Statement of Faith

The Bible, in its original documents, is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural revelation of Himself to mankind, absolute in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without any errors in its statements. Psalm 89:34, St. John 10:35, II Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 6:18, II Peter 3:16

There is one God, eternally existent, Creator, of heaven and earth. He is manifested in three-person: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:26, Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 48:16, St. John 14:9, I Timothy 3:16, I John 5:7

The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God who took on flesh and dwelt on the earth. He was sinlessly perfect and gave Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice by shedding His blood and dying on the tree; He then came back from the dead. This was to pay for all sins (past, present, and future) for all who believe. Acts 13:38-41, II Corinthians 5:21, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 9:2-28, Hebrews 10:10-14, I Peter 2:24, I John 3:5

God is sovereign and, in His sovereignty, gave mankind a free will to accept or reject the salvation that He has provided. It is God’s will that all would be saved and that none should perish. God foreknows, but does not predetermine, any person to be condemned. God permits each person’s destiny to depend upon their choice. St. John 6:44-65, Acts 10:34, Romans 8:29-30, Romans 9:30-32, I Corinthians 1:21, Ephesians 1:5-14, II Thessalonians 2:13, I Timothy 2:4, I Peter 1:2, II Peter 3:9

Each member of mankind is fallen, sinful, and lost, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential for their salvation. The moment a person receives Christ as their Savior, immediately, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer who is sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. St. John 3:7, St. John 7:39, Luke 24:49, Romans 3:23, I Corinthians 6:19, Ephesians 1:13-14, Titus 3:5

Mankind is saved by undeserved mercy through faith, and nothing of that person enters into their salvation. It is a free gift. Mankinds efforts, regardless of how good or well intended, before or after salvation, have nothing to do with it. Salvation is by the finished work of Christ, and nothing can be added to it. Romans 3:22, Romans 11:6, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Colossians 2:13, Titus 3:5

The Church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and is composed of all believers. Every believer is baptized into the one Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is not essential for salvation but is a testimony to the world. Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10:47, I Corinthians 6:19-20, I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:5

Every child of God possesses eternal life, being justified by faith, sanctified by God, sealed with the Holy Spirit, is safe and secure for all eternity, and they cannot lose their salvation. However, a Christian can, through sin, lose their fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward and incur the Father’s chastisement. The relationship is eternal, being established by the new birth; fellowship, however, is dependent upon obedience. I Corinthians 3:11-17, I Corinthians 5:1-5, I Corinthians 11:30-32, Hebrews 12:5-11

A child of God has two births: one of the flesh, and the other of the Spirit, giving them a flesh nature and the spiritual nature. The flesh nature is neither good nor righteous. The spiritual nature does not commit any sin. This results in warfare between the spirit and the flesh, which continues until physical death or the return of the Lord. The flesh nature of mankind does not change in any way with the new birth but can be controlled and kept subdued by yielding to the Holy Spirit. St. John 3:3-7, Romans 7:15-25, Romans 8:8, Galatians 5:17, I Peter 1:23, I John 1:8, I John 3:9, I John 5:18

There will be a resurrection of the saved and the lost. The saved unto eternal life and the lost unto eternal conscious punishment. These two resurrections are separated by at least 1,000 years. Daniel 12:2, Matthew 25:41, John 5:29, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelations 20:1-5

We believe in the personal, pre-tribulation, and pre-millennial return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 26:17-21, Isaiah 27:1, Luke 21:36, I Thessalonians 1:10, I Thessalonians 5:9-11, II Thessalonians 2:1-8, Titus 2:13, Revelations 3:10, Revelations 4:4

Satan is a fallen angel, the author of sin, and he and his angels shall be eternally punished. Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:15, Ezekiel 28:17, Matthew 25:41, Revelations 20:10

God can heal, but physical healing is not in the atonement. God heals miraculously today when it is His perfect will to do so. Healing cannot be claimed through the guarantee of atonement. At times it is God’s will for sickness not to be removed. II Corinthians 12:8-10, James 5:14-16

The gift of tongues (languages) was a manifestation of the Spirit’s power solely for the demonstration of God’s wisdom, purpose, and power in the establishment of the early church and always was in a language that was in use. Acts 2:16, I Corinthians 14:22

The child of God is not under the law but grace, saved by grace and disciplined by grace. Romans 6:14, Romans 11:6, II Corinthians 3:17

Repent (metanoia) means a change of mind. Repentance in salvation means a change of mind from any idea of religion that mankind may have and accepting God’s way of salvation. Repentance does not, in any sense, include a demand for a change of conduct before or after salvation. Matthew 21:32, Act 20:21, II Corinthians 7:8-10

It is every Christian’s privilege and duty to make clear God’s plan of salvation wherever and in whatever vocation he or she may be. Mark 16:15, I Thessalonians 2:4

The general plan of salvation in God’s Word in a brief outline that is believed and practiced by The Grace Gospel Church is as follows:

Establish the fact that all mankind are sinners. Isaiah 64:6, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, James 2:10
Establish the fact that the penalty of sin is death. Ezekiel 18:20, Romans 6:23
Establish the fact that a person must be “perfect” for entering into heaven. Habakkuk 1:13, Revelations 21:27
Establish the fact that mankind can do nothing of themselves to obtain this “perfection.” Romans 4:5, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9
Show how God provided a sin-bearer and imputes His Righteousness (His Perfection) to their account when they trust in Christ alone as their only hope of going to Heaven. Isaiah 53:6, II Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9, I Peter 3:18
Establish the fact that a person needs only to believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour for salvation. John 1:12, John 3:16-18, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9
Establish the fact that a person can be certain of their salvation now and that their salvation cannot be lost because eternal life is eternal. John 6:37, 39, John 10:28, Hebrews 10:10-14, I Peter 1:5, I John 5:13