Section 1 — THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man and were given by the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the original languages. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed and, therefore, are the ultimate authority for faith and life. The Scriptures shall be interpreted literally according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning.

We believe that God has preserved His Word in the Hebrew Masoretic Text and in the Greek Textus Receptus and that the King James Version of the Bible is the most accurate and faithful English translation of the Masoretic Text and the Textus Receptus. Therefore, the King James Version shall be the translation used by this church in all of its teaching and preaching. (Is. 59:21; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

Section 2 — THE GODHEAD

We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 14:10, 26; 2 Cor. 13:14)

Section 3 — The Person and Work of Christ

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 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)

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; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Pet. 1:3-5)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to 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; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2)

Section 4 — The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

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; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)

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 be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. He 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; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)

We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)

Section 5 — The Sinfulness 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. 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. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)

Section 6 — 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. (Matt. 12:31-32; John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9)

Section 7 — The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

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; 1 Cor. 1: 4-8; 1 Peter 1:4-5)

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 of the flesh. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

Section 8 — The New Testament Church

We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is to be solely made up of born-again persons. (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)

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; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9; 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4.)

We recognize water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-38; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)

We believe that the only Scriptural officers of the church are pastors and deacons. These offices can be held by men only who meet the qualifications and duties as defined in the Word of God. Accordingly, only men are eligible for ordination by the church. (1 Timothy 3:1-15; Titus 1:6-9)

Section 9 — Separation

We believe that God commands that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord. Therefore believers are to separate from all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances — this is personal separation. (Lev. 19:28; Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17)

God also commands the church to separate from all religious apostasy and ecumenical associations with those who teach doctrine contrary to the Word of God — this is ecclesiastical separation. (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11)

Section 10 — 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 for 1000 years His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

Section 11 — The Eternal State

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)

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, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)

We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with the soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, 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; Luke 16: 19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:10)

Section 12 — The Personality of Satan

We believe in the literal personhood of Satan as one of the angels created by God, who rebelled against God in pride; that he is the author of sin and the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)

Section 13 — Creation

We believe that God created the universe is six literal, 24 hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11)

Section 14 — 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 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; 1 Peter 2:13-14)

Section 15 — Human Sexuality & Marriage

We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage. Engagement in sexual activity of any kind outside of God’s design of marriage is a sinful perversion of God’s gift of sex. (Gen. 19:5, 13; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1, 6:9, 7:1-5; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)

We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one biological male and one biological female in a single, covenantal union, as delineated by Scripture. Any marriage ceremonies performed in any facility owned, leased, or rented by this church or its members for the purpose of the ceremony will only be performed for members of Grace Baptist Church. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 26:8-9; Rom. 7:2; Eph 5:22-23).

Section 16 — Family Relationships

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and in the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)

We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to be the leader of the home and love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them through consistent lifestyle example and Scriptural discipline. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Pr. 127:3-5; Prov. 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7)

Section 17 — Divorce and Remarriage

We believe that God disapproves of divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19: 3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)

Section 18 — Human Life

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. We believe that the unscriptural taking of human life including abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide, is murder. (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:1-5, 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

Section 19 — Missions

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not to wait for them to come to us. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 cor. 5:20)

Section 20 — BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES

Bible is the only rule for faith and practice

Autonomy of the local church

Priesthood of the believer

Two ordinances – baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Individual soul liberty

Separation of church and state

Two scriptural offices in the local church – pastor(s) and deacons

Security of the believer

Section 21 — AUTHORITY OF STATEMENT OF FAITH

This 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. All literature used by the church shall be in agreement with the Statement of Faith.