Grace Covenant Church

Our Faith

At Grace Covenant Church, we are a family of faith in Jesus Christ. We are a Gospel-centered community with a heart for the people of our city and world. We Believe:

GOD

In the one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinite in love, perfect in judgments, unchanging in mercy. God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 43:10-11, Isaiah 45:18, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 146:6-10, Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 11:3, Romans 8:35-39, Psalm 36:7, Psalm 52:8, Zephaniah 3:5, Romans 2:2, Psalm 98:9, Psalm 99:4, Lamentations 3:22, Micah 7:18, Revelation 1:4, Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:21-22, John 14:26, II Corinthians 13:14, Ephesians 4:4-6, I Peter 1:2

JESUS CHRIST

That He was both fully human and fully divine. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, burial, and resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal future return in power and glory.

Hebrews 2:10-18, Luke 4:2, Luke 8:23, John 8:58, John 17:5, Colossians 1:17, Revelation 22:13, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:27-35, Hebrews 4:15, I Peter 2:22, Isaiah 53:5, I Corinthians 15:3, II Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13, Hebrews 2:9, I Peter 3:18, I Corinthians 15:4, Romans 4:25, I Corinthians 15:4, I Peter 1:3, Luke 22:69, Acts 2:32-33, Ephesians 1:20, Philippians 2:9-11, Hebrews 1:3, Acts 1:9-11, I Thessalonians 4:13-17, I John 3:2-3

HOLY SPIRIT

That the Holy Spirit is God present and active in the world. The Holy Spirit indwells and empowers the Christian to live a godly life evidenced by a growing love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost.

John 7:37-39, John 14:15-16, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:9, I Corinthians 3:16, II Corinthians 3:6

SCRIPTURE

In the divine inspiration, truthfulness, and authority of both the Old and New Testaments, the only written Word of God, without error in all it affirms. The Scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith and practice. The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.

II Timothy 3:15-17, Proverbs 3:5-6, Hebrews 4:12, II Peter 1:20-21

MAN

That man was created in the image of God. That this image was marred in every part through the disobedience of our first parents, and that fellowship with God was broken. God, by His grace, enables all to respond to His love and to accept His saving grace. Apart from Christ, man shall be forever separated from God.

Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 5:1, Genesis 3:1-24, Isaiah 59:2, Romans 5:12, Romans 3:10-18, 23, Romans 6:23, Romans 3:24, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 5:15-21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 2:11, John 14:6, Acts 4:12

SALVATION

That the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; therefore, all who believe on Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. Salvation is by grace, through faith, not by works. All who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit, and heir of God to the assurance of eternal life. Believers are assured that they are children of God by faith in the gracious promise of God’s Word. The inward evidence of this assurance is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit, and the outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness.

By Faith, we have been saved from the penalty of sin. We are being saved from the power of sin. We will be saved from the presence of sin.

Romans 5:8, I Corinthians 15:3, Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:17, John 3:16; Romans 10:12-13; I Timothy 2:4, Romans 3:22-25; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5, Romans 3:28, Ephesians 2:5,8,9, John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14, Romans 8:17; Galatians 3:29; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 6:17, Romans 8:16; II Timothy 1:12; I John 2:3; I John 5:11-12, I John 5:11-12, Romans 8:16, John 14:15; John 14:21-23; Romans 3:22; Romans 6:19-22; II Corinthians 7:1

RESURRECTION

In the bodily resurrection of all persons, in final judgment; the believer to eternal life with Christ and the unbeliever to eternal punishment.

Jeremiah 17:10, Matthew 16:27, Matthew 25:32, John 5:28-29, Romans 14:10, II Corinthians 5:10, I Thessalonians 4:15-18, II Thessalonians 1:6-10, Revelation 22:12

CHURCH

That the Church is the people of God who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Church as Christ’s body is visible in the world wherever believers, in obedience of faith, hear the Word, receive the sacraments, and live as disciples.

I Corinthians 12:12-18, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:11-16, Colossians 1:24, Hebrews 10:24-25

MARRIAGE

That God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a biological man, a biological woman, and Himself. Thus, Grace Covenant Church will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Further, the pastors and staff of Grace Covenant Church shall only participate in weddings and solemnize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Finally, the facilities and property of Grace Covenant Church shall only host weddings between one biological man and one biological woman.

Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:5-9

ORTHODOXY

The Apostles' Creed provides a foundational summary of the historic truths of the Christian faith:

We believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

THE GOSPEL

Above all human understanding and expressions, there is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel is the good news that God sent his Son to redeem the world from the effects of sin and create a new humanity. Eventually the whole world will be renewed to the way God originally created it. Rebellion, death, decay, injustice, and suffering will all be removed. When everything is restored, God will be seen by all for who he truly is — he will be glorified. The Gospel is God's plan to redeem and restore His creation.

Ephesians 2:10, 14-22, 2 Corinthians 5:15-21, Revelation 21

Finally, we believe the Gospel in not just for unbelievers. It is also for believers. It is the fuel that drives our sanctification.

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