The following core beliefs represent NRC’s Christian, Biblical, evangelical worldview:
- The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given of God, are the infallible record of the perfect, final and authoritative revelation of his work and will, together sufficient in themselves as the rule of faith and practice.
- The one true God, perfect and infinite in his being, holiness, love, wisdom and power; transcendent above the world as its creator, yet immanent in the world as the preserver of all things; self-existent and self-revealing in three divine persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are equal in power and glory. God exists outside of creation as an absolute standard; God has always existed and always will exist. [Colossians 1:15-18]
- Jesus Christ the Eternal Son, revealer the invisible God, became incarnate by virgin birth, lived the perfect human life upon earth, gave himself in death upon the cross as the Lamb of God bearing sin and its penalty in our place, was raised and glorified in the body in which he suffered and died, ascended as our only Savior and Lord into heaven, from whence he will come again personally and visibly to raise and translate his waiting Church, establish his kingdom fully over all the nations, and be the raiser and judge of the dead.
- The Holy Spirit, third person of the Godhead, the divine life-giver and artist in creation, history and redemption, who indwells, seals, empowers, guides, teaches and perfects all those who become children of God through Christ. To be saved, you must be born-again (have a conversion experience) and receive the Holy Spirit as a deposit and guarantee of salvation to come. [John 3:5-8; Ephesians 1:13-14]
- Man and woman were the direct creation of God, made in the divine image, and that by transgression became fallen creatures, alienated from the life of God, universally sinful by nature and practice, and having within themselves no means of recovery.
- Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace, received through personal faith in Jesus Christ, the only way to God the Father and in whom all those who believe have eternal life, a perfect righteousness, adoption in the family of God, membership in the body of Christ, and every spiritual blessing needed for life and godliness; but those who reject the gift of grace in Christ shall be forever separated from the presence of God. Salvation is available because of God’s grace and realized by faith alone in Jesus’ sacrifice of atonement, not by law or any other means. [John 3:5-8; 14:6; Romans 3:22-25; Galatians 3:2-25]
- Every person has worth because they bear the image of God and because of God’s love for us. We are more than what we do. Whatever we have done (saintly or sinful) cannot increase or decrease our worth in God’s eyes. Our worth is independent of age, disability, productivity, and level of physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental functioning.
- God made man and woman as equals, but not equivalent … of equal value, but not interchangeable. God intended that both genders are essential as they each provide a distinct contribution, having specialized roles in creation and life. We believe God hates abortion and divorce and there are natural, negative consequences for each, but that God forgives and restores as with other times we miss God’s ideal for our lives. We have pro-life values and believe God intends marriage to be a lifetime commitment, with sexual relations reserved between only one man and one woman who are married to each other. [Genesis 1:26-27; Titus 3:3-7; Matthew 19:6; Malachi 2:16]
- God’s perfect truth and loving grace are the foundation and primary ingredients needed for growth, maturity, and sanctification. Christian character and conduct are the expression of one’s relationship with Christ and one’s life in the community of Christ; and therefore Christians are bound to honor Christ’s word, to walk as he walked, to keep his commandments and ordinances, and thus bear the fruit of the Spirit.