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The Apostle Paul gave this charge to the Ephesian elders:

"Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock, to shepherd the church of God" (Acts 20:28).

These are the guidelines for those who lead within the local church. Church leadership is a matter of shepherding. To shepherd the flock of God is to take responsibility before God to watch, warn, teach, and lead His church in holy living (see Hebrews 13:17). The manner of this responsibility is carried out in the plurality of God appointed elders who seek the Father's full counsel for His flock.

It is from this high calling that the Elders of Grace Bible Church seek to set before God's people a clear teaching on important matters that face the believer in this generation.

What We Teach

The Holy Scriptures
We teach that the Bible is God's written revelation to man given to us by the Holy Spirit. The 66 books of the Bible are the complete and absolute Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Revelation 22:18, Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32)

We teach the Holy Spirit gave the Bible to us, it is absolutely without error in the original documents. The Holy Spirit used the individual personalities and writing styles of human authors to compose God's Word to man. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

We teach the literal interpretation of Scripture using the "literal grammatical-historical" 1 method of study.

We teach there may be several applications of any given passage of Scripture. There is but one true interpretation when the "literal grammatical-historical" study is used under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:7-10)

We teach that it is the responsibility of every believer to study and know the Bible, recognizing the application of Scripture is binding to all generations.

We teach the truth of Scripture stands in judgement of men. Never do men stand in judgement of Scripture.

Last Things (Eschatology)

Death
We teach that physical death involves no loss of our immaterial consciousness (Revelation 6:9 11). The soul of the redeemed passes immediately into the presence of Christ (Luke 23:43; Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8). There is a separation of soul and body (Philippians 1:21 24), and that for the redeemed, such separation will continue until the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13 17). The rapture initiates the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4 6), when our soul and body will be reunited to be glorified forever with our Lord (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:35 44, 50 54). Until that time, the souls of the redeemed in Christ remain in joyful fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8).

We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (John 6:39; Romans 8:10 11, 19 23; 2 Corinthians 4:14), and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:29; Revelation 20:13 15).

We teach that the souls of the unsaved at death are kept under punishment until the second resurrection (Luke 16:19 26; Revelation 20:13 15), when the soul and the resurrection body will be united (John 5:28 29). They shall then appear at the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11 15) and shall be cast into hell, the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41 46), cut off from the life of God forever (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:41 46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7 9).

The Rapture of the Church
We teach the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven year tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Titus 2:13) to translate His church from this earth (John 14:1 3; 1 Corinthians 15:51 53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11). Between this event and His glorious return with His saints, Lord Jesus Christ will reward believers according to their works (1 Corinthians 3:11 15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Tribulation Period
We teach that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (John 14:1 3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 18) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:7 12; Revelation 16). These judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matthew 24:27 31; 25:31 46; 2 Thessalonians 2:7 12). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Daniel 12:2 3; Revelation 20:4 6). This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 9:24 27; Matthew 24:15 31; 25:31 46).

The Second Coming and the Millennial Reign
We teach that, after the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matthew 25:31; Luke 1:31 33; Acts 1:10 11; 2:29 30) and establish His messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Revelation 20:1 7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezekiel 37:21 28; Daniel 7:17 22; Revelation 19:11 16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Daniel 7:17 27; Revelation 20:1 7).

We teach that the kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel (Isaiah 65:17 25; Ezekiel 37:21 28; Zechariah 8:1 17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through their disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15 68). The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:1 26) but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing (Jeremiah 31:31 34; Ezekiel 36:22 32; Romans 11:25 29).

We teach that this time of our Lord's reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Isaiah 11; 65:17 25; Ezekiel 36:33 38), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Revelation 20:7).

The Judgment of the Lost
We teach that following the release of Satan after the thousand year reign of Christ (Revelation 20:7), Satan will deceive the nations of the earth and gather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven (Revelation 20:9). Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10) whereupon Christ, who is the Judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne judgment.

We teach that this resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment (Romans 14:10 13), they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11 15).

Eternity
We teach that after the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers (2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:7 15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God. After this, the elements of this earth are to be dissolved (2 Peter 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 20:15, 21 22). Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2) and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another (John 17:3; Revelation 21-22).

Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24 28) that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Corinthians 15:28).

