1 Timothy 1:15
in that we hold to the Five ‘Alones’ or Five Solas of the Reformation:
in that we hold to the sovereignty and supremacy of God in everything, specifically in salvation.
because we practice the symbolic ordinance of baptism as only for those who have personally responded to the gospel in faith.
All Christians are to be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), examining the Scriptures to form their convictions.
For more specific details about what we believe, please see our Statement of Faith and our Distinctives Page.
The best way to find out more about these essentials, distinctives, and differences is to see them in action at one of our local churches.
These delineate true churches and true Christians.
All biblical Christians and churches must hold to a number of theological essentials – the doctrines necessary for salvation. These define Christian from non-Christian and are taught by all true churches. To deny any of these essentials means they are not Christians or are a false church. These include doctrines such as the deity of Christ, the Trinity, salvation by grace alone through faith alone because of the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ alone. While our statement of faith goes beyond the essentials of salvation, essentials necessary for salvation are contained in our Statement of Faith.
These characterise churches who are part of the Grace Bible Church (GBC) Network and GBC Elders within the Network.
Amidst the vast array of churches and convictions, these theological distinctives – while not essential to salvation – are what GBC holds to be of great practical significance to church life, unity and culture. We recognise there are other biblical churches with different distinctives, but these distinctives are the basis of what makes a church a ‘Grace Bible Church.’
However, you don’t have to hold to these to join one of our churches, we just want you to be aware they are what we believe and teach.
The key theological distinctives of Grace Bible Churches are:
The absolute sovereignty of God in salvation.
We affirm the truth that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We hold to the Reformed view that God’s glory is exalted when we recognise His sovereignty over all things, such that there is no aspect of heaven or earth outside of His ultimate control. Though God’s rule extends to all things, it is particularly His sovereign work in salvation that we note as a theological distinctive. We believe that it is exceedingly good and glorious news that salvation is dependent on God’s initiative, and not on the desires and deeds of men and women. God’s eternal decree of election, which adopts us into His family, is ultimately grounded in His love and purposes. God is responsible for drawing to Himself those He would save, overcoming their natural resistance to the gospel so that they can repent and believe. This understanding of God’s sovereignty does not negate humanity’s responsibility to turn from our sin and trust in the saving work of Christ. However, those holding a different view of God’s sovereign work in salvation are welcome in membership.
Supporting verses: Psalm 115:3; 135:6; John 1:13; 6:37, 44; 15:11; 17:1-3; Romans 8:26-9:23; 11:33-36; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:1-5; Philippians 1:29; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:9.
Baptising disciples after a personal profession of faith.
Baptism is intended only for those who have already professed faith in Jesus Christ and can give sufficient testimony to their saving faith in Christ. We also baptise by immersion because it best pictures the gospel reality to which baptism points: our union with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Baptism is where we declare our commitment to Christ and His church. While believer’s baptism by immersion is the conviction and practice of our church, this does not necessarily exclude membership for those with a different conviction.
Supporting verses: Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38-41; Romans 6:1-11.
The expectation that Christians will be formal members of a local church.
Scripture is clear that salvation makes a believer a member of the universal body of Christ. However, we believe there is also a clear Scriptural expectation for believers to formally associate with and commit themselves to the accountability and fellowship of a local church. This process of formal association is generally called membership. Membership is an ongoing expression of our union with Christ and His people. The Bible indicates that this choice to join a local church is intimately tied to baptism. Believers were baptised, joined a local church and the church recorded those who were part of their number. Elders are called to give an account for the souls under their care, which means they must know who are a part of their flock. Membership indicates you will receive the care, teaching, admonition and if necessary discipline of the local church. It is the relationship where the one-another’s of Scripture are to function. We expect those who wish to make this church their spiritual home to affirm that decision through formal membership. We do understand that some in our church community may not be able to undertake formal membership but we wish to affirm their part in our community and our love for them.
Supporting verses: Matthew 16:18-19; 18:17-18; Acts 2:41, 47; 1 Corinthians 12:25-27; Galatians 6:10; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:2-3.
God has given elders the responsibility to shepherd the local church.
Scripture gives the governing authority of each local church to men occupying an office known as overseers or elders. This authority is designed to be exercised by a plurality of men, each of whom meet the biblical criteria for the office. The members of the church are commanded to submit to the godly, loving leadership of these elders who are, in turn, accountable to the Lord, to each other and also to the members.
Supporting verses: Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-8; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-5.
Teaching Scripture book by book and doctrine by doctrine.
