Doctrinal Statement
I. The Scriptures. We believe that the books of the Old and New Testaments were written by men, verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original autographs, and are the supreme and final authority in faith and life. We believe in the full historicity of the biblical record.
II. God. We believe that God is one in nature and three in Person--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that all three persons, though distinct, share in the divine nature and thereby possess the same attributes and perfections. We believe in the providence of God, but not that he approves sin or destroys human responsibility. We believe the triune God created the universe apart from pre-existing materials.
III. Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God, born of a virgin; that He is true God and true man, having two distinct natures co-joined in one Person; that He died for our sins, was buried, was bodily raised on the third day, and has ascended to the right hand of the Father.
IV. Holy Spirit. We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and that He regenerates, seals, and baptizes believers into the body of Christ.
V. Humanity. We believe that humanity was created in the image of God. Adam and Eve, the first humans, fell as a result of sin thereby incurring death for all and a curse on the created order.
VI. Salvation. We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone and not of works, and that all who believe are eternally secure in Him.
VII. Return of Christ. We believe in the literal, visible, and personal return of Jesus Christ. We believe in the final judgment of the unsaved, who will be sent away into eternal punishment with Satan in Hell, and the final justification of the saved, who will enter into eternal life with the Lord in Heaven.
VIII. The Church. We believe that the New Testament church is a local body of baptized believers with Christ as its head and the Holy Spirit as its guide. New Testament churches promote God's work by cooperating for missions and many other joint efforts. Churches celebrate two ordinances, believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Table. We believe in the priesthood of all believers so that every Christian has direct access to God in prayer through Jesus Christ, our great High Priest.
Position Statements
Based upon the Institution’s interpretation of Scripture, the following specific issues are affirmed further.
Creation
We affirm that the universe, visible and invisible, is a result of God’s special creative work. He sustains all things through His power and providence.
Last Things
We affirm the premillennial view that the Lord will return prior to the establishment of his 1000-year earthly reign.
Sexuality
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as either male or female and that these two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
Marriage
We believe that the term "marriage" has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, cohabitation, homosexual behavior, or use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11).
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrine statements of Luther Rice College and Seminary.
Sanctity of Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Ps. 139.)
Affiliation
Where consistent with the previous doctrinal and position statements, Luther Rice is committed to the Baptist Faith and Message. However, the right of each student to affiliate with another evangelical denomination is respected.
Final Authority
The preceding doctrine and position statements do not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and inerrant Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Luther Rice College and Seminary's faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Board of Trustees is the Institution's final interpretive authority on the Bible's application.