What We Believe and What We Care About at GCC

The forever-family common-unity of our church flows out of what we believe and what we care about.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

The Godhead

We believe in one God who eternally exists as three persons. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. They are separate, yet one in essence or nature. The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Spirit, yet each is truly deity. He is self-existent, meaning nothing created him. God has always existed, not standing in need of anything. He is the Creator of everything, all knowing, all-powerful, totally righteous and good, and tremendously gracious and merciful.

(John 10:30; Gen. 1:1; Psalm 139:1-6; Rev. 19:6; Exodus 9:27; Eph. 2:8, 1 Peter 1:3: John 8:58)

The Godhead

1. God eternally exists as three persons, each being separate and yet one in nature

2. God is the gracious, loving creator who knows and cares about everything concerning us

The Bible

We believe the Bible, consisting of sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament, was verbally inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings. It is the supreme authority in all matters of truth, and even in matters not addressed in the Bible, we still assess what is right by criteria consistent with the Bible. It is complete, meaning the canon is not to be added to or changed. All scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, and correction and for training in righteousness. We believe that the meaning of the Biblical text is fixed and unchangeable, but that the meaning can have many applications. While understanding the scriptures can be a difficult task, knowledge is attainable through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

(2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Peter 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12-16; John 16:13)

The Bible

1. We assess the truthfulness of all things by how it lines up with the Scriptures.

2. The Scriptures are our guide for our daily lives and growth in our walk with God.

God The Father

God the Father is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He is the first member of the Trinity. By His word and for His glory, He freely and supernaturally created the world out of nothing. Through this same word, He daily sustains all His creatures. He rules over all and, together with the Son and the Spirit, is the only Sovereign. His plans and purposes cannot be thwarted. He is faithful to every promise, works all things together for good of those who love Him, and in His grace, gave His Son Jesus for mankind’s redemption. He made all things for the praise of His glory and intends for man, in particular, to live in fellowship with Himself.

(Genesis 1:1; Ephesians 4:6; Isaiah 50:4; Job 42:2; 1 Corinthians 1:9; Romans 8:28)

God The Father

God is totally sovereign and in His grace He has made our redemption possible through His Son, Jesus, so that we might have an eternal relationship with Him.

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second member of the Trinity. He is fully God and fully man, yet one Christ. Through him, for him, and by him, everything was created and he holds everything together. He was born of a virgin, lived sinlessly, and voluntarily died on the cross for the sins of mankind. We believe that our only redemption is found in His vicarious and substitutionary sacrifice on the cross. We believe that our justification is made sure by His bodily resurrection from the dead and His ascension to heaven. At the cross, Jesus not only died for our sins, but also expiated the sins committed against us and defeated Satan and demons. Jesus is currently ruling in Heaven in glory and will someday return to perfect the world. He is the Head of His body, the Church, and should be adored, loved, served, and obeyed by all.

(Colossians 1:15-17; John 1:18; Matt 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 2:2; John 10:18; Matt 28:5-6; Colossians 2:13-15; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 14:9, Col 1:19-20; John 14:6 Romans 3:24; Ephesians 5:23)

Jesus Christ

1. Jesus is fully God and fully man and our redemption is found in His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross.

2. Jesus is the only way to be saved.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son. He is the third member of the Trinity. We believe that the Holy Spirit has always been at work in the world, beginning with His participation in Creation. The Spirit has come to glorify the Son and, apart from Him, there is no way to come to saving faith in Christ. He triumphs over our resistance; He awakens the dead, and removes our blindness in order that we might come to salvation for the glory of the Father and the Son. The Spirit lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation and convicts us of sin, enables us to love and obey God, and provides spiritual gifts to every believer.

(Acts 5:3-4; Genesis 1:2; John 16:13-14; 2 Corinthians 4:4-6; Romans 8:7-9; John 16:8-11; Gal 5:22; 1 Cor 12:4-11)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has come to glorify the Son and, apart from Him, there is no way to come to saving faith in Christ.

The Fall of Creation and Man

We believe that all people are created in the image and likeness of God. We believe that, being made in his image, mankind’s thoughts, works, and relationships are to resemble God’s—in regards to the most important of human relationships, marriage is to reflect Christ’s relationship with his church, and to work within his design; we believe God’s design for marriage, revealed in the Bible, is to be a covenant between one man and one woman. All other definitions or alternate manifestations of marriage are outside of God’s design, and therefore sinful. We believe we inherit sin from the original sin of our father, Adam, and we continue to sin actively throughout our lives. Because of this fall, we are totally depraved and unable to remedy our condition. We are, as humans, incapable of choosing to love, follow, or worship God. We are sinful and it is this sin that makes us enemies of God. Our sin demands punishment of death by God, and it required the perfect sacrifice of Jesus as payment. In addition, we believe that God has subjected creation to futility because of the fall of humanity and its continual sin and every day of life is a merciful reprieve from the rightful judgment we deserve.

