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The following summary of our beliefs is not a substitute for our
confessional
standards. It was written for the purpose of acquainting the interested and
inquiring reader with the basic beliefs of Trinity United Reformed Church.
These statements of our teachings, we believe, are in full agreement with the
three forms of unity, beliefs that are vital to scriptural Christianity.
Matthew
16:18 "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail
against it"
God
We
believe that God is triune, one God in Three Persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that these three persons in the Godhead are
distinct and yet equal and one in essence; and that the acceptance of this
truth is essential to salvation.
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear 0 Israel!
The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”
Genesis 1:26 "Then God said
‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’” II Corinthians 13:14
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of
the Holy Spirit be with you all”
See also: Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:21,22
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The Bible
We
believe that God reveals Himself in His creation so that
all men see His everlasting power and divinity and are without excuse before
Him if they do not truly worship and serve Him. God has more clearly and fully
revealed himself to man in His written Word, the Bible.
From the Bible man may
learn by God’s grace, to know, love and worship God unto man’s salvation and
God’s glory. The Bible is the Word of God, being inspired by the Holy Spirit.
It is without error and is the only infallible rule of faith and life.
The
infallible rule of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there
is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture passage (which is
not many senses, but one), it must be searched and known by other places of
Scripture that speak more clearly.
Romans 1:20-21 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew
God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful but became futile in
their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
II Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”
11 Peter 1:20-2 1 “...no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
See also: John 5:39; Hebrews 1:1,2
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Creation and Providence
We
believe that the universe with all it contains is not the
product of evolution, but as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis, the
universe was miraculously created out of nothing in six days by Almighty God
for the visible display of His glory. He upholds and governs all things
according to His will and directs them to their appointed end so that nothing
happens in this world without His providence.
Revelation 4:11 “You, are worthy O
Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by
Your will they exist, and were created.”
Colossians 1:17 “And He is before
all things, and in Him all things consist.
See also: Genesis 1:1-2:3; Exodus 20:11; Acts 17:24-28; Hebrews 1:3
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Man
We
believe that God formed the body of the first man, Adam.
out of the dust of the earth, and breathed into him the breath of life so that
he became a living being. God formed the first woman, Eve, from a rib taken
from the side of Adam.
We reject as contrary to Scripture the idea that there
are evolutionary forbears to man. All of mankind throughout is descended
from Adam and Eve, our first parents.
We
believe that man was created in the
image of God; that he is a rational, moral and immortal being consisting of
body and soul. Man was originally endowed with true knowledge, righteousness
and holiness to the end that he might love and glorify his Creator.
Our first parents sinned, however, and thereby incurred God’s wrath upon
themselves and all their descendants, becoming spiritually dead toward God, and
becoming subject to physical and eternal death (Hell).
Since the time of this
Fall, man is by nature spiritually dead and totally depraved, a slave to sin
and inclined to sin; So that man cannot by any power of his own, but only by
the grace of God, be restored to spiritual life and fellowship with God.
Genesis 1:27 “So God created Man in
His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created
them.
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the World, and
death through sin and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned
See also: Genesis 2; Genesis 3; Psalm 14:3; I Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1,2
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The Savior
We
believe that Jesus Christ, the Savior, is the Son of God. With respect to His divine
nature He is the second person of the Holy Trinity, equal to the Father and Holy
Spirit in all things. The eternal Son of God also assumed to Himself a human
nature, being born the son of the virgin Mary and became like unto us in all
things, sin excepted. Jesus Christ is
thus at the same time both fully human and fully divine. He satisfied the demands of the divine law by
His life, passion and death. On the third day He arose bodily from the grave,
ascended to glory, and is now our intercessor with the Father. He will return visibly at the last day to
judge the living and the dead.
John 14:9 "Have I been with you so
long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the
Father.
Hebrews 2:17 “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren,
that He might he a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to
God, to make propitiation of the sins of the people.
