Our Beliefs

The Bible is the Word of God. Every word of the sixty-six books of the Bible is God-breathed and without error. Additionally, we are "confessional" and embrace the Five Solas of the Reformation, The Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, as well as The Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and Canons of Dort.

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The Bible

The Bible is the Word of God. Every word of the 66 books of the Bible is God-breathed (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21). Therefore, the Bible as God originally inspired it, is without error. The Word is the only deposit of truth in this fallen world (John 10:35; Psalm 12:6; Numbers 23:19). Because it is God’s inerrant Word, we believe that it is the standard by which all of life must be measured. In a world corrupted by sin, it is the only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and life.

The Five Solas of the Reformation

We heartily embrace The Five Solas of the Reformation: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, and To God be all the Glory.

  1. Sola Scriptura: (Scripture Alone)
    The Bible is God's inspired and infallible Word and our ultimate authority for all of faith and life.
  2. Sola Gratia: (Grace Alone)
    Salvation is by the grace of God alone. We are not saved by human works, nor do such works make any contribution whatsoever toward a right standing with God. We are justified by grace through faith alone. Not only does God’s grace justify, but it also sanctifies all believers to a life of holiness and thanksgiving to God.
  3. Sola Fide: (Faith Alone)
    The only instrument by which God has ordained for us to lay hold of Jesus Christ and his righteousness is through faith. This faith is created in our hearts by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Word and confirmed by the sacraments.
  4. Sola Christo: (Christ Alone)
    We affirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father, and any “gospel” that fails to acknowledge this or denies this is a false gospel that will save no one. (To God be the Glory Alone).
  5. Sola Deo Gloria: (To God Be All The Glory)
    Therefore, we as Christians are called by grace to live our lives for the glory of God. Exclusive devotion to our infinitely glorious God is our supreme calling and ultimate happiness. “Whatever you do in word and deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Colossians 3:17 )

Our Confessions

At Redeemer URC we teach our members to know what they believe and why they believe it. Our confessions are summaries of the core doctrines of the Christian faith. While the confessions are not equal to Scripture, we do believe that our confessions faithfully summarize what the Bible teaches. Aligning our hearts together in what we confess enables us to walk together in the unity of the Holy Spirit. To learn about our doctrinal convictions at Redeemer URC, we invite you to explore the three Protestant documents to which we fully subscribe.

Our Creeds

In addition to our Reformed Confessions, we also confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. These creeds were formulated by universal church councils over 1500 years ago. These are called ecumenical or universal creeds because they have approved and accepted by nearly all the churches of Christendom. In confessing these ecumenical we demonstrate our broader unity with the church of Jesus Christ throughout this present age. At the Lynden URC, we confess the following ecumenical creeds: