Articles of Faith
Grace Baptist Church
Articles of Faith
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1. The Holy Bible
We believe that the Holy Bible is the very Word of God; that it is the full, the final, and the complete revelation of God's will to man; that it has God the Holy Spirit for its author and salvation for its end, and is truth without any admixture of error for its matter; that it was written by holy men of old under the immediate and direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit; that it is verbally and plenarily inspired and the only authority for faith and practice, that each of its sixty-six books are relevant for every generation, that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us and is, therefore, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried, and that God has preserved His Word in the Textus Receptus and the Massoretic Text, and He will preserve His Word pure for every generation. The only Bible which we use in our services is the Authorized King James Version.
Ps. 119:89; II Tm. 3:16-17; Rv. 22:18-19; Jn.17:17; Jn. 3:32-34; II Pt. 1:20-21; I Pt. 1:10-12;
Zeph. 1:1; Ps. 19:7-11; Ex. 20:3-17; Ps. 1:2; Jn.12:48; Mat. 24:35; Rom. 15:4.
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2. God
We believe that there is one, and only one, true and living God; that He is absolute in nature, perfect in attributes, holy in character, sovereign over all things, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; that He is infinite in wisdom, marvelous in power, and amazing in love; that He is preexistent to all things, holy, righteous, and true, worthy of all confidence and love; that He unites in Himself the infinite, the eternal, and the Almighty Three – God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; that the three persons of the Godhead subsist in the same Divine nature, essence and being; and that they are coexistent and coequal in every Divine attribute, each one executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Gen. 1:1; Deut. 4:39; Mark. 12:29; Gen. 17:1; Mat.5:48; Isa. 6:3; I Chron. 29:11-12; Ps. 103:19; Rom. 11:33-34; Mat.19:26;
Ps. 19:7-9; Mat.28:19; I Pet. 1:2-3; I Jn. 5:7; Ex. 3:14; Gen. 1:26; Titus 3:3-7; Jn. 4:24.
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3. The Divine Trinity
A. GOD, THE FATHER
We believe that God, the Father, is the First Person set forth in the Divine Trinity; that He is almighty, merciful, and just; that He is holy, righteous, and true; that He is eternally existent, glorious in nature, possessing the attributes of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence; and that He, in harmony with His Divine office, loves, provides, and protects, thus exercising providential watch-care over the sons of men, and especially a fatherly care over the children of God.
Mat. 28:19; Gen. 17:1; Mat. 19:26; Ps. 19:9; Isa. 6:3; Ps. 100:5; Prov. 15:3; Ps. 139:1-6; Ps. 103:13; Mat. 6:25-30; Mat. 10:29-31;
Mat. 7:11.
B. GOD, THE SON – VIRGIN BORN
We believe that God, the Son, is the Second Person set forth in the Divine Trinity; that He is Very God of Very God; that He is almighty, merciful, and just; that He is holy, righteous, and true; that He is eternally existent, glorious in nature, possessing the attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence; that He became incarnate; that God, the Father, through the Holy Spirit, is actually and eternally His Divine Father in the flesh; and Mary, is actually and innocently His human mother in the flesh; and that He, now glorified, in harmony with His Divine office, mediates, seeks, and saves, thus exercising the mediatorial office of redemption.
Jn. 1:1-3, 14; Isa. 9:6; Mat. 28:18; Titus 3:5-6; Jn. 8:15-16; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 13:8; Phil. 2:6; Jn. 2:24; Mat. 28:20;
Lk. 1:35; 2:7-14; I Tim. 2:5-6; Lk. 19:10; Jn. 3:16.
C. GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that God, the Holy Spirit, is the Third Person set forth in the Divine Trinity; that He is almighty, merciful, and just; that He is holy, righteous, and true; that He is eternally existent, glorious in nature, possessing the attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence; that He restrains the world, the flesh and the devil; that He witnesses to the Truth, convicts the lost, extols the Christ, and testifies to the righteous judgment of God; that He seeks to glorify the Father and the Son, but not Himself; and He, in harmony with His Divine office, comforts, teaches, testifies, preaches, guides, regenerates, empowers, sanctifies, and anoints, thus exercising the quickening role in the works of saving the lost and supervising the life of the saved.
Jn. 14:16-17, 26; Jn. 15:26; Jn. 16:7-13; Heb. 9:14; I Pet. 4:14; Isa. 40:12-15; I Cor. 2:10-12; Ps.139:7-12; II Thess. 2:6-7; Jn. 3:6,8; Eph. 1:13-14; Acts 1:8; I Pet. 1:2; Isa. 61:1.
