Our Statement of Faith

I. We believe

that God is one God who exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1), each holy and loving. God created everything that exists (2), upholds it by His power, and rules sovereignly over it (3). In relation to the creation, God’s knowledge is exhaustive (omniscience) (4), His power unlimited (omnipotence) (5), and He is present everywhere (omnipresence) (6).

(1) 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2

(2) Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17

(3) Psalm 50:10; Proverb 21:1; Daniel 4:35; Isaiah 40:6-31; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; Hebrews 1:3

(4) Psalm 139:1-6, 15-18; Hebrews 4:13

(5) Job 42:1-2; Psalm 115:3; Matthew 19:26

(6) Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 23:23-24

II. We believe

that Christ was the incarnate second person of the godhead, conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary, fully human (7) and fully divine (8) in one person. He died, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven (9) from whence He will return bodily and in glory (10).

(7) Matthew 1:18-21; Galatians 4:4; Romans 1:3-4

(8) John 1:1-2; Philippians 2:6-11; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8-9

(9) Acts 2:33-36; Ephesians 1:20-22; Hebrews 1:3

(10) Matthew 24:30-31; Acts 1:10-11; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:15-16

III. We believe

that all human life has worth and dignity because all people are made in God’s image (11). As such, they have been created to know and serve Him, but this image is now marred by sin.

In our fallen condition, we are in rebellion against God, His truth, and His law (12). We are alienated from Him and under His judgment (13).

(11) Genesis 1:26-27; James 3:9

(12) Romans 1:18; 3:10-20; 8:7

(13) Acts 17:31; Romans 2:5-8; Hebrews 9:27

IV. We believe

that God the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, giving us truth that is entirely free of error. It is an authoritative disclosure of God’s character, will, and ways, the supreme and all-sufficient rule for our faith and obedience. God’s Spirit gave his Word through Old Testament prophets (14); through Jesus, the divine Word made flesh (15); and finally through New Testament apostles and prophets, to whom He revealed the mystery of Christ (16). Therefore the apostles’ and prophets’ writings are the foundation of Christ’s church (17). The completed canon of Scripture (Old and New Testaments) needs no supplement from new revelations (alleged to be from the Spirit) or from human tradition. Because Scripture is sufficient, we do not believe that God gives apostles, prophets, or the revelation-connected gifts of healing and tongues, now that the canon is complete (18). It is by this Word that He instructs, corrects, guides, and nourishes believers (19).

(14) Hebrews 1:1 

(15) Hebrews 1:1-2; John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:2-3

(15) Ephesians 3:4-5

(17) Ephesians 2:20-22

(18) 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4; Acts 2:4-8, 16-18

(19) Psalm 119:89, 160; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21

V. We believe

that by His sinless life and sacrificial death, Jesus justified us when He was judged for our sin and we were credited with His righteousness (20). In this way He effected our reconciliation with the Father (21). His death is the only means of salvation (22), provided solely by God’s grace (23), and its benefits are received by faith alone, and those who are thus justified will never be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus (24).

(20) Romans 3:24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13-14

(21) 2 Corinthians 5:19; Romans 5:8-10

(22) Matthew 10:32-33; John 5:24; Acts 4:12; 17:30-31

(23) Romans 3:24; 4:1-5; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-10

(24) Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 11:6

 VI. We believe

that as God calls His people to a knowledge of Himself through the gospel, the Holy Spirit imparts to them a saving understanding of Christ’s death (25) and resurrection, giving spiritual life in place of spiritual death (26). The Holy Spirit then begins their sanctification, working in them His holy will, and giving them works to do as they serve others and take the gospel to the nations (27).

(25) John 15:26; 16:7-11

(26) John 3:3-8; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3, 23

(27) Philippians 2:12-13; Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 13:8; Galatians 5:13, 16-23

VII. We believe

that the Kingdom of God inaugurated at Christ’s first coming will be consummated at His second coming (28) when the dead will be raised. At the final judgment, believers and unbelievers will be separated forever. At that time, evil will be eradicated, Satan will be punished, unbelievers will enter into an eternal, conscious separation from God but the people of God will serve joyfully in His presence forever in the new heavens and earth (29).

(28) Revelation 19:20-21; 20:10, 14-15; 21:4

(29) Matthew 25:34-40; Romans 14:10-12; Jude 6; Revelation 22:1-5

The Rafiki Foundation Statement of Belief in all forms is the property of the Rafiki Foundation, Inc. No portion may be reproduced without the written permission of the Rafiki Foundation Home Office, U.S.A.

Rafiki Statements—
Sanctity of Life, Sanctity of Identity, and Sanctity of Marriage

Sanctity of Life

The Rafiki Foundation is committed to the teaching of the Bible, the Word of God, which affirms that every human being is made in the image of God, and therefore that every human life is to be valued and protected from the moment of conception, regardless of age, race and ethnicity, sex, and ability or disability (Genesis 1:26-28; 9:5-6; Psalm 139:13-16). Rafiki strongly believes that abortion, infanticide, murder, euthanasia, genocide, unjust war, state-administered execution without biblical grounds and evidence of guilt, and other departures from God’s righteous norms for the preservation and protection of human life, are contrary to the holy will of our Creator, the Lord and Giver of life.

Sanctity of Identity

Rafiki also affirms that rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

Sanctity of Marriage and Biblical Statement on Sexuality

The Rafiki Foundation is committed to the teaching of the Bible, the Word of God, which affirms that sexual intimacy is to take place only within the marital covenant between one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27; 2:18-24; Leviticus 18:22-23; 20:10-21; Romans 1:24-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Rafiki strongly believes that premarital sexual relations, adultery, homosexual/bisexual/lesbian relations, sexual abuse of children, bestiality, pornography, prostitution, and other departures from God’s good design for human sexuality are contrary to the holy will of our Creator, who created marriage to reflect his covenant love toward his people (Isaiah 54:5-8; Jeremiah 2:1-3; Ezekiel 16:1-14; Ephesians 5:22-33).