The Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, written by men of God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit; that the Word of God is eternal and complete, and the basis upon which all men will be judged. There will be no new revelation given to men today. Psalms 119:160; II Timothy 3:16, 17; I Peter 1:24, 25; Revelation 22:18, 19.
The Godhead
We believe there is but one God who exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit; that their purposes are one and their offices and actions are completely harmonious. Matthew 28:19; John 1:14; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3.
God The Father
We believe that God is the Creator of all things, that He is eternal, sovereign, omnipresent, omniscient, holy, just, merciful and immutable. Genesis 1:1; Psalms 90:2; 103:8; 139:2; Matthew 19:26; John 6:44; Philippians 2:13;
God The Son
We believe that Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God but God Himself as well. We believe that He was born of a virgin, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and took on human form; that He is sinless, became our substitute by dying in our place; that He was resurrected bodily from the grave and is coming again. Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35; I Corinthians 15:4; II Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:7, 8; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 4:15.
God The Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is God; that He indwells every believer, He joins (baptizes) the believer unto Christ, and seals the believer; that He convicts men of sin and of righteousness, and He guides and teaches the believer. John 16:7-15; I Corinthians 2:125; 6:19; 12:13; Ephesians 1:13; 4:4, 5.
Man
We believe that man was created without sin in the image of God; that he sinned by disobedience to God; that because of Adam’s sin, sin entered the world and all men are sinners; that all men stand guilty and condemned before God and can only be saved through Jesus Christ. Genesis 1:27; 2:25; 3:1-24; Romans 3:10-18, 23; 5:12; 6:23.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a free gift that has been extended to all, that it comes by faith alone; that it is only available through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross; that it is not possible by any form of works; and that it is eternal. Synonymous with salvation are receiving, believing, and repentance (involving the turning from our sinful ways to God). As a result of salvation we have granted to us the following: justification, sanctification, glorification, redemption, and eternal life. John 1:12; 3:16; 10:27, 28; 14:6; Acts 2:28; Romans 3:24; 5:1, 9, 15; 6:23; 8:17, 30; I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 2:8, 9; I Timothy 4:10.
The Church
We believe that the church exists both as the body of Christ as well as the local assembly. In relation to Christ, He died for the Church, He is the head of the Church, the Church is His body, and He will come again for the Church. The responsibilities of the church are to worship God, to evangelize, to develop the life of the Christian, to teach the Word of God, to minister to one another and to pray. Christ left two ordinances to the church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Matthew 28:19, 20; John 14:13; Acts 2:44, 45; 12:5; I Corinthians 1:2; 11:20-34; Ephesians 1:6, 22, 23; 4:11-16;5:25.
The Return Of Christ
We believe that Jesus is coming again to receive His saints, raising from the grave those who sleep in death; that He will personally and literally reign over the earth for one thousand glorious years following the Tribulation Period.
All men will be judged; the unsaved at the Great White Throne Judgment and the saved at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Those who have accepted Christ as personal Savior during this life will live forever with God in prepared places in Heaven. Those who refuse the salvation Christ offers will spend eternity in the awful punishment of Hell, prepared for the devil and his angels. Luke 19:19-31; John 14:1-6; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3; 20:1-4, 15.
Human Sexuality
We believe that the members of Grace Baptist Church are to be role models of its teachings as given in this Constitution and Statement of Faith. Therefore, we do not accept as volunteer workers, members, or paid staff, those who violate the constitution of Grace Baptist Church and its by-laws. We believe that God had commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of the marriage relationship. We believe there are many sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex, and those perversions include, but are not limited to: homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, pornography and all forms of child molestation. We believe God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. Any employee of the Church or volunteer becoming pregnant or causing pregnancy as a result of consensual intercourse, outside of the marriage relationship, shall be terminated from his or her paid or volunteer position. (Genesis 2:22-24; 19:5, 13; 26:8, 9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Matthew19:4-6; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 7:2; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:22,23; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).
We believe God ordained marriage and the family as the foundational institution of human society, and that the only legitimate marriage is a sacred and permanent covenant relationship between one man and one woman, symbolizing the union of Christ and His Church. The husband is to be the servant leader in the home and is to love his wife as Christ loves the Church, and the wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her own husband as the Church submits to the headship of Christ (Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 7:2; I Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-33). We believe that children are to obey and honor their parents in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4).
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate function for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the Church. (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; I Timothy 2:8-15; 3:4, 5, 12).
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified and unexcused taking of unborn human life; therefore abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16: Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).
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