Biblical Christianity
The most important thing you should know about the RCUS is that we base our teaching and practice solely upon the Bible, which we believe to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God. In fact, the word Reformed in our name means exactly that; it refers to the sixteenth century Reformation, when God raised up many great men within the church to restore it to Biblical Christianity. Among the reformers were Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and many others. Without any intention of boasting, we say that we follow in their footsteps. For us it is a simple matter of fact that the Bible is God's Word, for this is what the Bible says about itself. Every 'Thus saith the Lord' shouts divine inspiration, but the following verses are unmistakable:
"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."—Isa. 40:8.
"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.—John 17:17.
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."—2 Tim. 3:16, 17.
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private origin, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."—2 Pet. 1:20, 21.
Because the The Heidelberg Catechism, The Belgic Confession of Faith and the The Canons of Dort accurately summarizes the teachings of Scripture, we have adopted them as our confessional standards.
For the Glory of God
In our day, many churches claim to preach the Bible. The sad fact is that few really do. Man-centered theology (Humanism) has too often replaced God's glory. But instead of asking, How can God best serve me? our church asks, How can I best serve my God?
Prior to the 1930s and 40s, the RCUS was one of the largest denominations in the United States. Today we are one of the smallest. At that time, most RCUS congregations merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America and, by doing so, compromised our Reformed heritage. Though the world holds large, unbelieving churches in high regard, we do not believe that such churches honor God or his Word. This why a handful of churches, mostly from the Dakotas, refused to participate in the merger; these, plus others that have since joined, constitute the RCUS of today.
Although it has been more than half a century since the mergers began, our commitment to the truth of the Scriptures is just as firm as ever. But our commitment to inspired truth is not the only way that we glorify God. We also glorify him by living lives of thankful obedience, by worshiping him as he has taught us in Scripture, by fellowshipping with each other in Christ's love, by properly celebrating Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and by exercising loving discipline toward any of our members who may stray.
Being the sinners that we are, our attempts to glorify the Lord are always imperfect; yet, this is our goal in life. The apostle Paul wrote, Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).
Jesus Christ—The Author of Faith
Because twentieth century thinking stresses the value and dignity of man, it is often assumed that man is the author of his own salvation. God sent his Son to make salvation possible for anyone who wants it, but it is man's prerogative to choose or not to choose.
Such theology appeals to the pride of man, but it is not Biblical. To the contrary, the Bible teaches that man is dead in sin (Eph. 2:1-3), that he has done and can do nothing that merits God's favor (Isa. 64:6), and that man's depravity is the result of Adam's fall (Rom. 5:12-19). Thus, there can be no truth in the idea that man saves himself. To the contrary, the Lord said through Isaiah the prophet, I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior (Isa. 43:11). Likewise, Jesus said, No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him (John 6:44); and later in the same chapter, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father (v. 65). Even the ability to believe that God sent his Son, not to make salvation possible for all men, but to procure complete salvation for those whom God chose to eternal life (Mark 10:45) must come from God himself (Eph. 2:8). The Triune God works together for the salvation of the lost (1 Pet. 1:2). May the great name of God be forever praised!
If you are looking for a church that caters to man's ego, you won't be satisfied with the RCUS. If you want a church that doesn't take the Bible seriously, you ought to look elsewhere. In everything from doctrine to practice, beliefs to worship, we submit to the Bible alone—not because the Bible appeals to our sinful nature, but because the Bible is the Word of God to man—our only hope of eternal life.
Advantages of Joining the RCUS
- The center of our worship, teaching and evangelism is the Word of God.
- We are missions-minded.
- We have no centralized bureaucracy.
- We are a fellowship of Christian love and brotherhood.
- We will fight for the Biblical and Reformed faith.
- We know what we stand for.