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4. Creation
We believe that the Genesis record of creation is literal, and not allegorical or figurative; that God personally created the heaven and the earth; that the days of Genesis chapter 1 are twenty-four hour days; that He miraculously brought forth all original matter out of nothing; that He actually fashioned all organic forms as specific creations subject to limited changes within the species; that He definitely ordained each species to bring forth after its kind; that He finally "formed man out of the dust of the ground", not by any process of evolution but by instant action, and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became" immediately "a living soul"; that He created man in the image and likeness of God; that life begins at conception; that His every creative act was complete and perfect in itself; and that not one of His creations was conditioned upon antecedent changes naturally wrought during interminable periods of time. We also believe that God caused a flood of waters to cover the entire planet for the purpose of destroying wicked man, that only those eight people and the animals in the ark that God commanded Noah to build were saved alive; that all of the various races of man are descendants of Noah.
Gen. 1:1; Jn. 1:1-3; Heb. 11:3; Gen. 1:21, 24-27; Gen. 2:7; Col. 1:16-17; Gen. 1:5; Luke 1:41; Mat. 1:20; Ps 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5;
Gen. 6:17; Gen. 7:19-20; I Pet. 3:20; Gen. 7:7; Rev.4:11.
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5. The Devil
We believe that Satan is an actual person, and not an imaginary influence; that he once enjoyed high heavenly honors and glorious heavenly privileges; that he, through pride, ambition, and self-will attempted to be the Almighty and brought upon his head the judgment of God; that he operates today as the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air; that he is a diabolical inventor, an arch-deceiver, and the father of all lies; that he is the greatest enemy, the mightiest tempter, and the most relentless accuser of the saints; that he is a defeated creature, and that he shall eventually be cast into the lake of fire, the eternal place of punishment, prepared for the devil and his angels.
Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-7; Ezek. 28:12-19; Isa. 5:14; Isa. 14:12-17; Gen. 3:14; II Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; Mat. 24:11; II Thess. 2:7-11; Jn. 8:44; I Pet. 5:8; Gen. 3:1-6; Rev. 12:10; Rev. 13:1-10; Gen. 3:15; II Cor. 11:13-15; Jn. 14:30; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 20:10; Mat. 25:41.
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6. The Fall of Man
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We believe that man, originally created in holiness and actually associated with God in innocence under His law, did, by voluntary transgression of the Lord's command, fall from the high and happy state in which he was created, and, as a consequence, became a sinner, spiritually dead, alienated from God and brought upon himself and all mankind just condemnation; and that he is now, by virtue of his fallen nature, utterly void of holiness, positively inclined to evil, and actually condemned to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse and without hope.
Gen.1:26-27; Ecc.7:29; Gen. 3:1-24; Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 5:12; Rom. 1:21-23; Rom. 3:10-18; Rev. 21:8.
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7. Salvation by Grace
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We believe that grace is elective and saving; that it embraces the personal triune, and redemptive ministry of God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; that it comprehends all of the labors put forth by the Almighty in the interest of perfect righteousness and the salvation of the lost soul; that it encompasses foreknowledge, foreordination, and predestination; that it, and it alone, saves even unto the uttermost all who repent toward God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; and that salvation thus wrought is wholly by grace, "the free gift of God," requiring neither culture nor works in any form to secure it or to keep it.
II Tim. 1:8-9; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:3-7; I Pet. 1:2-5; Rom. 8:28-30; Heb. 7:25; Acts 20:20-21; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 11:6; Rom. 5:20;
Rom. 3:24-25; Rom. 4:1-5.
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8. Regeneration
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We believe that in order to be saved lost sinners must be regenerated, or born again; that regeneration is a re-creative act, far beyond comprehension, wrought in the believer's heart by the direct personal ministry of the Holy Spirit; that it is instantaneous and miraculous, being neither evolutionary nor cultural; that it embraces the Divine acts of cleansing the heart from all inward sins and of pardoning the soul of all outward guilt, in connection with the work of begetting a new creature in Christ Jesus; that the spiritually dead sinner is made to live through the new birth, becoming thereby a regenerated spirit, possessing eternal life, the gift of God; that it is the actual impartation of the Divine life, not a mere transformation of the human life; and that the proper evidence of regeneration appears in the holy fruit of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that regeneration is the cause of faith and not vice versa.