See also: Galatians 3:13; John 3:16; Matthew 1:18-25: Hebrews 4:15; Romans
4:25; Acts 1:9-11; I John 2:1; Acts 10:42
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The Law
We
believe that the moral law of God is the divine revelation
of His will for all humanity. This law, summarized in the Ten Commandments,
serves to bring men under the conviction of sin and to lead them to Christ.
This law is the light by which men learn more and more to know their sinful
nature. This law is also the rule of life for believers so that they may show
their gratitude to God for their salvation.
Romans 3:20 “For by the law is the
knowledge of sin.
Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the law
was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
I John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His
commandments are not burdensome.”See also: Psalm 19:7, James 2:10
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The Gospel
We
believe that the Gospel is the revelation of that which God
in Christ Jesus has done and will do for the salvation of sinners and for His
glory. In the proclamation of the Gospel message God calls all those who hear
to repent and believe unto salvation. There is no other way of salvation.
Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God
is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who
believes,”
See also: Mark 16:15-16; John 3:16-18, 14:6; Acts 4:10-12, 15:7
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Regeneration
We
believe that regeneration consists in the implanting of the
new spiritual life in us by God through the Holy Spirit. This fundamental
change, which occurs in our hearts, is not a gradual process but is completed
in a moment of time. It is entirely the work of God and is the seed of true,
saving faith. Regeneration is a radical change of the governing disposition of
the soul which under the influence of the
Holy Spirit results in new, godly life-attitudes. Without regeneration
it is impossible to enter the Kingdom
of God.
Ezekiel 11:19 “Then I will give then, one heart, and I will put a new spirit
within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart
of flesh,”
John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
See also: I Corinthians 2:14,15; Ephesians 1:18; Colossians 3:10; Galatians
6:15
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Conversion
We
believe that conversion is a spiritual and moral change in
the life of a person. It is not a mere reformation of habits but a change
initiated by God in which a regenerated person consciously turns to God in
repentance and faith. Repentance is the acknowledgment of, and a sincere sorrow
for, sin. It is a trustful appeal to God for forgiveness and a resultant change
in life. It is a condition of the heart without which no one can hope to he
saved.
Acts 1 7:30 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands
all men everywhere to repent, “
Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”
See also: Joel 2:12,13; Isaiah 55:6,7; Luke 13:5; Acts 2:38; II Corinthians
7:9,10
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Faith
We
believe that faith is a gift of God in which the
regenerated man is also called to respond to God’s grace. It is the act of the
soul by which the convicted sinner receives the truth of the gospel, and relies
upon the promises of God to embrace Jesus Christ with all His merits. Faith is
not a personal achievement but rather the result of the Holy Spirit in the
sinner’s heart. Without faith salvation is not possible.
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who
comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him."
See also: John 3:18; Acts 10:43: Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:16
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The Atonement
We
believe that the justice of God requires that the demands
of His law be met. Jesus Christ, as a substitute, atoned for the sins of His
people and purchased an eternal redemption for them. This satisfaction paid by
Christ applies to those whom God in His sovereign love has chosen as his people
and secures their salvation. We repudiate a doctrine that holds that the extent
and intent of the atonement is universal, including the belief that man’s
actual salvation depends on man’s own free choice.
Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his
own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Romans 9:15,16 “I will have mercy on whomever
I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have
compassion. So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God
who shows mercy."
See also: John 10:11,15; Matthew 1:21; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25-27
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Justification
We
believe that on the basis of the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ, God grants forgiveness of sins and declares the sinner righteous
before Him. God imputes Christ’s righteousness freely of His grace and not
because of any merits of a sinner. This righteousness becomes the possession of
all who believe in Christ with a true faith.
Romans 3:23,24 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
Galatians 2:16 “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but
by faith in Jesus Christ,”
See also: Ephesians 1:7; Romans 3:28, 5:1; Acts 10:43
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Sanctification
We
believe that God, having renewed the sinner by the
operation of the Holy Spirit, enables a person to live a godly life. All
Christians give evidence of the fruit of their faith in good works. Although
sanctification is progressive in a Christian’s life, perfect holiness is not
attained until he enters glory in heaven.
II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new.”
Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have
already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold
of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
See also: Galatians 5:6, 24; James 2:22, 3:2; II Corinthians 7:1; Romans
7:7-26; I John 1:8
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Divine Election
We
believe that God in His eternal plan for all creatures has
foreordained all things that come to pass. In His sovereign love, and according
to His good pleasure, He has chosen in Christ out of the whole human race a
people unto salvation. This divine election of God precedes any gift of faith
and salvation. The ground of the election is not anything on the part of a
person which would merit any favor but solely the good pleasure of God.
Isaiah 46:9-10 “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is
none like Me. Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times
things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My council shall stand, And I will do
all My pleasure. “
Ephesians 1:4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,”
Acts 13:48 “...And as many as had
been appointed to eternal life believed.”
See also: Psalm 33:11; Ephesians 1:11; II Timothy 1:9; Acts 17:23; Jeremiah
1:5; Romans 8:28-30
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Perseverance of the Saints
We
believe that the salvation of God’s people is assured by
virtue of God’s election, by the substitutionary atonement of Christ and by His
intercession for them. God will not permit those who are joined to Christ in
true faith to totally fall away from faith and grace. By reason of the
continuous abiding of the Holy Spirit, true believers will persevere in the way
of salvation to the end.
John 10:28 “And I give them eternal
life, and they shall never perish; and no one is able to snatch them out of My
hand.”
Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and the
calling of God are irrevocable.”
Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a
good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
See also: Hebrews 7:25; II Thessalonians 3:3; II Timothy 1:12
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The Church
We
believe that there is a universal church which is known by
God which consists of all true believers throughout history. Jesus Christ is
the Head and King of this Church. This Church is one, and has existed from the
beginning of this world and will exist unto the end.
We believe that this universal Church becomes visible in congregations of those
who profess the true religion together with their children. It is the duty of
every Christian to join and support a true visible church which is identified
by the pure preaching of the Word, the Scriptural administration of the
sacraments, and the elimination of those from its membership who are not sound
in doctrine or who lead offensive lives.
I Timothy 3:15 "...that
you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is
the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
Ephesians 5:27 “...that He might present to her to Himself a glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and
without blemish.”
See also: Ephesians 1:22,23; Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians
1:18; Acts 2:42; 1 Peter 5:2
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Worship
We believe, in keeping with the 2nd commandment, that God
calls all men to worship Him in spirit and in truth, in the manner in which He
has directed in His written Word, and not according to the inventions and
imaginations of men.
We
believe, in keeping with the 4th commandment and with the scriptural example
and prescription of the apostolic church, that it is a Christian’s privilege
and duty to diligently attend divine worship on the first day of the week,
which in Scripture is called the Lord’s Day. We find the pattern for worshiping
twice on Sunday in John 20, where the Risen Christ meets with Mary in the morning
hours of the day, and with the disciples in the evening hours of the day. We
believe that this day must be so consecrated unto the service of God that upon it
the Christian must rest from all ordinary work, except works of charity and
present necessity. Christians should also refrain from all such recreations on
the Lord’s Day as prevent the service of God.
Exodus 20:4-5a “You shall not make for yourself a carved image— any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or is in the earth beneath, or that is in the
water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.”
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those
who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Exodus 20:8-10 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your
God. In it you shall do no work:”
Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the
manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the
Day approaching.”
See also: Deuteronomy 4:2-19, 12:8; Acts 17:29, 20:6-7; 1Corinthians 14:26-37,
16:1-2; 1 Timothy 4:13; Genesis 2:3; Leviticus 23:3; Isaiah 58:13-14; John
20:19,26; Hebrews 4:9; Revelation 1:10
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Baptism
(Webmasters
note: For audio sermons on this subject, visit our Sermons
Page
We
believe that baptism has come in the place of the Old
Testament sacrament of circumcision as a sign and seal of God’s Covenant of
Grace.
Both believing parents and their children are included in that Covenant and
according to God’s ordinance are to receive the sacrament of baptism. In
baptism God signifies and seals His promises of forgiveness of sins and eternal
life to His people.
Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your
descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant,
to be a God to you and to your descendants after you.”
