the acronym TULIP which stands for Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints.

Justification

We confess that Justification is by grace alone, though faith alone, in Christ alone. Justification is a judicial act whereby a judge declares one righteous or unrighteous (Romans 3;24-25). Man cannot merit righteousness for he is a sinner who is “an unclean thing” whose righteousness is “as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). God by His free grace gifts His Son Jesus Christ to “fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15), which He imputes to us by faith only without works (Romans 3:26-28; 4:2-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the gospel and if anyone believes otherwise is under the anathema of God (Galatians 1:8-9).

To conclude, consider J. I. Packer’s summary of what Reformed Christianity teaches, “The heart of Reformed Christianity is its Trinitarian Christocentricism, expressed manwardly in evangelistic and pastoral proclamation attuned to human need, according to Christ’s Great Commission, and Godwardly in the worshipful offering, both corporately and individually, or responsive praise, prayer, thanksgiving, and song.”