We believe that the Holy Bible was written by godly men under the control of the Holy Spirit (II
Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21) and that these sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation, as
originally written, do not merely contain and convey the Word of God, but is the very Word of
God; that It is truth without any mixture of error (Psalm 119:160; Luke 24:44-45); that It shall
remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man (Psalm
119:89; Proverbs 30:5-6; Matthew 5:18). Thus, we deny any movement which would subtly or
overtly purport the Scriptures insufficiency or subvert its authority.
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the
maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth (Deuteronomy 6:4; I Corinthians 8:6), glorious in
holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love (Revelation 4:11; Exodus 15:11),
that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—
coequal in essence but distinct in function for the work of redemption (Matthew 28:19; John 15:26;
I Corinthians 12:4-6; II Corinthians 13:14; I John 5:7).
We believe that God the Son is the Creator and Sustainer of all creation (John 1:1,14; Col. 1:15-
17); that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Isa. 61:1-3; Luke
1:26- 38); that He is God manifest in the flesh, very God and very man (John 14:16; Acts 16:31);
that He was sent by the Father for the purpose of being the perfect sinless sacrifice for the sins of
mankind (John 3:13-17; 2 Cor. 5:21) ; that He died in our stead, was buried and rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures, gaining victory over death for us (I Cor. 15:1-4, 55-57); that
He is the object of our faith; that He is the only way to the Father (I Tim. 2:5; John 14:1-4; Heb.
4:14-16); that He is the head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-30; Col. 1:18); that He will return
to judge the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1); that He will reign as King of Kings on earth for
1000 years; and that He will judge evil works of darkness at the end of time (Rev. 20:4-6, 11-15).
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person equal with God the Father (John 14:16-17), and
God the Son (Matthew 28:19), and of the same nature (John 14:26); that He was active in the
creation (Genesis 1:1-3); that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until
God’s purpose is fulfilled (II Thessalonians 2:7); that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of
righteousness (John 16:8-11); that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and
testimony (John 15:26-27); that He is the agent in the New Birth (John 3:5-6); that He seals,
baptizes, indwells, empowers, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer. The fruit
of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, and temperance) is the
evidence of His indwelling, rather than the speaking in tongues and other spectacular
demonstrations (Ephesians 5:18-21; Galatians 5:22-23).
We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors, but through pride and ambition
to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-
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17; II Peter 2:4; Jude 6) and is now the Prince of Power of the Air, the unholy god of this world
(Ephesians 2:2). We hold him to be man’s great tempter (I Peter 5:8; I Thessalonians 3:5), the
enemy of God and His Christ (I John 3:8), the accuser of the saints (Revelation 12:10), the author
of all false religions, the chief power behind the present apostasy (II Corinthians 11:13-15), the
lord of the Antichrist and the author of all powers of darkness (I John 4:3; Revelation 13:13-14),
destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son and to the judgment of an eternal
justice in hell fire, a place prepared for him and his fallen angels (Revelation 19:11,16,19-20;
Revelation 20:10).
We believe in the Genesis account of Creation and that it is to be accepted literally, not
allegorically or figuratively (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 33:6,9; 90:2,
102:25 & 119:73; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3): God created the Heavens and the Earth in
six literal days; man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness (Genesis
1:26-27; I Corinthians 11:7); man’s creation was not a matter of atheistic evolution, evolutionary
change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher
forms (Genesis 2:7, 21-23); and all animal and vegetable life was made directly and God’s
established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind” (Genesis 1:11,24).
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker (Genesis 3:1-6,24) but
by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state (Romans 5:12,19), in consequence
of which, all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice (Romans 3:10-19;
Ephesians 2:1,3), and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse (Romans
1:20,28,32) and in desperate need of a Savior.
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit to a
miraculous incarnation, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born
of woman (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35), that He is both fully God and
fully man, yet without sin (I John 5:20; I Corinthians 15:47).
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11) through the
mediatorial offices of the Son of God, Who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon
Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience and by His
death made a full and vicarious (substitutionary) atonement for our sins (John 3:16; Matthew
18:11; Romans 3:25; II Corinthians 5:21), that His atonement consisted not in setting us an
example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of self in the sinner’s place,
the just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree (John
10:28; Philippians 2:8; Isaiah 53:11), that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in
heaven, and, uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He
is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Savior (I Cor. 15:20;
Isaiah 53:12; Hebrews 9:12).
