At Trinity Reformed Church we believe in:
- The Word of God as the infallible rule of faith and practice
- Living as a community of believers who love God and our neighbors
- Faithful, expository preaching of God’s Word
- Earnestly desiring the salvation of the lost
- Seeking to glorify God in all that we do
- Teaching the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation
“Trinity” is in our name because we believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, governing all things, and in securing people who could not make up for the sins they had done. Genesis 1:1, 26; John 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19; Ephesians 4:5-6
“Reformed” is also in our name because we believe in those doctrines emphasized in the Protestant Reformation. We believe that these doctrines are all found in the Bible and, therefore, have been around long before the Reformation. It is important to us that all our doctrines be found in the book called the Bible because it is the Word of God and has supreme authority in all matters of faith, and conduct. The original manuscripts of the Bible are exactly what God wanted written and have no errors. Although we don’t have these manuscripts today, the manuscripts that have been discovered are remarkably accurate and no doctrine is threatened over differences in manuscripts. All of God’s words have been preserved! II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31-32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32; Matthew 5:18
We believe that the Bible describes what many call “salvation.” We believe that man was created by God with a nature that did not want to sin (disobeying God); but man sinned and thereby received a physical death and also the eternal punishment of God including separation from Him; that as a consequence, all people are born with a sinful nature and as a result are also sinners by choice and therefore are justly condemned by God. We believe that some of these sinners were chosen by God (not for anything they had done or would do) to receive the blessing of changed desires so that they are able to obey (not perfectly) God, forsake sin, trust Jesus Christ to save them from the guilt and punishment earned by their sin and receive life with God for all eternity where they will no longer sin. Because God has changed these people, they will show evidence of this change in their actions. We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man and lived a perfect life without sin. Jesus was executed, but during his execution, the punishment for the sins of all believers who will ever live was put on Him. He volunteered to fully satisfy the punishment that all believers deserved and now those believers are declared to be just in God’s sight. God now sees believers as if they had never sinned like Jesus and had always obeyed like Jesus. Genesis 1:26; Genesis 2:17, 3:1-19, 5:2; Ecclesiastes 2:11; John 3:14, 5:24, 5:30, 8:12, 10:26; Romans 8:1; Romans 9:22; II Thessalonians 1:9; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19, 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9; John 3:16; John 1:13; II Corinthians 5:17
“Church” is also in our name meaning that we believe that God’s people span all time and all nations and are a group of believers of which Christ is the head and all persons saved by Jesus are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of professing believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. The children of believers are also members and are encouraged to one day confess their faith in Jesus. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the good news (gospel) of what Jesus Christ has done to a world lost in their sins and give God all the credit for this salvation. Our preaching will always include the gospel and be drawn from the Word of God. We also teach that we should live lives that demonstrate that we love God and people. God is at the center of our worship and His glory is our purpose. Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23-25; Genesis 17:10; Acts 16:33; II Timothy 4:2; Matthew 22:37-39; I Corinthians 10:31
The beliefs of our church are summarized in the Westminster Standards which are a standard of our church, but always secondary to the Word of God.