Our Beliefs

Grace Pentecostal Church seeks to base our beliefs and practices on what is explicitly taught in Scripture. The Bible is the inspired Word of God and consists of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. God so guided the writers of Scripture that what they originally wrote is without error and true in all it affirms. As such, it is our only authority and guide for what we believe and teach and how we live (2 Tim 3.15–17).

Based on the Bible, we believe the following:

There is only one true God. God is an infinite, personal spirit who is perfect in love, holiness, power, knowledge, and wisdom. God has manifested himself to humanity as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

(Deut 6.4; 1 Cor 8.6; John 4.24; 1 John 4.8; Exo 15.11; Jer 32.17; Rom 11.33; 1 Tim 3.16; 1 Eph 4.4–6.)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He is fully God and fully man. As a man, he was like us in every way except for sin, and, therefore, he could be our substitute and die for our sins.

Jesus Christ was crucified, died, was buried, rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven.

(Matt 1.18–23; John 1.1, 14; Heb 2.17; 4.15; 1 Cor 15.1–4; Eph 1.20–21.)

We “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3.23), and, therefore, we all need to be saved, “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6.23), that is, eternal separation from God.

The good news of the gospel is that God in his love has made salvation and eternal life available to all people through Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. In his sacrifice and dying in our place, Jesus took our sins upon himself and satisfied divine justice by receiving the punishment we all deserved for our sins so that we might be forgiven and saved. 

Salvation is by grace through faith; that is, our salvation is based entirely on God’s unmerited goodwill and favor toward us and what he does for us and in us through his Spirit. It is not based on our good works but rather on our belief in, trust in, reliance upon, and commitment to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3.16).

Acts 2.38 summarizes all that we are to do and receive upon coming to have faith in Jesus Christ: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is God’s plan for all believers. 

(Heb 2.9; 1 John 2.2; 1 Cor 15.1–4; 1 Pet 2.24; Isa 53; Rom 3.24–26; Matt 26.28; Eph 2.8–9; Rom 10.9–10; John 1.12; 3.3–8; Rom 4.5–8; 1 Pet 1.3; Eph 2.1–6; Col 2.11–14; Luke 24.46–49; Acts 1.8; 8.12–17; 10.44–48; 19.1–6).

Our commitment to the Lord Jesus will affect every aspect of our lives, as we, out of love for him and gratitude for him saving us, seek to please him by living holy lives according to God’s Word. Above all, as followers of Christ, loving God and loving others should characterize our lives as it did his. Walking in holiness and love is not something we can do on our own but is only possible by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.

Though we are not saved by our good works or our obedience to God’s Word, true faith in Christ will always express itself in good works and obedience and in us becoming progressively more Christlike as we grow in our relationship with him. 

(Titus 2.11–12; Col 1.10; 1 Pet 1.15; Matt 22.36–39; Rom 5.5; 8.13–14; Gal 5.16; John 4.15; Eph 2.10; Titus 2.11–12; 3.8; James 2.14–26.)

The church is the body of Christ on earth and consists of all people, living and dead, who have been saved by grace through faith. 

An essential part of being a follower of Christ is belonging to a local church and being in community with fellow believers. God commands His people to assemble together, and so we regularly gather to hear the Word of God taught, to participate in the common worship life of the church, to partake of Communion, and to pray together as the first Christians did.

Each member of a local church has been given gifts and abilities by God and should use them to serve and bless other believers. Each member is, therefore, vitally important to the overall health and strength of the church.

The supernatural gifts of the Spirit, such as prophecy, speaking in tongues, and healing, are for the church today and should be earnestly sought and experienced.

Each church’s mission is to be used by God in their local context to help lead other people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and to help them become genuine disciples of Jesus Christ.

(Rom 12.4–5; 1 Cor 12.12, 27; Heb 10.25; Acts 2.42; Rom 12.6; 1 Pet 4.10; 1 Cor 12.31; 14.1; Matt 28.19.)

Jesus promised that one day he will come again for his church and will fully establish the kingdom of God on Earth. No one knows the day or the hour when he will return, so we must always be ready for his appearing. 

In the end, there will be a final resurrection of all people, and we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. The righteous will inherit eternal life, and the unrighteous eternal death. 

(John 14.1–3; Matt 24.30; Rev 11.15; Zech 14.9; Matt 24.36–44; 1 Thess 5.1–2; 1 Thess 4.16–17; Rev 20.11–15.)