Beliefs
Grace church is a reformed and evangelical church. We hold to the orthodox
teachings of the Protestant Reformation, as summarized in the 17th century
Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. As a Bible-believing
congregation, we hold the following to be true:
The Bible is our Final Authority
We are a church that believes what the Bible says and we try to put it into
practice. We believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, and is
the only source of special revelation for the church today. The Bible, having been
inspired by God, is entirely trustworthy and without error.
We believe that the Bible teaches us all that we can accurately know about God
and salvation. Therefore, we are to believe and obey its teachings, and are not
required to believe or do anything contrary to, or in addition to, the Word of God
in matters of faith or worship.
God is Sovereign
We believe that there is only one eternal God, who is three persons: Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. The one true God is personal, yet beyond our
comprehension. He is an invisible spirit, completely self-sufficient and
unbounded by space or time, perfectly holy and just, yet loving and merciful.
God created the heavens and the earth, and all they contain. He upholds and
governs them in accordance with his eternal will. As sovereign, God is in
complete control, yet without diminishing human responsibility.
Man is a Sinner
We believe God created man perfect and good, but man rebelled against God.
Adam, the first man, stood in the place of all mankind and represented those
who descended from Him. When Adam sinned, all mankind became corrupt by
nature, dead in sin, and subject to the wrath of God.
Man made himself the enemy of God, no longer able to please God or escape
God's wrath and curse. Although man tries to be religious, his sinful nature
drives him to make up religions and ways of salvation that oppose the Word of
God.
We are Saved by Grace Through Faith Alone
We are saved by grace through faith alone. We are made righteous before God,
not in our own work, but through true faith in Christ alone. "For by grace you have
been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not
by works so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9. The Heidelberg
Catechism summarizes it this way:
60. Q. How are you righteous before God?
A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Although my conscience accuses me that I
have grievously sinned against all God's commandments, have never kept any
of them, and am still inclined to all evil, yet God, without any merit of my own, out
of mere grace, imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and
holiness of Christ. He grants these to me as if I had never had nor committed
any sin, and as if I myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has
rendered for me, if only I accept this gift with a believing heart. Heidelberg
Catechism.
Christ is our Holy Redeemer
Man's only hope was for God to do for man, what man could not and would not
do for himself. To save man, and rescue him from His own judgment God chose
to come into the world by taking on human flesh as Jesus Christ. God
determined, by a covenant of grace, that sinners may receive forgiveness and
eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Jesus is the eternal Son of God who was united to human flesh and born of a
virgin, so that in her son Jesus the divine and human natures were united in one
person. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and died on a cross, bearing the sins of,
and receiving God's wrath for, all those who trust in him for salvation. On the third
day, Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God.
The death of Jesus on the cross was the atoning sacrifice that cleanses forever
from sin, those who put their trust in Him alone for their salvation. He satisfied
the justice of God which demands that all sin be punished with death. He not only
paid the penalty for sin, He took on Himself the wrath and curse of God against
sin for those who believe in Him. Consequently, His resurrection from the dead
has given new life eternally to His people.
He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where he sits as Lord and
rules over his kingdom - the church. He will return to judge the living and the
dead, bringing his people - with glorious, resurrected bodies - into eternal life,
and consigning the wicked to eternal punishment.
The Holy Spirit Draws Men Unto Salvation
The Holy Spirit works in the person whom God has chosen to be His children.
As men hear God's Word preached, the Spirit opens their hearts to believe. For
those He chose-those He predestined for eternal life-He forgives their sin. They
are declared righteous because of what Christ did on their behalf. Those who
believe are adopted as God's children and are filled with the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit works in believers' lives to enable them more and more to stop
sinning and live according to God's Word.
Christians Should Live Holy Lives
Because Christians have new lives, they should live each day enjoying their
Savior and glorifying God in all they say and do. Their lives should be different
than those who don't believe. Each day, believers strive to keep God's moral
law, summarized in the Ten Commandments. Their obedience, however, is not
to earn their salvation. Their new way of life is because they love their Savior and
want to obey him.
We are a Reformed Church
The system of doctrine taught at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church is known
as the Reformed faith also called Calvinism because John Calvin was its most
important exponent during the Reformation. The Reformed faith pulls together
the most significant doctrines taught in the Bible. These doctrines are set forth in
the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
For a more detailed explanation of reformed theology, visit some additional links
To learn more about Calvinism and John Calvin, visit:
Grace Orthodox
Presbyterian Church
