Tenets of Faith & Doctrine

The church accepts the scriptures as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity, adopts these statements of Fundamental Truths and Doctrine.

Section 1. THE SCRIPTURES INSPIRED

The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason. (II Timothy 3:15-17, I Peter 1:23-25, Hebrews 4:12)

Section 2. THE ONE TRUE GODHEAD

The triune Godhead is comprised of three (3) separate and distinct personalities: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who are eternally self-existent and self- revealed and function as one entity. Jesus Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh, is the second member of the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:26, Matthew 28:19, I John 5:7, John 1)

Section 3. MAN, HIS FALL, AND REDEMPTION

Man was created good and upright, for God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” But man, by voluntary transgression, fell. His only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 3:1-17, Romans 5:12-21)

Section 4. THE SALVATION OF MAN

Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus became sin and took on our disease, providing both salvation and divine healing for all mankind (Psalm 103:3), whom God justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. “For by grace are we saved through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:8-10, Romans 3:24)

Section 5. BAPTISM IN WATER

The ordinance of water baptism, being a type of burial with Christ, should be observed as commanded in the scriptures by all who have repented and in their hearts truly believe in Christ and have accepted Him as Savior and Lord. In doing so, they declare to the world that they have died with Him and are now raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:36-37, Romans 6:4)

Section 6. THE LORD’S SUPPER

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the church established by Christ, showing forth the Lord’s death until He comes. It is a time of remembering Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice for man. (I Corinthians 11:23-31, Matthew 26:26-30)

Section 7. THE HOLY SPIRIT

All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the “promise of the Father,” the baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the Early Church. With it, comes the endowment of power for life and service and the ability to pray in other tongues, which is the initial physical evidence subsequent to the experience of the New Birth.

Section 8. THE CHURCH

The Church is the Body of Christ, the earthly habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for fulfillment of the Great Commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and Church of the first born, which are written in heaven. (Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 2:19-22, Hebrews 12:23)

Section 9. MARRIAGE, GENDER and SEXUALITY

We believe that God immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complimentary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

We believe that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning; the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated by scripture. (Gen.2:18-25) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (I Cor. 6:18, 7:2-5, Heb. 13:4) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged outside of marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality and incest) is categorized as sin in scripture. (Matt 15:18-20, I Cor. 6:9-10)

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Grace Christian Church as part of the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the Grace Christian Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Grace Christian Church or are considered leaders within the congregation in any capacity, agree to abide by this statement on marriage, gender and sexuality. (Matt. 5:16, Phil 2:14-16, I Thess. 5:22)

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess their sin, receiving forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21, Rom. 10:9-10, I Cor. 6:9-11)

We believe that every person must be shown compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31, Luke 6:31) Hateful and/or harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward ANY individual are to be repudiated and are not in agreement with scripture or the doctrines of Grace Christian Church.

Section 10. TOTAL PROSPERITY

a. Spiritual. John 3:3, 11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10

b. Mental. II Timothy 1:7, Romans 12:2, Isaiah 26:3

c. Physical. Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24, III John 2

d. Financial. III John 2, Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38, II Corinthians 9:6-10, Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Section 11. THE BLESSED HOPE

Jesus is coming again to gather all His saints to heaven. I Corinthians 15:51-52, I Thessalonians 4:16-17, II Thessalonians 2:1, Titus 2:13

Section 12. ETERNAL SEPARATION

Those who do not choose Jesus as Lord, will experience everlasting punishment, originally created for the devil and his angels, away from the presence of the Lord.
(Matthew 25:34-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9)

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