At Grace Baptist Church, we hold to the Scriptures as our sole guide and statement of faith.
Here are a few of our beliefs and statement of faith regarding salvation, the church, and the world that we live in.
Baptism
We believe that baptism is an outward action to show an inward change. It is the new convert’s way of telling others what they believe about Christ’s sacrificial offering for their salvation (He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead).
Baptism is for believers only and is done by immersion.
Baptism is not for salvation. It shows that one believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation, and it should be done immediately after salvation. (Acts 2:41)
Baptism is one of the two ordinances given to the church and it brings one into the fellowship and membership of the church through the common bond of belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Baptism is also a picture of the “old man” dying and being buried, and the “new man” being resurrected to walk in the way of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-6).
Bible
The King James Bible is the basis for every doctrine we hold to be true. We believe it is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God, and that any other modern English version has violated the commands of God not to change It (Revelation 22:18, 19). Because of this, we reject any other modern English version (so-called) of the Bible.
Church
We believe the church is a local, separated body of believers who are sent forth into the world to get people saved, baptized, and added to the church. We further believe that Jesus Christ is the One Who started the church for the purpose of propagating His Gospel to the entire world. Matt. 16:18 is the first mention of the “church” where Jesus promised to build His church upon Peter’s statement, “…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The next mention of the “church” is in Matt. 18:17 where Jesus is giving instruction to the existing institution He promised to start in Matt. 16:18. I Corinthians 12:28 states that “God hath set some in the church, first apostles…” The apostles were the first church members. Matthew 10:2 is the first mention of the “apostles”. It is quite possible that Jesus started His church right here, and gave it the commission to go preach the kingdom of God. Regardless of the time frame, we know that the “church” was in existence by Matthew 18:17. From this point up until Jesus went back to heaven in Acts 1:9, the church grew from 12 (the apostles) to 120 (Acts 1:15). At this point, Matthias was appointed as the apostle to replace Judas. Then the day of Pentecost came in Acts 2, when Peter preached the sermon that added 3,000 more people to the church (Acts 2:41). From here, the church grew day by day as the apostles prepared for the coming kingdom. However, the Jewish religious leaders failed to accept Christ as their Messiah, and God finally opened the church doors to the Gentiles in Acts 10:1-48.
Creation
We believe that God created the heavens (sun, moon, stars, galaxies, etc.) and the earth in six literal days, as we know them today. God knew that man would cast doubt upon His Word, so He defined for us what His definition of a day is: Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31 explain what the length of a day is (1 day = 24 hours).
Godhead
We believe that God is the Great Three-In-One. He is three persons in one.
God the Father – He is the 1st Person of the Trinity. He is mentioned in John 3:16 as the One Who gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for the sins of the world. It is through God the Father’s love for us that we can have salvation.
God the Son (Jesus Christ) – He is the 2nd Person of the Trinity. Jesus is the promised seed of Genesis 3:15 and Isaiah 7:14. Jesus is the One Who fulfilled His Father’s desires to have a perfect, sinless, spotless sacrifice for the sins of the world (II Corinthians 5:21).
God the Holy Spirit – He is the 3rd Person of the Trinity. He is known as the Comforter (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit indwells the believer upon salvation. John 1:1-5 gives us the proof of the Trinity, and Revelation 19:11-13 shows us that Jesus Christ is “the Word”.
Great White Throne
We believe that this judgment is reserved for every unsaved individual who has ever lived on the earth beginning from Adam until after the millennial reign of Christ. This “Great White Throne Judgment” will take place after Satan has been cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10–15).
Heaven and Hell
We believe that Heaven and Hell are literal places reserved for the saved and the unsaved respectively. Heaven is reserved for those who have placed their faith and trust in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 21) Hell is reserved for those who have not. (Luke 16)
Judgment Seat of Christ
We believe that the Judgment Seat of Christ is the period in which the Bride (the Church) and the Groom (Jesus Christ) will go into the chamber and shut the door (Matthew 25:10). II Corinthians 5:9-10 tells us that we will be judged according to our works, and rewarded.
Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the second of two ordinances given to the church and is to remember Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. It is to be observed only after Scriptural baptism by immersion. This ordinance is observed only after a solemn self-examination. I Corinthians 11 details the events of the Lord’s Supper.
Rapture
We believe that God has appointed a time, of which only He knows (Matthew 24:36, 42), when He will send Jesus to call His children (all of the saved still living on earth) to Heaven. This event will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation period on earth, and the Judgment Seat of Christ in Heaven.
Resurrection
We believe in the bodily, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as recorded for us in the Gospels. At this very moment, Jesus Christ sits on the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest, making sure the blood is applied for us. The fact that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived an absolutely sinless life, shed His perfect blood for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead three days and three nights after being buried is the basis for all salvation.
Salvation
We believe that in order to go to Heaven, one must be saved. Salvation is nothing more than placing faith and trust in Jesus Christ and accepting His payment for sin. There is only one way to heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6); no baptism, no good works, no catechism, no rosary, no works of any kind. Jesus, and Jesus only, is what takes a person to heaven. (Romans 6:23).
Separation
We believe that a born again Christian (one who is saved) is to be separated from the world unto Christ (II Corinthians 6:17).
II Corinthians 6:14 – “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers…”
II Corinthians 6:17 – “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate…”
Even the Old Testament is full of instances where God makes it clear that His people are not to join up with the wrong crowd.
Soulwinning
We believe that Soulwinning is a direct command from our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus tells us in John 20:21 that He is sending us to do the same work His Father sent Him to do. Luke 19:10 tells us that Jesus came to earth to “seek and to save that which was lost”. Therefore, we are to follow in His footsteps as we have been commanded.
Tribulation
We believe that this is a seven-year period in which the wrath of God is poured out upon the people of this earth for their wickedness (Revelation 4:2 – 19:10). God’s wrath is poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth for their unbelief while the saved stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive their rewards.
Virgin Birth
We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, and that her name was Mary as stated in Luke 1:27. We also believe that Luke 1:27 was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14. Jesus Christ had to be born of a virgin in order to be our Sacrificial Lamb. Without it there is no salvation.