The entire counsel of God (the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments) is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting and for training in righteousness that the people of God may be complete and equipped for every good work. Since the word of God is given for our spiritual nourishment, it is a central focus of the times our church gathers. We believe expository preaching involves presenting the meaning, intent and application of the biblical text. Our regular practice is to preach through entire books of the Old and New Testaments, but from time to time we also address doctrines by preaching topically.
Supporting verses: Acts 20:27; 1 Timothy 4:13; 5:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:1-2.
God’s good design includes distinctive roles for men and women in the home and in the church.
Men and women are absolutely equal in dignity, value and worth. As part of God’s good created order, they have different yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the home and church. These differences are particularly evident in the areas of teaching and authority. These role distinctions are God’s grace to men and women, and are therefore to be protected, preserved and practiced for His glory and our benefit. Our understanding of complementarianism affirms that there are important roles for women serving in the local church. We affirm it is not necessary to be married to express these roles, and those who remain single should be greatly used for the kingdom. Our understanding of Scripture is that any practice which blurs the binary gender roles such as homosexuality, transgenderism or genderlessness is unbiblical, which means marriage is only to be between a man and a woman. This also means that Christlike male leadership is to be loving and serving, and any abusive leadership is unbiblical. We wish to be clear that areas of gender struggle such as those who experience same sex attraction yet strive to think and live biblically are welcome in membership.
Supporting verses: Genesis 2:18-24; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:33-35; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 1 Peter 3:1-7.
We are cautious about the continuation of miraculous sign gifts today.
Spiritual gifts are gracious blessings sovereignly bestowed by the Spirit for the exaltation of Christ and the building up and expanding of His church. It is also clear that there is no particular spiritual gift required to evidence true salvation. Scripture teaches Apostles and Prophets were given as foundational to establish the first century church, and that miraculous gifts such as speaking in tongues and healing were typically associated with the Apostles and Prophets. Considering Scripture, history and experience together, it is difficult to maintain that these gifts are still bestowed today. Therefore, regarding the miraculous gifts, while we cannot definitively point to a Scripture that says those gifts have ceased, our leaders are sufficiently concerned about both the misuse and mislabeling of these gifts in the church today that we are functionally cessationist. In our network we have both cessationists and those who are functionally cessationists but theologically open to the possibility that the gifts may continue. This means that unless the network leadership are convinced that a gift corresponds to the use and parameters of those recorded in Scripture in all respects, we will not allow its use in the public ministries of our churches. However, we seek not to make this an area of contention and will not necessarily exclude from membership those with a different conviction.
Supporting verses: Acts 20:27; 1 Timothy 4:13; 5:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:1-2.
GBC Churches and members can hold a variety of secondary doctrines in love and unity.
Theological differences are areas that do not shape the local church in the same ways as distinctives. Differences in these areas should not disrupt the unity amongst members or Grace Bible Churches. While these doctrines will be taught on by the leadership of the church, we acknowledge differing personal convictions in these areas.
More significant differences might include teachings such as eschatology, Bible translations, views of the Sabbath, methods of schooling and frequency of the Lord’s Supper.
More speculative differences extend to areas in which the Lord has chosen not to give definitive clarity and it should be noted that no important doctrine or practice rests here. Examples of speculations include such teachings as the timing of the return of the Lord or the author of the book of Hebrews.
We encourage all members to be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), examining the Scriptures and forming their own opinions in these areas of theological difference. Should their convictions preclude united fellowship – we ask them to consider joining a church more in line with their personal theological convictions.
Understanding theological distinctives and differences are important for maintaining unity in a local church. It is important to reflect on our church’s positions before joining.
We believe in one God, almighty, infinite in His existence, perfection, power and love. He alone is worthy of our worship. Scripture teaches that this one God is eternally existent in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit: the Trinity – who are equal in every divine perfection, but execute distinct yet harmonious offices in their great work of creation and redemption.
He Is the creator of all things visible and invisible. All things exist for His glory. He perfectly and exhaustively knows the end from the beginning, sustains and sovereignly rules over all things, and providentially brings about his eternal good purposes to redeem a people for Himself and restore His fallen creation.
We believe that the Father is true God. He is the architect of creation and redemption. He sends the Son and the Holy Spirit to accomplish His sovereign purposes.