Jn. 3:3-5, 7; II Cor. 5:17; Jn. 3:8; Jn. 3:15-16; Jn. 1:12-13; Isa. 1:18; Titus 3:5-7; Eph. 2:1, 5; Rom. 6:23; Jn. 16:8-11; Mat. 7:16-18; James 2:17-20; Acts 20:21.
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9. Repentance and Faith
We believe that repentance and faith are solemn and inseparable requisites of salvation; that they are inseparable graces wrought in the heart of God’s elect by the quickening Holy Spirit; and that the sinner, believing the Scriptures, and being convicted of sin, righteousness and judgment to come; having his understanding enlightened by the Holy Spirit so that he is able to cast himself upon the truth thus believed, does actually repent, turning to God in unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication, surrendering himself wholeheartedly to the Lord Jesus, immediately receiving him as personal and all-sufficient Saviour and openly confessing Him before all men.
Acts 20:21; Mark 1:15; Acts 11:18; Eph. 2:8; Jn. 6:44; Jn. 16:8-11; Mat. 3:1-2, 8; Acts 3:19; Lk. 13:3; Lk. 18:9-14; Acts 9:6;
Rom. 10:10; II Tim. 2:24-26.
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10. The Blood Atonement
We believe that the lost sinner is guilty and already under just condemnation; that he is by nature alien to God and because of sin condemned to die; that atonement for sin was effected through the mediatorial office of the Son, Who by Divine appointment, freely took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin; that He, through obedience during His earthly walk, personally honored the Divine Law and the covenant within the God-head, by keeping it, and through His death on the cross, actually satisfied the penalty of the offended Law by suffering in the sinner's stead; that He, through His obedience and sacrificial death, made full and vicarious atonement for sin on behalf of God’s elect; that he died, the just for the unjust, bearing our sins in His body on the tree; and that He, through the shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary, made provision on behalf of
His elect, for their cleansing, for pardon, for peace, and for rest.
Isa. 53:6; Rom. 6:7; Rom. 8:23; I Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 2:17; II Cor. 5:21; Mat. 5:17-18; I Pet. 2:24; Heb. 10:10-12; I Pet. 3:18; Rev. 1:5; Isa. 55:7; Jn. 14:27; Mat. 11:28; Rom. 3:25; I Jn. 1:7; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:22.
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11. Justification
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We believe that justification is one of the great Gospel blessings secured through Christ for all who trust Him; that it is a legal and Divine decree, declaring the elect sinner just; that it is thus a state of being free from condemnation, including forgiveness for inward sins and pardon for outward sins; that it secures exemption from the wrath of God, and possession of peace which passes all understanding; that it is bestowed by grace, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; and that it brings us into a state of unchanging peace and favor with God and secures every other blessing needful for time and for eternity.
Rom. 3:24-25; Rom. 3:28; Rom. 8:33; Rom. 8:1; Jn. 5:24; Rom. 4:3-8; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 5:1; Phil. 4:7; Rom. 8:31-33; Gen. 15:6;
Titus 3:5.
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12. Sanctification
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We believe that sanctification is a Divine work of grace; that it is not a state of sinless perfection attained through a "second blessing" or through a special "baptism of the Holy Ghost"; that it is an act of grace by which the believer is separated unto God and dedicated unto His righteous purpose; that by it we enter into Divinely appointed privileges and thus become larger partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work, begun in regeneration and carried on in the life of every believer by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God; and that it is nurtured only by Heaven's appointed means, especially by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the saved through his self-examination, obedience, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer.
I Thes. 4:3; 5:23; Rom. 15:16; Jer. 1:5; Prov. 4:18; Rom. 8:5; I Tim. 4:5; Lk. 9:23; Mat. 24:42; Mat. 7:7-11; Jn.17:17.
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13. The Righteous and the Wicked
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We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked. We believe the righteous are they who believe in Christ Jesus, the justified by faith, and the sanctified by the Holy Spirit and the Word; that the righteous are heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ; and that eternal life, the gift of God, is their eternal possession. We believe that the wicked are they who do not believe in Christ Jesus; they are condemned because of unbelief and corrupted by the god of this world; that the unjust spurn the privileges of God's grace, choosing the life of sin and rebellion; and that eternal damnation is the inescapable portion of the unjust.
Mal. 3:16-18; Jn. 3:6; Rom. 3:22, 24; 4:3; 1:17; Rom. 8:1-7; Rom. 6:23; II Cor. 4:4; Rev. 21:8; Mat. 23:37; Prov. 29:1; Mat. 25:41;
Rom. 8:10-17; Jn. 5:24; Jn.10:26-28; Jn. 3:18.
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