Doctrine & Distinctives

The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

To fully express our beliefs, we subscribe to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, often referred to in shorthand as "the 1689" or "2LBCF". Though our ultimate authority in all matters of faith and life is the inspired, eternal, infallible, inerrant, all-sufficient Word of God alone, as recorded in 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, we find the 1689 to be an excellent summary of "the things most surely believed among us."

The great British Baptist preacher Charles H. Spurgeon said of the confession; "This little volume [The 1689] is not issued as an authoritative rule, or code of faith, whereby you are to be fettered, but as an assistance to you in controversy, a confirmation in faith, and a means of edification in righteousness. …Cleave fast to the Word of God which is here mapped out for you."

Additionally, to remain steadfast in our commitment to the reformed tradition, we find value in consulting the Westminster Standards (Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Longer and Shorter Catechism), The Three Forms of Unity (Belgic Confession, The Canons of Dort, and The Heidelberg Catechism), 1693 Baptist Catechism (aka Keach’s Catechism), and The Historic Creeds (Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, Chalcedonian Creed, and Athanasian Creed) as the elders of the church believe beneficial and necessary.

OUR DISTINCTIVES

High View of God

Although God is immanent—accessible to us as Abba Father—Scripture also teaches He is transcendent—exalted far above us as our Sovereign King. Therefore, He must be treated with profound reverence and respect and never taken lightly. God’s transcendence is captured in the attribute we call His holiness. God is holy or transcendent in two related, but ultimately distinct ways: He is transcendent in His moral purity and also transcendent in His majesty. He is separate or distinct from and exalted above everything else in the universe. Our greatest prayer must always be that God’s transcendence is seen and known in the worship of this church and that He therefore is both loved and feared. It is our profound desire and chief concern that in our worship we treat God as separate, distinct, set apart, majestic, and transcendent. It is only in understanding His transcendence that we can truly see the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ through which we are reconciled and brought near to such a great and awesome God.

High View of Scripture

The inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God provides the foundation and contours of our beliefs. As such, the Scriptures inform every facet of life and practice. Scripture provides the form and content for preaching, worship, and singing. The Bible is God’s self-revelation and states the purpose for which He created us. It also helps us to understand our own hearts of sin and the broken world in which we live because of man’s fall into sin. Through His Word, God has also revealed the way of salvation in Christ to restore sinful human beings into the image of Christ for His glory. (2 Tim. 3:16)

Literal 6 day creation

We believe Genesis is a straightforward, literal presentation of the historical events it describes. We teach, therefore, that God created everything in six literal days. We reject every form of theistic evolution. We believe this to be the position of the church throughout the majority of her history as well as the position of our confession and all of the Reformation era confessions and catechisms. 

Theological affirmations of marriage, gender, and sexuality

  1. God has created humanity, in His image, according to His likeness, as male and female. Gender, Sex, and any other potential term that could be used in their stead, are defined by God as binary, existing as male and female, and cannot be transitioned between or changed, whether that be through medical, philosophical, or any other means. (Gen. 1-2)
  2. The term “marriage” has only one meaning: most simply distilled as a covenant, between a man and a woman consummated by a sexual union. God’s perfect will for marriage consists of the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. God intends sexual relations to occur only between one man and one woman who are married to each other. God has commanded that no sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman and any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-18, 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4).
  3. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We also believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31; Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11)

Practical restrictions of marriage

Because God has so ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man and a woman, before God, the church will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Further, the pastors, officers or spiritual representatives of the church shall only officiate in weddings and solemnize marriages between one man and one woman. Finally, the facilities and property of the church shall only host weddings between one man and one woman.

divorce exceptions

We affirm the Marriage statements as expressed in chapter 25 of the 2LBCF, but we also understand that it is intentionally silent about divorce. All divorce cases will be determined under the discretion of the council of elders on a case-by-case basis. 

