At Grace Bible Church our guiding principles are expressed in our Constitution which contains, among other Sections, the following:
STATEMENT OF FAITH AND COVENANT
SECTION 1-STATEMENT OF FAITH
(A) The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. (2Tim. 3:16-17; 2Pet 1:20-21)
(B) Dispensationalism
We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life, which define man's responsibility in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations - the law, the church, and the kingdom - are the subjects of detailed revelation in the Scripture. (Gen. l:28; 1Cor 9:17; 2Cor 3:9-18; Gal 3:13-25; Eph l:l0; 3:2-l0; Col l:24-25,27; Rev 20:2-6).
(C) The Godhead
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each coeternal in being, co identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt 28:19; 2Cor. 13:14; John 14:10,26).
(D) The Person and Work of Christ
(1) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke l:35; John l:l-2, 14; 2Cor. 5:19-21; Ga 14:4-5;Phil 2:5-8)
(2) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom 3:24-25; 1Peter 2:24; Eph l:17; 1Peter 1:3-5).
(3) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10: Heb 9:21; 7:25; Rom 8:34; John 2:1-2).
(E) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
(1) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Rom 8:9; 1Cor 12:12-14; 2Cor 3:6; Eph 1:13-14)
(2) We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to he filled with the Spirit (Eph 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20,27)
(3) We believe that God, the Holy Spirit, is sovereign in the bestowal of gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom 12:3-8; 1Cor 12:4-11; Eph 4:7-12)
(4) Because of the diversity of opinion over the issue of tongues, we do not practice the speaking in tongues in our services. (1Cor 12:4-11; 14: 1-6,14-19)
(F) The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen 1:26-27; Rom 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph 2:l-3; 4:17-19).
(G) Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.(John 1:12; Eph 1:7; 2:8-l0; 1Peter 1:18-19)
(H) The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
(1) We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom 8:1, 38-39; 1Cor 1:4-8; 1Pet 1:4-5).
(2) We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom 13:13-14; Gal 5:13; Titus 2: 11-15).
(I) The Church
(1) We believe that he local church, which is the body, and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again believers. (1Cor 12:12-14; 2Cor 11:2; Eph l:22-23; 5: 25-27).
(2) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20: 17; 28-32; 1Tim 3:l-l3; Titus 1:5-11).
(3) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:l-4; 15:19-3l; 20:8; Rom 16:l,4; 1Cor 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; 1Peter 5:l-4).
(4) We believe that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was given to the church as a symbolic act of remembrance to be observed until the Lord's return. It is symbolic in nature, with the bread and grape juice representing in type the body and blood of Christ given in sacrifice for the believer's salvation. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance to believer's only, and is made available to all in attendance who have accepted Christ as their personal savior. (1Cor 11:23-29; esp. vs. 24)
(5) We believe that baptism is an act symbolizing the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism is an act of obedience of the believer in Christ, and does not in any way contribute to the believer's salvation. Anyone seeking to be baptized in our church will be baptized by immersion. This is in keeping with New Testament teachings and with the basic meaning of the word (baptizo) which means to immerse, dip, plunge. (Luke 3:7; John l:33; Acts 2:38; 10:47).
(J) Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God. (Rom 12:2; 14:l3; 2Cor 6:14-7:l; 2Tim 3:l-5; 1John 2:l5-17; 2John 9-11).
(K) The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in that "blessed hope", the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Israel. (PS. 89:3-4; Dan 2:31-45; 1Thess 4:13-18; Rev 3:10; 19:11-16).
(L) The Eternal State
(1) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt 25:46: John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev 20:5-6,12-13).
(2) We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection (rapture), when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (John 5:29; Acts 24:15; 1Thess 4:16-17; Rev 20:4-6).
(3) We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the Great White Throne Judgment, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear before the Lord, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Matt 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; John 5:29: 2Thess 1:7-9; Rev 20:11-15).
(M) The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a created being at one time the Chief of the Angelic Realm. In his fallen state, he is the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man, and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job l:6-7; Isa 14:12-17; Matt 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev 20:10).
(N) Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six days. We reject evolution as an unscriptural theory of origin (Gen l-2; Ex 20:11).
(O) Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Rom 13:1-7; Eph 5:22-24; Heb 13:17; 1Pet 2:13-14).
(P) Human Sexuality
1) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s sex by surgery, hormone manipulation or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; 19:5,13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb 13:4)
2) We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23) Therefore, since we believe homosexuality and lesbianism to be sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex, same sex couples will not be allowed to be united in marriage within the church facility, nor anywhere else on the property of Grace Bible Church.
Likewise, inasmuch as we believe God created only two human sexes, male and female, and abhors any attempt to alter one's sex by surgery, hormone manipulation or appearance, no so-called "transgendered" person shall be allowed to marry nor be given in marriage within the church facility, nor anywhere else on the property of Grace Bible Church
(Genesis 1:27, 2:21-24)
(Q) Divorce and Remarriage
We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. We also know that there were times that Moses and even Paul spoke on the subject allowing for divorcement under certain circumstances. It is not our responsibility to stand in judgment of actions taken by people regarding their marriage. That is for God alone. The divorced and the remarried persons who join Grace Bible Church are welcome to use their gifts and talents for God's service and we trust that He will use them mightily (Mal 2:14-17; Matt l9:3-12; Rom 7:1-3; 1Tim 3:2,12; Titus 1:6).
(R) Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa 44:24; 49:1,5; Jer 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).
(S) Missions
We believe that God has given a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to evangelize the world at home and abroad. (Matt 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts l:8; 2Cor 5:20)
(T) Lawsuits Between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander (1Cor 6:l-8; Eph 4:31-32).
(U) Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Gen 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1Cor 16:2; 2Cor 9:6-7; Gal 6:6; Eph 4:28; 1Tim 5:17-18; 1John 3:17).
SECTION 2 - AUTHORITY OF STATEMENT OF FAITH
The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe however, that the foregoing statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all members.