WHAT WE BELIEVE:
The BIBLE:
We believe the original manuscripts of the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible and authoritative Word of God. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. We accept the Bible as the final authority for all matter of faith and practice.
2 Tim. 3:16 2 Peter 1:20-21 2 Tim. 1:13 Psalm 119:105; 160; 12:6 Proverbs 30:5
GOD:
We believe that God has chosen to reveal himself as the triune God, the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit, and that there is no other God but Him, and that God is the creator of man as well as things seen and unseen.
Ge. 1:1-2 Matt. 3:13-17; 28:19 Jn. 14:9-10 Ac. 17:24-28 Col. 1:15-16 Hebrews 1:1-3
JESUS:
We believe Jesus is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ and His virgin birth. Jesus lived as a sinless human and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people. By dying on a cross, Jesus took on our sins so that we could be seen as righteous in the sight of God. Jesus rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to be with the Father in Heaven’s glory and will return again to receive us into Heaven. We affirm the belief that Jesus is NO longer subservient to the rest of his Nature (i.e., the other parts of the trinity).
Matt. 1:22-23 Isaiah 9:6 John 1:1-5; 14:10-30 Hebrews 4:14-15 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 Romans 1:3-6 Acts 1:9-11
1 Timothy 6:14-16 Titus 2:11-14
HOLY SPIRIT:
We believe the Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need of Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation (baptism of the Holy Spirit). He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift(s) when they are saved, and as Christians we seek to live under the control of the Holy Spirit daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17 John 16:7-15; 14:16-17 Acts 1:8 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 Ephesians 1:13 Galatians 5:25
Ephesians 5:18
HUMANITY:
We believe that man (male and female) was created by God in His own image, and although every person has tremendous potential for good all of us willingly sin against God and are therefore separated from God, without hope, except through Jesus Christ.
Genesis 1:26-27; 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Romans 3:23 Colossians 1:21 John 1:5-8
SALVATION:
We believe that salvation (eternal life) comes by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ. It is offered to all persons who believe and profess faith in Jesus Christ. We believe the Bible clearly teaches that all believers need to confess, repent of sin, follow the Biblical command and the example set by Jesus to be immersed in baptism and strive to daily live faithfully committed to Christ.
Acts 2:38-39; 10:27-28; 44-48 Romans 5:9-10; 6:1-7 2 Peter 3:9 2 Timothy 2:19
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth. We believe that all believers who are saved have been thus baptized by the Holy Spirit and it is NOT another “experience” or showing of an individual having received a special “anointing” of His power.
Joel 2:28-29 Matthew 3:11 Mark 16:17 Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 17; 38-39; 8:14-17; 10:38; 44-47; 11:15-17; 19:1-6 John 3:3-5 Ephesians 4:4 Luke 11:13 1 Corinthians 12:13
DISCIPLE OF JESUS:
We believe as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to live a holy and grace filled life that reflects the love, mercy and forgiveness of Christ in all we do. (Matthew 5:13-16; 43-48; 22:36-40; 25:33; Luke 10:30-37; Psalms 101:5; Colossians 3:12-17). We believe that all Christians should actively seek the will of Jesus Christ in their own lives by working to eliminate personal sin and working to oppose sin in the world. Christians should provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless and the sick and value the sanctity of human life from conception through death.
James 1:27 Leviticus 6:2-15 Matthew 5:13-16; 43-48; 20:36-40; 25:35 Luke 10:27-37 Romans 12-14 Jeremiah 1:5 Psalms 139:13 Mark 1:29
SANCTIFICATION:
Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
SOVEREIGNTY:
We believe in the sovereignty of God as it applies to Him being omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, but also in man’s responsibility in the divine calling. We believe that every believer has been called by God (predestined) to be in His body and do His work. However, this does not excuse man (male and female) from daily submitting to His moral will. Nor does it permit man (male and female) to continue in sin. It is God’s appointing us in His family, and man’s role to submit to such an appointing.
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Biblical lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combination. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters.
ETERNITY:
We believe that our physical deaths seal the eternal destiny of each person; those who have accepted Jesus will inherit eternal life with God; the unsaved (those who reject Jesus as our Lord); eternal separation from God in Hell. Heaven and Hell are real places.
SECOND COMING:
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures.
THE CHURCH:
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
ELDERS:
We believe it is God’s plan for the elders to lead the local church and their leadership is accountable to God.
GIVING:
“Now about the collection of God’s people: do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collection will have to be made.” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). At Grace City Church we give financially as part of our worship, thanking God for what He does for us. We believe in what God is doing in and through his church. We encourage you to give generously to the difference we can make together!
COMMUNION:
We believe in the partaking of communion on a weekly basis, as an opportunity to: remember and honor Jesus’ death for us, examine our lives in light of His sacrifice, and fellowship with other believers through our oneness in Christ.
MARRIAGE:
We believe marriage is solely the uniting of one genetic male and one genetic female in a covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His Church and to provide for the man and woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression, and the means of having children.