Statement of Faith
THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible, exclusively comprised of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the product of divine inspiration and therefore is the infallible and inerrant Word of God (2 Tim 3:1–17; 2 Pet 1:19–21). Inspiration applies only to the original manuscripts, not to any particular version or translation.
We believe that God parceled out his revelation as he willed it and as man was able to receive it (Heb 1:1), and that with each dispensation came additional revelation, such that, while everything in the Bible is written for the New Testament believer, not everything is written to the New Testament believer (Rom 15:4; 2 Tim 3:16–17). Because it has been divinely given in the form of human language, its interpretation must be consistent with normal methods for understanding human language, rejecting the temptation to seek a deeper, typological, or more “spiritual” meaning that was never intended by its original author.
We believe in a closed canon: the process of inspiration has ceased (Rev 22:18–19), and the canon is the only collection of divinely inspired books and writings which are divinely authoritative, sacred, normative, and binding. No tradition or claim of further revelation can replace the authority of the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16).
THE TRIUNE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one, triune God existing eternally in three distinct persons: God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. These three persons exist in one divine essence, identical in nature, having the same attributes and perfections, equal in power and glory, worthy of all honor, worship and adoration (Matt 28:18–20; 2 Cor 13:14; Exod 15:11; Ps 147: 5; Jer 10:10). God is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source, support, and end (John 4:24). He is self-existent (Exod 3:14), infinite (1 Kgs 8:27), perfect (Matt 5:48), omnipotent
(Matt 19:26), omniscient (Ps 139:1–4), omnipresent (Ps 139:7–12), immutable (Mal 3:6), incomprehensible (Rom 11:33), holy (Ps 99:4–9), loving (1 John 4:8,16), true (1 Sam 15:29), righteous (Ps 11:7), faithful (Ps 36:5), just (Rom 2:6), merciful (Eph 2:4), and gracious (Eph 1:7).
We believe that God created the universe out of nothing (Gen 1:3, 6, 9) in six literal, sequential, twenty-four hour days (Exod 20:11). We reject any notion that anything in the universe came into being as the result of evolutionary process or chance. He also preserves that which he has created (Neh 9:6; Col 1:17), and controls it according to his eternal, all-inclusive, divine plan (Ps 83:17–18; 104), by which he has rendered certain all the events of the universe, past, present, and future (Rom 8:28; Eph 1:11).
We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, is equally and wholly God (John 1:1). He was born of a virgin through the work of the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20, 23; Luke 1:35), such that while remaining fully God, he also became fully human, yet without sin-one person with two distinct natures (Col 2:9; 1 Tim 2:5). In the eternal plan of God, he lived on earth in perfect obedience to the Law, and then died a genuine death as a substitutionary atonement for mankind’s sin (Matt 27:50; 1 John 2:2). He rose miraculously and bodily from the dead on the third day(Luke 24:39; 1 Cor 15:4–7), and thus is the firstfruits of our resurrection (1 Cor 15:23), giving validity to our preaching (1 Cor 15:14–15), faith (1 Cor 15:16–17), salvation (1 Cor 15:14, 17), and our present and future hope (1 Cor 15:18–19). He then ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11) where he is interceding for the saints (Heb 4:15; 7:24–27), preparing for his return (1 Thess 4:16) and the establishment of his kingdom (Rev 19:11ff).
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God (Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor 3:18), and is coeternal and coequal in essence with the Father and the Son (Matt 28:19; Acts 5:3–4). He was the active agent in the inspiration of the Scriptures (1 Pet 1:11) and his illumination enables every believer to accept them as divinely authoritative (1 Cor 2:12–16).
We believe that spiritual gifts are God-given abilities, distributed by the Holy Spirit (Heb 2:4; Rom 12:4–13), for use in the service and outreach of the local church (1 Cor 12:8–10, 28–31; 1 Pet 4:10). The purpose of these gifts is the equipping of the saints for the work of service (Eph 4:10–12), and for the good of the body (1 Cor 12:7).
Certain of these gifts described in Scripture were of a miraculous nature and served as a sign or confirmation for the formation of God's church, the body of Christ (e.g., tongues, prophecy, healings, etc.). Their purpose has been fulfilled and these miraculous gifts have ceased (Eph 2:20; Heb 2:2–4).
ANGELS
We believe that angels were created in the opening moments of the first day of creation (Job 38:4–7). Those angels which kept their holy position are ministers of God to carry out His work (Dan 10:12–13; 12:1), to minister to the saints (Heb 1:14), and will accompany the Lord Jesus Christ at his return (Matt 25:31; 2 Thess 1:7–8).
Those angels who rebelled against God along with Satan, known as demons, actively oppose the people of God
(Eph 6:12), seek to hinder the work of God (Dan 10:13), and afflict God's people (2 Cor 12:7; Rev 2:10). The head of these fallen angels is Satan (Matt 12:24; 2 Cor 4:4), who is a personal being (John 8:44; Eph 6:11–12), a powerful being (Jude 9), the author of sin (1 John 3:8), and the enemy of God and his people (Rev 12:10; 20:7–10). He will ultimately be cast with his followers into the lake of fire, a literal place of torment, forever (Rev 20:1–10).
MAN
We believe man was created, on the sixth day of creation, in the image of God as a direct and supernatural act of God (Gen 1:26–27; 2:7). We believe that Adam was created with a true knowledge of his God in righteousness and holiness (Eccl 7:29; Col 3:9–10), but by an act of his own volition chose to disobey God and plunged the entire human race
into condemnation and depravity (Rom 5:12; Gen 3:1–7).
As a result of Adam's act of disobedience as the representative of the human race, sin is imputed to every person (Rom 5:12). Mankind is totally depraved and unable to contribute to his salvation or to have any spiritual merit before God (Prov 21:27; Rom 3:10; 8:6–8; Matt 19:25–26; John 6:44, 65). Each person stands condemned for his rebellion to an eternal, conscious punishment that includes separation from the presence of God forever (John 3:18; Rev 20:15), unless he repents and trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:16).
SIN
We believe in the universal sinfulness of the human race (Rom 3:10–12). Sin is lack of conformity to the moral law of God, either in act, disposition, or state (Ps 32:1; John 8:34; Rom 7:17; 1 John 3:4). The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23),
including physical death (James 2:26), spiritual death (Eph 2:1), and the second death -- permanent, irrevocable, and final separation from God in hell (Rev 20:15).
SALVATION
We believe that God, before the foundation of the world, chose all believers to salvation in Christ with all its accompanying blessings and responsibilities, according to his own good pleasure and plan (Eph 1:4). This sovereign election by God is wholly consistent with man’s free agency, in that God’s plan includes all of the means by which it is
accomplished, and has as its end the glory of God (Eph 1:4–6, 12, 14). The offer of salvation is wholly of God’s grace on account of the atoning work of the Son of God, and is entirely unattainable by human merit. It is the gift of God
(Eph 2:8–9).
We believe that each person comes into this world spiritually dead (Eph 2:1), stands condemned before God (Rom 5:18), and is in need of salvation which God has provided through the person and work of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Through God’s gracious gift (Eph 2:8–9), the believer is regenerated (granted new life;“born again,”John 3:3) and enabled to repent (2 Tim 2:24–26) and turn to Jesus Christ in genuine faith (2 Pet 1:1; Phil 1:29). As a result, he is justified: his sin is pardoned, and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to his account, such that he stands righteous before God and experiences the fullness of God’s favor and blessing both now and for eternity (Rom 5:1–11).
We believe that by regeneration the believer is made a partaker of God’s holiness (2 Pet 1:3–4), and that the Holy Spirit will necessarily sanctify all true believers, confirming their faith by producing in them works of holiness, repentance, and newness of life (1 Thess 4:3; 5:23; 2 Cor 3:18; 7:1; Phil 2:12–13). The believer, while experiencing the ongoing struggle with sin, will ultimately persevere until the end, kept by the almighty power of God, as the final and ultimate evidence of the genuineness of his faith (Phil 1:6, 9–11; 3:12–16; 1 John 2:19, 28–29; 3:9; Eph 1:4; 2 Pet 1:5–11; 2 Cor 13:5; John 8:31–32; Jude 24–25).
The offer of salvation is universal (Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8); therefore, it is the duty of every man to accept the gift of salvation through repentance and faith. So it is also the duty of every believer to proclaim the gospel and seek to reach the world for Christ (Rom 10:9–17).
