Where the river flows life abounds. Ezekiel 47:9
Up River Statement of Faith
Salvation
Salvation is by grace alone thorough faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone. God chose a people for Himself in His son before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-4). The Son lived and died to atone for the sins of those whom God has chosen (John 10:29). The salvation that Christ accomplished by His death and resurrection is applied to His people by the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit regenerates those for whom Christ died bringing them from death to life (John 3:5). All those who are born again by the Spirit of God come to trust in Christ and are united to him by faith alone. When a sinner is united to Christ by faith, he is justified, set apart, and adopted as a child of God. Everyone who is united to Christ will be glorified when he dies or when Christ comes again on the last day. [More]
The Bible
We believe the Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself and His will to man. The 66 books of the Bible, given to us by the Holy Spirit and penned by man, constitute the complete Word of God. (1Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21) The Word of God is an objective, propositional, God-breathed revelation. (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16) Therefore, the Bible in its entirety is inerrant and infallible in the original manuscripts. The Bible constitutes the only infallible and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. (Matthew 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 16:12-13; 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21) We believe that all Scripture centers around the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:1-5; Revelation 19:13) Although there may be several applications to any given passage of Scripture, there is only one true interpretation that is revealed through diligent study of the word and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. (John 7:17; 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-15; 1 John 2:20) [More]
The Triune God
We believe there is only one true living God. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4) God is infinite, all knowing, standardizing in all His attributes, one in essence, and exists eternally in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
God the Father
We believe God the Father is the first person of the trinity. He is creator of all and puts all things in order according to His purpose. (Genesis 1; Nehemiah 9:6; Revelation 4:11; Matthew 6:9-10; Psalms 145:8-9; 1 Corinthians 8:6) God the Father is sovereign in creation, providence, and salvation. (Psalms 103:19; Romans 11:36; Matthew 6:26) God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:14; 2 Corinthians 6:18), yet as creator He remains fatherly in His attitude toward all men. (Ephesians 4:6) In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all thinks according to His will and glory. (Ephesians 1:11)
God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the trinity, is coequal and eternal with God the Father. (John 10:30; 14:9) Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary and born of a woman. (Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14 Galatians 4:4-5) Therefore, two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Holy and the Human, were joined together in one person, without confusion, change, division, or separation. Jesus is fully God and fully Man, yet one Christ. He lived a sinless life and accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross. (John 19:28;30). He was crucified and died a voluntary, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive death on the cross. (John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25; 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24) He was later raised from the dead, a literal and physical resurrection, on the third day. Later, Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father where He now mediates as our advocate and intercedes for believers. (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; Acts 2:30-31; Romans 4:25; 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1) Jesus Christ will come again personally, bodily, and visibly to this earth to receive the Church, which is His body, to himself. (Acts 1:9-11) All mankind will be judged by Jesus Christ, the Son. (John 5:22-23) He is the final judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as Lord and Savior. (Matthew 25:14-46; Acts 17:30-31)
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity, is divine, eternal, underived, and possesses all the divine attributes. He is coequal with the Father and Son. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 28:25-26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 10:15-17) The Holy Spirit is fully God and sovereign in creation. The work of the Holy Spirit began the church at Pentecost and will complete the Church which is Christ’s body as promised by Jesus. (John 14:16-17; 15:26; Acts 2:1-12; 1 Corinthians 12:13) He convicts the world of sin, indwells all believers, and baptizes and seals them at the moment of salvation. (John 16:5-11) The Holy Spirit provides repentance and sanctifies the believer from sin so that sin no longer has dominion over the believer. (Acts 11:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) He illuminates the scriptures and guides believers in understanding and applying the Scriptures and empowers them to lead a life of Christ-like character. (Romans 8:6, 9, 11, 13-17) The Holy Spirit gives each believer gifts for the building up of the body of Christ. God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the giving of all His gifts for the edification of believers today. (John 16:13-14; Acts 1:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18) [More]
Mankind
We believe that man is the special creation of God, made in His image. As the creation of God, man was a complete and perfect creation, not an end result of an evolutionary process. God created mankind, male and female as the supreme work of His creation. Men and women, equally made in the image of God, enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Genesis 1:26-30) [More]
Sin
We believe that sin is separation from God. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin (sin as an entity and as a nature, not a single act of transgression) into the human race. Adam, made in the image of God, distorted the image and forfeited his original blessedness, for himself and all his progeny, by falling into sin through Satan’s temptation. (1 John 3:8) As a result, all human beings are alienated from God, corrupted in every aspect of their being and condemned finally and irrevocably to death, apart from God’s own gracious intervention. (Jeremiah 17:9; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:9-20, 23) Death entered the human race through sin. Death is the consequence of sin. If Adam had not sinned, Adam would not have died. In Adam all die. (1 Corinthians 15:22) Sin is not counted when there is no law, however, even before God gave the Law to Moses, there was a law of God written on the hearts of mankind. (Romans 2:12-16) Man did not become sinful when God gave them the law, man was always sinful from Adam on. God’s perfect plan of redemption is through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the cross for the weak and ungodly sinner. (Romans 5:6, 12-21) [More]