Click here for Getting to Know Us video.
• What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?
We all come from different religious backgrounds such as Catholic, Jewish, new age, Buddhist, Baptist, Mormon, atheistic, etc. There are many different ideas as to how one gets to heaven. Many of these ideas contradict one another, so they cannot all be right. To understand what God says about getting to heaven, it is necessary to step back and look at some bigger picture questions.
Most people live their entire lives without ever knowing ‘WHY?’ They exist year after year with no idea of why they live or God’s purpose for their lives. Some of the most basic questions a person can ask is,
What is the meaning of my life?
Why am I here?
Why aren't most people happy? What's the problem?
What's the solution?
Click here for a brochure answering these questions and explaining what it means to be a Christian: What Does It Mean to be a Christian?
• What We Believe
- In essential beliefs—we have unity. This refers to the truths that relate to salvation and a proper understanding of the core truths of the faith (referred to as first-rank doctrines) as found in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message (www.sbc.net/bfm).
“There is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)
- In non-essential beliefs—we have liberty. This refers to everything else that is not a first-rank doctrine in the Gospel itself—no matter how strongly we may hold those beliefs. There are many beliefs, doctrines, practices, etc. that have varying degrees of importance to church life and ministry and we must learn how to distinguish, discuss, and hold these secondary, tertiary, and other beliefs properly for the sake of the mission and unity of the Church.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters…Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls…So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God…So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”
(Romans 14:1,4a,12,22a)
- In all other beliefs—we show love. Arguing over lesser important doctrines, beliefs, practices, etc. harms the unity of the church which then impedes the mission of the church (John 17:21). Additionally, it harms the holiness of the church (1 Tim. 1:3-4; 4:7; 6:4-5; 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 2:14,16,23; 4:3-4; Titus 1:13-14; 3:9) since a posture of self-justification can often arise from a spirit of spiritual pride/haughtiness.
“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
(1 Corinthians 13:2)
• Baptism
In Scripture, every believer is called to make a public profession of their faith through the practice of baptism, signifying their identity in Christ. At Resilient Hope, we encourage every believer to be an obedient follower by becoming baptized. We have provided a brochure outlining the practice of baptism at Resilient Hope and answering some questions you may have. Click here for the practice of baptism at RHF: What is Baptism?
• Communion
Jesus never asked His disciples to remember His birth. But He did instruct them to remember His death and resurrection. He gave the church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders of His death. These two ordinances are: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper (also called Communion). The Lord’s Supper is an object lesson that represents a great spiritual truth for believers. We have provided a brochure outlining the practice of Communion at Resilient Hope and answering some questions you may have. Click here for the practice of communion at RHF: What is Communion?
