RCA Beliefs and Traditions

Woodhaven Reformed Church is a member of the Reformed Church in America (RCA), a partnership of hundreds of churches that has existed since 1628. As a member of the RCA, we believe that the Bible, made up of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament, is the most important guide for what we believe about God, and how we are to follow him.

To clarify our beliefs about what scripture says, the RCA has embraced several historic Creeds and Confessions (see below). We believe that the “essential” parts of our faith are those beliefs outlined in detail in the Creeds and Confessions (beliefs about God, humanity, sin, salvation, etc.). The Creeds represent the core beliefs that unite us with all other Christians around the world (be them Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant) and the Confessions help to distinguish what it means to be “Reformed”.

The following is a list of the historical Creeds and Confessions that define our “essential” beliefs, along with a short description of their history and contents:

Learn more about each Creed and Confession

Written about 300 years after the birth of Christ, the Apostles’ Creed summarizes foundational Christian beliefs. It has been used both as a statement of faith and in worship by many denominations, including the RCA. 

View Apostles creed

The Nicene Creed was a result of the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. The creed emphasizes the doctrine of the Trinity in response to the teachings of Arius, a clergyman who denied the divinity of the Son, the second member of the Trinity. This orthodox statement of faith is used by many denominations, including the RCA.

View Nicene Creed

The Athanasian Creed is named for Athanasius, a fourth-century bishop and prominent defender of Trinitarianism. The creed, which has Latin origins, declares key beliefs about the Trinity, specifically, the equal nature of the three persons. It is one of three creeds accepted by the Reformed Church in America.

View Athanasian Creed

With the warm tone of a gentle teacher, the Heidelberg Catechism unpacks the gospel, the sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.

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The oldest and most comprehensive of the RCA’s standards, the Belgic Confession outlines the central beliefs of the Christian faith with a Reformed accent.

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Written as a response to Arminianism, the Canons of Dort clarify the Reformed teaching of salvation and God’s grace.

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The most recent of the RCA’s standards, the Belhar Confession makes the case for unity, reconciliation, and justice.

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In short, Woodhaven believes the following about:

We believe there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), who exists in three distinct, but co-equal persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Peter 1:2). God is the creator and sustainer of all that exists (Colossians 1:16-17). He alone is good (Mark 10:18), holy (Isaiah 57:15), and worthy of our praise (Revelation 4:11).

Early Christians said that God revealed himself to us through two “books”: the book of Nature (the world and all that God created) and the book of Scripture (the 66 books of the Old and New Testament). The book of Nature shows us God as Creator, but it is not sufficient to know God as Redeemer (Romans 1:20). While the book of Scripture shows us the character of God – most clearly expressed in the person of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15) – and how we are to live as his people (2 Timothy 3:16).

One of the defining characteristics of our Reformed faith is our insistence on what the Reformers called Sola Scriptura; the belief that everything we need for salvation and a life of faith is available in Scripture. Our emphasis on Sola Scriptura, however, does not mean we neglect the study of God’s creation, nor does it mean we believe all of life’s problems can somehow be solved through reading a verse of scripture. For this reason, we believe the study of scripture (theology), is equally important to the study of nature (science).

Furthermore, while the Bible is the primary source of our faith. The foundation of it is the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:13-14). The Bible testifies to the validity and historicity of the resurrection of Jesus, and the Bible provides us the faithful witness concerning the teaching of Jesus. Jesus affirms the validity of the rest of Scripture (Matthew 5:17-18), and therefore, we believe the whole Bible is authoritative.

Humans were created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). Which means fundamentally we were created for relationship; relationships with one another, and with God. This is why when Jesus talks about “the Great Commandment”, he says we must seek to love God, and love others (Matthew 22:36-40). To be truly human, you cannot have one without the other.

Unfortunately, as a result of our sin (the intentional and unintentional actions we take counter to God’s revealed will for our lives) our relationship with God and others has been severely wounded, and despite our best efforts we are incapable of fixing ourselves on our own (Ephesians 2:1-3). But by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in the work of Christ alone, are we truly saved from the effects of sin and enabled to live the lives God created us to live from the beginning (Ephesians 2:4-10).
For through Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, came to earth to reconcile us with God (John 3:16-17). Jesus became fully human and lived a life without sin (John 1:14; Hebrews 4:15). Then he willingly sacrificed his life in our name. By suffering death on the cross, Jesus took the punishment our sins deserved (Matthew 20:28; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Ephesians 1:7), and brought peace between us and God, and us and one another (Ephesians 2:13-18).

Three days after Jesus died, he rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). Through his resurrection, Jesus conquered death, proving death is not the end of anyone’s story (John 11:25-26), and that the eternal life he offers is something to be taken hold of today (John 10:10).

The salvation Jesus secured for us through his death and resurrection is applied to us through the work of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). It is the Spirit, therefore, who raises us to new life (John 6:63) and helps us live in step with God (John 14:26).  The Spirit also gifts us with the ability to further the work of God in the world (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

While God has indeed secured redemption completely in Jesus Christ, and assured it through the work of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3-14), we do not yet experience the fullness of salvation. Instead, we look forward to the day that God will bring about the ultimate restoration of all things. When God will finally and thoroughly judge evil for what it is, bringing an end to the power of sin and death. At that time, wickedness will be destroyed, and God will make “all things new” (Revelation 21:5). On that day, God will make his dwelling among those who believe in him, while those who reject him will be separated from him for all of eternity.

Not even Jesus himself knew when that final day would come (Matthew 24:36). So instead of spending hours debating or worrying whether we are living in the end times or not, we willfully choose to instead focus on doing the things Jesus told us to do: seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33), holding to the promise of faith in a life to come (1 Peter 1:3-6), and serving as a faithful witness to others of his continued work in our lives (Acts 1:8) so that all people will notice the way we live and come to glorify our father alongside us (Matthew 5:16).

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