The General Statement of Faith of the Grace Reformed Church

The Scriptures:

The sole basis of the true Christian’s beliefs is the Bible, God’s infallible written Word. It was uniquely, verbally, and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and without error in the original writings. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks (Mark 13:31; John 8:30-31; John 17:7-8; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

The Sovereign God:

There is one, sovereign, true God, (Deut. 6:4; 1Cor. 8:4, 6) eternally (Ps. 90:2), transcendently (1 Tim. 6:15-16) existing, expressed through the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:18) and revealed by His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:9-12).

Jesus Christ:

He was God in the form of man [deity] (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 2, 14; Philippians 2:5-8). He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23). He was sinless in His humanity (Hebrews 4:15; James 1:13; 1 Peter 2:22). He is the substitutionary atonement for men’s sin and satisfaction of God’s wrath (Romans 3:24-25; 5:9; Hebrews 9:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He has risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God as an Advocate for the saints (Matthew 28:1-9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-10; Acts 1:9-10; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2).

The Holy Spirit:

The Holy Spirit has a specific purpose in bringing about the sovereign pleasure of God in the dealings of man. The Holy Spirit convicts and draws sinners to Christ (John 16:8; 1 Cor. 12:3), imparts new life to them (John 6:63; 2 Cor. 3:6; Titus 3:5), continually indwells them from the moment of Spiritual birth, and seals them until the day of redemption (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 1:13). Through the Spirit the believer receives and possesses gifts for the building up of the church (1 Cor. 12:7-11) (Rom. 12:4-8). The Spirit’s fullness, power, and control are to be appropriated in the believer’s life (Gal 5:22-26).

The Holy Trinity:

In this one and only true God, this divine and infinite Being, are three subsistences the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There being one substance, yet undivided. The Father is of none, not being begotten by any; the Son eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son; all possessing eternal attributes of deity and divine characteristics (2 Corinthians 13:13).

The Depravity of Man:

Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), but in Adam’s sin, the race fell and became alienated from God (Romans 5:12; Romans 3:10, 23). Man was in every part adversely affected by sin, rendering him totally unable to please God (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 8:7-8; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 8:43, 45, 47; 1 Corinthians 2:14).

Salvation:

Salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human will, merit, or works (John 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:8-10). Regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which those who are dead in their trespasses and sins are made alive unto Christ to understand and obey unto faith and eternal life (John 3:3-8; 1 Cor. 2:10-12; Eph. 2:1-10; Titus 3:5).

Heaven and Hell:

Heaven is a literal place. It is the place of God’s dwelling (Ps. 11:4; 102:19; Eccl. 5:2; John 14:2) It is the place where Christ is and from where he currently reigns (Acts 2:24-36; Rom. 10:6; Eph. 1:20-23; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:24), and is the true believer’s eternal resting place. Hell is a literal place (Ps. 139:8; Matt. 5:22, 29, 30). It is used in reference to the grave generally as well as to the final, eternal place of the wicked and unbelieving where there is separation from the grace, mercy, and righteousness of God and where there will be eternal punishment (Matt. 23:33; Luke 16:23; Rev. 20:14-15).

Creation:

God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing). Creation was supernatural, by that it is meant that physical entities were created out of the nonphysical resources of God’s omnipotence. When God created “the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them” (Ex. 20:11; 31:17; Neh. 9:6), He did so without the use of any preexistent materials whatsoever. The worlds and all things therein came to exist by the Word of God (Heb. 11:3), and are stayed by his preserving power (Heb. 1:3). This supernatural creation was also “sudden” (Ps. 33:6-9; 148:1-6). God created all things in six literal days (Gen. 1:31; Ex. 20:11; 31:17).

Eschatology:

Jesus Christ will return to earth literally and bodily (Acts. 1:10-11) (1 Thess. 4:16-18) to gather His elect (Matt. 24:29-31), His true kingdom (Matt. 13:24-29; 36-43), judge both the living and the dead either to eternal damnation or everlasting life (Rev. 20:11-15), and present the true kingdom to God (1 Cor. 15:24-28).