We believe that Jesus Christ is true God. He is the agent of creation and redemption. Motivated by love and in obedience to his Father, the eternal Son became human: the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human, one Person in two natures. He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a completely sinless, perfect life making Him an acceptable sacrifice. He accomplished our redemption by dying for the sins of men as our substitute. He broke the power of death and was bodily raised and ascended to the right hand of the Father where He ministers as our High Priest and Advocate; and His return to complete His task of redemption is certain.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is true God. His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ; to convict people of their sin; to regenerate sinners; and to indwell, guide, instruct and empower believers for godly living, service and fellowship. The Holy Spirit is Himself the deposit of the promised inheritance.
God has graciously disclosed His existence and power in the created order and this is evident to the consciences of every man and woman. He has supremely revealed Himself in the person of his Son, the incarnate Word. Moreover, He is a speaking God who disclosed Himself and His plan of redemption in the Scriptures which are the 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. They were written by men but were divinely inspired such that God is the ultimate author and they are without error or fault in the original writings. They are the true, authoritative and sufficient revelation of His will and are trustworthy for salvation and life.
These books are authoritative over every domain of knowledge to which they speak and are the supreme and final authority by which Christians shall finally be held accountable. And as such they are not to be added to, superseded or changed by tradition, extra-biblical revelation or worldly wisdom. We confess that both our finiteness and our sinfulness preclude the possibility of knowing God’s truth exhaustively, but we affirm that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we can know God’s revealed truth truly.
The Bible is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it teaches; obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; and trusted, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises. As God’s people hear, believe, and obey the Word, they are transformed, matured and equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel.
God created the very good heavens and the earth out of nothing through the exercise of His divine will. This includes the direct, immediate creation of a literal Adam and Eve. We believe that humanity – both male and female – was created by God in His image to glorify God and enjoy His fellowship.
They were created without sin, but by voluntary transgression Adam sinned and now the image of God is defaced, but not erased. Adam forfeited his original blessedness – for himself and all his progeny. Thus, all men and women are now born with a sinful nature, meaning they are positively inclined to evil and are without defense or excuse.
As a result, all human beings are born corrupted in every aspect of their being – physically, mentally, volitionally, emotionally, spiritually – alienated from God and condemned to death. Apart from God’s own gracious intervention they are utterly incapable of returning to Him. Thus the supreme need of all human beings is to be reconciled to the God under whose just and holy wrath we stand.
We believe that from all eternity God determined in grace to save a great multitude of guilty sinners from every tribe and language and people and nation, and to this end foreknew them and chose them. The salvation of sinners is by grace through faith on the basis of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, not at all on the basis of human merit or works. As the only truly perfect and innocent sacrifice, Christ’s death on the cross is alone sufficient to atone for our sins and His resurrection guarantees our resurrection and final redemption. This gift of salvation is available for anyone who truly repents regardless of gender, race, social status or other distinctives. Salvation does not erase these distinctives but unites them as one in Christ.
Anyone repenting of sin by the regenerating work of God and trusting in Christ and His substitutionary death is declared righteous by God as a free gift and receives eternal life. Through Christ’s atonement for sin, an individual is reconciled to God and becomes His child.
True salvation is evidenced by godly lives exhibiting personal spiritual fruit and ongoing repentance from sin. The Christian is liberated from the law of sin and death into the freedom of God’s Spirit and begins an ongoing transformation of heart and mind. The Christian life is characterised by resisting sin and striving to live every aspect of life to the glory of God, in the likeness of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. However, because complete holiness awaits our final redemption in the age to come, indwelling sin remains a reality meaning we will never achieve complete holiness in this life.
We believe that the true church is composed of those from all ages who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and been united together in the body of Christ, who Himself is the Head. The church is called to be distinct from the world yet making Christ known to a lost world.
A local church exists where believers united in the true Gospel of Christ gather in regular fellowship and where within the bounds of Christian orthodoxy the Word is preached and practiced, and water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are administered. The local church is governed by a biblical leadership where all the members encourage, admonish and assist each other to glorify God in their lives and to reach out to the lost.
We believe that water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordained by the Lord Jesus as proclamations pointing to spiritual realities. They are not a means of salvation. Water baptism is a one-time proclamation of entrance into a local church by personally identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The Lord’s Supper is a regular proclamation of the unity of the local church because of their unity in the death of Christ.
We adhere to Christ’s command known as the Great Commission. The gospel of grace is to be sincerely preached to all people in all nations as the only means of salvation.
We believe that Jesus will physically and visibly return to complete His work of redemption and see the rightful rule of God over His creation universally acknowledged. At His return there will be a bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust. Satan, along with his hosts and all those outside Christ will pay the penalty of eternal punishment away from the benevolent presence and glory of God. The saints will be blessed eternally as they live and reign with Him forever, serving Him and giving Him unending praise and glory.
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