Restoration Road Ministry.org

What do we believe?

We believe there is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and existing eternally in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Psalm 90:2; Acts 17:24-25; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29; John 10:30; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Peter 1:2; Jude 20-21 ESV)

We believe the Son, Jesus Christ, is true God and true man, is perfect and sinless, and is the only Redeemer. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, died on the cross as a sacrifice for sins according to the Scriptures. He rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of God the Father interceding in glory for his redeemed. (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35; John 1:1,3; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:13-20; Hebrews 7:25, 12:2; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 1:2 ESV)

We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. He convicts and calls sinners to Christ. He regenerates, fills, baptizes, and seals true believers into the Body of Christ. He indwells, guides, instructs, and empowers true believers for godly living and service. (Acts 1:8; John 16:8; Romans 8:26,30; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14, 2:18, 3:16, 4:30, 5:18; Titus 3:5 ESV)

We believe the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writing, and the absolute and final authority in all matters of faith and life. (John 20:31; 1 Corinthians 2:7-13; Galatians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21 ESV)

We believe the true Church is composed of all such persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together as members of the one living body of Christ of which Jesus Christ is the sole head. As members of the body of Christ we call ourselves Christ-followers or Christians. (Acts 11:26; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 1:4-5, 22-23; 2:8-9; Colossians 1:18 ESV)

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God and given dominion over Earth; but as a result of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the garden, all men are by nature sinners, dead in trespasses and sin, and therefore are lost and unable to save themselves or to please God. The shed blood of Jesus through his sacrificial death provides the only basis by which sinners are saved by grace through faith and justified before God. In Christ Jesus we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17; Genesis 3; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:9-18, 21-26; Romans 5:6,8, 18-19; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:8; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:3-12, 2:1-3, 8-10; Colossians 1:14, 21; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 9:21-28 ESV)

We believe further corruption entered the world, as recorded in Genesis 6:1-4 (ESV), through the fall of spiritual beings, “the sons of God,” because of their rebellion against God’s authority by taking for themselves wives from among human women. The Nephilim or giants were the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of man and they were known as the mighty men or the men of renown (Genesis 6:4 ESV). We believe, with the exception of Noah and his family, God blotted out all flesh on the earth by a flood during that time because “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5 ESV). God chose to start over with Noah and his family because Noah was found righteous and blameless in his generation (Genesis 6:9 ESV).

We believe that fallen or rebellious sons of God are still present and are what the New Testament scriptures refer to as the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces of evil that we war against rather than the flesh (Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV). These are the satanic and demonic forces that we struggle with through sinful thoughts, behaviors, and actions. We believe true believers are instructed to be aware of the schemes of the enemy and not fall into deception or lies through putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV) and utilizing spiritual weapons of warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV).

We believe that Jesus Christ will return again soon to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5 ESV) for their deeds seen and unseen, and each will be sent either to God’s eternal Kingdom or to eternal separation from God’s presence (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36 ESV). Jesus said “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14 ESV), and “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21 ESV). This is the concern we should have and why it is imperative to deepen our walk with the Lord and be “found in [Christ], not having a righteousness of [our] own…but that which comes through faith in Christ…” (Philippians 3:9 ESV).

Since Jesus Christ is returning soon, we believe that we must remain vigilant in our watch for his return keeping our lamp oil filled (Matthew 25:1-13 ESV), and we must be aware of the signs that precede his return. We recognize a personal responsibility and accountability to prepare for difficult times, not knowing the day or the hour of his return (Matthew 24:36 ESV). As such we do not rest on the notion that we will be raptured out before any persecution and tribulations might occur, instead leaving that to God to ordain in his perfect timing. Rather, we attempt to prepare ourselves with the spiritual readiness necessary to proclaim Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14, 19:16 ESV) in a day and time of persecution of believers, prior to his second coming. We do not adhere to any particular eschatological (end times) system or insist on any particular tribulation or millennial view. We believe it is imperative for every believer to wrestle with these topics personally and study scripture allowing the Holy Spirit to teach and give discernment rather than simply accepting any particular denominational or church affiliation view or system.

We believe that it is imperative for believers to exert personal time in self-examination, repentance, and prayer. It is the responsibility of every true believer to know and deepen their relationship with God, allowing the redeeming love of Jesus to shepherd us through life in all aspects of personal and interpersonal relationships. It is necessary to uncover and address hidden and unhidden sins that have gone unrecognized and unaddressed, that contribute to self-destruction, relational breakdown, and our separation from God’s perfect will over our lives through disobedience.

We believe the time is urgent and pressing for us to course-correct our lives, to separate ourselves from the bondage of sin, and to remove idols that have shaped our own identities, realizing that we owe allegiance to God alone. We understand that God is a jealous God and he will not tolerate the worship of other gods (Deuteronomy 5:7-10 ESV). We believe idols and other gods can include lifestyles, ideologies, and affiliations. Apostle John writes “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him…” (1 John 2:15-17 ESV). Every true believer should invite the Holy Spirit to reveal and convict of areas where his or her allegiances have become idols and taken attention and worship away from our Creator.

We believe that we are like sojourners in a foreign land (1 Peter 2:11 ESV). As such we should not identify or build a kingdom on earth. Our focus should remain on our Creator, through the help of Jesus Christ our good Shepherd and the Holy Spirit that communicates his will. We would encourage ourselves and others as Apostle Paul did in Romans 12 to be a living sacrifice, recognize the gifts of grace, and be diligent to exhibit the marks of a true Christian (Romans 12:1-21 ESV).