Divorce is always the last option for believers. We should encourage believers to persevere in the resolution of marital difficulties regardless of the cause or issues. No one should initiate a divorce unless their partner is guilty of repeatedly breaking the marriage covenant and is unrepentant and unwilling to submit to local church authority. Nonetheless, there are certain circumstances under which Scripture outlines permissible grounds for divorce as noted below:

  • Sexual Immorality - When a spouse is involved in ongoing, unrepentant marital unfaithfulness, including the unrepentant use of pornography, (Matt. 19:9)
  • Abandonment - When a spouse deserts their partner, leaves without contact, or pursues divorce without repentance, they demonstrate a disregard for God's clear design for the permanence of marriage, refusing reconciliation as He commands. (Gen. 2:23-24; 1 Cor. 7:15)

Note on Unrelenting Abuse

Abuse in any form—whether physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, or spiritual—is completely inconsistent with God's design for marriage. In some cases, persistent abuse may lead to abandonment by an unbelieving spouse, which could fall under the biblical exception for abandonment as outlined in Scripture. Elders must approach claims of abuse with great care, seeking to be faithful to God's Word while protecting the vulnerable. This includes offering support, such as providing safe shelter or contacting appropriate authorities when necessary.

Again, one time or even repeated offenses should not be considered grounds for divorce unless the offending party is unrepentant and unwilling to submit to church authority. If the offending party is repentant and willing to truly submit to the direction of his or her elders, a course of reconciliation and restoration should be pursued.

While divorce may be permitted in the circumstances noted above, Scripture does not command divorce for believers.

Complementarian implications

  • We affirm that the Scripture reveals a pattern of complementary order between men and women, and that this order is itself a testimony to the Gospel, even as it is the gift of our Creator and Redeemer. We also affirm that all Christians are called to service within the body of Christ, and that God has given to both men and women important and strategic roles within the home, the Church, and the society. We further affirm that the teaching office of the Church is assigned only to those men who are called of God in fulfillment of the biblical teachings and that men are to lead in their homes as husbands and fathers who fear and love God (Gen. 1:26-27, 2:18; Eph. 5:21-33; 1 Tim. 2:11-15; Titus 2:3-5).
  • We deny that the distinction of roles between men and women revealed in the Bible is evidence of mere cultural conditioning or a manifestation of male oppression or prejudice against women. We also deny that this biblical distinction of roles excludes women from meaningful ministry in Christ’s kingdom. Biblical clarity on these important gender issues is crucial for this church to faithfully preserve its witness to the Gospel (Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 11:7-9; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 5:25; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 1 Pet 3:1-7).

sanctity of life

  • Human life is sacred and created by God in His image, which comes into existence at the moment of conception (Gen. 1:26)
  • Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death (Ps. 139:13-16; Prov. 16:31; John 9:2-3)
  • We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life from the various modern-day threats ranging from abortion (including abortifacient drugs, etc) to physician assisted suicide and euthanasia (including “aid in dying”, “right to die”, “dignity in death or dying” etc.) (Ex. 20:13)
  • Any scenario in which a human is potentially conceived, whether through surrogacy, IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), or other non-natural reproductive processes, which results in the intentional death and/or discarding of a human being, is against the law of God and deserving of His wrath.

The five solas of the reformation

1. Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone
The Bible is the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God, and it is the only rule and authority for faith and practice. This means that we endeavor to submit unconditionally to everything the Bible teaches (2 Tim. 3:16).

2. Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
We can only be saved from sin and its consequences by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. This manifestation of God's sovereign goodness to sinners, which excludes all human merit, the Bible calls the grace of God. Our salvation is altogether of God; from beginning to end, it is only by God's free mercy and grace (Eph. 2:8)

3. Sola Fide - Faith Alone
Salvation is not the result of our own accomplishments or works, but is obtained only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atonement accomplished on Calvary's cross. By faith in the perfect obedience of Christ we become righteous before God, trusting only in the finished work of Christ (Heb. 4:2).

