Berean Grace Church Statement of Faith
THE BIBLE
The Bible is the word of God. "Given by inspiration of God" it is not the product of human imagination or creativity. (II Timothy 3:16)
GOD
The Godhead eternally exists in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh; the image of the invisible God. (John 1:1-18)
SIN
All men are sinners by nature and are unable to save themselves from the debt and penalty of their sins by anything they can do. (Romans 1:18-3:20)
SALVATION
God, out of His great love for us, has provided complete redemption (payment for the penalty of sin) through Christ's death,in our place. He offers to justify anyone freely by His grace through faith in Christ as one's all-sufficient Savior. (Romans 3:21-26)
Faith in Christ is the issue of trusting exclusively in His redemptive work on the cross for one's acceptance with God and not in any of one's own works of any kind. This act of faith is the decision of one's own will in response to the gospel of Christ.
The purpose of God in election declares that it is the plan of God to provide salvation for all men, but in accordance with men's own free will, to save those that believe.
ETERNAL SECURITY
Eternally secure salvation is the possession of all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. (Romans 5:1-21)
JUDGMENT
Everlasting punishment is the lot of all those who know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Punishment is eternal and and those punished will be conscious. (II Thessalonians 1:7-9)
THE UNIQUE APOSTLESHIP OF PAUL
The present dispensation (a way of God¹s dealings with man) of the grace of God was a "mystery," not made known before, but God kept it hid in Himself until He raised up the apostle Paul. To Paul God committed the revelation of "the mystery of Christ." Until God raised up Paul, His program and dealings with Israel were in effect. (Romans 16:25-27; Ephesians 2:11-3:12; Colossians 1:24-27)
THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST
The church the body of Christ being formed in this dispensation of grace is distinct from the nation of Israel and God's program with them. The church is not the subject of prophecy nor the fulfiller of Israel's promises and covenants. (Romans 11:1-36)
THE RAPTURE
This dispensation of grace will end with the catching away of the body of Christ. It will be followed by the resumption of God's program and dealings with Israel, including the Lord's day of wrath and the kingdom reign of Christ on this earth. (I Thessalonians 4:13-5:10; II Thessalonians 2:1-17)
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
In accordance with Paul's teaching in I Corinthians12-14, the temporary need for spiritual gifts that existed at the beginning of this dispensation has been superceded by the completion of the written word of God. The "perfect" written word of God now having come,spiritual gifts have been "done away."
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
The preserved inerrant word of God has always existed,still exists, and is identified today as the received text of the historic protestant reformation process. The translation of the received text into the English language has produced the inerrant, infallible word of God in English. Though a multitude of English Bible translations exist at the present time, only the King James Version is translated from the received text. The King James Version is identified as the inerrant,infallible, preserved word of God in the English language for English speaking people.