![]() We believe that God the Holy Spirit is a person who restrains evil in the world, convicts men of sin, regenerates those who trust Christ as Savior, baptizes them into the body of Christ, indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts on each one and fills those yielded to Him. We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, that He became man without ceasing to be God having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, that He lived a sinless life, that He died as a substitutionary sacrifice for every human being, that He was physically raised from the dead by divine power, that He presently serves in heaven as our Intercessor and Advocate and that He will return to earth (John 1:1, 14: 5:18 II Corinthians 5:21 Acts 2:31-33 I John 2:1-2 John 14:1-2). Each person of the Godhead possesses the same nature and attributes, but each is distinct in office and activity (Deuteronomy 6:4 Matthew 28:19 II Corinthians 13:14). We believe in one God who eternally exists in three persons: The Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. ![]() We believe the Bible to be the verbally inspired word of God, without error in the original writings, and the supreme and final authority in doctrine and practice, for both this church and every individual Christian (II Timothy 3:16 II Peter 1:21). These would certainly include, though not necessarily be limited to, the Godhead (the Trinity), the nature of Jesus Christ, His work in providing substitutionary atonement in His death and resurrection, salvation by faith apart from human effort, and a commitment to the full inspiration and authority of the Scriptures. We do believe that a church’s membership should share a firm commitment to a number of areas that constitute the “core” of the faith. ![]() ![]() It does, however, require the willingness to respect the church’s position in the matter in question, refrain from practicing or teaching anything contrary in any church function or gathering, and maintain a spirit of openness to the teachings of the Word in that area and all other matters. We believe the commitment that a prospective partner makes to “abide by the articles of faith and practice of this church” (see section under “Partnership,”) does not necessarily demand agreement in every detail. This statement of faith is not intended to be used as a guideline for allowing or denying attendance or involvement. To seek a doctrinal statement that would include only those beliefs that all Christendom holds in common would be of no value in defining and contending for “the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). Where we have taken positions on areas of disagreement among segments of evangelical Christianity, we have chosen the position that we believe best reflects the Biblical “weight of evidence.” We do not intend to imply that there can be no other belief among people who love the Lord and His Word, nor that we can have no meaningful fellowship and partnership with those who might disagree.Īny doctrinal statement inherently requires that a choice be made between competing viewpoints. We believe each part of the doctrinal statement is necessary to provide that stability and identity. This statement of beliefs provides a doctrinal framework which gives stability and identity to Grace Community Church. ![]() Statement of Faith and Beliefs As adopted in our Church By-Law ![]()
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