What We Believe

ARTICLES OF FAITH

 

Whereas: The Scriptures distinctly teach that in "the last days the time will come when they shall not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; and shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." II Timothy 4:3,4

 

Resolved, that we, by the grace of God, maintain a work of evangelism as well as the teaching of the inspired Word of God, for the perfecting of the saints, and the edifying of the body of Christ.

 

Resolved, that we declare our adherence to the following doctrinal truth:

 

THE INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES:

We believe in the supernatural, plenary, verbal, written inspired and infallible authority of the Scriptures as found preserved by the Holy Ghost in the King James Bible A.V. 1611, and accept it in its entirety (footnotes, maps, concordances, commentaries, and margin references excluded) for our rule of faith and practice. II Timothy 3:16,17

 

THE TRIUNE GOD:

We believe the Scriptures reveal God as eternally existing and manifesting Himself in three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- One in essence and power. Matthew 3:16,17

 

THE DEITY OF CHRIST:

We believe in the absolute Deity of Jesus Christ, that He is God. John 1:1,2; Philippians 2:6

 

THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST:

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true Man. Luke 1:31,32

 

OMNIPOTENCE OF CHRIST:

As evidenced by the miracles He performed. John 5:36

 

THE DEATH OF CHRIST:

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all that believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. Isaiah 53:5,6; Romans 5:1

 

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST:

We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord. Luke 24:39

 

THE ASCENSION AND INTERCESSION OF CHRIST:

We believe in His ascension into heaven and in His present life there for us, as High Priest and Advocate. Hebrews 4:14,16

 

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST:

We believe in that "blessed hope", the personal, premillenial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13; Acts 1: 11

 

THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person and not a mere influence. The importance of the believer living in right relations with the Holy Spirit cannot be overestimated. Just as salvation is through Christ alone, so growth, blessing, and victory are through the Holy Spirit. John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

 

THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN:

We believe in the personality of Satan, the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man. He is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Matthew 25:4 1 ; Revelation 20: 10

 

MAN:

We believe God created man in His own image and that man came into the world by direct creation of God and not by evolution; that this creative act of God was separate and distinct from any other work of God. Genesis 1:27;  2:7

 

THE FALL OF MAN:

We believe the Scripture record of the fall of man through disobedience to God, and that by nature man is now "dead in trespasses and sins". Romans 5:12

 

THE NEW BIRTH:

We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus are born again of the Holy Spirit and are thereby become the children of God. John 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 10:17

THE ORDINANCE OF BAPTISM:

We believe that God's Word commands that every believer, and only believers, to be baptized, and that the only Scriptural method of baptism is by immersion. Romans 6:4

 

THE ORDINANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER:

We believe that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper should be observed as Christ said, "in remembrance" of His broken body and shed blood for us “till He come"; and that the Supper has no sacramental virtue. I Corinthians 11:26

 

THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST AND THE UNJUST:

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting joy of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost. John 5:28,29

 

THE CHURCH:

We believe that a local church is a voluntary association of baptized believers, equal in standing before God, subject to the Word of Christ, and independent of any ecclesiastical control whatsoever. Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23,24; I Thessalonians 2:14

 

PRAYER:

We believe that prayer is the exercise of faith by which we appropriate the power of God and all His manifold blessings, and that the power of prayer is the only power that can make a church effectual for God. Acts 1:8; Ephesians 6:18

 

SPECIAL NOTE:

We believe in rightly dividing the Word in accordance with II Timothy 2:15 and I Corinthians 10:32 and thus any interpretation of the Scripture must consider its dispensation position.

 

SEPARATION:

We believe that the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that the church remain apart from all religious apostasy, compromise, and any practices and associations contrary to these Articles of Faith and, more importantly, the Word of God.

 

EVANGELIZATION:

We believe it is the solemn obligation of every believer to be a personal soul winner and to do his utmost to carry out the Savior's command to give the Gospel to the whole world. Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15

 

SUPPORT:

We believe that the church should be supported only by voluntary and systematic giving, and that giving is a grace created by the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 8:7

 

SOCIAL STATEMENT:

Grace Baptist Church believes that all the saved should live in a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord. We are commanded to separate from all religious apostasy, and all worldly and sinful pleasures and appearances. We believe that God has ordained that all sexual activity is to be within the bounds of marriage between a man and a woman, and that deviation from that is against the Word of God. We believe that God's Word forbids such practices as gender changing (whether through surgery or appearance) and other behavior which presumes against the creative rights of God. We uphold the sanctity of human life and reject the excuse of abortion for any reason. Psalm 51:5, 139:14-16, Jer. 1:5, Gen. 2:24

 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that no man shall occupy the pulpit of this church unless he accepts unreservedly and preaches the aforementioned truths.

 

RESOLVED, that the by-laws committee be requested to incorporate a by-law to the effect that these articles of faith shall never be changed.