|
We Believe: • All Scripture contained in the Old and New Testaments is verbally, plenarily, and inerrantly inspired by God. It is the authoritative guide for all Christian understanding, life and ministry. We believe in the exact equivalent method translation from the original languages. • There is but one God eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each is infinite, eternal, and almighty. That Jesus Christ, the Son, is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and He lived a sinless life. He died, shedding His blood in His substitutionary death for sinners, then was buried, arose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. • The Holy Spirit, Who is Lord and giver of life, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and unites man to Jesus Christ by faith. We believe the Holy Spirit seals and fills all believers. • That man was created in the image and likeness of God. It was by man's free volition that he disobeyed God, incurring physical and spiritual death (separation from God). Each human being is born with a sin nature. Because of this each human is a sinner by nature and is in need of a divine salvation. That salvation is a gift from God. This was accomplished by Christ's substitutionary death; all who believe in Him are justified by the shedding of His blood. Because salvation is given by grace, the believer's salvation is eternally secure. • The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is sent upon all who believe in Jesus Christ. This takes place in each believer at the moment of salvation. Continual infilling may follow. Each gift given by the Holy Spirit is for the edification of the Body of Christ. • We believe that the fulfillment of the Great Commission is the responsibility of all believers. • That the church is the body and the bride of Christ. It is dedicated to the worship and service of God, and the observance of the sacraments or ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. The primary task of the church in all ages is to teach all nations and to make disciples through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. • That Christ will return to rapture His church. Immediately following this event will be the seven-year tribulation period. Concluding this, Christ will come again to the earth and establish His rule for a 1,000 year period. The Great White Throne judgment of the unsaved, coupled with Satan being cast into the lake of fire, will then allow Christ to establish a New Heaven and a New Earth. This is the consummation of all things. The Finished Work and Faith Rest Two of the doctrines that Grace Christian Church emphasizes are The Finished Work of Jesus Christ and Faith Rest. The Finished Work speaks of the positional truth that we are complete in Him (Col 2:10). There is nothing left to do that is not a part of what He accomplished on the cross when He said, “it is finished.” (Jn 19:30). We receive salvation by grace alone through faith and it is a gift of God, completely detached from our own merit. (Eph 2:8-9). We walk with God in the same way that we received Him, by His grace through faith (Col. 2:6), that is without merit on our own part, but we simply rest in Him and walk in the works that He prepared for us beforehand. (Heb 4:9-10, Eph 2:10). We walk by faith, not by sight and walking by faith is how we please God. (2 Cor 5:7, Heb 11:6, Jn 6:29). Once we receive Christ, no matter what obstacles we face or how many times we fall, our position is secure, we are His child. (Eph 1:12-13, Eph 1:5, Rom 8:16). There is always greater grace available - all we have to do is humble ourselves, trust God, and God will give it. (James 4:6, Rom 5:2). Moreover, absolutely nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ (Rom 8:38-39). Knowing our position and God’s nature, we don’t have to strive or try, but just rely. (Heb 4:10).
|