Angels
Holy Angels
We teach that angels are created beings and are therefore not to be worshiped. Although they are a higher order of creation than man, they are created to serve God and to worship Him (Luke 2:9 14; Hebrews 1:6 7, 14; 2:6 7; Revelation 5:11 14; 19:10; 22:9).

Fallen Angels
We teach that Satan is a created angel and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (Isaiah 14:12 17; Ezekiel 28:11 19), by taking numerous angels with him in his fall (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:1 14), and by introducing sin into the human race by his temptation of Eve (Genesis 3:1 15).

We teach that Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man (Isaiah 14:13 14; Matthew 4:1 11; Revelation 12:9 10). Satan is the prince of this world, who has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 16:20); and he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Isaiah 14:12 17; Ezekiel 28:11 19; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

The Church
We teach that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual Body, the church (1 Corinthians 12:12 13), the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23 32; Revelation 19:7 8), of which Christ is the Head (Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; Colossians 1:18).

We teach that the formation of the church, the Body of Christ, began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1 21, 38 47) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 18).

We teach that the church is thus a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ, made up of all born again believers in this present age (Ephesians 2:11 3:6). The church is distinct from Israel (1 Corinthians 10:32), a mystery not revealed until this age (Ephesians 3:1 6; 5:32).

We teach that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:23, 27; 20:17, 28; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1). The members of the one spiritual Body are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies (1 Corinthians 11:18 20; Hebrews 10:25).

We teach that the one supreme authority for the church is Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) and that church leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures.

The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are elders (also called bishops, pastors, and pastor teachers; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11) and deacons, both of whom must meet biblical qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1 13; Titus 1:5 9; 1 Peter 5:1 5). We teach that these leaders lead or rule as servants of Christ (1 Timothy 5:17 22) and have His authority in directing the church. The congregation is to submit to their leadership (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

We teach the importance of discipleship (Matthew 28:19 20; 2 Timothy 2:2), mutual accountability of all believers to each other (Matthew 18:5 14), as well as the need for discipline of sinning members of the congregation in accord with the standards of Scripture (Matthew 18:15 22; Acts 5:1 11; 1 Corinthians 5:1 13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6 15; 1 Timothy 1:19 20; Titus 1:10 16).

We teach the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control, with the right of self-government and freedom from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations (Titus 1:5).

We teach that it is scriptural for true churches to
cooperate with each other for the presentation and propagation of the faith. Each local church, however, through its elders and their interpretation and application of Scripture, should be the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation. The elders should determine all other matters of membership, policy, discipline, benevolence, and government as well (Acts 15:19 31; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4 7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1 4).

We teach that the purpose of the church is to glorify God (Ephesians 3:21):
By building itself up in the faith (Ephesians 4:13 16),
By instruction of the Word (2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 3:16 17),
By fellowship (Acts 2:47; 1 John 1:3),
By keeping the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38 42),
By advancing and communicating the gospel to the entire world (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8; 2:42).

We teach the calling of all saints to the work of service (1 Corinthians 15:58; Ephesians 4:12; Revelation 22:12).

We teach the need of the church to cooperate with God as He accomplishes His purpose in the world. To that end, He gives the church spiritual gifts. First, He gives men chosen for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:7 12), and He also gives unique and special spiritual abilities to each member of the Body of Christ (Romans 12:5 8; 1 Corinthians 12:4 31; 1 Peter 4:10 11).

We teach that two ordinances have been committed to the local church: baptism and the Lord's Supper (Acts 2:38 42).

Christian baptism by immersion (Acts 8:36 39) is the solemn and beautiful testimony of a believer showing forth his faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and his union with Him in death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Romans 6:1 11). It is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible Body of Christ (Acts 2:41 42).

The Lord's Supper is the commemoration and proclamation of His death until He comes, and should be always preceded by solemn self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:28 32). We also teach that whereas the elements of Communion are only representative of the flesh and blood of Christ, the Lord's Supper is nevertheless an actual communion with the risen Christ who is present in a unique way, fellowshipping with His people (1 Corinthians 10:16).

Man
We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9).

We teach that God's intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God's fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God's purpose for man in the world (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11).

