WHAT OUR DOCTRINE IS AND MEANS

  1)  We believe the Bible is the written Word of God--inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in any matter, whether faith, history, or science.  As such it is our infallible authority and our only standard for faith and practice (John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

  The Bible is the very Word of God, not merely a record of God's revelation.  Some liberal theologians say the Bible is not God's Word, just man's imperfect record of God's Word.  It is vague and unreliable.  Others teach that the Bible becomes the Word of God only when it speaks to me.  We disagree with both of these views because they make men the judges of God's Word.  We believe it is the Word of God.  The Bible is free from error in everything it says.  Today some say that the Bible is true when it talks about matters of faith or Christian living, but may be wrong about facts of history or science.  This is incorrect; the Bible is free from all error.  That is why we do not need other holy books as many false religions do.

  2)  We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Genesis 1:1).

  The Bible teaches that God always was and always will be; He is without beginning or end.  The three persons of the Godhead are one God, the same in essence, but distinct in roles.  We call this the Trinity.  Each is as much God as the Others, and Each has been from eternity.

  3)  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was miraculously begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man (Matthew 1:1,23; John 1:14).

  When God the Son came to earth as a man, He was born to Mary, a virgin.  He was conceived by a miraculous act of the Holy Spirit.  He was free from a sinful human nature; 100% God and 100% man.

  4)  We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and incurred physical death as well as spiritual death.  All human beings are born with a sinful nature, are inclined to evil, and are under Divine condemnation without defense or excuse (Genesis 2:17; Romans 3:23; 6:23).

  God created man after His image, but man chose to disobey and sin.  As a result, both physical and spiritual death have been passed on to all men.  Man in his state of separation from God stands condemned and deserving of eternal punishment.

  5)  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice.  All who believe Him are justified or declared righteous apart from any human merit, works or ceremony. and are eternally saved in Him (Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 2:4-10; Romans 8:35-39).

  Jesus died on the cross as a substitute for sinful men taking the punishment which they deserved.  Those who trust in Christ are declared righteous on account of their faith.  This is not because of any works which they have done.  They are saved for eternity.

  6)  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, died, was buried and rose again bodily on the third day.  He ascended into Heaven after forty days and is now bodily present there for us as High Priest and Advocate (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 1:3,9-11; Hebrews 7:25,26).

  There are those who would teach that Jesus never physically died or rose from the dead.  We consider this to be heresy.  Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven, where He now acts on our behalf at the right hand of God the Father.

  7)  We believe in the personal, premillennial and imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace Bible Fellowship teaches the pre-tribulational rapture position (2 Thessalonians 2:1; Matthew 24:44; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 20:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

  The Bible teaches that Jesus will return to earth one day.  We believe that He will do this personally and that He could come at any moment.  We believe that when He returns He will rule this earth as God intended for 1000 years.  Our church teaches that this kingdom age will be precede by 7 years of tribulation from which the Church will be spared by means of the Rapture.  This word comes from a Latin word which means 'to catch up'.  We teach that Christ and both those who have died in Christ and those Christians who are still alive will meet in the air prior to the time of tribulation.

  8)  We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, both the just and unjust.  We believe in a literal, eternal heaven and a literal, eternal hell (Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 22:1-5).

  The Bible teaches that all men will be raised from the dead at the judgment.  They shall receive new bodies, and God will send them to their eternal destiny, either heaven or hell, on the basis of their acceptance or rejection of Christ.

  9)  We believe in Satan as a literal, personal being who is now the Prince of this world.  He will eventually be judged and punished eternally (Revelation 20:7-10).

  Satan or the devil is a real being, not merely a force or evil influence.  He rebelled against God and fell from heaven.  He is the Prince of this world and is fighting a losing battle against the LORD for control of all things.  One day he will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire forever.

  10)  We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the Head.  The Church or "called out ones" is only made up of truly born-again believers (1 Corinthians 12:12-23).

  The Church is made up of all those who have accepted Christ as their Savior.  It is sometimes called the Body of Christ emphasizing its unity and His headship.

  11)  We believe that the ordinances of the local church are Believer's Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29).

  We believe the Bible prescribes 2 practices for the local congregation to follow faithfully.  One is the baptism of believers as a sign of their identification with Christ.  The other is the Lord's Supper as a commemoration of His death until He returns.  Both of these ordinances are reserved for believers only and are to be entered into with sobriety.

  12)  We believe through our study of the Scripture that the mode of water baptism is by immersion (Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 2:37-38).

