Grace
Family Ministry Statement of
Faith
The
Scripture
We believe the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books
of the Old and New Testaments, alone is the Word of God, fully
inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and having supreme
authority in all matters of faith and life.
God
We
believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and
eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
The
Father
We
believe that God the Father has laid down a plan for the ages and is
working all things together to fulfill that plan. The primary
relationship of God to his people is one of fatherhood, a
relationship of intimacy and care, and one which gives his people
assurance of his providential control of all
circumstances.
The
Son
We
believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been
conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on
the cross as the sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures.
Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where,
at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now sits as our High
Priest and Advocate.
The
Holy Spirit
We
believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord
Jesus Christ and during this age to convict men, regenerate the
believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the
believer for godly living and service.
Mankind
We believe that
man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is
therefore lost. Only through personal faith in Jesus Christ and
regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be
obtained.
Salvation
We believe that the central purpose
of God’s revelation in the Bible is to call all people into
awareness of their sin, the availability of God’s marvelous grace,
and the need for repentance and faith that results in complete
forgiveness and fellowship with God. All people are sinners by
nature and by choice and are, therefore, under the judgment of God.
The
Church
We believe that the Church consists of a
living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all
regenerated persons are members, and exists as both a world-wide
fellowship of the family of God as well as in specific local
congregations consisting of a community of believers in Jesus Christ
who are committed to obedience to Him. Believers in a local church
are called by God to gather together to devote themselves to
worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word of God, observance of
baptism and communion as ordinances established by Jesus Christ, and
to fellowship and to minister to one another through the development
and use of talents and spiritual gifts. God has laid upon the
members of the local church the primary task of proclaiming the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world, beginning in their own
communities and reaching cross-culturally to the ends of the
earth.
Christian Life
We believe that every Christian, by the
aid of the Holy Spirit, should walk in love and holiness, exhibiting
qualities of honesty, integrity, forgiveness, and loving-kindness.
Achievement in these characteristics will be evidenced by sincere
humility and genuine desire for the advancement of the cause of
Christ.
Future Things
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again
to earth, personally and visibly, to establish His kingdom and
fulfill God’s eternal plan for creation. Death seals the eternal
destiny of each person. For each person, there will be a
resurrection of the body, the final judgment before God, the eternal
bliss in heaven for those who are in Christ Jesus, and the endless
suffering in hell for those who have not received salvation.