Acts 2:39 “For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are
far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself”
Acts 16:33 "... and immediately he (the jailer) was baptized, he and all
his household.”
See also: Matthew 19:14, 28:19; Colossians 2:11,12; Romans 4: 11; Acts 16:15
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The Lord's Supper
We
believe that Christ is spiritually present in the bread and
wine of the Lord’s Supper. Through these visible signs and seals of God’s love
and the spiritual partaking of Christ and His benefits by faith the believer is
assured of the promises and blessings of God’s covenant. By the proper
observance of this ordinance of Christ, the faithful believer grows in the grace
and knowledge of his Savior.
I Corinthians 10:16 “The cup of
blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The
bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”
Matthew 26:28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many
for the remission of sins.”
I Corinthians 11:24 “this is My body
which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
See also: Mark 14:22-25; I Corinthians 11:23-29
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The Christian Life
We
believe that a person, having been grafted into Christ by
the Holy Spirit, delights in doing fruits of thankfulness. His true faith
results in a love for God which finds expression in his doing good works
according to the guidelines set forth in the law of God. His manner of living
indicates a zeal for the honor of his God by recognizing Him in every sphere
and relationship of life. He labors ceaselessly for the propagation of the
Gospel and the evangelization of the world until the Kingdom
of God shall embrace the whole of
God's creation.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are Ills
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,”
I Corinthians 10:31 “Therefore, whether
you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Matthew 7:1 7 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree
bears bad fruit.”
See also: Matthew 5:16, 28:19,20; Romans 11:36
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Prayer
We
believe that prayer is the chief part of the thankfulness
which God requires of His children. A prayer of faith has God’s assured
promises of acceptance and answer. It is only through the merits of Jesus
Christ that we can approach our Heavenly Father in prayer.
Matthew 21:22 “And whatever things
you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
James 5:16 “The effective, fervent
prayer of a righteous man avails much.
John 14:13 “And whatever you ask in
My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
See also: Matthew 7:7; I John 5:14; Isaiah 65:24; Psalm 50:14
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Death
We
believe that physical death is a result of mankind’s sin.
For a Christian, however, the sting of death has been removed by reason of his
deliverance from sin and its eternal punishment and by reason of God’s promise
of a glorious resurrection. A Christian’s death is the means whereby God
delivers him from the body of death and brings him into glory.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 11:25 “I am the resurrection
and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”
See also: Romans 5:12; Philippians 1:23; I Corinthians 15:55-57; Psalm 23:4;
Revelation 14:13
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The Intermediate State
We
believe that at death the soul is separated from the body.
We believe that the believer’s soul enjoys a conscious life in communion with God
and with Jesus Christ immediately after death. The souls of reprobate persons
as well as of saints continue to exist in a conscious state forever. A person’s
eternal state is irrevocably fixed at death. There is no opportunity for
repentance beyond the grave.
Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said to him,
‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.
II Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and be present with, the Lord.”
Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed
for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
See also: Ecclesiastes 12:7; Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:19-31
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Last Things
(Webmasters
note: For distinctively Amillennial audio sermons, visit our Sermons
Page and listen to sermons in the Eschatology series, and the Revelation
Series. You can also read A Series on the Revelation of Jesus Christ
Here)
We
believe that we are now living in what Scripture calls “the
last days,” (the Millennium) that is, the days between Christ’s ascension into
Heaven and His second coming to Earth.
This period of “the last days” will be
marked by such events as the spread of the Gospel message throughout the world,
by a great falling-away (“apostasy”) of the church from faithfulness, by the
great Tribulation (persecution) of the saints, and by the arising of the
Anti-Christ. After these events Jesus will return once, and once only, to the
Earth. This will not be a secret return, but it will be a bodily return visible
to all, accompanied with loud fanfare and great glory and majesty.
On this Last
Day, the bodies of all people who have died will be raised and reunited with
their souls. Jesus will then judge both the living (those who are still living
on the Earth at the time of His return), and the dead (those who have been
raised from the dead). The righteous will enjoy the glory of heaven forever,
while the ungodly will be sent to eternal condemnation.
