We Believe
We believe that God the Father orders and arranges all things according to His one purpose and grace. As the absolute and highest Ruler in the universe He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. He created the universe apart from preexisting materials and without means. He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass and continually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and events. From all eternity He has graciously chosen those whom He would have as His own; He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; and He relates Himself to His own as their Father. (1 Chron. 29:11; Ps. 103:19; 145:8-9; Jn. 1:18; Rom. 11:33; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 1:3-6; Heb. 4:13; 1 Pet. 1:17)
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the virgin-born Son of Man who was incarnated as the God-Man to reveal God, redeem people, and rule over God's kingdom. He became and remained a perfect man yet retained His absolute deity, being at the same time very God and very Man. Therefore, He was without sin in His nature, unable to sin in principle, and did not sin in fact. He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a propitiatory and substitutionary sacrifice. Our redemption is made sure by His resurrection from the dead. Throughout this age, Christ is seated at the Father's side performing the intercessory aspect of His High Priestly work for believers. We believe in the pre-millennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His kingdom reign on the earth and in a glorious new heaven and earth where redeemed humanity will dwell forever with God. (Zech. 14:4-11: Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:1-2; Rom. 3:24-25; 8:34; Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Heb. 4:15; 7:25; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; 2:21-25; 1 Jn. 2:1-2; Rev. 20:6)
We believe it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to mankind. This work involves that of regenerating, baptizing into the body of Christ, indwelling, sanctifying, instructing, empowering for service, administering spiritual gifts, and preserving to the day of Christ. We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and places the believer into the Body of Christ. In His sovereignty, the Lord bestows spiritual gifts upon His children. Each believer is responsible to develop his or her God given spiritual gift(s) to serve others in love and humility. We believe the Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to believers as He wills for the common good. No gift signifies His baptism or filling, nor does any gift provide authoritative revelation beyond what has already been revealed in the Holy Scriptures. We believe that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles in the beginning days of the church were for the primary purpose of pointing to and authenticating the revealing of divine truth, and, therefore are not a part of our corporate worship. (Jn. 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-9; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:4-13; 13:8-10; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:13-14; 2:22; 4:7-12; Heb. 2:1-4)
We believe God established marriage to be a lifelong covenant relationship between one man and one woman which illustrates Christ's relationship to the church. Marriage so defined is the only permissible context for intimate sexual expression and is the foundation for the human family. (Matt. 19:4-6; Mal. 2:16; 1 Cor. 7:1-7; Heb. 13:4; Prov. 5:15-19)
We believe that human life is precious and should be protected from beginning, at fertilization, until death. (Gen. 1:25-27; 3:1-19; Rom. 1:24-27; 3:22-23; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 5:22-33)
We believe in the physical resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous: the righteous to eternal fellowship with God, the unrighteous to eternal punishment and conscious separation from God. (Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 20:15, 22:3-5, 11)
God's gift of salvation, according to the Bible, is completely by grace and faith, and not by human effort or good works. As we repent of our sins and by faith accept God's gift of salvation, our sins are forgiven, our relationship with God is restored, and we receive eternal life. Although salvation from sin is completely by grace through faith in Jesus, true salvation is demonstrated by a changed life and good works. (John 3:16-18; Romans 3:23-24; Romans 2:8-10 5:1, 2; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; Tit. 2:11-14; James 2:14-25;1 John 1:8, 9)
We believe baptism should be done by immersion and administered to those who profess faith in Christ. It is done in response to the Great Commission when Jesus told His disciples "to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:36-37; 16:33: Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12)
A suggested worship theme is provided weekly to direct our thoughts ahead of time. The "theme" of the meeting may follow it or go in a completely different direction. Each believer should prepare for this meeting through prayer and reading of the Word. Proper self-examination is crucial preparation for this time together. This results in right relationships and attitudes towards God and toward one another.
We understand from Scripture that the Lord's Supper is a time when believers remember the Lord Jesus Christ together and proclaim His death until He comes. The elements consist of a loaf of bread and grape juice which are symbols representing our Lord's body and blood, which were given for us. Because it is the Lord's table, we welcome to His table all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who do not hold doctrines contrary to Christ and who are not immoral in life and conduct. (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 11:17-34; 14:26-40; 2 John 9-11)
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all we believe. For the purposes of Grace Bible Fellowship's faith, doctrine, practice, policy and discipline, the elders are its final interpretive authority on the Bible's meaning and application.
The Bible
We believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," written by a process in which the Holy Spirit so superintended the human authors that, through their individual personalities and different styles of writing, they composed and recorded the Word of God to man without error in the whole or in the part. The Bible is the story of God's plan to restore relationships with His treasure, the people of the world. It is the only standard of faith and practice for the believer and
the assembly. (Jn. 20:30-31; 1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)
God
We believe that God eternally exists in three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - and that these three are co-equal and one God, each having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and each worthy of precisely the same reverence. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; Jn. 4:24; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6)
Mankind
We believe that man and woman were created in the image of God, free from sin, but through Adam became alienated from God by a voluntary act of personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, acquired a sin nature and came under the judicial sentence of death. We recognize and affirm a person's biological gender given by God at birth.
Salvation
We believe the Bible teaches that every person has chosen to sin, that is, to disobey God, and that the penalty for sin is eternal death. We are incapable of saving ourselves. God by His love and grace has provided a way for sin to be forgiven, hell avoided, and heaven gained. By Jesus' death and shed blood on the cross and His resurrection from death, God's righteous wrath against sin is satisfied and He offers the way from eternal death to eternal life and we are reconciled to God.
The Church
We believe that all who have placed their faith in Christ are united together immediately by the Holy Spirit in one spiritual body, the Church, of which Christ is the Head. The local assembly is composed of believers who gather in Christ's name for worship, prayer, and edification. Government and discipline are divinely outlined as being the responsibility of the local church elders. (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 4:8-13; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-9; Heb. 10:25)
Baptism
We believe baptism is the public witness to all of a new relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and serves to identify the person with the Christian family. The New Testament teaches that baptism is an act of obedience by which, upon believing, a person symbolically identifies with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It is not a requirement for salvation.
The Lord's Supper
We believe the celebration of the Lord's Supper was instituted by the Lord Himself to provide believers with the opportunity to "remember the Lord Jesus Christ" together. (Matt. 26:17-30) It became the central focus of the early church whenever it met together. Often referred to as the breaking of bread, we celebrate it every Sunday morning in an open worship service where the entire congregation is actively involved in the worship of God. Men are free to lead us in worship through praise, a psalm, a hymn, a teaching, an exhortation, or a prayer as led by the Holy Spirit and according to the guidelines of Scripture. We understand the Bible teaches that women are to remain silent. (1 Cor. 14:34) Being led by the Spirit should include individual preparation. Participation should be orderly, reverent and honoring God and edifying to the church. Periods of silence during this service are opportunities for individual worship and meditation on our Lord.
