Statement of Faith
Preface
Grace Baptist Church is a multigenerational community, united in the love and truth of God, who exists to make and multiply Christ-followers who magnify the glory of God. While we are engaged in many different ministries in our attempt to accomplish this mission, our primary task is to teach and model God’s Word, in the power of the Spirit, engaging our world as agents of transformation.
The Elders and Pastors of Grace Baptist Church are deeply committed to studying and teaching God’s Word with diligence, clarity, authority, and love. We also strive to model it consistently and expect to be held accountable to do so.
As a local gathering of Christ-followers, we do not wish to exclude any who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior from fellowship with us. However, we ask all who worship with us to respect our doctrinal position and work diligently to maintain the unity of the Body in the bond of peace. By His Grace and For His Glory,
The Elders and Pastors
Grace Baptist Church
Introduction
What We Teach presents the basic teaching position of the Elders and Pastors of Grace Baptist Church. You will notice this expands on the Statement of Faith affirmed by those who desire to partner with us through membership.
The Statement of Faith presents the core, shared, doctrinal beliefs that form the foundation of our unity as a church family. These are the truths we all affirm. To be a member, you need only affirm the Statement of Faith and complete the other steps in the Journey process. However, as Elders and Pastors, we want you to know where we stand on issues that go beyond our Statement of Faith.
What We Teach is designed to do just that. Here’s what you’ll find. In each section, the Statement of Faith is followed by additional material describing our teaching position. Our intent is to set forth our stance on the topics, and as well, allow for profitable theological discussions here at Grace Baptist. Lastly, we realize godly Christ-followers have debated doctrinal issues for centuries and too often the dialogue has been unedifying and divisive. It is our great hope and prayer that, within the family of Grace Baptist Church, discussions about God’s truth will be wrapped in God’s love and will allow God’s Word to be the final arbiter of what we believe and teach.
Our Church exists to make and multiply Christ-followers who magnify the glory of God. To accomplish this mission, our Church strives to teach and model God’s Word in the power of the Spirit, engaging in the world as agents of transformation.
The Bible
We believe that the 66 books of the Bible are God’s inspired revelation to man. They are the very word of God, without error, completely authoritative, essential, sufficient, and trustworthy, and constitute the only infallible rule for truth and life. It is our constant privilege to read, study, teach, obey, and model God’s word in order to be truthful and loving ambassadors for Christ to our world.
Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:15, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 3:14-16; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; John 17:17; Hebrews 4:12; John 19:36, 37; Romans 9:17, 10:1, 11:2
The Triune God
We believe there is only one God, eternally existing in three equally divine Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Our God is an intelligent, spiritual, and knowable personal being. He is infinite and unchanging in all his attributes. He is supremely powerful and knows all things exhaustively in one eternal moment, including the free future decisions of all humanity.
Genesis 1:1; 1 Kings 18:39; Psalm 100:3; 115:1-3; Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 5:3, 4; John 1:1, 14, 18; 8:58, 59; 10:31-33; Isaiah 46:8-11; Ephesians 1:9-11; Daniel 4:34, 35; Romans 11:33-36
God the Father
We believe God the Father is the creator and sustainer of all things. He is infinitely good, perfectly holy, and boundless in his love. He is a loving Father, always available to those who, through faith in Christ, call upon him in truth. Having brought all creation into existence through his word, he is sovereign over all things so that, ultimately, his purpose will be fulfilled and his glory fully displayed.
Psalm 145:8, 9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Genesis 1:1; Ephesians 1:4-6; 3:9; 4:6; Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:33-36; 8:14, 15; 2 Corinthians 6:18, Ephesians 1:11; 1 Chronicles 29:11; Habakkuk 1:12; Psalm 50:14, 15; Matthew 11:28-30; John 6:38, 42; 8:38-47; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 3:1-3; John 1:11-13; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 12:5-9
God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son through whom all things were created and now are held together. He is fully human and fully divine. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He took on all human attributes, yet lived a sinless life. He gave over the independent use of his divine attributes to the Father, but retained his divine essence. He died on the cross as a vicarious substitute for all believers, rose from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of God where he intercedes for his people. He now dwells in all Christ-followers as their Lord and Savior. He will return one day in power and glory to judge the world and consummate his redemptive mission.
