Statement of Faith

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Northrich Church is a church under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are committed to contending for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). In unity with the historic Christian church and believers throughout the ages, we affirm the Apostles’ Creed (2nd Century) and Nicene Creed (325 and 381) as accurate representations of Scripture’s teaching. In addition to these historic formulations, we stand in the protestant, reformed, evangelical, and Baptist tradition, and believe the historic confessions of faith of our tradition, such as the Second London Baptist Confession (1689), the New Hampshire Confession (1853) and Baptist Faith and Message (2000), provide faithful expositions of God’s Word.

The Northrich Church Statement of Faith is a summary of what we believe to be faithful understanding and application of the Scriptures. It is anchored in God’s Word and evidenced in historic Christianity. It encourages sound doctrine, protects us from error, and shows unity in Christ. All preaching and teaching of Northrich Church will be in accordance with the doctrine represented in the Statement of Faith.

Together with Christ’s church across ages we confess:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of the Father before all worlds;

God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;

Begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us humans and for our salvation,

came down from heaven

and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,

and was made man;

and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered and was buried;

and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures;

and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father;

and he shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead;

whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life; 

who proceeds from the Father and the Son;

who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;

Who spoke by the prophets.

And we believe in one, holy, universal and apostolic church. 

We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;

and we look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come.

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three equally divine persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person is fully, equally and eternally God, yet there is one God. Each person has precisely the same nature, attributes, and will and is worthy of precisely the same worship, honor, and praise. The entire Christian faith is bound together with the confession of God’s Trinitarian nature.

We believe in God the Father, the Creator of heaven and earth. We believe in the Son, God from God, eternally begotten but not made, who in history assumed to Himself a human nature for the sake of our salvation. He is fully God and fully man. Through Him, all things came into being and were created. He was before all things, and in Him, all things hold together by the word of His power. He suffered, died, was buried, resurrected, ascended, and sits at the right hand of the Father until He returns for the final judgment and consummation of the Kingdom. We believe in the Holy Spirit who eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son and is sent by the Father and Son to give new life. The Holy Spirit unites believers to Jesus Christ in faith, brings about the new birth, and dwells within the regenerate. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify the Son who, in turn, came to glorify the Father. He will lead the Church into a right understanding and rich application of the truth of God’s Word. He is to be respected, honored, and worshiped as God, the third person of the Trinity.

The triune God; Father, Son, and Spirit, is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. As the immortal and eternal Creator, He sovereignly rules over all of His creation. 

Exodus 20:3–4; Deuteronomy 4:35; 4:39; 6:4–5; 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:23; Psalm 24:1; 86:8–10; Isaiah 6:3; 44:6–8; 45:5–25; 46:9; Jeremiah 10:6–10; Micah 7:18; Malachi 3:6; Matthew 3:13–17; 28:18–20; John 1:14; 4:24; 10:30; 14:6; 15:26–27; 17:3; 17:11; 17:20–21; Acts 5:3–4; 1 Corinthians 8:4–6; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 13:14; Galatians 3:20; Ephesians 1:3–14; 4:5–6; Colossians 1:15–20; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Timothy 1:17; 2:5; Hebrews:1:3; James 2:19; 1 John 5:20; Jude 25; Revelation 4:11  

We believe that God has made Himself known. He has revealed Himself to us in His Son, the incarnate Word, in Scripture, the inspired Word, and in creation. We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the perfect revelation of who God is. Jesus Christ is the “image of the invisible God,” “the exact imprint of his nature” and a perfect reflection of God the Father. 

We believe the Scriptures, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God and are therefore without error in their original writings. These writings alone constitute the verbally inspired Word of God, which is utterly authoritative and free from error. Scripture is sufficient for all that God requires for us to believe and do and is therefore to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it teaches; obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; and trusted, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises. As God’s people hear, believe, and obey the Word, they are equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel. 

