Doctrinal Statement
Grace Bible Fellowship Church of Inverness
“I therefore, prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is ONE BODY, and ONE SPIRIT, even as ye are called in ONE HOPE of your calling; ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE GOD and FATHER of all, who is above all, and through all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” (Ephesians 4:1-7)
Desiring to be in full accord with the mind of the Spirit for this present dispensation, we hold and require the following doctrinal beliefs:
The Bible
The entire Bible in its original writings is verbally inspired of God and is of plenary authority (II Timothy 3:16,17, II Peter 1:21, Hebrews 4:12).
The Godhead
There is ONE GOD, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:4-6, II Corinthians 13:14, I John 5:7).
The Person of Christ
Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man (Luke 1:34-35, John 1:1,14, Philippians 2:6-9, Romans 1:3-4).
Personality and Work of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin and regenerates, baptizes, identifies, seals, indwells, enlightens, and empowers believers (John 16:8,13-14, Titus 3:5, I Corinthians 6:19, 12:13, Ephesians 1:13,17-18, 3:16, Romans 8:26-27).
Total Depravity
All men are by nature dead in trespasses and sins and are, therefore, totally unable by their own wisdom or strength to do anything pleasing to God (Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 3:9-12, Isaiah 64:6).
Salvation (Redemption)
God justifies ungodly sinners by His grace upon the ground of the shed blood of Christ through the means of faith. This complete salvation is bestowed as a free gift of God apart from man’s works. It is a personal matter (Romans 3:24-28, 5:1,9, Ephesians 2:8,9).
Eternal Security
All the saved are eternally secure in Christ (Colossians 3:1-4, Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:1,29-34,38-39, John 10:27-29, Ephesians 1:13-14).
The Church
In the present dispensation there is only one true Church, which is called The Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 1:22-23, 3:1-6), separate and distinct from the prophesied, and earthly kingdom of Christ. The historical manifestation of the Body of Christ began with the Apostle Paul before he wrote his first epistle (I Thessalonians 2:14-16, Acts 9:11-16, Acts 13:2,45-46, I Corinthians 12:13,27, Galatians 1:15-16, I Timothy 1:16). We do affirm that the Body of Christ did not begin on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two.
Gifts
The gifts necessary for the ministry of the Body of Christ are those enumerated in Romans 12:3-9 and Ephesians 4:7-16. All the miraculous sign gifts of the Acts period, such as tongues, prophecy and healing (I Corinthians 12:1-31), being temporary in character, have ceased (I Corinthians 13:9-13).
Walk
By reason of Christ’s victory over sin and of His indwelling Spirit, all of the saved may and should experience deliverance from the power of sin by obedience to Romans 6:11. However, we deny that man’s nature of sin is ever eradicated during this life (Romans 6:6-14, Galatians 5:16-25, Romans 8:37, II Corinthians 2:14, 10:2-5). As saints (Lit., “set apart ones”) and members of the true Church (Lit., “called-out ones”) we are to maintain a Christ-honoring testimony, separate from all forms of worldliness and apostasy, demonstrating obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and love to all men (Romans 12:1-2,9, II Corinthians 6:14-18, Ephesians 5:11, I Timothy 6:20-21).
Baptism
All saved persons have been made members of the Body of Christ by one divine baptism (I Corinthians 12:13). By this one baptism every member of the Body of Christ is identified with His death, burial and resurrection. In the light of the statement concerning the one baptism in Ephesians 4:5, the statements concerning baptism in Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:3-4, and Paul’s statement in I Corinthians 1:17 that “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel” we affirm that water baptism has no place in God’s spiritual program for the Body of Christ in the day of grace.
The Lord’s Supper
The communion of the Lord’s Supper as revealed through the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11:23-26 is for members of the Body of Christ to observe “until He comes”. It is a memorial of Christ’s suffering, shedding of blood, and death.
Resurrection
Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily from the dead (Luke 24:39-43). Therefore, (I Corinthians 15:21), all men will have a bodily resurrection (Acts 24:15), the saved to everlasting glory and the unsaved to everlasting punishment (John 5:29, Revelation 20:11-14).
The Rapture and Second Coming of Christ
The rapture of the Church “which is His body” is pre-tribulation, and the Second Coming of Christ will be pre-millennial. He will come first to receive the members of His Body to Himself (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Philippians 3:20-21), and later to receive His millennial kingdom, over which He will reign (Zechariah 14:4,9, Acts 1:10-11, Revelation 19:11-16, 20:4-6). Because of the distinctive nature of the Body of Christ, the resurrection and rapture of the Church, which is His Body, will take place before the great tribulation (Jeremiah 30:7, Matthew 24:15-31) at His appearing in the air (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Philippians 3:20-21, Titus 2:13-14, I Corinthians 15:51-53). The resurrection of the other saved dead will occur after the tribulation (Revelation 20:4-6).
State of the Dead
Nowhere does the scripture extend the hope of salvation to the unsaved dead but instead reveals that they will ever continue to exist in a state of conscious suffering (Luke 16:23-28, Revelation 14:11, 20:14-15, Colossians 3:6, Romans 1:21-32, John 3:36, Philippians 3:19, II Thessalonians 1:9). The teachings of universalism, of probation after death, of annihilation of the unsaved dead and of the unconscious state of the dead, saved or unsaved are opposed by us as being thoroughly unscriptural and dangerous doctrine.
Our Commission
The mission and commission of the Church which is His Body is to proclaim the message of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:14-21) and to preach Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Romans 16:25, Ephesians 3:8-9) with all boldness. In this we should follow the Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 4:16, 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 4:9, I Timothy 1:11-16). That distinctive message which the Apostle of the Gentiles (Romans 11:13, 15:16) calls “my gospel” (Romans 2:16, 16:25) is also called “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). We, like Paul, must preach the entire Word of God in the light of this gospel (II Timothy 4:2, Galatians 1:8-9), and strive to reach all men everywhere with this message of Grace (Romans 15:20, II Corinthians 10:16).
If you have questions about this Doctrinal Statement, please Contact Us.