We teach that in Adam's sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, became subject to the wrath of God, and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost. Man's salvation is thereby wholly of God's grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23; I Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; I Timothy 2:13-14; I John 1:8).

We teach that, because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam's sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12).

Salvation
We teach that salvation is totally of God. Man is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). This means that, not every human being is as sinful as he or she could be. But that every human being is sinful to the point that they are incapable of altering their spiritual condition. That is to say, you can't do anything to save yourself. You can't awaken your spiritual deadness. You can't give life where there is death.

You can't come to a right conclusion on your own. This means that everyone is by virtue of their own will and their own power and their own choices dead in sin and, incapable of redemption. In fact Jesus said Himself in John 6:44 that "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."

We also believe that people who are saved are saved because they were chosen by God apart from any merit of their own, apart from any condition (Ephesians 2:8-9). In other words, we are not saved by acts of our own will.

Because we are dead, we do not have the power to believe on our own, and therefore God awakens our deadness and gives us the faith and the ability to believe. Because we then see His overwhelming grace He is extending to us, we can respond by choosing to receive His gift of salvation. Ephesians 1:3 states, "We were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world".

We teach that the Bible teaches that whoever comes to Christ, He will receive. Jesus said, "You will not come to Me that you might have life" (John 5:40). When they didn't come, Jesus said it was their fault. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."

So we believe that the Bible teaches both aspects in our salvation. The question that inevitably arises is - How do you harmonize that? That's impossible - that's the problem. So we don't, we just believe both of them. There is a divine tension in every Bible doctrine, because when you reduce God to man, something is left out. We can't fill in the gap, so all we know is that if we are saved it is because God has chosen us, predestinated us before the foundation of the world, and if we are not saved it is because we refuse Jesus Christ.

We teach that when it comes to God's sovereignty for salvation and man's responsibility for sin, we say that the Bible teaches both. God is the only one who can understand how they come together.

What it teaches us is that when you bring the supernatural level down to our understanding, you are going to find an apparent paradox. What this proves more than anything is that God wrote the Bible. Man would have resolved these apparent paradoxes, because men don't like them. So, the fact that you have those kinds of things tells us that God's mind is greater than ours.

We prefer to allow this divine tension to stand side by side and teach both, as both are found plainly in Scripture.

One commentator writes, "Whatever God's reasons for designing such humanly irreconcilable truths, we should thank and praise Him for them. For the very reason that they are completely true while seeming to be contradictory, we are humbled in His presence as we stand in awe of that which to us is incomprehensible. To the trusting believer such truths are but further evidence that Scripture is God's doing, and not man's."

The bottom line is this:
It is not that God's sovereign election, or predestination, eliminates man's choice in faith. Divine sovereignty and human response are integral and inseparable parts of salvation-though exactly how they operate together only the infinite mind of God knows.

Sanctification
We teach that there is also by the work of the Holy Spirit a progressive sanctification by which the state of the believer is brought closer to the standing the believer positionally enjoys through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17,19; Romans 6:1 22; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3 4; 5:23).

In this respect, we teach that every saved person is involved in a daily conflict-the new creation in Christ doing battle against the flesh-but adequate provision is made for victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The struggle nevertheless stays with the believer all through this earthly life and is never completely ended.

All claims to the eradication of sin in this life are unscriptural. Eradication of sin is not possible, but the Holy Spirit does provide for victory over sin (Galatians 5:16 25; Ephesians 4:22 24; Philippians 3:12; Colossians 3:9 10; 1 Peter 1:14 16; 1 John 3:5 9).

Security
We teach that all the redeemed once saved are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 5:24; 6:37 40; 10:27 30; Romans 5:9 10; 8:1, 31 39; 1 Corinthians 1:4 8; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 7:25; 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24).

We teach that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word. However, God's Word clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality (Romans 6:15 22; 13:13 14; Galatians 5:13, 25 26; Titus 2:11 14).

We teach that believers should be separated unto our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:11 12; Hebrews 12:1 2). The Christian life is a life of obedient righteousness that reflects the teaching of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2 12) and a continual pursuit of holiness (Romans 12:1 2; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14; Titus 2:11 14; 1 John 3:1 10).

God
We teach that there is but one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4), an infinite, all-knowing Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

God the Father
We teach that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Psalm 145:8-9; I Corinthians 8:6).