THE CHURCH
We believe that the divine institution for worship and service in this dispensation is the church (Eph 3:1–10), consisting of believers who have been baptized and meet together for the purpose of edification, fellowship, worship, and evangelism, (Acts 2:41–47). The church is the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13) and he is the Head (Eph 1:22–23). The universal church includes all believers saved between Pentecost and the Rapture whether they are in heaven or on earth. We believe that the church is distinct from the nation of Israel in its origin, purpose, and destiny (Isa 61:6; Phil 3:20; Rev 3:21).
The local church is an assembly of believers in a particular geographical region (1 Cor1:2) that are baptized by immersion (Acts 2:41), organized with pastor(s) and deacons (Phil 1:1), observing the ordinances (Acts 2:41–42), sharing a common faith based on a body of truth around which to worship and fellowship (Acts 2:42), carrying out the great commission (Matt 28:18–20), and meeting at regular and stated times (Acts 20:7; Heb 10:25). The Word of God is the sole rule for faith and practice in the local church, and is the standard by which all her governing documents are tried (1 Cor 14:36–38; 1 Tim 3:15).
We believe in the congregational form of church government (Matt 18:15–17; Acts 6:3; 14:23), in which governing authority resides in the members of the local church, each possessing equal voice. Consequently, no one person or organization can exercise authority over the local church.
The offices of the church are pastors (Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:1) and deacons (1 Tim 3:8). The qualifications for these offices are delineated in Acts 6:1–4, 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5:1–4. Pastors act as shepherds over God’s flock, the membership of the church, leading and feeding them, protecting them and exercising spiritual care and oversight over them (John 21: 15, 17; Acts 20:28–30; 1 Thess 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1–4). Deacons are charged with service to the church, providing benevolent care and administrative support as needed, so that the pastor can focus more fully on his biblical role (Acts 6:1–6). We believe the two ordinances of the church are the Lord's Supper and baptism. They are symbolic of the saving truth of the gospel, and are not in any way a means of conveying God’s grace. Baptism is the immersion of a believer into water, symbolizing his union with Christ (Rom 6:3–5; 1 Cor 12:13). The Lord's Supper symbolizes the body and blood of Jesus Christ in his atoning work on the cross, and the ongoing spiritual communion of believers within the church (1 Cor 11:17–34; Matt 26:26–29).
We believe the church is responsible to maintain the truth of God's Word by separating from and exposing false teachers (1 Tim 1:18–20; 2 John 9–11). As such, we cannot associate with a church, ecclesiastical organization, or religious leader who does not hold to the fundamental, cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith as revealed in the Scriptures (Matt 7:15; Rom 16:17–18; 2 Thess 3:6–15; 2 John 9–11).
Although individual believers have vital responsibilities with respect to the affairs of human government (Rom 13:1–7;
1 Pet 2:13–17), we believe that the church must remain distinct from the state. It is not the mission of the church to reform society, but to proclaim the gospel, making and maturing disciples, who are becoming more like Jesus Christ (Matt 28:19–20). Any involvement of the church in its community must have this as its controlling purpose.
We affirm marriage as the covenant union of one man and one woman. It was so designed by God, (Gen 2:24) and affirmed as such by Jesus Christ (Matt 19:4–6). Grace Baptist Church will faithfully obey this scriptural definition of marriage in both teaching and practice. We affirm that sexual intimacy is a reward of the marriage relationship and is suitable to be enjoyed by one man and one woman exclusively within the bounds of their marriage relationship. Sexual gratification in any other form is sin and a direct violation of God’s design (1 Cor 6:9–11).
THE END TIMES
We believe that the next event on God's prophetic calendar is the imminent Rapture of the church (1 Thess 4:16–17;
Rev 3:10–11; 22:20), in which the church will be taken to heaven for the culmination of her redemption (2 Cor 5:1–10; Phil 1:6).
After the rapture, the seven year Tribulation period will be initiated on the earth, a time of wrath and judgment such as the world has never seen before (Rev 6:16–17; 14:15–18). At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return with his saints to conquer all his enemies, and reign on earth for a literal, 1000 year period called the millennial kingdom
(Rev 19:11–20:4). After the 1000 years, Satan will be set free for a season, and once again he will gather an army in an attempt to overthrow God (Rev 20:7–9). Jesus Christ will crush Satan and this army once and for all (Rev 20:9–10), and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10).
All those that died having rejected God’s gift of salvation will be summoned to the Great White Throne Judgment to receive their eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Rev 20:12–15). God will then recreate the heavens and the earth, and will usher in the eternal state (Rev 21:1ff).
