The Statement of Faith of Grace Church
The Holy Scriptures:
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally-inspired word of God, the only authority for faith and practice, inerrant in the original writings and infallible in its teaching (Timothy 3:16 17; 2 Peter1:20 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12 13).
The Godhead:
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons — Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit — eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 67:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Sin and The Total Depravity of Man:
We believe that man was Created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved, and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis. 1: 26 27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
Salvation:
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians. 1:7; 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18 19).
The Eternal Assurance for all Believers:
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1,38-39; 1 Corinthians 14-8; 1 Peter 1:5).
We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s word, which however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to gratify the flesh (Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-25).
The Church:
We believe that the Church consists of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians. 12:12-14; Colossians 1:18).
We believe that the Church began on the day of Pentecost and is manifested in local assemblies (Act. 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Hebrews 10:25).
We believe the officers of the Church are elders and deacons whose qualifications and duties are clearly defined in Scripture (1 Timothy 3:1; Acts 20:17-28; Philippians 1:1).
We believe that the local church has the absolute right of self-government; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for local churches to cooperate with each other for the furtherance of the Gospel; that on all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline and benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (Acts. 15:13-18; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians. 5:23-24).
The Person & Work of the Father:
We believe that God the Father is the first person of the Trinity, the Creator of the world and the Designer of Redemption. He has foreordained whatever comes to pass and in His providence preserves all His creatures and directs all things to their appointed end. (Isaiah 53:10, Ephesians 1:3-4, Acts 2:23, 2 Timothy 1:9, Psalm 66:7, 103:19, Acts 17:28).
The Person & Work of the Son:
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1 2:14; Luke 1:35).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24,25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our high Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor and Advocate (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2: 1, 2).
The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit:
We believe the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the works of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, indwelling and sealing believers unto the day of redemption (John 16: 8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans. 8:9; Ephesians. 1: 13-14).
We believe the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the spirit (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20-27; Ephesians 5:18).
The Ordinances:
We believe the Lord has committed two ordinances to the local church, namely: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a symbolic way our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation. It does not in any way grant the forgiveness of sins or confer grace to the person (Matthew 29:29; Acts 8:26-39; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12).
We believe that the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ to commemorate His death for us. The elements used are symbolic of our Lord’s body and blood and do not grant life or convey grace to the participant. Believers are to practice this ordinance until Christ comes again (1 Corinthians 11:23-34).
The Angels & Satan:
We believe angels are created beings, some of which serve God and some of which are called demons and serve Satan (Psalms 148:1-5; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:14; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:7).
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the fall; that he is the declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew. 4:2-11; Rev. 20:10).
The Coming of Christ:
We believe in the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to Earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1:10, 5:9; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).
The Eternal State:
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (John 5:28,29; 11: 25,26; Revelation 20:5,6,12,13).
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5: 8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6:7; Revelation 20:11-15).
