Confession
We at Grace Baptist Church both affirm and confess these truths.
The Gospel
The Bible teaches that the gospel of Jesus Christ and His kingdom, is of first and foremost importance (1 Corinthians 15:1-3). We are in unity with all who have believed and hold to the biblical gospel. The gospel constitutes the death of Jesus for sins in accordance with the Scriptures, His burial, and His resurrection on the third day in fulfillment of the Scriptures. God has commanded that all people, everywhere must repent and believe the gospel to be saved from the wrath of God that presently abides on unbelievers (John 3:36). This wrath will come to completion in the final judgment at the end of the age. God has given proof of this fact by raising Jesus from the dead (Acts 17:30-31).
The Trinity
The Bible teaches that there is one eternal God (Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4). The one true God exists in three distinct Persons who share the same divine nature. The Father is God (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 6:27; 1 Peter 1:2). The Son is God (John 1:1; 1:18; 20:28; Hebrews 1:8). The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:9). There is One God. The Father is not the Son and/or the Spirit. The Son is not the Father and/or the Spirit. The Spirit is not the Father and/or the Son. The one God exists in three divine Persons who are co-existent, co-eternal, and co-equal (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19).
The Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed. Therefore, they are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Bible are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)
The Atonement
The Bible teaches that God’s creation has rebelled against its Creator, and as a result is under God’s curse and wrath (Genesis 3; John 3:16-36). Due to the curse that is upon mankind, our greatest need is to be reconciled to our Creator through Christ Jesus (Romans 5:6-16).
We affirm that Jesus Christ exclusively bore the wrath of God and the penalty due to those who have sinned (Romans 3:21-26). Jesus did this by substituting Himself for the sinner, standing in the place of a sinner enduring a punishment that He didn’t deserve (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Bible teaches that the whole world has fallen short of God’s perfect standard of righteousness which is necessary to gain entrance into heaven, and that Jesus the Christ is the sole means of salvation from the coming wrath against sin (John 14:6; Rom 3:23, 6:23; 1 Tim 2:5).
Salvation
We affirm that salvation is not attained by works, but by the grace of God alone (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). Salvation is received by the individual through repentance and faith alone (John 3:36, 17:3). Repentance is to stop believing what is untrue (incorrect) and to begin believing what is true, believing the gospel (Mark 1:14-15). Faith is recognizing your need for a Savior and calling upon God who is merciful to save them (Romans 10:13). Genuine faith will produce an active lifestyle of loving obedience and service to Jesus Christ our Savior. Assurance of our salvation is based on the fruit of our lives and the promise of God (see, 1 John).
Baptism & Lords Supper
The Word of God describes two on-going ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ for His Church. The first, water baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the believer’s life. It is a public testimony to all that the person belongs now to Jesus. Baptism is for all believers and allows them to publicly identify with Jesus. The second ordinance, the Lord’s Supper, is a remembrance of the sacrificial and substitutionary death of the Lord and in the anticipation of His return. Communion is a sign of our participation in Christ and in unity with His church. Both institutions are intended for those who are born-again believers.
End Times
We affirm the bodily, personal, second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 1:11; 17:30-31; Revelation 19:11-16). Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His kingdom and to render judgment upon all of Creation. This will occur at a day and time undisclosed by the Scriptures. We affirm the final judgment which will determine the eternal status of both the saints and the unbelievers, according to their relationship with Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:11-15). We affirm with the Bible the final state of the New Heaven and New Earth.
Marriage
“Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife…”, “…For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,…”, “Each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.”, “Finally the time came for him to marry her.” It is our belief that marriage, as ordained by God, must be between one man and one woman. (Jeremiah 29:6; Romans 7:2; Genesis 21:21; Genesis 29:21; 1 Corinthians 7:2, 36, 39; Genesis 2:23-24; Ephesians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:25, 28-29, 31, 33).
Family Relationships
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the spiritual leader of the family (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18-21).
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as she submits herself to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24). Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children and guiding them to the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 5:21-33; Colossians 3:18-21).