Doctrinal Statement

WE BELIEVE:

I. The Scriptures:  That the Old and New Testaments (the completed canon of 66 books) are God’s revelation given through man directed by the Holy Spirit. These Scriptures as originally given are verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and stand free from error in any and all parts. They are the final and supreme Authority. (I Cor.2:13; II Tim.3:16, 17; II Pet.1:21)

II. The Doctrine of God:  That God is Spirit, eternally existing in three Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – and these three are of one Essence and equal in Power and Glory, therefore to be honored and worshiped equally as True God. God is above and separate from His creation yet active in it as Preserver. (Gen.1:1; Deut.6:4; Isa.57:15; Matt.28:19; Jn.4:24)

A. The Father:  That God the Father is the Author of one eternal Plan that includes all things and He is directing this Plan to glorify Himself. He is the creator of the universe and the human race, but is the Spiritual Father only of those who receive Jesus Christ by faith. (Jn.1:12; Rom.8:28-30; I Cor.8:6; 15:24-28; Eph.1:3-12)

B. The Son Jesus Christ:  That Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is eternal and was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born a man by the virgin Birth, sinless in nature and action. He voluntarily gave His life in substitutionary death on the cross for our sins and in the same body was raised from the dead. He appeared in His glorified body then ascended to the Father as our Mediator to continue forever as true God and true man. He will come again, first to receive from the earth His Own and then to establish His righteous Kingdom upon the earth. (Matt.28:6; Luke 1:35; Jn.1:1; 14:3; Acts 15:14-16; Heb.2:14; 4:15; I Pet.2:24)

C. The Holy Spirit:  That the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, is Eternal and Infinite. Though active in creation, revelation, and enablement of Old Testament saints, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost by the Father and the Son to take up His abode in believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; regenerates all believers; indwells all who are saved; baptizes all believers into the body of Christ; seals believers until the day of redemption; bestows spiritual gifts upon the members of Christ’s body according to His Own Will; and controls for guidance, Power and sanctification those among the saved who are yielded to Him and subject to His Will. (Gen.1:2; I Sam.16:13; Jn.15:26; Acts 5:3, 4; Rom.8:9; I Cor.6:19; 12:11, 13; Eph.4:30; Titus 3:5)

WE BELIEVE:

III. Creation:  That creation of the world was an instantaneous and supernatural act of God by which He brought the universe and all that it contains into existence in six successive 24 hour days through the mediation of Jesus Christ and the operation of the Holy Spirit. Man is the direct creation of God – spirit, soul and body – not in any sense the product of animal ancestry, but made in the divine image. The Genesis account is the trustworthy, historical record of creation. (Gen.1:1, 2, 26, 27, 31; 2:7; Ex.20:9, 11; Col.1:16; I Thess.5:23)

IV. Man:  That man was originally sinless and in perfect fellowship with God, but when tempted by Satan he sinned by disobeying God’s revealed Will. This act of rebellion resulted in separation from God and in physical death. All members of the human race are born in sin and are sinners by nature and practice. (Gen.3:1-24; Rom.3:23; 5:12)

V. Salvation:  That salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, offered to us on the basis of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross. It is received personally by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and is in no way obtained or increased by human effort. This salvation contains within itself deliverance from the guilt and penalty of sin, a perfectly righteous standing before God, the provisions for victory over the power of sin, and the promise of future glorification in God’s Presence.  Once a person has placed their faith in Jesus they can never be lost and are eternally saved. (Jn.3:14-18; Acts 20:21; Rom.6:23; Eph.2:8, 9; Titus 2:11-14; John 10:28)

I. Israel:  That God has a separate program for the nation Israel declared in a series of covenants. This program includes judgment, repentance, acknowledgement of her Messiah and the restoration of a redeemed remnant to the promised land. Israel will occupy a place of honor and blessing when Christ reigns as King during the millennium. (Gen.12:1-3; Deut.30:1-10; II Sam.7:16; Jer.31:31-34; Rom.11.12, 25-27)

VII. The Church:  That the Church is composed of all those who by faith have been united to the risen and ascended Son of God. The Church, which is completely distinct from Israel, began at Pentecost and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture. All believers in this age, whether Jews or Gentiles, are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ at conversion and so become one spiritual body of which Christ is the Head. The members of this Church are commanded to assemble in local churches for worship, instruction in the Word, fellowship, prayer and observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The commission of Christ to His Church is to communicate the Gospel to both Jew and Gentile. (Matt.16:18; 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; I Cor.11:23-26; 12:13; Eph.1:21-23; 4:3-10; Heb.10:25)

VIII. Christian Responsibility:  That the Christian is to glorify God in personal conduct in relation to his family, his vocation, his neighbor and his government. He fulfills this responsibility as he submits to the Lordship of Christ and obeys the Scriptures by the Power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom.13:1-7; I Cor.6:19, 20; Phil.2:5-11; Titus 2:11-14)

IX. Spiritual Gifts:  That spiritual gifts are divinely given and sovereignly distributed by the Holy Spirit to every member of the body of Christ. The purpose of these gifts is to glorify God and to edify the Church to fulfill its divinely appointed task. There are gifts of a permanent nature given to enable every believer to share in the ministry of edification and growth of the Church. Some gifts were temporary, intended for use during the era of the New Testament apostles and prophets and were necessary until all the Scriptures were written. (I Cor.12:1-13; 13:8; 14:26-34; Eph.4:7-16; I Pet.4:10, 11)

X. Satan:  That Satan was originally a creature of God of the highest order, but through pride he fell and became the archenemy of God and the deceiver of humanity. A great company of angels, some of which assist him in controlling the ungodly world system, joined him in his fall. Satan opposes God by influencing unbelievers to substitute other revelations and experiences for those divinely given, and by diverting believers’ energies into ungodly channels. His power is particularly manifested today in occult practices such as demonic control, Satan worship, fortune telling, and astrology. Though his powers are supernatural, they are strictly limited under the Rule of a sovereign God. He was judged at the cross and therefore his final doom is certain. (Ezek.28:12-17; Isa.14:12-14; Eph.2:2; II Thess.2:8, 9; I Tim.4:1; James 4:7; I Jn.3:8; Rev.20:10)

XI. Future Plan of God:  That the next event in the prophetic Plan of God is the personal, visible appearance of Jesus Christ to rapture the Church. Believers will then receive their rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. During the seven-year tribulation period following the removal of His own, God will pour out judgments on an unbelieving world. The climax of this period of judgment will be the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth in great Power and Glory with His Church to establish His literal Kingdom over all nations for one thousand years. Following the millennium, the wicked dead will be raised bodily, judged at the Great White Throne and cast into the Lake of Fire where they will consciously suffer forever. All believers, however, will enjoy the Presence of God forever in His eternal Kingdom. (Acts 1:11; I Cor.15:24-28; II Cor.5:10; I Thess.4:13-18; Rev.6:19-21; 20:1-6, 11-15)

GRACE MISSION, INC.

BOX 126, HENDERSON, NE 68371 USA

P O BOX 339, Oak Lake MB, ROM 1PO CANADA