Statement of Faith
THE BIBLE
THE SOLE BASIS OF OUR BELIEF IS THE BIBLE, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.
GOD
WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ONE TRUE, HOLY GOD, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.
SALVATION
THE CENTRAL PURPOSE OF GOD’S REVELATION in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and thus was alienated from God and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God.
The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human works or goodness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation.
JESUS CHRIST
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ETERNAL SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (THE HOLY SPIRIT)
THE ESSENTIAL ACCOMPANIMENT of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them a recognition of their need of a Savior and regenerates them. At the point of salvation He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength, and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the upbuilding of the body. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christlike character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father.
HUMAN DESTINY
DEATH SEALS THE ETERNAL DESTINY of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into condemnation. God’s judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life.
THE CHURCH
THE COROLLARY OF UNION with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, the observance of baptism and communion as the sacramentarian ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world.
Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the watchcare of elders and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.
FAITH AND PRACTICE
SCRIPTURE IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY in all matters of faith and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible.
We believe the Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches. All members shall refrain from advocating doctrines that are not included in the Statement of Faith in such a way as to cause dissension.
Baptism
While recognizing for other churches the right to practice infant baptism if it conforms to their theologies, the congregation of The Church at Rancho Bernardo understands the Scripture to teach that only professing believers qualify for baptism.
Scriptural teaching on baptism may be summarized as follows:
1) Baptism is an act of obedience to the command of Christ, fulfilled by individuals who have subjected themselves to His sovereignty.
2) Baptism symbolizes the spiritual cleansing through divine forgiveness and newness of life experienced by believers by virtue of their identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
3) Baptism provides an opportunity for believers to make a formal profession of their faith before the church.
4) As a biblical rite of initiation into the Body of Christ, baptism of believers may be considered a prerequisite for joining the membership of the church.
Although the old covenant practice of infant circumcision is sometimes presented as a rationale for infant baptism, the biblical definition of the functions of circumcision and of baptism show that those two institutions fulfilled different purposes in their respective covenants. The equation is never made in the Bible between the circumcision of male infants in the old covenant and the baptism of born-again believers, much less of infants, in the new covenant. However, The Church at Rancho Bernardo encourages Christian parents to present their children for the ceremony of Dedication, whereby God’s blessing is formally invoked upon the children, and the parents publicly commit themselves to raise the children in accordance with the teachings of Scripture.
While The Church at Rancho Bernardo practices immersion as the preferred mode of baptism based on the biblical reference to baptism in the Bible, The Church at Rancho Bernardo also recognizes the option of the believers to be baptized in the mode of sprinkling as well. This is based on the Sacramentarian view of the ordinances whereby their value lies in the symbolism they convey and in the faith of the participants rather than the nature or amount of the elements used, as bread and wine for communion, and water for baptism.
Child Dedication
God has called parents to bring up their children to know Him. It is the parents’ responsibility to oversee the spiritual training of their children. The greatest commission of Christian parents is to encourage their children to know and accept Jesus Christ as the Savior, forgiver and leader of their life. The Church at Rancho Bernardo encourages Christian parents to present their children for the ceremony of dedication. Child Dedication is a ceremony whereby God’s blessing is formally invoked upon the children, and when parents publicly commit themselves to raise the children in accordance with the teaching of scripture. The Church at Rancho Bernardo Child Dedication is designed to provide a spiritual event for parents dedicating their children. Extended family members and close friends are invited to witness and support parents in their commitment to oversee the spiritual training of their children. One question raised by parents as they consider their child’s participation in the life of the church is…“Why are some babies baptized in certain denominations?” In the Bible, we find parents bringing their children to Jesus. He held them, prayed for them, and told his disciples to welcome them. But, Jesus did not baptize them and He did not tell anyone else to baptize them. Baptism is appropriate only for those who have made a personal decision to trust Christ alone for their salvation; therefore, it is the request of the pastoral staff at The Church of Rancho Bernardo that children wait until they are twelve years old to be baptized.
Men & Women in Leadership