Grace Baptist Church holds the Bible as our
Sole Authority for all faith and practice.
The Bible:
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that it is verbally and planarly inspired by God. We believe that the Scriptures are the inerrant and infallible Word of God, as found within the 66 books from Genesis to Revelation. We believe that God not only inspired every word but that He has preserved them through the ages. The Old Testament (Masoretic Text) and the New Testament (Textus Receptus/Recieved Text) are the text used in the original languages and these are the only text' that we accept and use. We firmly believe that, for English-speaking people, these can only be found in the King James Version Bible. We hold the Bible as our sole and final authority for faith and practice.
The True God:
We believe that there is only one living and true God. (Deuteronomy 6:4) He is infinite, intelligent, perfect in spirit, and a personal being. He is the creator, preserver, and supreme ruler of all that exists. (Psalm 139:1-6) He is glorious in holiness and perfect in everything. We believe that there is complete unity in the Godhead which is manifested in three persons; The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; (Matthew 28:19) they are equal in every Divine perfection (John 10:30; 14:23; 17:5, 10) and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Ephesians 2:18; Revelation 1:4, 5)
The Father:
We believe that God is the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we rejoice in the fact that He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to live and die for the sins of sinful mankind. John 3:16 tells us "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The Son: Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16) We believe that Jesus Christ and God are one in Deity and Purpose. (John 10:38) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was virgin-born through Mary. We believe that, though Jesus Christ took on the form of a man, to reveal the Holy God to sinful men, and to show us how we can be saved from eternal damnation. He never relinquished any attributes of His Deity but revealed them to us. We believe He lived a perfect, sinless life, and was offered as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of mankind. This sacrifice of His shed blood is what makes it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins. His Literal, bodily resurrections from the dead justify us. After His resurrection, He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father and is now waiting for the time of receiving His church at the rapture. As our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of representative, intercessor, and advocate. (Acts 1:9-10, Hebrews 9:24, Romans 8:34, 1 John 2:1-2, Hebrews 7:25)
The Holy Spirit:
We believe that The Holy Spirit carries out multiple responsibilities, which include, reproving the world of sin, Making known God's righteousness, and His judgment. The Holy Spirit is the supernatural agent involved in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Romans 8:9, Ephesians 1:13-14).
The Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of mankind and guides and directs the believers in the way they should go. We believe that The Holy Spirit's ministry started on the Day of Pentecost and He will continue to work in that manner until the Rapture of the believers.
Mankind
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; to enjoy fellowship with Him, to have dominion over the earth, and every living thing, and that through Adam's disobedience, mankind fell. This fall resulted in the loss of fellowship with God, and the earth in which mankind has dominion, was cursed. through the fall of man, mankind inherited a sinful nature and has become alienated from God. We believe that mankind has a free will to accept or deny Jesus Christ and the Bible states "Whosoever will" may come to Christ for salvation. (John 3:16)
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. we believe that the only way to be born again is to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. We reject the Calvinistic doctrine that teaches that a man must be "elect" to be saved. Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The Church:
The New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to Carry out the great commission and observe the ordinances. We believe that the church began with Christ and His disciples and was empowered at Pentecost. The Lord's work is to be done through the local church (Matthew 16:17-18, Matthew 18:15-17, Acts 15:41). The establishment and continuance of local churches are clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27, Acts 20:17, 28-32, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 5:1-4).
We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4, Acts 15:19-31, 1 Corinthians 3:9, Corinthians 5:4-7, 13, 1 Peter 5:1-4).
Church Ordinances:
We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper as the sole scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this dispensation (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:41-42, Acts 18:18, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Separation
We believe in both personal and ecclesiastical separation, and that all saved should live and conduct themselves in such a manner as not to bring a reproach upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God commands His people through His Word and to separate themselves from religious apostasy, sinful pleasures, practices, and associations.
The Return of Christ
We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally, bodily, and visibly return with His saints, to judge the living nations, and establish His earthly Messianic Millennial Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Psalm 89:3-4, Daniel 2:31-45, Zechariah 14:4-11, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18, Titus 2:13, Revelation 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6)
Our Eternal State
We believe that all of mankind will be bodily resurrected: the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46, John 5:28-29, John 11:25-26, Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13). At death, the souls of the redeemed are absent from the body and present with the Lord, in conscious bliss, they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43, Revelation 20:4-6, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:23, Philippians 3:21, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the second resurrection when with soul and body reunited, they will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to die, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26, Matthew 25:41-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, Mark 9:43-48, Revelation 20:11-15
The Authority of the Statement of Faith
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. In every area of life, we hold the Bible itself to be the sole and final source of all that we believe.
