What we Believe

Statement of Faith

I. The Word Of God: We believe that the Bible (Old and New Testament, which consists of 66 books) is God’s specific revelation to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. The Bible will be our supreme source of authority for faith and life, above any other document or tradition. (Psalm 12:6, 19:7-14, 119; Proverbs 30:5; Acts 17:2-3; Romans 15:4; 1:Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 4:1-2; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

II. God: We believe there is one and only one, living and true God. God is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being. He is the Creator, the Redeemer, the Preserver, and the Ruler of the universe. God is holy and perfect. God is all-powerful, all-knowing and ever present. His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future. To Him, all people owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. As a triune Being, God is made up of three equal persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. (Genesis 1:1-2, 26, 27; 3:22; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-3, 1 Peter 1:2; Revelation 1:4-6).

III. Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born of a virgin and is God incarnate, both fully God and fully man. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. We believe that Jesus Christ's physical, crucified body was resurrected from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. After His resurrection and forty-day ministry on earth, He ascended into Heaven where He speaks to God for us, and He will literally return to the earth again in His glorified body to reign. We believe Jesus is the Name above every name, and that every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess Him to be King of kings and Lord of lords. (Leviticus 17:11; Isaiah 9:6; 64:6; Matthew 1:18, 22-23, 28:20; John 1:1-5; Philippians 2:6-11; Hebrews 1:3, 8-14, 4:14-15; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Colossians 1:16; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 3:5; Revelation 22:12).

IV. The Holy Spirit: We believe in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is present in the world and His ministry to believers includes teaching, testifying, guiding, convicting, commanding, regenerating, gifting and interceding. He also comes into, lives in, and seals every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living in obedience to God, understanding of God’s truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives believers spiritual gifts for the common good of the church. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily. (John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:8, 13; Acts 1:8, 13:2, 16:6; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, 6:19-20, 12:7; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 5:18; Titus 3:5).

V. Humanity: We believe that people are created uniquely in God’s image to reason and act like Him. God created us for a relationship with Him in perfection and beauty. Humanity chose to sin and turn from God’s authority, become independent and thus accepted the penalty of separation from God in relationship and in physical death. All human beings are born with a sinful nature that reaffirms our rebellion against God. (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8:3-6, 14:1-3; Isaiah 53:6, 59:2; John 5:6; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 3:8).

VI. Finding God’s Salvation Through Christ’s Death and Resurrection: We believe that God gave His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty of death for our rebellion. Each person must trust in Jesus’ atoning work for themselves. No one can make up for sin by doing good deeds, righteous acts or by performing spiritual rituals. Only those who by God’s grace put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as God’s atonement for sin can be rescued from sin’s penalty. The faith that each believer has for salvation is a gift from God. When we repent from our self-centered life and rely on Jesus’ death and resurrection we are reconciled to God and made completely righteous in His sight. Eternal life begins the moment one trusts in Jesus’ death and resurrection as full payment for their sins. (John 3:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 3:23-25, 5:1-9, 6:23; 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:12-14, 2:8-9; John 1:12, 3:16, 3:36, 6:40, 11:25, 14:6; Galatians 3:26; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 18-19, 23).

VII. Every Believer’s Responsibility To Obey God: We believe that just as every person who trusts in Jesus is forgiven by God’s power, so each believer by God’s grace will pursue a life of obedience to God’s commands. We obey God’s Word out of gratitude for His mercy and to discover His will for our lives, not to earn His love. As followers of Jesus, it is our desire to die to our old sinful nature and live lives of obedience, love, purity and righteousness that will bring glory to the One who saved us. This is only accomplished through the power of the Spirit who lives within us. (Romans 6:11-13; 8; 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20-21, 5:16-23; Ephesians 2:10, 4:22-24; 1 Peter 1:14-16; Titus 2:11-14).

VIII. The Church: We believe that all true believers comprise the "church." The church began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and is the new covenant community of those who are filled with the Spirit of God. The church's mission is to glorify and reveal the one true God. This shall be done through the worship of God and through preaching, teaching, declaring, and making known the Scriptures to the entire world. The church is recognized as Christ’s disciples by its love for one another in which a believer loves his neighbor as himself. Love for one’s neighbor is seen in the ministries of evangelism, fellowship, ministry and service. (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 18:20; Colossians 2:19, 3:15; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 12:29-31; John 13:34-35; Romans 15:16; Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:8-10; 4:15-16, 5:23-32; Colossians 1:10-28).

IX. Life After Death And Eternity: We believe that people were created to exist forever. Every person will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness. To be eternally separated from God is the conscious punishment of the lost in Hell. To be eternally living with God in His Kingdom is eternal life which begins the day of a believer’s salvation and will continue on after death in the physical presence of God. Some believers will not physically die, but will be caught up in the clouds to meet Christ and will be with the Lord forever. (Zechariah 14:11; Matt. 11:5; Mark 1:15; John 3:36, 3:16, 14:1-3, 17:3; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:6, 1, 22:1-5).

X. Jesus Christ's Return To Earth: We believe in the personal, visible, pre-millennial return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Zechariah 14:11; Revelation 19:11-20:6; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Titus 2:11-14).

XI. Perseverance Of The Believer: We believe that since we were not forgiven by our own efforts, neither can we lose our salvation through our own failures. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. We believe that all people who are genuinely saved will be kept by God’s grace and power until the day of redemption. True believers will persevere as followers of Christ until the end of their lives and only those who persevere until the end have been truly saved. (John 3:5-21, 5:24, 6:38-40, 9:31-32, 10:27-29, 14:16-17; Romans 8:1, 29, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:8, 6:19; Ephesians 1:13-14; Colossians 1:22-23; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14, 36, 21:1; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 2:1-2, 5:11-13; Jude 24; Revelation 2:11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7).

XII. Ordinances: Grace Bible Church believes in two ordinances of the church, given by Jesus Christ:

(A) Baptism and (B) the Lord's Supper (Communion).

A. Baptism: Baptism by immersion is commanded of all believers as an act of obedience, signifying the death, burial, and resurrection "in Christ" of the believer. Baptism also represents the believer’s entry into the community of the church. Those professing faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior will be instructed to follow the Lord in baptism by immersion in water according to the Scriptural teaching. Baptism will be administered by the pastors, elders or any person authorized by the church. Grace Bible Church does not believe in baptismal regeneration, nor does it believe that baptism is necessary to be a believer. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:12, 35-38; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12).

B. The Lord’s Supper: (Communion) will be practiced to remind ourselves of Christ’s gift of salvation, of our union to Christ and to His church, and of our future in the presence of Christ to come. We will practice communion regularly as an assembled group and will also promote that our members practice this ordinance with other believers during small groups and the common meal. Since it is the Lord’s Table, none who are His shall be barred, but the pastor shall frequently explain the meaning of this ordinance. Grace Bible Church believes that the Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience by which believers memorialize the death of Jesus Christ until He returns. (Matthew 26:26–29: Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:17–20; Acts 2:46; 1 Corinthians 10:16-18; 11:18-34).