TRINITY CHURCH OF REYNOLDS DOCTRINAL STATEMENTS

​DOCTRINE

 

 The Apostle’s Creed is our core statement of belief:

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

Doctrinal Statements

The following are expanded statements of our beliefs and practices. Where the terms of Man, Men, and Mankind are used, it is understood to include both male and female.

Of the Father and Holy Trinity

We believe in the one, true, holy, and living God, who is the creator and preserver of all things. The one God reveals Himself as the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, distinct but inseparable, eternally one in essence and power.

Of the Son Jesus

We believe in Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, in whom the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus lived, suffered and died on the cross. He was buried, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to be with the Father, and from there He will return to judge all men at the last day. Apart from the atoning blood of His sacrifice, there is no righteousness and no salvation. He is eternal Savior and Mediator, who intercedes for us with the Father. We believe in the resurrection of the dead; those whom through faith He has made righteous shall pass into eternal life, and those whom His blood does not cover shall be eternally separated from Him.

Of the Church

The Christian Church is the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. It is one, holy, apostolic (continuing the teachings and work of the apostles) and catholic (universal). The local church provides the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by men divinely called, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

Trinity Church of Reynolds follows a liturgical calendar which is based upon the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The various colors of the paraments reflect these times and seasons.

Of Faith & Good Works

Salvation is by faith alone, and it is received solely through the grace of our Heavenly Father, and not through any good merit or works of man. Good works are the necessary fruits of faith and follow justification, but they do not remove our sins or divine judgment. Good works, pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, spring from a true and living faith, and by them faith is made evident.

Of the Written Word of God

We believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired, written Word of God, and is the authoritative rule for faith and practice in the church. It is ABSOLUTE TRUTH. As with any written document, the Bible must be interpreted if it is to be understood. The Bible is, therefore, to be interpreted by the Bible. That is to say that each text must be understood not only in light of its immediate context, but also in light of the context of the whole of Scripture. The Bible is not to be interpreted according to our own desires and prejudices. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New Testament; for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man.

Of the Institution of Marriage

Marriage is the honorable estate of one man and one woman united in holy matrimony instituted by God. Trinity Church of Reynolds will not sanction any union of persons not conforming to this definition of marriage.

Of Original Sin

We believe that God created Adam and Eve, and every subsequent person. With the fall of Adam, all mankind is guilty of sin and therefore stands in need of a Savior.

 

The Sacraments

Two Sacraments are ordained by Christ our Lord, namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They are not to be treated as mere badges or tokens of men’s professions, but should be seen as signs of God’s grace and good will toward us by which He strengthens and confirms our faith in Him.  

Baptism

Baptism is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual change. It symbolizes the “washing of, rebirth, and renewal by the Holy Spirit” which the repentant sinner experiences at the moment of Justification.  While baptism saves no one and is not a requirement of salvation, Christ Himself ordained it and it is therefore an important step in making a public proclamation of one’s conversion and faith. Baptism, by either sprinkling or immersion, is the willful choice and proclamation of the believer and therefore should not be imputed to infants or small children by parents or guardians.  Christenings, whereby a new infant is named before the congregation and may or may not receive sprinkling of water, and ceremonies of child dedication, will not be recognized as baptisms, but will be allowed. Such children become the special responsibility of the Church and should be nurtured and led to personal acceptance of Christ.

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act and should never be taken lightly or in an unworthy manner. Trinity Church of Reynolds’ table is open to all believers who desire to receive the sacrament. By partaking of the elements, we “proclaim His death until He comes again”. This means that we acknowledge Christ has gone to be with the Father and we remain here to carry on the work of Christ’s ministry to spread the Gospel to a lost and dying world until His return.

 

 Salvation

Justification is the moment a sinner truly accepts God’s gift of faith in Christ through grace and God pronounces the sinner to be righteous. We are justified, or declared righteous, at this moment of our salvation and this gift of God is everlasting.

Sanctification occurs at justification and is the period of growing and maturing in our faith accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It is the transformation of our human nature into divine nature; of being made holy.

Glorification is when we will forever be in the presence of God’s glory.