Psalm 8; 119; Proverbs 30:5–6; Isaiah 40:6–8; Luke 24:25–47; John 5:19; 39; Romans 1:20; 2:12; 10:14–17; Philippians 2:16; Colossians 1:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; Hebrews 1:1–3; 4:12–13; 2 Peter 1:19–21; 3:15–16; 1 John 4:1  

We believe God created the whole world from nothing. God’s creative work is the overflow of the love present within the Trinitarian fellowship. Creation, according to the design of God, was good. He upholds the universe by the word of His power, and He holds the world together in Himself.

Genesis 1:1–31; Exodus 9:29; Deuteronomy 10:14; Job 38:4–7; 41:11;  Psalm 24:1; 33:6; 89:11; 136:5; 145:15–16; Isaiah 42:5; 45:18; Matthew 10:29–31; John 1:1–3; Acts 14:15; 17:24; Romans 8:28; Colossians 1:16–17; 1 Timothy 6:17; Hebrews 1:3, 10; 11:3; 2 Peter 1:3; Jude 24–25; Revelation 4:11

We believe God made humanity—male and female—in His own image. Set apart as His image bearers, every human being is sacred. All men and all women, bearing the image of God, are meant to represent God in His creation. God declares the created order to be very good, distinguishing men and women as His agents to care for, manage, and govern over it. They enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus and are both called to move beyond passive self-indulgence to significant private and public engagement in family, church, and civic life. Adam and Eve were made to complement each other in a one flesh union in the covenant of marriage that establishes the only God-ordained pattern of sexual relations for men and women. In God’s wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. 

Men and women are absolutely equal in dignity and value but are distinct by design. As part of God’s good created order, men and women are to have different yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the home and church. As it relates to the church, men and women are both expected to lead; however, the office of elder is reserved for qualified men.

Genesis 1:26–30; 2:5, 7, 18–22, 24; 9:6; Exodus 21:16; Psalms 1; 8:3–6; 139:14;  Isaiah 54:5; Matthew 19:4–6; 19:10–12; Mark 2:19–20; 10:6–9; 12:25; 1 Corinthians 7:1–9, 25–35, 38–40; 10:31; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25–32; 1 Timothy 1:10; 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9; Revelation 7:17; 19:7–9; 21:9–10 

We believe that though they were created free from sin, through the temptation of Satan, Adam and Eve transgressed the command of God and fell from their original holiness and righteousness. As a result, the entire human race inherited a corrupt nature that is opposed to God and His righteous law. Therefore, all humans are under condemnation. This depravity is radical and pervasive. It extends to the mind, will, body, and affections. Unregenerate humanity lives under the dominion of sin and Satan. By nature and choice, all humanity is at enmity with God and in need of salvation.

Genesis 1:27; 31; 2:16–17; 3:1–24; 6:5, 12; 8:21; Psalm 51:5; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 18:19–20; Matthew 20:15; Acts 17:26–29; Romans 1:18–32; 2:1–16; 3:9–18; 5:12; Galatians 3:10, 22; Ephesians 2:1–3; Colossians 1:21 

We believe that, due to universal death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again; that salvation is only by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross; and that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ through faith are declared righteous by God and become children of God. 

We believe the Scriptures teach that regeneration, or the new birth, is that act of God by which the Holy Spirit imparts a new nature and a new spiritual life, not before possessed, and the person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus. The mind is given a holy disposition and a new desire to serve God, the dominion of sin is broken, and the heart is transformed from a love of sin and self to a love of holiness and God. While growth in holiness is a gift of grace, it requires believers to actively and persistently fight sin through reading and hearing God’s Word, prayer, self-examination, self-denial, and the mutual edification of Christian community.

All those who are born again endure in faithfulness to the end. Though true believers may fall, through spiritual neglect or temptation into sin, they shall again be renewed unto repentance and kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation. 

The salvation of humanity is fundamentally the work of God. Before the foundation of the world, God elected His people, setting His affection and grace upon them. In love God predestined His people for adoption. Faith is a gift of grace that is given by the mercy and pleasure of God, so that no one may boast. Apart from the intervention of God, humanity cannot choose of his own accord to worship God and pursue righteousness. God’s sovereignty in salvation is comprehensive: from first to last, all of salvation is the work of God. 

Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:25–27; John 1:12–13; 3:3–8; 17:17; Acts 10:44; Romans 3; 6:16–18; 8:29–30; 12:1–2; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Galatians 2:20; 5:22–23; Ephesians 1:4–6; 2:1–9; 6:10–20; Colossians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8; Hebrews 10:19–25; 12:1–3; James 1:2–4, 17–18; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9–10; 4:7; 5:1–4, 18 

We believe that Christians, regenerated by the Holy Spirit from every tribe, language, people, and nation, comprise one invisible, universal church and are to associate themselves into local churches. A visible church is a congregation of baptized believers, bound together by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. It observes the ordinances of Christ, submits to his commands, and exercises the gifts given by the Holy Spirit for mutual edification. The local church is governed by the Word of God, which teaches that Jesus alone is its king and head; that elders are qualified men given to shepherd and lead the church as pastors; that deacons are to serve the church; and that the congregation is comprised of all members. Church members are commanded to assemble regularly, love one another, promote gospel unity, seek the good of their neighbors, make disciples of the nations, and live for the glory of God. 

Matthew 5:16; 16:13–19; 18:15–20; 28:18–20; John 1:12; 13:34–35; 17:20–24; Acts 2:41–42, 47; 5:14; 6:1–6; 11:26; 14:23; 20:28; Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 5:1–13; 11:25–26; 1 Corinthians 14:1–40; 2 Corinthians 2:6–8; Ephesians 3:10; 4:1–2, 11–12; 5:22–23; 1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1–13, 15; 4:13; 5:17; Titus 1:5–9; Hebrews 10:19–25; 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1–5; Revelation 5:9 

We believe there are two ordinances of the Church: believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper. 

Water baptism is only intended for those who have received the saving benefits of Christ through the new birth of the Holy Spirit. In obedience to Christ’s command and as a testimony to God, the Church, oneself, and the world, believers are baptized by water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Water baptism is a visual and symbolic demonstration of a person’s union with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection. It signifies that a former way of life has been put to death and vividly depicts the release from the mastery of Satan, sin, and death. The precedent we find in the New Testament is baptism following conversion by immersion. Baptism by immersion is meant to symbolically depict the believer’s real union to Christ in His death and resurrection.

As with water baptism, the Lord’s Supper is to be observed only by those who have become genuine followers of Christ. This ordinance symbolizes Christ’s body and the shedding of His blood on our behalf and is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian life as a sign of continued participation in the atoning benefits of Christ’s death. As we come to the table with an attitude of faith and self-examination, we remember and proclaim the death of Christ, receive spiritual nourishment for our souls and signify our unity with other members of Christ’s body.

Matthew 3:13–17; 26:26–29; 28:18–20; Acts 2:38–42; 8:36–38; 16:32–33; 20:7; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 11:17–34; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:11–12; 1 Peter 3:20–21 

We believe that Jesus Christ is returning to the world in the future to judge the living and the dead. 

The consummation of all things includes the future, physical, visible, personal, and glorious return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection and glorification of those in Christ, the judgment of the just and the unjust, and the fulfillment of Christ’s kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth. In the consummation, Satan, with his hosts and all those outside Christ, is finally separated from the benevolent presence of God, enduring eternal punishment, but the righteous, in glorious bodies, will live and reign with Him forever, serving Him and giving Him unending praise and glory. Then the eager expectation of creation will be fulfilled, and the whole earth shall proclaim the glory of God, who makes all things new.

Daniel 12:2; Isaiah 65:17–25; Matthew 13:36–50; 24:31–46; 25:31–46; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 14:14; John 3:36; 4:36; 5:28–29; 6:40; 11:23–27; Acts 1:11; 3:21; 10:42; 17:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–12; Revelation 20:1–22:21