John 5:28-29 “...for an hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will
hear His voice and come forth— those who have done good, to the resurrection of
life, and those who have done evil, to a resurrection of condemnation.”
Ecclesiastes 12:14 “For God will
bring every good work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good
or evil.
Romans 2:16 "In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus
Christ, according to my gospel” See also: Matthew 24:14, 25:31-46; Acts 1:11, 17:31;
II Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 20:12-15, 21:3,4
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Christian Education
We maintain that the education of children is primarily the
task of the parents. We believe that no education can truly be neutral with
respect to the all-encompassing claims of Christ, and that the church should
thus encourage and urge the parents to see to it that in all their children’s
education the children receive the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We also
believe the church should lend moral and financial support to educate and train
the youth for kingdom advancement and to service to the community.
Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when
you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when
you rise up”Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when
he is old he will not depart from it.”
See also: Proverbs 1:7-8; Isaiah 54:13; Ephesians 6:4
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The Christian Ethic
(Webmasters note: For an audio sermon on this
subject visit our Sermons Page Eschatology
section and listen to "Set
Your Minds on Things Above" By Rev. Brian Vos)
We
believe that Christians have been raised up and seated in
the heavenly places in Christ, placing our citizenship in heaven.
As citizens of heaven, we are called to set our minds on things above, no
longer being conformed to the pattern of this world, but being transformed by
the renewing of our minds. We are called to be in the world but not of the
world. Though we do not separate ourselves from the world (after all, even this
fallen world continues to be upheld by God's eternal counsel and providence),
we nevertheless seek to conduct ourselves in the world according to the ethics
of the kingdom of heaven.
Ephesians 2:6 “and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
Philippians 3:20 “For our
citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ,."Colossians 3: 1-4 “If then you were raised with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is,
sitting at the right hand of God. Set pour mind on things above, not on things
on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ who is our life appears with Him in glory.
Romans 12:1-2 “1 beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that
you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, hut he
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you map prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God.
See also: Matthew 5-7
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Human Relationships
We
believe that all human relationships are to be regulated
and maintained according to Gods Word God instituted marriage between one man
and one woman at the time of creation. He told them to be fruitful and
multiply, and blessed them with children, thus instituting the family as a
foundational unit in human society. The principle of male headship in the home
and in the church, which involves loving leadership, authority and
responsibility, is also taught in Scripture. Children are to be obedient to and
are to honor their parents; parents are to lovingly discipline and teach their
children. Adultery, fornication, homosexual acts and impure desires are all
condemned by God’s word.
Genesis 2:22,24 “Then the rib which
the Lord God had taken from the man He made into a woman, and He brought her to
the man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to
his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit
adultery.”
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and
your mother...”
See also: Genesis 1:28; Leviticus 18:22; Malachi 2:15-16; Matthew 5:27-32,
19:3-12; Romans 1:26-27; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 5:3-4,24-25, 6:1-4; I
Timothy 2:11-15; I Thessalonians 4:2-8; Hebrews 13:4
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Church Government
(Webmasters
note: For an audio sermon on this subject, visit our Sermons
Page, Elders and Deacons section.
We maintain that Christ is the head of the Church and source
of all its authority. Christ as King has given His Church power to carry out
the work which He has entrusted to it. The ruling power in the church resides
primarily with the elders in the local church. The elders and the deacons,
together with the pastor, form the council of the congregation.
Trinity church is a member of the United Reformed Churches in North
America. Representatives of Trinity’s council meet periodically
with members of other church councils of the federation to form a classis and
synod. Matters of doctrine church government and discipline are discussed so
that good order may be maintained in the church
of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:18 “And He is the head
of the body the church.”
Ephesians 1:22 “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head
over all things to the church”
Acts 15:2,6 “Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and
dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of
them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
... Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.”
See also: Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:23; John 5:22; Titus 1:5
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The information supplied on this page was approved
originally in pamphlet form by the Council of Trinity United Reformed Church on
November 7, 2002.
See
Also: The Heidelberg Catechism,
The Canons of Dordt, The Belgic
Confession,
Apostles
Creed, Athanasian Creed,
Nicene Creed Home
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