Grace Gospel Church - Doctrinal Statement

PURPOSE

Our purpose for coming together is:           To worship and praise GOD: St. John 4:24;           For instruction in the Holy Scriptures: II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Tim. 2:15;           For mutual comfort, strengthening and aid: II Cor. 1:3, 4:           To make known the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery: Ephesians 3:8, 9. ***           "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in you all" (Eph. 4:1-6).           Desiring to be in full accord with the mind of the Spirit for this present dispensation, we hold and require the following doctrinal beliefs:

THE BIBLE

That God Almighty gave us, His inerrant, verbally inspired word, which is of plenary authority and that He recorded, preserved, translated and transmitted it in written form, called the Bible and the Holy Scriptures; which we have as a present possession in the English language in the KJV. (II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Pet. 1:21; Deut. 17:18, 19; Deut. 29:29; Isa. 59:21).

CREATION

God is the creator of the Heaven and the Earth and all that is therein. We believe that the creation as outlined in Chapter One of Genesis is a literal account of the six days of creation. (Gen. 1:1-31, Ex. 20:11, Col. 1:16-17).

THE GODHEAD

There is one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deut 6:4; I Jn. 5:7; Eph. 4:4-6; Mat. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; Col. 2:9).

THE PERSON OF CHRIST

Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man (Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:6-9; Rom. 1:3, 4; John 1:1-14).

TOTAL DEPRAVITY

All men by nature are dead in trespasses and sins, and are therefore, totally unable by their own wisdom or strength to do anything pleasing to God (Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 3:9-12; I Cor. 1:18-31).

SALVATION

God justifies ungodly sinners by His grace upon the ground of the shed blood of Christ through the means of faith. This complete salvation is bestowed as a free gift of God apart from man's works. It is a personal matter, leaving no room for the so-called "social gospel." (Rom. 3:25-28; 5:1, 9; Eph. 2:8, 9; I Cor. 15:1-4).

ETERNAL SECURITY

All the saved are eternally secure in Christ (Col. 3:1-4; Phil. 1:6; Rom. 8:1; 8:29-34; 8:38, 39; John 10:27-29; Eph. 1:13, 14).

PERSONALITY AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is a person, who convicts the world of sin and Who regenerates, baptizes, indwells, enlightens, and empowers believers (John 16:8; Titus 3:5; I Cor. 12:13; Eph 1:13, 17, 18; 3:16).

THE CHURCH

In the present dispensation there is only one true Church, which is called the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22, 23; 3:1-6) separate and distinct from the prophesied, earthy kingdom of Christ.

GIFTS

The gifts necessary for the ministry of the Body of Christ are those enumerated in Eph. 4:7-16. Of these, only the gifts of evangelists and pastors-teachers are in operation today. All the sign gifts of the Acts period, such as tongues, prophesy and healing (I Cor. 12:1-31), being temporary in character, have ceased (I Cor. 13:8-11).

WALK

By reason of Christ's victory over sin and of His indwelling Spirit, all of the saved may and should experience deliverance from the power of sin by obedience to Romans 6:11. As saints (Lit., "set-apart ones") and members of the true Church (Lit., "called-out ones") we are to maintain a Christ-honoring testimony, separate from all forms of worldliness and apostasy, demonstrating obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and love to all men (Rom. 12:1, 2, 9; II Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 5:11; I Tim. 6:20, 21; I John 4:19).

BAPTISM

All saved persons have been made members of the Body of Christ by one divine baptism (I Cor. 12:13, Ephesians 4:4,6). By this one baptism every member of the Body of Christ is identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. (Colossians 2:12, Romans 6:3,4) The Apostle Paul also stated in I Corinthians 1:17 that "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel,"

THE LORD'S SUPPER

The communion of the Lord's Supper as revealed through the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11:23-26 is for members of the Body of Christ to observe "until he comes." There is no place in Scripture where the Lord's Supper and water baptism are linked together either as ordinances or as sacraments for the Church.

RESURRECTION

Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily from the dead (Luke 24:39-43). Therefore (I Cor. 15:21), all men will have a bodily resurrection (Acts 24:15): the saved to everlasting glory and the unsaved to everlasting punishment (John 5:29; Rev. 20:11-15).

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

The rapture of the Church "which is His body," and the second coming of Christ will be premillennial. He will come first to receive the members of His body to Himself (I Thes. 4:13-18; Phil 3:20, 21), and later to receive His millennial kingdom, over which He will reign (Zech. 14:4, 9; Acts 1:10, 11; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:4-6). Because of the distinctive nature of the Body of Christ, the resurrection and rapture of the Church, which is His body, will take place before the great tribulation (Jer. 30:7; Mat. 24:15-31) at His appearing in the air (I Thes. 4:13-18; Phil. 3:20, 21; Titus 2:13, 14; I Cor. 15:51-53). The resurrection of the other saved dead will occur after the tribulation (Rev. 20:4-6).

STATE OF THE DEAD

Nowhere does Scripture extend the hope of salvation to the unsaved dead but instead reveals that they will ever continue to exist in a state of conscious suffering (Luke 16:23-28; Rev. 14:11; 20:14, 15; Col. 3:6; Rom. 1:21-32; John 3:36; Phil. 3:19; II Thes. 1:9).

MISSION

The mission and commission of the Church which is His Body is to proclaim the message of reconciliation (II Cor. 5:14-21) and to preach Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Rom. 16:25; Eph 3:8, 9) with all boldness.

***

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)