We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be born again (John 3:3), and that:
(a) the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17),
(b) it is instantaneous and not a process (Luke 5:27-28; I John 5:1; John 3:6-7) ,
(c) in the new birth, the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine
nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God (II Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23).
11. Sovereign Election and Freeness of Salvation
We believe that God, before the foundation of the world, chose (by sovereign election) all true
believers to eternal salvation in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-14; I Thessalonians 1:4; II
Thessalonians 2:10-13; II Timothy 2:10; I Peter 1:2-4); yet through God’s divine grace, the
blessings of salvation are made free to all through the Gospel (Isaiah 55:1; Romans 10:13; John
1:12; Titus 3:4-7), and that it is the duty of all to accept this saving grace by humble repentance
and obedient faith (Isaiah 55:6; Acts 2:38) and that rejection justly sentences sinners to eternal
condemnation (John 3:18,36).
We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is
justification, that justification includes the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life because of
Christ’s righteousness (Acts 13:39; Isaiah 53:11; Romans 5:1,9), that it is bestowed not in
consideration of any good or religious works which we have done but solely through faith in the
Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us (Titus 3:3-7; Romans 4:1-8; Hebrews
9:12,22).
13. Repentance and Faith
We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations (Acts 20:21) and also inseparable
graces (Mark 1:15), wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God (Romans 8:10-11),
thereby being deeply convicted of our guilt, helplessness and danger of hell fire, and of the way of
salvation only by Christ, we turn to God with sincere repentance, confession and a heart crying
out for mercy (Luke 18:13; Romans 3:9-26; 7:8-11 & 10:13) and, at the same time, heartily
receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior
(Luke 12:8; Romans 10:9-10).
We believe that sanctification has a three-fold meaning. First, positional sanctification is when the
believer, at the moment of his salvation, is set apart unto God and is eternally declared holy and
righteous in Christ. This has to do with the believer’s eternal standing, not his daily walk (Acts
20:32; I Corinthians 1:2, 30 & 6:11; I Thessalonians 5:23; II Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11;
3:1; 10:10-14 & 13:12; I Peter 1:2). Secondly, progressive sanctification is the work of the Holy
Spirit whereby the believer is brought closer to the likeness of Christ through obedience to the
Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The believer is able to live a life of increasing
holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ
(John 17:17, 19; Romans 6:1-22; II Corinthians 3:18; I Thessalonians 4:3,4 & 5:23). Every saved
person is involved in a daily conflict—the new creation in Christ doing battle against the flesh—
but adequate provision is made for victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The
struggle, nevertheless, stays with the believer all through this earthly life and is never completely
ended until the believer gets to heaven. Eradication of our sin nature is not possible, but the Holy
Spirit does provide for ever-increasing victory over temptation and sin (Galatians 5:16-25;
Ephesians 4:22-24; Philippians 3:12; Colossians 1:28 & 3:9,10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9).
Thirdly, perfect (or entire) sanctification will take place when the believer stands in Christ’s
presence (1 John 3:2; Eph.1:14).
We believe that all true believers shall one day be received into the presence of the Lord in heaven
(John 8:31-32; Colossians 1:5,13-14,21), that their persevering commitment and loyalty to Christ
is the grand mark which distinguishes them from those of superficial profession (I John 2:19;
Matthew 13:19-30), that a special Providence watches over their welfare (Hebrews 1:14; Romans
8:28; Matthew 6:30), and that they are kept eternally secure by the power of God through faith
unto eternal salvation (I Peter 1:5; John 10:28; Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30).
We believe that a Biblical church is a congregation of baptized (immersed) believers, associated
by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ (Acts 2:41-
42; I Corinthians 11:2), governed by His laws and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges in
them by His Word (Ephesians 1:22-23 & 4:11-12; I Corinthians 12:4,8-11). We believe the true
mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: to make individual disciples, to baptize
them, to teach and instruct as He has commanded (Matthew 28:19-20) for his glory. We hold that
the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from interference of any hierarchy
of individuals or organizations and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy
Spirit (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-24), that it is Scriptural for true Biblical churches to
cooperate with each other in contending for sound doctrine and for the furtherance of the Biblical
Gospel, that every church, under the leading of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God, is
the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation (Acts 15:22; Jude 3-4; II Corinthians
8:23-24). On all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, benevolence, the will of
the local church is final (I Corinthians 5:11-6:3).
