Rural Life Mission Statement of Faith

1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts, and infallible, and the final authority in all matters of faith and life.
Psalm 119:89, 105; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:15 17; Hebrews 4:12; 2Peter 1:19 21

2. One true God eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; 15:26; Acts 5:3, 4; 1Corinthians 12:4 6; Galatians 4:4 6; 1Peter 1:2; 2Corinthians 13:14

3. Jesus Christ  is true God and true man and was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary.
Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18 25; John 1:1,14; Philippians 2:5 11; Colossians 1:12 17

4. Jesus Christ, being sinless, died in our place for our sins, was buried and rose again bodily from the dead, ascended to heaven where He now intercedes at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
Isaiah 53:4,6; John 1:29; Romans 8:3, 34; 1Corinthians 15:3,4; 2Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 1:1- 3; 2:9; 4:15; 7:26; 1 Peter 3:18

5. All men are sinners and separated from God until they are born again by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ,  and evidenced by repentance of sin.
Isaiah 55:6,7; John 3:16,17; 14:6; Romans 3:10 12, 23, 24; 5:12, 18; 6:23; 10:9, 10; Ephesians 2:8, 9; 1Timothy 2:3 5

6.  The Holy Spirit indwells each believer and seals each believer until the day of redemption.
Ezekiel 36:26; John 3:5; Romans 8:9, 15, 16; 1Corinthians 2:12; 12:13; 2Corinthians 1:21, 22; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30

7.  The Holy Spirit enables the believer to live a victorious life through faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ.
Ezekiel 36:27; Romans 8:5, 6; Galatians 5:22 24; Colossians 3:1 3; 1Thessalonians 5:23.24; Titus 2:11,12; 1Peter 1:1,2; 2Peter 1:3,4

8.  The Holy Spirit gives to each believer one or more spiritual gifts to be used to edify the body of Christ.
1Corinthians 12:7 & 11; Ephesians 4:11-13;

9. The righteous are resurrected to eternal blessedness and the unrighteous to everlasting punishment.
Daniel 12:2, 3; Matthew 25:46; John 3:18, 36; 5:28, 29; 12:47, 48; 1Corinthians 15:42 44; Revelation 20:11 15

10. In the imminent and visible bodily return of Jesus Christ for His church.
Matthew 24:30, 31, 42; John 14:1 3; Acts 1:11; 1Thessalonians 4:13 18; Titus 2:13, Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7

11. The Lord has ordained two ordinances for all born again believers in the local church:

(a) water baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as an act of obedience, testimony and identification with Christ.
Matthew 3:16; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12, 36 39; Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12

(b) the regular observance of the Lord's Supper as an active remembrance of His sacrificial death on our behalf.
Luke 22:15 20; 1Corinthians 11:23 29