GBC Doctrinal Statement

We affirm that the Bible is our sole authority for life and godliness, and what is set forth below is what we believe about the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith.

Of the Scriptures
We believe that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God”, by which we mean that God superintended human authors so that by using their individual human personalities they composed and recorded without error His message to man in the words of the original autographs. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

Of God
We believe that God eternally exists in three persons: one called Father, one called Son, and one called Holy Spirit; that these three persons are the one God, having precisely the same nature and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24, 10:30; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, hopelessly sinful in themselves apart from the grace of God. (Genesis 1:27, 9:6; Romans 3:23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1)

Of Christ
We believe that the second person of the triune God, the one called Son, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, thus, to continue as both undiminished deity and perfect humanity united in one person forever. (Mathew 1:18; John 1:1, 1:14, 1:18, 5:18; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 1:1-12, 5:8; 1 John 5:20; 1 Timothy 2:5)

Of Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift of God brought to men by His grace and received by faith alone in Christ alone, who died for our sins and rose again, apart from any sacraments, good works, or human merit. (John 3:16; Acts 4:12, 13:38–39, 16:31; Romans 4:4–5, 5:1; 1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Ephesians 2:8–9)

We believe in the eternal security of the believer. (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; John 10:28-30)

Of the Holy Spirit
We believe that Holy Spirit is a divine, eternal person, and that He is not just an influence, having intellect, emotions, and will of His own. (Matthew 28:19; John 15:26, 16:13–14; Acts 5:3–4; 1 Corinthians 12:11, 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:30)

We believe that the present ministry of the Holy Spirit is restraining sin in the world, convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He also in this present age regenerates those who believe in Christ, indwells them permanently, baptizes them unto the day of redemption, bestows upon each special abilities for service (gifts), and fills those yielded to Him through God’s word. (John 3:3-6, 14:16, 15:26, 16:7–15; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 12:4–13; Ephesians 4:30, 5:18; Titus 3:5)

We believe that speaking in tongues is neither a sign of regeneration or sanctification, nor a necessary sign of the filling or baptism of the Holy Spirit. We further believe that speaking in tongues and the other authenticating sign gifts gradually faded as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. (1 Corinthians 12:4–11, 13:8-10, 14:21–22; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7–12; Hebrews 2:4)

Of the Church
We believe that the universal Church, the Body of Christ, is a spiritual body formed through the baptism of the Holy Spirit during the present dispensation/administration that consists of Christ the Head and all people who have believed in Christ as their personal savior, without regard to race, gender, local church affiliation, status or position in life, or geographical location. The Body of Christ began its formation on the day of Pentecost and will be completed at the Rapture of the Church. (Acts 11:15-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 1:22–23, 2:11-3:10; Colossians 1:18)

Its mission is to witness to its Head, Jesus Christ, by preaching the gospel and making disciples among the nations. (Matthew 28:19-20)

The local church is a group of believers voluntarily joined together to worship God with praise and thanksgiving. and to glorify Jesus Christ through the knowledge and application of the scriptures and exercise of spiritual gifts. (Ephesians 4:11-16, 5:18-21; Colossians 1:9-12; 2 Peter 3:18; James 1:22; Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-13)

We recognize two ordinances for the church, water baptism (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41, 8:12-13, 10:47-48, 16:33) and the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Neither of which is necessary for salvation.

Of the Second Coming
We believe that the blessed hope of the imminent return of the Lord at the Rapture of the Church (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:16-18; Titus 2:13) is to be followed in order by: Daniel’s 70th week (often referred to as the Tribulation Period); the second coming of Christ to the earth at the end of Daniel’s 70th week; the establishment of the reign of Christ on the earth for one thousand years; the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and the eternal state of blessing for the saved. (Daniel 9:24–27; Matthew 24:21, 24:29–30; Revelation 20:1-6, 20:11-15, 21:1-4)

Of Marriage
We believe that God created and defined marriage as the union between one biologically born male and one biologically born female. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-33)