We believe that Biblical believer’s baptism is one of the first steps of obedience after salvation and
it is by immersion once in water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
(Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39), to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the
crucified, buried and risen Savior, and our identification with the Savior in death to sin and
resurrection to new life (Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12), that the Scriptural order in baptism
precedes the privileges of church membership and is the public recognition of the Lordship of
Jesus Christ in one’s life (Acts 2:41-42). The Lord’s Supper is a memorial service in which the
elements of bread and the fruit of the vine remind us of the love of God, in Christ Jesus, and that
this ordinance is to be observed in anticipation of His coming and preceded always by solemn self-examination (I Corinthians 11:23-28).
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked
(Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-18), that only such as through faith are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly declared righteous by God (Romans
1:17; I Corinthians 15:22; Acts 10:34-35), while all such as continue in unrepentance and unbelief
are in His sight wicked and under the curse (Romans 6:16,23; I John 5:19; Galatians 3:10; Romans
6:23), and this distinction holds among men both in life and after death, in the everlasting conscious
suffering of the lost in hell fire (Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:25; Matthew 25:34,41; John
8:12,21,24,31).
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of
human society (Romans 13:1-3; II Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:20-22), that magistrates are to be
prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed (Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Titus 3:1; I Peter
2:12-14), except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:19-20 & 5:29;
Daniel 3:17-18), Who is the supreme Authority of truth and righteousness on earth (Matthew 10:28
& 23:10; Philippians 2:10-11).
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image, beginning at conception.
Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the
physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through
natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. We believe that
both abortion and assisted suicide are murder (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16: Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5;
Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44). However, we also believe that God’s grace is greater than our sin
(Rom. 5:20-21), including murder, and that God’s full forgiveness and cleansing are available to
any who confess their sin and repent (1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Jn. 1:9; Rev. 9:21).
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably created each person as male or female (Gen.
1:27), and that these two distinct and complementary genders together reflect the image and
nature of God. We believe that while these two genders are equal in dignity and value (Gen. 5:1-
2; Gal. 3:27-28; 1 Pet. 3:7), they are distinct in function and roles (Eph. 5:22-33; 1 Tim. 2:11-15;
1 Pet. 3:1-7). We believe that one’s divinely-assigned gender is reflected in one’s biology, and
that individuals should joyfully accept the sex in which they were created without seeking to
change God’s intended design.
We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union of one biological man and one
biological woman for a lifetime, and that sexual activity is to occur exclusively within that union
(Gen. 2:18-24; Mal. 2:14; Matt. 19:3-6, 8). We believe that homosexuality violates God’s design
for individual sexuality and marital intimacy (Lev. 18:22). We believe that, while the Scriptures
give some legitimate allowances for divorce (Matt. 5:32; 19:9; 1 Cor. 7:15), permanence was
always God’s intent since marriage is a picture of the relationship of Christ and His bride, the
church (Eph. 5:25-27).
We believe that Christians should not bring civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church in
an effort 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 Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is
pursued without malice or slander (I Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32). The deacons may recommend a
binding arbitration and arbiters for disagreeing parties within Grace Bible Church. Should the
parties fail to accept such an arbitration agreement, they may be subject to church discipline.
We believe in these related truths:
(a) Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; I Corinthians
15:4);
(b) Christ’s literal ascension back to heaven (Acts 1:9,11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19;
Revelation 3:21);
(c) Christ’s heavenly high priestly intercessory ministry (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15 & 8:6; I
Timothy 2:1-5; I John 2:1-2);
(d) Christ’s imminent rapture and personal return for the church and the Second Coming
(John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:16-17 & 5:1-10; II Thessalonians 2:I-12; I Corinthians
15:42-44 & 52-53; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 3:4; Revelation 3:10-11; 4:1 & 19:11-
16; Matthew 24:27 & 42; Luke 21:34-36; Romans 11:25);
(e) The judgment seat of Christ for believers only, to award their personal Christian service
or the lack of it (I Corinthians 3:8-15; II Corinthians 5:10-15);
(f) The Battle of Armageddon ends the Tribulation, when Christ comes to be victorious over
all the earthly followers of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:17-21);
(g) Israel’s Millennial (1000-year) Kingdom on earth, when Jesus Christ literally rules as
King of kings (Revelation 20:1-10; Isaiah 25,26 & 32);
(h) Christ’s great white throne judgment for all unbelievers, from creation to the end of the
millennium, to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to be justly judged and to be sent to the
eternal lake of fire forever (Revelation 20:11-15);
(i) Eternity with God for every true believer to be forever in heaven, the age to come,
praising and serving the Almighty (Revelation 21 & 22).