GRC Doctrinal Statement of Faith
(Borrowed & Adopted from Evangelical Free Church of America Statement of Faith)
(GRC does not have any official affiliation with the EFCA, nor EFCA seeks affiliation with GRC)
Our Statement of Faith
GOD – God’s gospel originates in and expresses the wondrous perfections of the eternal, triune God
1. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
THE BIBLE – God’s gospel is authoritatively revealed in the Scriptures
2. We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
THE HUMAN CONDITION – God’s gospel alone addresses our deepest need
3. We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
JESUS CHRIST – God’s gospel is made known supremely in the Person of Christ
4. We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
THE WORK OF CHRIST – God’s gospel is accomplished through the work of Christ
5. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
THE HOLY SPIRIT – God’s gospel is applied by the Holy Spirit
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
THE CHURCH – God’s gospel is now embodied in the new community called the church
7. We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
CHRISTIAN LIVING – God’s gospel compels us to Christ-like living and witness to the world
8. We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
CHRIST’S RETURN – God’s gospel will be brought to fulfillment by the Lord Himself at the end of this age
9. We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
RESPONSE AND ETERNAL DESTINY – God’s gospel requires a response that has eternal consequences
10. We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
Grace Redeemer Church’s Positions
Our Statement of Faith does not take an explicit position on every matter and detail of belief and practice. GRC affirms this wisdom, “In essentials unity; in non-essentials charity [love]; in all things, Jesus Christ.”
With a posture of humility and recognizing that other gospel-centered churches may have differing perspectives and practices, GRC maintains the following positions on these specific matters:
1. Baptism
Baptism is an outward symbol or indication of the inward change which has been effected in the believer. It serves as a public testimony of one’s faith in Jesus Christ. We baptize those who have been saved by grace through faith, who demonstrate a proper understanding of this saving faith, and who can articulate his/her personal testimony. As such, we do not baptize babies/infants, but rather practice “Baby Dedication” where the parents dedicate their baby/infant and themselves up to the Lord in a ceremony before the church family.
While the Bible is clear that those who make a credible profession are to be baptized, it does not give the specific age as to when a child/teen should be baptized. This is a matter of wisdom and conscience involving the child/teen, the parents, and the church leaders.
We believe that the mode of baptism is secondary as long as the heart of the one being baptized is proper. Thus, we recognize believers who have been baptized by immersion, sprinkling, or pouring. At the same time, our preferred mode of baptism is full immersion.
2. “Sign” Gifts
There is some debate today whether all the spiritual gifts mentioned in Scripture are in full operation today or if some of them, in particular the so-called “sign” gifts like speaking in tongues, have ceased. We are “open, but cautious” in this matter. The Scriptural evidence does not demonstrate conclusively that the “sign” gifts have ceased. At the same time, however, the possibility of their presence today should be met with caution and filtered through Scripture. Another way to say it is that we are NON-charismatic, but not ANTI-charismatic.
3. The Role of Men and Women in the Church
We hold to a complementarian position when it comes to the role of men and women in the church. We believe that men and women are created equally in God’s image and redeemed equally in Christ (Gal. 3:28). We believe that men and women are equally valuable and significant in their contribution to the functioning of the church and its effectiveness in carrying out the gospel mission. We believe that every believer, male or female, has been Spirit empowered and gifted to serve in the church. We also believe that in unity there is diversity. Men and women are equal and yet fulfill different roles. We see this both in marriage and in the church. This complementarity is by God’s design and is made possible through the redeeming and reconciling work of Jesus Christ. One way that complementarity is practiced at GRC is that the elders of the church are to be men.