{"id":1704,"date":"2017-02-08T10:07:48","date_gmt":"2017-02-08T15:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/?page_id=1704"},"modified":"2023-03-17T10:30:07","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T15:30:07","slug":"what-we-believe","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/what-we-believe\/","title":{"rendered":"What We Believe"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Scriptures<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.<\/p>\n

God<\/span><\/h3>\n

There is one and only one living and true God. \u2026The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.<\/p>\n

God the Father<\/span><\/h3>\n

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. \u2026God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

God the Son<\/span><\/h3>\n

Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. \u2026He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of men from sin.<\/p>\n

God the Holy Spirit<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. \u2026He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. \u2026He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.<\/p>\n

Man<\/span><\/h3>\n

Man is the special creation of God, in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. \u2026By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. \u2026 The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every person of every race possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.<\/p>\n

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Sexuality and Marriage<\/span><\/h3>\n

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption.<\/p>\n

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage.<\/p>\n

Homosexuality is not a “valid alternative lifestyle.” The Bible condemns it as sin. It is not, however, unforgivable sin. The same redemption available to all sinners is available to homosexuals. They, too, may become new creations in Christ.<\/p>\n

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of one\u2019s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.<\/p>\n

We believe that the term \u201cmarriage\u201d has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.<\/p>\n

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10.)<\/p>\n

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Grace Baptist Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the Grace Baptist Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Grace Baptist Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality. (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22.) Additionally, we do not provide counsel, ceremonies or facilities for weddings or receptions to same-sex couples.<\/p>\n

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11.)<\/p>\n

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Grace Baptist Church.<\/p>\n

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Sanctity of Life<\/span><\/h3>\n

Procreation is a gift from God, a precious trust reserved for marriage. At the moment of conception, a new being enters the universe, a human being, a being created in God’s image. This human being deserves our protection, whatever the circumstances of conception, regardless of size, location, intelligence, development, education, or dependence.<\/p>\n

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Priesthood of All Believers<\/span><\/h3>\n

We affirm the priesthood of all believers. Laypersons have the same right as ordained ministers to communicate with God, interpret Scripture, and minister in Christ’s name.\u00a0That is why we are an elder led, congregation ruled church.<\/p>\n

This doctrine is first and foremost a matter of responsibility and servanthood, not privilege and license.<\/p>\n

It is of course, a perversion of this doctrine to say that all views are equally valid, that you can believe anything and still be a Baptist or that the pastor has no unique leadership role.<\/p>\n

We affirm soul competency, the accountability of each person before God. Your family cannot save you. Neither can your church. It comes down to you and God. Authorities can’t force belief or unbelief. They shouldn’t try.<\/p>\n

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Salvation<\/span><\/h3>\n

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.<\/p>\n

God’s Purpose of Grace<\/span><\/h3>\n

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. \u2026All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end.<\/p>\n

The Church<\/span><\/h3>\n

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.<\/p>\n

Baptism & the Lord’s Supper<\/span><\/h3>\n

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.<\/p>\n

The Lord’s Day<\/span><\/h3>\n

The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion.<\/p>\n

Last Things<\/span><\/h3>\n

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, the dead will be raised, and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell. The righteous will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.<\/p>\n

Stewardship<\/span><\/h3>\n

God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debt to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions.<\/p>\n

The Christian & the Social Order<\/span><\/h3>\n

All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.<\/p>\n

Church and State<\/span><\/h3>\n

We stand for a free church in a free state. Neither one should control the affairs of the other. We support the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, with its “establishment” and “free exercise” clauses.\u00a0Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal.\u00a0We do, of course, acknowledge the legitimate interplay of these two spheres without interference between either.<\/p>\n

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Missions<\/span><\/h3>\n

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nation, to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.<\/p>\n

We ask the people of the world to conform to Christ and His Word, and not to our merely human traditions. We seek to lift up national leadership in the countries where we serve, and to respect the cultural expressions of their faith \u2013 we honor the indigenous principle in missions. We cannot, however, compromise doctrine or give up who we are to win the favor of those we try to reach or those with whom we desire to work. This would rob our efforts of their integrity and life.<\/p>\n

The priority is evangelism which results in churches. This priority is consistent with strong social ministries, including medical care, emergency famine relief, water projects and agricultural assistance.<\/p>\n

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Autonomy<\/span><\/h3>\n

We affirm the autonomy of the local church. Each church is free to determine its own membership and to set its own course under the headship of Jesus. It may enter into alliance with other churches as it chooses, so long as those other churches are willing.<\/p>\n

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Cooperation<\/span><\/h3>\n

Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the extension of Christ’s Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ’s people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.\u00a0Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches.\u00a0Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations.<\/p>\n

Women in Ministry<\/span><\/h3>\n

Women participate equally with men in the priesthood of all believers. Their role is crucial, their wisdom, grace and commitment exemplary. Women are an integral part of the Church’s Great Commission impact through the utilization of the God-given gifts in God-honoring ways in God-directed roles.<\/p>\n

While Scripture teaches that a woman’s role is not identical to that of men in every respect, and that pastoral leadership is assigned to men, it also teaches that women are equal in value to men and vital members in the service of the body.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Scriptures The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1704","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1704"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3585,"href":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1704\/revisions\/3585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracetyrone.net\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}