Grace Bible Church
SILVER LAKE, MINNESOTA
STATEMENT OF FAITH
God
We believe in one God, Who exists eternally in three Persons: the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ, Who was God from
eternity, was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary and thus
is true man and true God. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 1:20-23; 28:18,19; Mark
12:29; Luke 1:26-38; 2:7; John 1:14; Acts 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews
1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6)
Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New
Testaments, are inspired by God and without error in their original writings and
are therefore our final authority in faith and life. (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39;
Acts 1:16; 28:25; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation
22:18,19).
Sin
We believe that Adam was created without sin, but through his transgression
fell from his original innocence. Descendants of Adam are born in sin and are
subject to death and judgment, apart from divine grace. (Genesis 1:26, 31; 2:17;
3:6; 6:5; Psalms 14:1-3; 51:5; 58:3; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:3-6; Romans 3:10-19;
5:12; 6:23; 8:6,7; Ephesians 2:1-3).
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose bodily from the
grave. We believe in His bodily ascension, in His present work for believers as
High Priest and Advocate in heaven and in the "blessed hope" of His
personal, bodily return to receive saints unto Himself and establish His
millennial reign on earth. (Luke 23:46-49; 24:1-53; John 1:29; 14:2,3; Acts 1:9-
11; Romans 3:23-26; 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-24, 51-58; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21;
Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3-7, 25; 1
Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:1; Revelation 1:5; 19:11-20:15).
Salvation
We believe that any person can have salvation from sin and come into
possession of eternal life; by realizing that they are sinners, believing that
the Lord Jesus Christ loves them, and has provided salvation through His death
and resurrection, and placing their faith in Christ as personal Savior and
Sin-bearer. Salvation is entirely a free gift of God which cannot possibly be
achieved by man's works. (John 3:14-18, 36; 5:24; 6:47; Acts 4:12; Romans
1:16,17; 3:20- 26; Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter
1:18, 19; Revelation 1:5).
Death
We believe that at death the souls of the saved enter immediately into the
presence of God to spend eternity with Him. At death the unsaved go immediately
into eternal conscious punishment. We believe in the future bodily resurrection
of all the dead, both the saved and unsaved. (Daniel 12:2,3; Luke 16:19-31;
23:43; John 5:28, 29; I Corinthians 15:22, 51-54; II Corinthians 5:8;
Philippians 1:23; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:4-6, 10-15).
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts sinners of their need for Christ as
Savior and regenerates those who place their faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit
indwells all true believers. As a believer yields to His control He enables
him/her to obey the will of God, and to lead a Godly life, separate from the
sins of the world. (John 7:37-39; 14:16-17; 16:7-15; Acts 2:38; Romans 8:1-17; 1
Corinthians 6:10, 20; Galatians 5:16; Eph. 5:18).
Church
We believe in the spiritual unity of all true believers in Christ and that
all believers in the world are members of Christ's Church. The church is
Christ's body and He is the Head of the worldwide church. (1 Corinthians
12:13-27; Ephesians 1:22, 23; Ephesians 2:13-22; 5:23-32; Romans 12:3-8).
Christians
We believe that all Christians are called and commissioned by the Lord Jesus
Christ to live to the glory of God and to win others to Christ. (Matthew 28:19;
Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 15:16; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Acts 1:8; 2
Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 1:20, 21).
Lord's Supper
We believe to partake of the Lord's Supper, that only those joined with
Christ through a living faith, though it may yet be weak, have the right to
celebrate this remembrance of Christ's love for us and His sacrifice for our
sin. The decision as to whether a young person should partake of the Lord's
Supper is left up to the parent or guardian, or in their absence, an elder of
the Church. (1 Cor 11:23-34; Luke 22:19, 20).
Believer's Baptism
We believe that a believer's baptism is an act of obedience to Scripture and
a testimony to others of a person, personally placing his/her faith in Christ as
his/her personal Savior from sin by His death on the cross and His resurrection.
Baptism does not save a person, rather a person is baptized because he/she has
been saved. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 1:4; 16:15,16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:4;
Ephesians 4:1-6).
Children
Parents shall be given a choice of infant dedication or infant baptism. The
church has a tradition of both ceremonies. Should the residing pastor decline to
perform the chosen ceremony, it is the parent's responsibility to secure
appropriate clergy. (These church traditions are without direct scriptural
support.)
Whether dedicated or baptized, the child's association with the church will not
be complete, however, until he/she confesses his/her personal faith in Christ as
his/her Savior and accepts this "Statement of Faith" before the whole
church.
Teaching
The Holy Scriptures are the primary teaching tool and everything else is
supplementary. This church accepts the Calvinist Confession of Faith and the
Heidelberg catechism as additional teaching tools. All members of the church
board should accept this confession and teach according to it.
Calvinism
The Christian creed of Calvinism is defined as follows: a. God is absolute
sovereign in His creation. b. God as sovereign foreordains and foreknows all
things, including man's destiny. c. Originally man was pure and made in the
image of God, but has fallen from this state through his own voluntary act. d.
Man can be saved only through the unmerited grace of God, as mediated to him
through Christ. Man can do nothing to earn his own salvation, and no amount of
good works can further it. e. Those predestined to salvation will be saved.
Heidelberg Catechism
The Heidelberg Catechism is a summary of basic Bible teachings arranged in
question and answer format. It is called "Heidelberg" after the city of Heidelberg,
Germany, where it was formulated and approved by church authorities in 1563. Primarily based on the
Letter to the Romans, the Heidelberg Catechism covers such topics as: a. Human
Sin and Guilt - The Law of God. b. Human Redemption and Freedom - The Grace of
God in Jesus Christ. c. Human Gratitude and Obedience - New Life through the
Holy Spirit.
