Every building needs a strong and solid foundation if it is going to stand. One’s essential beliefs are what make up that foundation. Grace City’s Church is founded on the authority of the Bible and the truths contained in it.
We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the inerrant, infallible, verbally and plenarily inspired, authoritative Word of God bearing an authority superior to that of the Church, or its creeds, councils, or declarations. The Holy Scriptures in their entirety, down to the very words of the original autographs, were given by divine inspiration. Those sixty-six books, thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament, have their place in the Bible on the basis of their inspiration and were recognized and submitted to as inspired and canonical by the Church and stand as our final standard for faith and practice.
We believe there is one, and only one, living and true God and His divine nature is undivided and indivisible. There exist three eternal distinctions in the divine essence, known respectively as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal, infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, wise, immutable, sovereign, incomprehensible, inscrutable, holy, righteous and just, true, faithful, good, gracious, merciful, and loving.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal, pre-existent Son of God. He appeared and ministered in the Old Testament. He became flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and was born of the virgin Mary by miraculous conception and virgin birth. He is fully God and fully man; perfect deity and humanity. He lived a sinless human life, perfect by fulfilling the divine law, and then offered Himself a sacrifice for the sins of every person. He died on the cross, shedding His blood, in full substitution and atonement for the sins of all men everywhere. He was buried, and on the third day He arose bodily from the dead, alive forevermore. He later ascended bodily into heaven where at the right hand of the Father, He now intercedes for those who believe on Him.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit actively ministered in the Old Testament through creation, revelation, and in a special selective manner with men. The Holy Spirit was active in all aspects of Christ’s life, from His birth to His death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit today has a prime ministry in salvation as He convicts, regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals the new believers. The Holy Spirit gifts, controls, teaches, guides, assures and prays for believers.
We believe in the existence of specially created beings called angels. These spirit beings are generally invisible and from a human standpoint they are innumerable. They possess separate personalities and bear the image of God. They are basically superior to man, yet inferior to God. There are holy, elect angels and unholy, fallen angels (demons). The elect angels minister in behalf of God to believers, the nations of the world, and to unbelievers. They also had significant ministry to Christ. The fallen angels were persuaded to do so by the fallen cherub, Satan. Satan now uses his gifts and abilities to attempt to oppose God at every level and by every possible means. The fallen angels or demons assist Satan in his scheme. Eventually, Satan and all his demons will be cast into the lake of fire
We believe that man came into being through a special creative act of God. Man is the crowning part of God’s creation, in that he was created in God’s image and was given dominion over the earth. Man is basically a three-part unity. He fell from his original state of holy innocence and probation through willful disobedience. As a result, God’s image was marred, death was introduced to the world and the sin nature has been passed down through his posterity. All men currently fit into the three categories of being natural, carnal, or spiritual.
We believe that sin is a deification of self, a dethronement of God, a failure to obey God’s law and/or a violation of God’s law. It entered the universe when Lucifer attempted to revolt against God. It entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden. All men have inherited the sin nature from Adam and all are totally depraved prior to salvation. Sin has tragic results upon others. The basis of ultimate and complete victory over sin is found in the death and resurrection of Christ.
We believe that because of sin and its results, all of mankind needs salvation. This salvation was provided potentially for all of mankind through the death of Christ on the cross. It has past, present, and future implications. All three members of the Trinity are involved in salvation. A saved person has been converted and justified as God has declared him to be righteous. The sinless Christ is his Substitute, whereby reconciliation is made with God in behalf of man. Christ’s death fully satisfied God’s righteous wrath against sin, whereby man can be redeemed from the slavery of sin and the curse of law. The saved man is made alive or regenerated by God at the point of salvation. He receives the privileges of an adopted son. All this is possible through the atoning death of Christ. This atonement is sufficient, applicable, and available to all. Its benefits are for all who exercise “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ needs to be understood in two senses, namely universal and local. In the universal sense the church consists of all those during this age who have been born of God’s Spirit and have therefore been baptized into the body of Christ. In the local sense, a church is a called-out living assembly of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith, organized by New Testament principles, assembling regularly together, led by qualified elders who are supported by qualified deacons, under the discipline of God’s Word.
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