We believe that the Bible, exclusively comprised of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the product of divine inspiration and therefore is the infallible and inerrant Word of God (2 Tim 3:1–17; 2 Pet 1:19–21). Inspiration applies only to the original manuscripts, not to any particular version or translation.
We believe that God parceled out his revelation as he willed it and as man was able to receive it (Heb 1:1), and that with each dispensation came additional revelation, such that, while everything in the Bible is written for the New Testament believer, not everything is written to the New Testament believer (Rom 15:4; 2 Tim 3:16–17). Because it has been divinely given in the form of human language, its interpretation must be consistent with normal methods for understanding human language, rejecting the temptation to seek a deeper, typological, or more “spiritual” meaning that was never intended by its original author.
We believe in a closed canon: the process of inspiration has ceased (Rev 22:18–19), and the canon is the only collection of divinely inspired books and writings which are divinely authoritative, sacred, normative, and binding. No tradition or claim of further revelation can replace the authority of the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16).
THE TRIUNE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one, triune God existing eternally in three distinct persons: God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. These three persons exist in one divine essence, identical in nature, having the same attributes and perfections, equal in power and glory, worthy of all honor, worship and adoration (Matt 28:18–20; 2 Cor 13:14; Exod 15:11; Ps 147: 5; Jer 10:10). God is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source, support, and end (John 4:24). He is self-existent (Exod 3:14), infinite (1 Kgs 8:27), perfect (Matt 5:48), omnipotent
(Matt 19:26), omniscient (Ps 139:1–4), omnipresent (Ps 139:7–12), immutable (Mal 3:6), incomprehensible (Rom 11:33), holy (Ps 99:4–9), loving (1 John 4:8,16), true (1 Sam 15:29), righteous (Ps 11:7), faithful (Ps 36:5), just (Rom 2:6), merciful (Eph 2:4), and gracious (Eph 1:7).
We believe that God created the universe out of nothing (Gen 1:3, 6, 9) in six literal, sequential, twenty-four hour days (Exod 20:11). We reject any notion that anything in the universe came into being as the result of evolutionary process or chance. He also preserves that which he has created (Neh 9:6; Col 1:17), and controls it according to his eternal, all-inclusive, divine plan (Ps 83:17–18; 104), by which he has rendered certain all the events of the universe, past, present, and future (Rom 8:28; Eph 1:11).
We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, is equally and wholly God (John 1:1). He was born of a virgin through the work of the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20, 23; Luke 1:35), such that while remaining fully God, he also became fully human, yet without sin-one person with two distinct natures (Col 2:9; 1 Tim 2:5). In the eternal plan of God, he lived on earth in perfect obedience to the Law, and then died a genuine death as a substitutionary atonement for mankind’s sin (Matt 27:50; 1 John 2:2). He rose miraculously and bodily from the dead on the third day(Luke 24:39; 1 Cor 15:4–7), and thus is the firstfruits of our resurrection (1 Cor 15:23), giving validity to our preaching (1 Cor 15:14–15), faith (1 Cor 15:16–17), salvation (1 Cor 15:14, 17), and our present and future hope (1 Cor 15:18–19). He then ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11) where he is interceding for the saints (Heb 4:15; 7:24–27), preparing for his return (1 Thess 4:16) and the establishment of his kingdom (Rev 19:11ff).
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God (Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor 3:18), and is coeternal and coequal in essence with the Father and the Son (Matt 28:19; Acts 5:3–4). He was the active agent in the inspiration of the Scriptures (1 Pet 1:11) and his illumination enables every believer to accept them as divinely authoritative (1 Cor 2:12–16).
We believe that spiritual gifts are God-given abilities, distributed by the Holy Spirit (Heb 2:4; Rom 12:4–13), for use in the service and outreach of the local church (1 Cor 12:8–10, 28–31; 1 Pet 4:10). The purpose of these gifts is the equipping of the saints for the work of service (Eph 4:10–12), and for the good of the body (1 Cor 12:7).
Certain of these gifts described in Scripture were of a miraculous nature and served as a sign or confirmation for the formation of God's church, the body of Christ (e.g., tongues, prophecy, healings, etc.). Their purpose has been fulfilled and these miraculous gifts have ceased (Eph 2:20; Heb 2:2–4).
