Just as it is important to never lose sight of the mission that Jesus gives to us (to make disciples of all nations), so also it is important to never lose sight of the truth. We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the source of the truth about God and the truth about our relationship with Him. At Grace, we hold theology in high regard and seek to be faithful in building our ministry on a sound theological foundation.
We believe that Jesus changes everything, and that Jesus is our everything. We believe that Jesus is true God and true man. We believe that He existed before the very foundation of the world, and at just the right time, He came into the world in the flesh in order to redeem and save us. We believe that He willingly took our sin upon His shoulders and died for those sins on the cross so that we might have divine forgiveness. We believe that He rose victoriously from the grave and that by His resurrection He has defeated death. We believe that He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father and that He is reigning over the heavens and the earth. We believe that He is coming back, and as people of faith, we seek to follow Him now even as we long for His return.
We hold a high view of the Scriptures. We believe that the Scriptures are the inspired and inerrant Word of God. We believe that the Bible is God’s self-revelation and that it is the source and ultimate authority of all truth and doctrine. We hold that it should be a priority for Christians to grow in Biblical knowledge and understanding.
God’s Word can be divided into two parts: Law and Gospel.
We recognize this to be God’s Law and God’s Gospel (Good News). God’s law has three functions. The first function of God’s law is to curb the kind of behavior and actions that hurt others and cause chaos. The second function of God’s law is to convict us as sinners. When we hold the lives we live next to God’s law, we quickly see that we often times fall short. God’s law shows us that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and redemption. The third function of God’s law is as a guide. As Christians we want to live lives that honor God and obey him. This function of God’s law reveals how to honor and obey God.
The Gospel literally means “Good News.” The Gospel is the Good News about Jesus Christ, that we are saved by Grace and not by works of the law. We believe that faith comes from hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that in that Gospel is great power. Where the law convicts our conscience, the Gospel relieves our conscience as we put our confidence in the work of Christ rather than in our own works.
Sacraments are holy instruments in God’s hands for dispensing His Grace. We define sacraments as (1) a sacred act that is instituted by God where (2) a visible element is joined or connected to God’s Word that (3) bestows God’s divine forgiveness. We celebrate two sacraments that meet this definition: Baptism and Holy Communion.
Baptism means to wash. In Holy Baptism our sins are washed away. Baptism is not man’s work, but it is God’s work. Baptism is not our commitment to God, but it is God’s commitment to us. The gifts that God gives to us in Baptism include forgiveness, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and adoption into God’s eternal family. Since we recognize that all people are sinful and in need of these gifts, we baptize people of all ages.
Holy Communion is a sacred act through which God forgives our sins, strengthens our faith, and unites those who are receiving it in a fellowship with each other. We believe in the real presence of Christ at Holy Communion. In a miraculous and mysterious way, when we receive Holy Communion we are receiving Christ’s true body and true blood in, with, and under the bread and wine.
We believe that belief in God and belief in miracles go hand in hand. If God exists, then He is certainly capable of miraculous works. We believe that the miracles recorded in the Scriptures truly happened and that God can and does still perform miracles today.