GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH - BURLINGTON - MASSACHUSETTS
ARTICLES OF FAITH
The following brief statements form the
foundation of our doctrine. We in no way shall sway nor separate from
this doctrinal statement in both principle and practice.
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THE BIBLE: We accept the sixty-six
books of Scripture, including both the Old and New Testaments, to be
the verbally inspired Word of God, and that they are the supreme and
final authority for faith and practice. We also believe that the
canon of Scripture is completed. We further believe that God’s
perfect and infallible Word is preserved in the King James Version
of the Bible and for the purpose of guarding against the corruption
of doctrine, establish that the KJV shall be the only English
version used for ministry in this church. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II
Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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THE GODHEAD: We believe in the
tri-unity of God: that the eternal God manifests Himself in three
persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and
that these three are one God, but separate in personality and work.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; I John 5:7)
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JESUS CHRIST: We believe in the
incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus Christ; His identification as
God, the Son; His sinless life; the sufficiency of His
substitutionary death on the cross for the sins of the whole world;
His bodily resurrection from the dead; and His ascension to heaven,
where He is now seated at the right hand of God, the Father, and as
our exalted High Priest, fulfills the ministry of Mediator,
Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Luke
1:35; John 1:1-2; John 1:14; Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Acts 1:9;
Hebrews 1-13; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2)
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HOLY SPIRIT
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We believe in the Holy
Spirit, who convicts the world of sin, of
righteousness, and of judgment; that He regenerates,
sanctifies, empowers, and indwells every believer in
Christ; that He is the divine Teacher who guides
believers into all truth; and that He seals them
unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; I
Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)
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We believe that the
spiritual sign gifts, including but not limited to
the gifts of speaking in tongues and healing, were
temporary, were given as an evidence of the presence
and power of the Holy Spirit, and ceased with the
close of the Apostolic period of church history. (I
Corinthians 13:8-11; I Corinthians 14:20-22)
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CREATION: We believe in the creation
of the universe and all living things in six literal days by a
direct act of God, apart from any so-called evolutionary process.
(Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11; Jeremiah 10:12)
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MAN: We believe in the creation of
man as an eternally living soul and that he was created in the image
of God in innocence; the fall of man and the subsequent depravity
and sinfulness of the whole human race, making man incapable of
personal salvation or works acceptable before God, thus needing the
Savior, Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Romans
5:12)
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SALVATION: We believe that men are
justified by faith alone and that they are accounted righteous
before God only through the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation is solely by grace through faith and is eternally secured
in the person of Jesus Christ by His shed blood on the cross. (John
1:12; 10:28-29; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:13; I
Peter 1:18-19; Hebrews 10:19; 13:5; Jude 24-25; Revelation 1:5)
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THE ETERNAL STATE
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We believe in the
imminent pre-millennial rapture of the church, and
Christ’s personal return to establish His Millennial
Kingdom on earth. (John 14:3; I Thessalonians
4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
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We believe in the
bodily resurrection of the believers to everlasting
life and fellowship with God, and of all
non-believers to everlasting torment and punishment
in Hell-fire. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29;
11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6,11-15)
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THE CHURCH
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We believe that the
Church, which is the body of the bride of Christ, is
a spiritual organism made up of all born-again
persons. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; I Corinthians
12:12-24)
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We believe that God’s
plan for this present age involves the
evangelization of the world, the discipleship of
believers, and the establishing of local churches as
a means of accomplishing His will. (Acts 14:27;
20:17; 28:32; I Timothy 3:1-13)
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CIVIL GOVERNMENT: We believe in
loyalty to country and government and the separation of church and
state. (Romans 13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-14)
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SATAN: We believe in the reality and
person of Satan, who is the enemy of God and all believers. (Job
1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 12:10;
20:10)
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