ANGELS
We believe that angels were created in the opening moments of the first day of creation (Job 38:4–7). Those angels which kept their holy position are ministers of God to carry out His work (Dan 10:12–13; 12:1), to minister to the saints (Heb 1:14), and will accompany the Lord Jesus Christ at his return (Matt 25:31; 2 Thess 1:7–8).
Those angels who rebelled against God along with Satan, known as demons, actively oppose the people of God
(Eph 6:12), seek to hinder the work of God (Dan 10:13), and afflict God's people (2 Cor 12:7; Rev 2:10). The head of these fallen angels is Satan (Matt 12:24; 2 Cor 4:4), who is a personal being (John 8:44; Eph 6:11–12), a powerful being (Jude 9), the author of sin (1 John 3:8), and the enemy of God and his people (Rev 12:10; 20:7–10). He will ultimately be cast with his followers into the lake of fire, a literal place of torment, forever (Rev 20:1–10).
MAN
We believe man was created, on the sixth day of creation, in the image of God as a direct and supernatural act of God (Gen 1:26–27; 2:7). We believe that Adam was created with a true knowledge of his God in righteousness and holiness (Eccl 7:29; Col 3:9–10), but by an act of his own volition chose to disobey God and plunged the entire human race
into condemnation and depravity (Rom 5:12; Gen 3:1–7).
As a result of Adam's act of disobedience as the representative of the human race, sin is imputed to every person (Rom 5:12). Mankind is totally depraved and unable to contribute to his salvation or to have any spiritual merit before God (Prov 21:27; Rom 3:10; 8:6–8; Matt 19:25–26; John 6:44, 65). Each person stands condemned for his rebellion to an eternal, conscious punishment that includes separation from the presence of God forever (John 3:18; Rev 20:15), unless he repents and trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:16).
SIN
We believe in the universal sinfulness of the human race (Rom 3:10–12). Sin is lack of conformity to the moral law of God, either in act, disposition, or state (Ps 32:1; John 8:34; Rom 7:17; 1 John 3:4). The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23),
including physical death (James 2:26), spiritual death (Eph 2:1), and the second death -- permanent, irrevocable, and final separation from God in hell (Rev 20:15).
SALVATION
We believe that God, before the foundation of the world, chose all believers to salvation in Christ with all its accompanying blessings and responsibilities, according to his own good pleasure and plan (Eph 1:4). This sovereign election by God is wholly consistent with man’s free agency, in that God’s plan includes all of the means by which it is
accomplished, and has as its end the glory of God (Eph 1:4–6, 12, 14). The offer of salvation is wholly of God’s grace on account of the atoning work of the Son of God, and is entirely unattainable by human merit. It is the gift of God
(Eph 2:8–9).
We believe that each person comes into this world spiritually dead (Eph 2:1), stands condemned before God (Rom 5:18), and is in need of salvation which God has provided through the person and work of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Through God’s gracious gift (Eph 2:8–9), the believer is regenerated (granted new life;“born again,”John 3:3) and enabled to repent (2 Tim 2:24–26) and turn to Jesus Christ in genuine faith (2 Pet 1:1; Phil 1:29). As a result, he is justified: his sin is pardoned, and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to his account, such that he stands righteous before God and experiences the fullness of God’s favor and blessing both now and for eternity (Rom 5:1–11).
We believe that by regeneration the believer is made a partaker of God’s holiness (2 Pet 1:3–4), and that the Holy Spirit will necessarily sanctify all true believers, confirming their faith by producing in them works of holiness, repentance, and newness of life (1 Thess 4:3; 5:23; 2 Cor 3:18; 7:1; Phil 2:12–13). The believer, while experiencing the ongoing struggle with sin, will ultimately persevere until the end, kept by the almighty power of God, as the final and ultimate evidence of the genuineness of his faith (Phil 1:6, 9–11; 3:12–16; 1 John 2:19, 28–29; 3:9; Eph 1:4; 2 Pet 1:5–11; 2 Cor 13:5; John 8:31–32; Jude 24–25).
The offer of salvation is universal (Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8); therefore, it is the duty of every man to accept the gift of salvation through repentance and faith. So it is also the duty of every believer to proclaim the gospel and seek to reach the world for Christ (Rom 10:9–17).
