Statement of Faith
Hover over each doctrinal point to find out our stand on each topic.
The Holy Scriptures
Higher Rock Christian Church believes that the Holy Scriptures is the Word Of God, His revelation to man that is composed of 66 books. Higher Rock believes that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, both verbally and absolutely, inerrant in the original translations, and affirms the absolute authority in all matters in both faith and conduct, teaching the literal, grammatical-historical interpretation of the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3: 16-17, 2 Pet. 1: 20-21, John 8: 31-32, and 1 Thess. 2:13).
The Triune God
Higher Rock Christian Church believes that there is one true and living God, existing for all eternity in three Persons- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are equal in all perfections, invisible, divine, immense, eternal, and the creator of all things. We acknowledge Him as the One source of all wisdom, power, justice, grace, goodness, and mercy (Gen. 1:1, Exo. 20:1-6, Is. 43:11, 44: 6-8, 45:5, 46:9, Matt. 28:19, John 4:24, Rom. 1: 18-23, Eph. 4:5-6, 1 Tim. 2:5, James 2:19).
God the Father
We believe in God the Father as the First Person in the Trinity. He is infinite, boundless, self-existent, perfect in His holiness, and self-sufficient. As the Creator of all, He is a Father to all men, but only to believers is He a spiritual Father. In His sovereignty, He is neither the author nor approver of sin, nor does He pass over the responsibility of intelligent, moral creatures with regards to their sin. He is infallible, incapable of error, concerned with the affairs of men, and elects men unto salvation, and saves from sin and death those that come to Him in saving faith in Jesus Christ (Ps. 103:19, Rom. 11:36, Eph. 4:6, Rom. 8: 14-45, 2 Cor. 6:18, Eph. 1:11, Hab. 1:13, Eph. 1:4-6, 1 Pet. 1:17, Gal. 4:5 and Heb. 12:5-9).
God the Son,
Jesus Christ
Higher Rock Christian Church believes in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the second Person in the Trinity, coequal, co-substantial and co-eternal with God the Father. The Church believes that Jesus became man without ceasing to be God, born of the virgin Mary, to redeem man and reveal God to man. Practicing a sinless and perfect life, He is the only Mediator between God and man. He accomplished the redemption of all believers through His atoning and substitutionary work on the cross. Higher Rock believes that Jesus rose from the dead, in the literal and physical sense, ascended to heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. One day, He will return to earth and sit as Judge of all mankind (John 1:3, 10:30, 14:9, Col. 2:9, 1: 15-17, Luke 1:31-35, Phil. 2:5-11, Heb. 1:2-3, 4:14-16, 7:25-26, Rom. 5: 8-12, 8:34, Ps. 2:7-9, Is. 9:6, John 1:29, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 2:22-24, 1 John 3:5, 2:1-2, Acts 1:9-11, 2:33, 1 Cor. 15:24-28, 51-54, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, Rev. 5:1-10, 19:11, 20:6).
God The
Holy Spirit
The third Person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is underived and is coequal, co-eternal, and co-substantial with the Father and the Son in all divine attributes. The work of the Holy Spirit is the execution of the divine as it relates to mankind in general. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into Christ Jesus. He is the One that indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers for service, seals those who have come to saving faith unto the day of redemption, and is the One who administers spiritual gifts to the Church for the purpose of perfecting the saints (Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14, Heb. 10:15-17).
Man
Scripture tells us that man has been created in the likeness and image of God for the purpose of giving glory to God, enjoying God's fellowship, and living a life according to the will of God, thereby accomplishing man's purpose in this world. But due to Adam's fall, man incurred death, spiritual, physical as well as eternal. In this light, the Church believes that all men are sinners in the eyes of God, by choice, and by divine declaration (Gen. 2:7, 15:25, 3:1-19 James 3:9, 1 Cor. 2:14, 1 Tim. 2:13-14, Eph. 2:1-3, Ps. 14:1-3, Jer. 17:9, 1 John 1:8, Rom. 3:9-18, 23, 6:23; John 3:36).
Salvation
We believe in the sovereign work of God in the work of salvation, which is wholly by the grace of God on the basis of the redemption of Jesus, the merit of His shed blood; not on the basis of human merit or works. God chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies, without foresight of faith or good works in them. We believe that regeneration is the supernatural, instantaneous work accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God. Moreover, we believe that every believer is declared to be sanctified or holy. This sanctification is instantaneous and has to do with the believer’s standing before God and not with his present. On the other hand, there is also a work of the Holy Spirit by which He brings the believer closer to the likeness of Christ through obedience to the Word of God and His empowering. This progressive sanctification enables the believer to increasingly separate himself from the world and religious apostasy and sinful practices and to live a life of increasing holiness, conformity to the will of God and Christlikeness.
The complete and utter overthrow of sin is not possible in this life, but the Holy Spirit provides for triumph over sin. The Church believes that once saved, they are kept by the power of God and thus secure in Christ forever. Out of gratitude for the undeserved grace, all the believers are to live in a manner that demonstrates their adoring love to Jesus and their passion for God's glory (John 1:12, Eph.1:4-7, 2:8-10, 1 Pet. 1:18-19, Titus 3:5-7, Rom. 10:1-10, Eph.1:4-11, Rom. 8:28-30, 2 Thess. 2:13, 2 Tim. 2:10, 1 Pet.1:1-2).
The Church
Higher Rock Christian Church believes that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into a united, spiritual body, which is the Church, the Bride of Christ, of which Christ is the Head. It is the unique spiritual entity that is the chosen instrument of God for the glorification of His Name. To accomplish this task, she (the Church) will continuously build herself in the faith, instruction of the Word, fellowship, keeping of the ordinances, and advancing and communicating the Gospel to the entire world. Higher Rock adheres to the teaching of the Scripture to a company of believers in Christ Jesus in local churches for worship, discipleship, work and fellowship. We believe that the ultimate authority in the church is Jesus Christ and the gifts, order, church leadership, discipline and worship are all sovereignly appointed by Him in accordance to the Scriptures. We believe that since the leaders rule as servants of Christ, they are accorded His authority in directing the church. It is incumbent therefore for the congregation to submit to their leadership and esteem them highly in love (1 Cor. 12:12-13, Eph. 5: 23-32, Rev. 19:7-8, Eph. 1:22, 4:15; Col. 1:18, Eph. 2:11, 3:6, 4:13-16, Acts 2:47, 2 Tim. 2:2, Eph. 1:22, 1 Tim. 5:17-22).
The Last Things
This Church believes in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe that there will be a final judgment and in the resurrection of the body-the unsaved unto eternal punishment, and the saved unto everlasting fellowship in the presence of God (1 Thess. 5:12-13, Heb. 13:7, 17; Matt. 25: 31-46, Rev. 20:11-15, 21, 22).