4. Solus Christus - Christ Alone
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man, who has made an effective, complete and final atonement for sin. Therefore, He is the only One through whom we can be reconciled with our Creator, whom we have offended by our sins. Only Christ's perfect sacrifice and righteousness are acceptable to God, and through Him we have direct access to God (John 14:6; 1 Tim. 2:5)

5. Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God Alone
The primary purpose of our existence is to live to God's glory, which therefore is the primary purpose of our salvation. This means that all honor and glory for our salvation must be given to God alone (Rev. 7:12)

The Sovereignty of God’s Grace in Salvation - the Five Points of Calvinism

1. Total Depravity - Sovereign Grace Needed
Man is so depraved and corrupted by sin in every part of his being that he is by nature incapable of doing any spiritual good and cannot affect any part of his salvation (Gen. 6:5)

2. Unconditional Election - Sovereign Grace Conceived
From eternity past, God chose to save certain individuals irrevocably to everlasting life and glory in Christ Jesus without seeing any intrinsic goodness in them, and He ordained the means by which they would be saved (Rom. 9:15-16)

3. Limited Atonement - Sovereign Grace Merited
While the death of Christ is sufficient to cover the sins of every person in the world, its saving efficacy is intentionally limited to His elect sheep whose sins He bore and for whom He fully satisfied the justice of God (John 17:9)

4. Irresistible Grace - Sovereign Grace Applied
God irresistibly calls the elect to saving faith and salvation in Christ with such sovereign power that they can no longer resist His grace, but are made willing in the day of His power (Ps. 110:3; John 6:44-45)

5. Perseverance of the Saints - Sovereign Grace Preserved
Those whom God saves, He graciously preserves in the state of grace so that they will never be lost. They may be troubled by infirmities as they seek to make their calling and election sure, but they will persevere until the end, fighting the good fight of faith until the final victory shall be realized in the coming again of their Savior and Lord as Judge (John 10:28)

Cessation of Miraculous Gifts

  • God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints today and that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles in the beginning days of the church were for the purpose of pointing to and authenticating the apostles as revealers of divine truth, and were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers. Thus they (the miraculous or sign gifts) have ceased to be present in the life of the Christian church (1 Cor.12:4-11, 13:8-10; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12; Heb. 2:1-4)
  • This does not mean that Christian do not pray for the physical healing of others. God has commanded us to pray for this. It means that we believe that no individual Christian has the spiritual gift of healing today (John 16:24; 2 Tim. 4:20; James 5:14-15)
  • The gift of tongues was the miraculous, God-given capacity to communicate the truth of God's Word in human languages the speaker had never learned or studied. It was a manifestation of God's power and blessing to validate the gospel message the Apostles taught and to establish the early church. We believe that ecstatic outbursts and private prayer languages share nothing in common with the New Testament gift of tongues, and that they are patently unbiblical (Acts 2:4-12, 8:15-17, 10:44-46, 14:3, 19:1-7; 1 Cor. 14:5-27; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4). 

Eschatological Charity

  • RBCM takes no formal stance upon the point of doctrine often discussed under the “question of the Millennium.” We affirm our confession’s statement in 1.7, “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all,” outside of all doctrines pertaining to salvation. And since we live in a day wherein western Christians have rashly and unnecessarily divided from each other over the question of the millennium, we do not formally endorse any of the four major millennial stances: amillennialism, postmillennialism, historic premillennialism, or dispensational premillennialism.
  • This, however, does not mean we impugn the mind of God nor His ability to clearly communicate to His creatures. Quite the contrary. Rather we recognize the fallenness of men and their limitations in “rightly handling the Word of truth”. As well as recognizing the propensity of fallen men to quarreling and the command of God to quell such divisiveness in the church (1 Tim. 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:14-15)
  • Neither is this position an attempt to avoid division at all costs. There are plenty of doctrines and interpretations of scripture that we are and must be willing to divide over, should it come to that. However, we do not believe that specificity on the “millennial question” rises to such a level as to necessitate division. 
  • Thus, RBCM fully affirms chapters 31 and 32 in the 1689 2LBCF which define an eschatology wherein a charitable disagreement on the “millennial question” can exist. Also, we are greatly helped in our formal eschatological position by chapter 37 of the Belgic Confession and questions 87-90 in the Westminster Larger Catechism.

RBCM is a member of the G3 Ministries Network and a full-member church of the Reformed Baptist Network (RBNet)

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