(Gen 1:26-27; Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:10; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:20-23; 1 John 2:2; Ephesians 2:1-3,12)

The Fall of Creation and Man

As a result of the fall, we are totally depraved and unable to change our condition.

Salvation

Salvation is the free gift of God and is provided by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. We believe that before the foundations of the earth were laid, God predestined some for salvation. We believe that God’s election is an unconditional act of free grace, which was given through His Son Jesus. Also, those whom God has chosen will unfailingly come to salvation in Christ. In doing so we believe God never sins and does not condemn someone unjustly. Upon salvation, one becomes a new creation. God will continuously mature the Christian until the end of his life. This process is also known as sanctification. We believe that those who truly trust in Jesus cannot and will not lose their salvation. This perseverance is the promise of the New Covenant, obtained by the blood of Christ, and worked in us by God Himself,

(Eph 2:8-9; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Thess 5:23-24; Rom 1:20; Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 9:11-18; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Romans 11:5-8 John 10:27-30, 6:37 Hebrews 13:20-21)

Salvation

Salvation is the free gift of God and is provided by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

Sanctification

Sanctification is the inward-leading-to-outward spiritual growth of all true believers. The Holy Spirit will actively change our desires and motivations, propelling us into further and further grace-driven obedience to the Scriptures. Every moment of the believer’s life will be of continual repentance of, and battling with, sin under the grace of Bible study, prayer, worship, and confession. The believer’s mind is renewed daily and, over the course of his life, a believer will find himself more and more conformed to the image of Christ. We will grow in our attempts to live in such a way that all people might see good works that point toward the glory of Christ. Sanctification is progressive and continually at work until either: Jesus returns to perfect and restore Creation; or we taste the first death and Christ calls us home to be perfected in Heaven.

(Galatians 5:19-25; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9; Colossians 3:5, 10; Romans 6:11-14; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 12:1, 14; James 1:22; Philippians 2:12-13, 3:20-21)

Sanctification

Sanctification is the “inside-out” spiritual growth of all true believers.

The Ordinances

We adhere to believer’s baptism, in which a believer is someone who understands the decision they are making, and of their own desire is baptized. We believe baptism by immersion is the most Biblically faithful model to follow. Baptism is a picture of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and is a useful public demonstration that indicates that you are a Believer. We affirm that you need only be baptized once upon understanding and receiving faith in Jesus. In addition, we also adhere to observing the Lord’s supper. We believe the bread is a picture of Christ’s body that was broken for us, and the wine is a picture of Christ’s bloodshed on the cross in our place for our sins. We do this to proclaim and remember his death until He returns.

(Acts 2:41; Acts 8:35-39; Col 2:12, Romans 6:4; Gal 3:27; Hebrews 9:24-26; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

The Ordinances

Baptism and The Lord’s Supper represent the most important aspects of our life in Christ.

Eternity

We believe that every human being will die and will stand before God to be judged. After judgment, Christians go immediately into the presence of Jesus in a perfected state. When non-Christians die and are judged, they go to a place of punishment and eternal, conscious torment in a place called Hell. We believe, as the Bible promises, that Christ will visibly return at a time which no man knows. He will rule over all things, including the Heaven, the New Earth, and Hell. In the end Jesus will establish his perfect kingdom forever.

(Hebrews 9:27: 2 Cor 5:6-10, Rev 20:10-15; Rev 21:5-8: Matt 24:36-39)

Eternity

After death and judgment, Christians go immediately into the presence of Jesus in a perfected state. When non-Christians die and are judged, they go to a place of punishment and eternal, conscious torment in a place called Hell.

The Church

We believe in the one universal Church, meaning that there is one Church comprised of all believers everywhere, throughout all of history. We believe that the Christian’s overarching mission is to glorify God and make disciples. This mission is accomplished through the context of the local church. We believe that the Church is the body of Christ, and it will therefore gather regularly, worship together, sit under Biblical teaching, observe sacraments, and evangelize the lost. The Church will administer and guide loving ministry to the outsider, the weak, and the needy. The Church will administer loving, reconciling discipline to its members, drawing all men and women into lives that are obedient to God’s created order. We believe all Christians are to be in covenant community with a local body of believers. We believe that a believer will submit to Biblical teaching and to the leadership of that church in order to be in covenant.

(1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 13:7-17; 1 Cor 11:25-26; James 1:27)

The Church

The church, made up of all believers everywhere, is to glorify God and to make disciples.

Core Values -

Bible teaching

Gospel-Centered families

Christian Community

Transparency

What we believe and what we value creates our common-unity (community).