John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1, 2; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23-25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:14, 18; Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:29; Hebrews 7:25, 26; 9:24; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Peter 3:11-13; Revelation 20:1-6; Isaiah 9:6, 7
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that God the Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to glorify Jesus Christ. He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. By his powerful and mysterious work, he regenerates spiritually dead sinners through the Gospel, awakening them to repentance and faith. In him, they are baptized into union with Christ and his body, the Church. By the Spirit’s power, believers are illuminated, sanctified, comforted, and adopted into God’s family and gifted for service. God the Spirit indwells and fills each Christ-follower for godly living and is the seal of their promised inheritance.
John 14:16, 17, 26; 16:7, 8, 13-15; Romans 8:9, 11, 14; 1 Corinthians 2:13, 14; Ephesians 4:30; Galatians 4:6; 1 Peter 4:10, 11; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Romans 15:16
Mankind
We believe mankind is the special creation of God, intentionally designed as male and female to bear his image as the crowning work of his creation. Adam and Eve were created without sin to worship God in obedience, care for his creation, and populate the world with worshippers. Through Adam’s sinful act, they failed and brought death into the world. All human beings inherit a sin nature from Adam and are alienated from God due to sin’s pervasive corruption. Though God's eternal attributes and divine power are clearly seen in creation, sinful humanity suppresses that truth in their unrighteousness. They are spiritually blind and both unwilling and unable to see the light of the Gospel apart from the regenerating power of God. As those who bear his image, all humanity stands in relationship to him, either in belief, obedience, and humble worship, resulting in eternal life, or in unbelief, rejection, and rebellion, resulting in eternal punishment.
Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1; James 3:8,9; Genesis 2:15, 16; 3:17-19; Romans 1:18-20; 3:23; 5:12-14; 8:8; Ephesians 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4; John 3:16; Matthew 25:44-46; Revelation 20:12-14; 2 Peter 3:11-13
Salvation
We believe that salvation from the wrath of God for sin is accomplished by God the Spirit through the Gospel. This salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the promises of God concerning the work of Christ alone. All who repent of their sins and place their faith in God the Son are brought from death into life, adopted into God’s family, indwelt by God the Spirit, and kept by God the Father eternally.
John 3:36; 16:8; Romans 1:16, 17; 8:9; Ephesians 2:4-10; Titus 3:5; John 1:11-13; Acts 16:31; 1 Peter 1:3, 4; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; Proverbs 3:5,6; John 5:24; Romans 8:9-11; Ephesians 1:13, 14; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:31-39
The Gospel
We believe the Gospel is the great news that God will save sinners from the eternal judgment they deserve through the life, death, and resurrection of God the Son when they repent of their sins and turn in faith alone to follow him.
Mark 1:14, 15; Romans 1:16, 17; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Acts 2:37-39; 4:12; Romans 6:1-11; 10:9-17; Luke 9:23
The Church
We believe that all those whom God the Spirit regenerates through the Gospel are immediately brought into union with God the Son and become part of his Body, the universal church. As a local representation of the universal church, our Church is united with Christ-followers everywhere under the Lordship of God the Son. We celebrate our union with Christ and our unity with one another by observing baptism and the Lord's Supper. The Church of which Christ is the Head is distinguished by an unswerving commitment to God’s truth and a vibrant love for God, one another, and the world. The church lives to show the world the power of God’s transforming grace through the Gospel and through their unity, love, and service.
Ephesians 1:4; Romans 8:1; 12:5; Acts 2:41; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 3:10; 4:3; 5:23, 24; Colossians 1:24; 4:15; Galatians 1:1, 2; Matthew 16:18; 1 Timothy 3:14, 15; Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 8:36-39; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:34; 15:12-17; 1 Timothy 1:5, 19; 4:6, 7; 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:13, 14; 2:15; 4:1, 2
Last Things
We believe that God will bring all things to their appropriate end for his glory at the right time. God the Son will return, visibly and bodily as he promised. The dead will be raised, and every account settled. For those in Christ, the reward will be eternal life in the new heavens and new earth. But eternal conscious punishment in hell will be the just sentence for all those who reject God’s gracious offer of salvation.
Isaiah 46:8-10; Ephesians 1:11; Mark 8:38; 14:62; Philippians 3:20, 21; 2 Peter 3:9-13; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:22-27