Sole Authority for all faith and practice.
The Bible:
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that it is verbally and planarly inspired by God. We believe that the Scriptures are the inerrant and infallible Word of God, as found within the 66 books from Genesis to Revelation. We believe that God not only inspired every word but that He has preserved them through the ages. The Old Testament (Masoretic Text) and the New Testament (Textus Receptus/Recieved Text) are the text used in the original languages and these are the only text' that we accept and use. We firmly believe that, for English-speaking people, these can only be found in the King James Version Bible. We hold the Bible as our sole and final authority for faith and practice.
The True God:
We believe that there is only one living and true God. (Deuteronomy 6:4) He is infinite, intelligent, perfect in spirit, and a personal being. He is the creator, preserver, and supreme ruler of all that exists. (Psalm 139:1-6) He is glorious in holiness and perfect in everything. We believe that there is complete unity in the Godhead which is manifested in three persons; The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; (Matthew 28:19) they are equal in every Divine perfection (John 10:30; 14:23; 17:5, 10) and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Ephesians 2:18; Revelation 1:4, 5)
The Father:
We believe that God is the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we rejoice in the fact that He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to live and die for the sins of sinful mankind. John 3:16 tells us "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The Son: Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16) We believe that Jesus Christ and God are one in Deity and Purpose. (John 10:38) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was virgin-born through Mary. We believe that, though Jesus Christ took on the form of a man, to reveal the Holy God to sinful men, and to show us how we can be saved from eternal damnation. He never relinquished any attributes of His Deity but revealed them to us. We believe He lived a perfect, sinless life, and was offered as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of mankind. This sacrifice of His shed blood is what makes it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins. His Literal, bodily resurrections from the dead justify us. After His resurrection, He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father and is now waiting for the time of receiving His church at the rapture. As our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of representative, intercessor, and advocate. (Acts 1:9-10, Hebrews 9:24, Romans 8:34, 1 John 2:1-2, Hebrews 7:25)
The Holy Spirit:
We believe that The Holy Spirit carries out multiple responsibilities, which include, reproving the world of sin, Making known God's righteousness, and His judgment. The Holy Spirit is the supernatural agent involved in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Romans 8:9, Ephesians 1:13-14).
The Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of mankind and guides and directs the believers in the way they should go. We believe that The Holy Spirit's ministry started on the Day of Pentecost and He will continue to work in that manner until the Rapture of the believers.
Mankind
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; to enjoy fellowship with Him, to have dominion over the earth, and every living thing, and that through Adam's disobedience, mankind fell. This fall resulted in the loss of fellowship with God, and the earth in which mankind has dominion, was cursed. through the fall of man, mankind inherited a sinful nature and has become alienated from God. We believe that mankind has a free will to accept or deny Jesus Christ and the Bible states "Whosoever will" may come to Christ for salvation. (John 3:16)
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. we believe that the only way to be born again is to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. We reject the Calvinistic doctrine that teaches that a man must be "elect" to be saved. Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The Church:
The New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to Carry out the great commission and observe the ordinances. We believe that the church began with Christ and His disciples and was empowered at Pentecost. The Lord's work is to be done through the local church (Matthew 16:17-18, Matthew 18:15-17, Acts 15:41). The establishment and continuance of local churches are clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27, Acts 20:17, 28-32, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 5:1-4).
We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4, Acts 15:19-31, 1 Corinthians 3:9, Corinthians 5:4-7, 13, 1 Peter 5:1-4).
Church Ordinances:
We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper as the sole scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this dispensation (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:41-42, Acts 18:18, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Separation
We believe in both personal and ecclesiastical separation, and that all saved should live and conduct themselves in such a manner as not to bring a reproach upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God commands His people through His Word and to separate themselves from religious apostasy, sinful pleasures, practices, and associations.
The Return of Christ
We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally, bodily, and visibly return with His saints, to judge the living nations, and establish His earthly Messianic Millennial Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Psalm 89:3-4, Daniel 2:31-45, Zechariah 14:4-11, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18, Titus 2:13, Revelation 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6)
Our Eternal State
We believe that all of mankind will be bodily resurrected: the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46, John 5:28-29, John 11:25-26, Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13). At death, the souls of the redeemed are absent from the body and present with the Lord, in conscious bliss, they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43, Revelation 20:4-6, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:23, Philippians 3:21, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the second resurrection when with soul and body reunited, they will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to die, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26, Matthew 25:41-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, Mark 9:43-48, Revelation 20:11-15
The Authority of the Statement of Faith
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. In every area of life, we hold the Bible itself to be the sole and final source of all that we believe.