He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31; Ephesians 3:9).
As the only absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36).

His fatherhood involves both His designations within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind.

As Creator He is Father to all men (Ephesians 4:6), but He is spiritual Father only to believers (Romans 8:14; 2 Corinthians 6:18).
He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass (Ephesians 1:11).

He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (I Chronicles 29:11).
In His sovereignty He is neither the author nor approver of sin (Habakkuk 1:13; John 8:38-47), nor does He abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures (I Peter 1:17).

He has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as His own (Ephesians 1:4-6).

He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as His own all those who come to Him; and He becomes, upon adoption, Father to His own (John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 12:5-9).

 God the Son
We teach that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, possesses all the divine excellencies, and in these He is co-equal, consubstantial, and co-eternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9).
We teach that God the Father created "the heavens and the earth and all that is in them" according to His own will, through His Son, Jesus Christ, by whom all things continue in existence and in operations (John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2).

We teach that in the incarnation (God becoming man) Christ surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind.

In His incarnation, the eternally existing second person of the Trinity accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became the God-man (Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9), and took on an existence appropriate to a servant while never divesting Himself of His divine attributes (Philippians 2:5-8).

We teach that Jesus Christ represents humanity and deity in indivisible oneness (Micah 5:2; John 5:23; 14:9,10; Colossians 2:9).

We teach that our Lord Jesus Christ was:
Virgin born (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23, 25; Luke 1:26-35);
He was God incarnate (John 1:1, 14).

We teach that the purpose of the incarnation was:
To reveal God,
To redeem men,
To rule over God's kingdom (Psalms 2:7-9; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:29; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 7:25-26; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

We teach that, in the incarnation, the second person of the Trinity laid aside His right to the full prerogatives of coexistence with God.

We teach that our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross. Christ's death was:
Voluntary,
A substitution,
Appeasing,
And redemptive (John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24).

God the Holy Spirit
We teach that the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is God. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God (Matthew 28:19). He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ (John 16:13-14).

Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 3:16) from the moment of salvation, and it is the command of all those born of the Spirit to be filled with the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18).

The Holy Spirit provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right (John 16:13).

The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:7-11), of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:26; 16:14), and transforming believers into Christ-likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:22).

We teach that Christians are to be controlled by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25). Christian living, includes daily Christian service, evangelism, discipleship, and the preaching or promotion of the Gospel in the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). In carrying on this work there is need for the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit which is granted to every believer in Christ (Ephesians 1).

We teach that signs and wonders were gifts particularly appropriate to the special circumstances of the early church. We believe that Jesus used signs and wonders as a means to validate his own ministry (John 5:36), while at the same time condemning those who sought after signs and wonders (Luke 11:29 and Matthew 12:39). The apostles similarly used signs and wonders to validate their ministry (Mark 16:20; Acts 2:22; Acts 14:3; Hebrews 2:4).

In and of themselves, signs and wonders are of no value and a part from the Gospel have no bearing on ones' salvation (Luke 16:31).

Today when the gospel is proclaimed in unreached or unpenetrated areas of the world, on the frontiers of the Christian faith, these gifts may be sovereignly given to confirm God's Word for the advance of the Gospel. We believe that if God chose to use any gift in the confirmation of His Word, it would be done according to the order described in I Corinthians 12 and 14.

We believe that it is important to remember that the Holy Spirit did not intend for any of His gifts to be misused so that they become divisive (I Corinthians 12:15-26), or disrupt our fellowship. When this occurs, the greatest of all manifestations of the Spirit, love, is diminished (I Corinthians 13:1-3). It is important to remember I Corinthians 10:24 which states, "nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."

Grace Bible Church has always been blessed to have those who have been able to pray for healing with grace, or who have seen God move in miraculous ways without creating a "scene" to be watched by others. Whenever the focus becomes the "gift" rather than the "Giver", we believe that an unbiblical focus is taking place.

We want people to walk in the Truth of God's Word and be in right relationship with Christ. We want that more than we want any "sign". We believe firmly and strongly that Scripture, prayer and obedience are central to our walk with Christ. The focus of Christianity as we model to the watching world the character and life of Christ.

A publication of Grace Bible Church
May 2002