THE CHURCH
We believe that the divine institution for worship and service in this dispensation is the church (Eph 3:1–10), consisting of believers who have been baptized and meet together for the purpose of edification, fellowship, worship, and evangelism, (Acts 2:41–47). The church is the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13) and he is the Head (Eph 1:22–23). The universal church includes all believers saved between Pentecost and the Rapture whether they are in heaven or on earth. We believe that the church is distinct from the nation of Israel in its origin, purpose, and destiny (Isa 61:6; Phil 3:20; Rev 3:21).
The local church is an assembly of believers in a particular geographical region (1 Cor1:2) that are baptized by immersion (Acts 2:41), organized with pastor(s) and deacons (Phil 1:1), observing the ordinances (Acts 2:41–42), sharing a common faith based on a body of truth around which to worship and fellowship (Acts 2:42), carrying out the great commission (Matt 28:18–20), and meeting at regular and stated times (Acts 20:7; Heb 10:25). The Word of God is the sole rule for faith and practice in the local church, and is the standard by which all her governing documents are tried (1 Cor 14:36–38; 1 Tim 3:15).
We believe in the congregational form of church government (Matt 18:15–17; Acts 6:3; 14:23), in which governing authority resides in the members of the local church, each possessing equal voice. Consequently, no one person or organization can exercise authority over the local church.
The offices of the church are pastors (Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:1) and deacons (1 Tim 3:8). The qualifications for these offices are delineated in Acts 6:1–4, 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5:1–4. Pastors act as shepherds over God’s flock, the membership of the church, leading and feeding them, protecting them and exercising spiritual care and oversight over them (John 21: 15, 17; Acts 20:28–30; 1 Thess 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1–4). Deacons are charged with service to the church, providing benevolent care and administrative support as needed, so that the pastor can focus more fully on his biblical role (Acts 6:1–6). We believe the two ordinances of the church are the Lord's Supper and baptism. They are symbolic of the saving truth of the gospel, and are not in any way a means of conveying God’s grace. Baptism is the immersion of a believer into water, symbolizing his union with Christ (Rom 6:3–5; 1 Cor 12:13). The Lord's Supper symbolizes the body and blood of Jesus Christ in his atoning work on the cross, and the ongoing spiritual communion of believers within the church (1 Cor 11:17–34; Matt 26:26–29).
We believe the church is responsible to maintain the truth of God's Word by separating from and exposing false teachers (1 Tim 1:18–20; 2 John 9–11). As such, we cannot associate with a church, ecclesiastical organization, or religious leader who does not hold to the fundamental, cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith as revealed in the Scriptures (Matt 7:15; Rom 16:17–18; 2 Thess 3:6–15; 2 John 9–11).
Although individual believers have vital responsibilities with respect to the affairs of human government (Rom 13:1–7;
1 Pet 2:13–17), we believe that the church must remain distinct from the state. It is not the mission of the church to reform society, but to proclaim the gospel, making and maturing disciples, who are becoming more like Jesus Christ (Matt 28:19–20). Any involvement of the church in its community must have this as its controlling purpose.
We affirm marriage as the covenant union of one man and one woman. It was so designed by God, (Gen 2:24) and affirmed as such by Jesus Christ (Matt 19:4–6). Grace Baptist Church will faithfully obey this scriptural definition of marriage in both teaching and practice. We affirm that sexual intimacy is a reward of the marriage relationship and is suitable to be enjoyed by one man and one woman exclusively within the bounds of their marriage relationship. Sexual gratification in any other form is sin and a direct violation of God’s design (1 Cor 6:9–11).
THE END TIMES
We believe that the next event on God's prophetic calendar is the imminent Rapture of the church (1 Thess 4:16–17;
Rev 3:10–11; 22:20), in which the church will be taken to heaven for the culmination of her redemption (2 Cor 5:1–10; Phil 1:6).
After the rapture, the seven year Tribulation period will be initiated on the earth, a time of wrath and judgment such as the world has never seen before (Rev 6:16–17; 14:15–18). At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return with his saints to conquer all his enemies, and reign on earth for a literal, 1000 year period called the millennial kingdom
(Rev 19:11–20:4). After the 1000 years, Satan will be set free for a season, and once again he will gather an army in an attempt to overthrow God (Rev 20:7–9). Jesus Christ will crush Satan and this army once and for all (Rev 20:9–10), and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10).
All those that died having rejected God’s gift of salvation will be summoned to the Great White Throne Judgment to receive their eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Rev 20:12–15). God will then recreate the heavens and the earth, and will usher in the eternal state (Rev 21:1ff).