  Over the course of the history of the Church, several methods of baptizing have come into existence.  To keep in harmony with what we understand the Scriptures to teach and to provide a standard for practice, Grace Bible Fellowship baptizes by immersion only.

  13)  We believe that Christians are under obligation to contend earnestly for the faith.  Thus, as a church, we will not cooperate with persons or groups that cooperate with or represent theological liberalism or any persons or groups which are in opposition to orthodox Christianity (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Jude 3).

  As Christians we recognize it is our duty to proclaim God's Word and to refute those things which are contrary to it.  Satan, in his craftiness, does not always work in obviously perverse ways.  Sometimes he uses seemingly religious means of counterfeiting and hindering the work of the Lord.  For this reason, Grace Bible Fellowship will not have a part with those groups which deny the fundamental truths of the Bible, with false religions and cults or with those groups whose errors take them outside the sphere of orthodox Christianity.  This is called ecclesiastical or churchly separation.  The purpose of this separation is to maintain the purity of the ministry.

  Because of its prevalence today, we feel the need to make specific mention of the Charismatic movement and its teaching regarding healing, tongues and the Holy Spirit.  Their teaching on these issues is regarded by Grace Bible Fellowship as being outside the realm of orthodox Christianity.  As may be the case in other instances, this separation is not designed to be divisive, but for the well-being of the church.

STANDARDS ON VARIOUS ISSUES

ABORTION              Grace Bible Fellowship opposes abortion.  Abortion is viewed as the taking of a human life.

DANCING                The leaders of Grace Bible Fellowship strongly discourage its people from participating in dancing because of the intimacy involved in romantic dancing and the suggestiveness, or, even, crudeness involved in modern dance.

DATING/MARRYING UNBELIEVERS

                                    Grace Bible Fellowship teaches that Christians are commanded not to date or marry unbelievers.  2 Corinthians 6:14-18 states clearly that such fellowship is against God's will.  The God-honoring person will date/marry only believers, and those who are growing in their Christian walk at that.

DRESS                     The leaders of Grace Bible Fellowship believe both men and women ought to dress modestly.  Any clothing which accentuates or stimulates sexual desire should not be a part of any Christian's wardrobe.  In addition, Deuteronomy 22:5 teaches plainly that clothing should preserve the distinctiveness of the sexes, not seek to blur it.

DRINKING/DRUGS

                                    The consumption of alcohol and the use of illegal drugs are considered wrong by Grace Bible Fellowship.  Not only are these substances harmful physically, mentally and socially, but also, in the case of drugs, usage is illegal.  The leaders of Grace Bible Fellowship have been pointed in teaching that abstinence is the Biblical approach to alcohol and do not consider social drinking to be a viable alternative for believers.

FUNDRAISING       Grace Bible Fellowship is committed to the gifts of its people for financial support of its programs.  Fundraising beyond the stewardship of God's people is not allowed.

GAMBLING              Grace Bible Fellowship teaches that gambling is a destructive, foolish means to satisfy greed.  Therefore, we condemn participation in gambling of any sort.

SEPARATION          Grace Bible Fellowship is committed to personal separation from worldliness and ecclesiastical separation from unbelief.  Therefore, our church and its ministries do not cooperate with other organizations which do not uphold the fundamentals of Christian doctrine.

SMOKING                 It is against the law to smoke in a place of public assembly.  We also ask that people do not smoke on the church property as a matter of courtesy and public testimony.  Because of its detriment to the body (which is the temple of the Holy Spirit), we encourage all who become Christians to actively seek to stop smoking.

THEATER                 Because of the content of most of what comes from the film and theater industries, we believe that Christians ought not to support these industries by attending any of their programs.

THEOLOGY, PENTECOSTAL

                                    Because of its prevalence today, we feel the need to make specific mention of the Charismatic/Pentecostal movements and their teaching regarding healing, tongues and the Holy Spirit.  Their teaching on these issues is regarded by Grace Bible Fellowship as being outside the realm of orthodox Christianity.  As may be the case in other instances, this separation is not designed to be divisive, but for the well-being of the church.

Some guidelines to evaluate good Christian music are:

1.         The message must dominate the music and not the other way around.

2.         The performance and the performers must evidence the purity and integrity of a life in Christ.

3.         Does the music promote a sense of abandon to the listener or does it promote growth in Christ?

4.         Are the lifestyles of the performers serving the cause of Jesus Christ?

5.         Do the lyrics clearly and Biblically present truth?  Is Christ elevated rather than the feelings and experiences of the singer?

6.         Is it good music - a balance of melody, harmony and rhythm?

7.         Is it distinguishable from secular music?