GraceWorks Bible Church Statement of Faith
While accepting the scriptures to be our sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, the following statement represents the core beliefs of our fellowship. This statement does not contain everything we believe but does identify basic truths we view as necessary to a believer’s establishment in the truth.
One Faith
1. The Word of God – The Bible is the verbally inspired word of God given to man in sixty-six books. These inspired words have been preserved through history in the Received Hebrew and Greek texts. We believe that the King James Bible is an accurate and faithful translation of these preserved words without error in the English language. 2Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 119:160; 1Peter 1:23-25.
2. The Gospel of Salvation – We are all by nature sinners and therefore deserving of God’s righteous and eternal judgment. There is no amount of religious activity, good works, or good intentions that can keep us from an eternity of hell and the Lake of fire. The good news, however, is that God in his love provided for us a Savior – The Lord Jesus Christ. God came in our likeness and humanity to take upon himself our judgment. Jesus Christ shed his blood on a cross where God judged him in our place. He was buried and rose from the dead the third day providing victory over sin and death. God can now freely offer us eternal life and perfect righteousness as a gift. The only response God can accept for this amazing gift is faith alone. Once we place our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior we are justified, have peace with God, are sealed with the Holy Spirit, are forgiven all trespasses, and are made complete in Christ (there are many more blessings beyond these.)
Romans 1:29-32; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 21:8, Romans 3:19-26; Romans 4:5; Romans 6:23; 2Corinthians 5:21; 1Corinthains 15:3-4; Ephesians 1:3,13; Colossians 2:10-13.
3. How to Study the Bible – We believe in order to understand the bible we must rightly divide it (2 Tim. 2:15). All of God’s word is for our learning and admonition, but not all of God’s word is written to us or about us. To rightly divide the word of truth is to acknowledge and keep in our understanding that God has given different instructions to different people at different times. Important divisions found in God’s word include: Law and Grace, Israel and the Body of Christ, Prophecy (Doctrine which was spoken since the world began – Acts 3:21) and the Mystery (Doctrine which had been kept secret since the world began, but revealed to the apostle Paul –Romans 16:25-26).
2Timothy 2:15; 2Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4; Ephesians 3:1-9.
4. The Revelation of the Mystery – This is a reference to God’s hidden wisdom which was kept secret since the world began but has now been made known through Paul the apostle.
The preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery is a body of doctrine comprised of: The dispensation of Grace, salvation to Gentiles through Israel’s fall, the creation of the Body of Christ, the preaching of the cross, living under grace, the rapture of the Body of Christ, our heavenly destiny and purpose, and God’s ultimate purpose to reconcile heaven and earth under the headship and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. The details of God’s secret wisdom are exclusively communicated to us in thirteen books, Romans through Philemon.
Romans 11:25; Romans 16:25; 1Corinthians 2:6-7; Ephesians 3:1-9; Ephesians 1:9-10; Colossians 1:25-27.
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5. The Grace Life – We believe that all saints have peace with God, are eternally secure, have forgiveness of all sins the moment they trust Christ, are blessed with all spiritual blessings, are made complete in Christ, have a new identity in Christ, and are called to holiness, liberty, and responsibility by living under grace.
Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:10; Ephesians 1:3; Galatians 5:13; 1Thessalonians 4:1-7.
One God: There is one God eternally existing in three distinct and co-equal persons: The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew. 28:19; Ephesians. 4:4-6; 1 John. 5:7.
One Lord: The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and man in one person. He is the Word made flesh, begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He is without sin and is therefore a perfect redeemer for all mankind. He was buried and rose again from the dead, providing salvation to those who trust him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of all principality and power and will assume his authority as head of heaven and earth in the ages to come.
Luke 1:35; Romans 1:3-4; Philippians 2:6-9; Ephesians 1:10.
One Spirit: The Holy Spirit is a person and member of the Godhead. He convicts man of sin; he regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all who trust in Christ. He also enlightens, empowers, and strengthens all believers who live by faith in God’s word. We believe that the spiritual gifts (healings, prophecy, tongues, miracles, etc.) have ceased in operation today.
Hebrews 9:14; John 16:8; Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 1:13; 3:16; 1 Corinthians. 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians. 13:8-13.
One Body: We believe that the church God is forming today in the dispensation of grace is the Body of Christ made up of Jew and Gentile alike. This Body is distinct from the prophesied, earthly kingdom of Christ and Israel. The creation of this Body began with the salvation and commissioning of the Apostle Paul. We believe the mission of the Body of Christ is to preach the message of reconciliation through the preaching of the cross, and to preach Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery.
1Timothy 1:15-16; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1Corinthians 12:13; 2Corinthians 5:14-21; Romans 16:25-26.
One Baptism: Upon faith in Christ’s redemptive work the saved are baptized by the Holy Spirit into his Body, identifying the believer with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. This is a spiritual operation performed by God. Water baptism has no place or practical benefit for the believer today in this present dispensation, although we do recognize its place in Israel’s program as a kingdom ordinance.
1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:1-4; Colossians 2:10-12; Ephesians 4:5.
One Hope: Our hope is the pre-prophetic and personal appearing of Jesus Christ for his church, where we will be caught up to meet him in the air with resurrected and glorified bodies conformed to his image. We will occupy the heavenly places exalting and glorifying God in the person of Jesus Christ for all eternity. This rapture of the Body of Christ was a mystery revealed through the apostle Paul, and will take place before the prophetic tribulation period, and pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ.
1Corinthians 15:51-54; Titus 2:13; 1Thessalonians 4:13-5:10; Phil 3:20-21; Colossians 3:4.