Beliefs
What We Believe
We believe that the 66 books of the Bible are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Matthew 4:4
We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit that these are equal in every distinct perfection and they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
We believe in God the Father: an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of humanity, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:3-14, 2:1-10; 1 Peter 1:3
We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son, who has precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He is not only true God, but became true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We hold to His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension and exaltation into heaven, His present intercession as High Priest on behalf of His people, and His immanent, personal, visible, return and ultimate Kingdom and reign.
John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-13, 4:14-16; Colossians 1:13-20; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Romans 8:34; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
We believe in the gift and the Person of the Holy Spirit, His work in regeneration, sanctification, and preservation. His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to implement Christ’s work of redeeming the lost, and to empower the believer for godly living and service.
Titus 3:4-7; Romans 8:9-17; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; Galatians 5:16-25
We believe God originally created persons, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. All people are sinners by nature and choice and are spiritually dead, but those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:27-31, 3:1-24; Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-23, 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-7; John 3:1-8
We believe in salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God, was purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross, and is received by faith, apart from any human merit, works or ritual. Those saved are held eternally secure by the power of God and will naturally bear the fruit of righteous living, good works, and proper social concern.
Ephesians 2:4-10; Acts 15:11; John 5:24; Romans 3:21-26, 5:6-11; Titus 3:5-8
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal existence of all people either in heaven or hell, in divine judgments, rewards and punishments.
John 5:21-29; Acts 24:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15
We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head. The true Church is composed of all persons who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This body expresses itself in sovereign and autonomous local assemblies whose members have been immersed having declared their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. These assemblies are associated for worship, for instruction, for service, and to fulfill the Great Commission of making disciples to the ends of the earth. We believe the ordinances of the local church are believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper.
We are living through a unique time. Families, friends, communities, and churches are experiencing confusion, hostility, and division in ways we haven't seen in our lifetime. Now more than ever, we need to be relentlessly rooted in the timeless truths of scripture, applying them to the concerns of our day in a humble, prayerful, and loving way. As a church family united by the good news of Jesus Christ and the authority of scripture, we must be able to have deep and meaningful conversations about these issues without division. To that end, the leadership of GracePointe has endeavored to establish a simple but clear biblical position on most of the controversial issues of the last few years.
Our goal is to create clarity for our members and for those considering joining GracePointe church. We believe that clarity is kindness, and there is no benefit to hiding our real beliefs and values. If you have any questions about the following statement, please feel free to contact one of the Pastors.
Finally, the following statements only reflect a portion of our positions. We are presenting them to our members, one bullet point at a time, over the course of 2025 and 2026, and inviting questions and conversation.
A Biblical and Gospel Approach to Difficult Cultural Issues
Some of this document is adapted from the Evangelical Free Church of America “Affirmations and Denials” statement with their permission.
Introduction
At GracePointe Church, we are bound together by the biblical gospel and seek to live in the unity that that gospel creates. We believe and practice “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things, charity.” In that light, we seek to address social movements and cultural trends that can create division.
Just as the Apostle Paul needed to explain and defend himself and his ministry (2 Cor. 10-13), we, too, sense a need to explain the ministry the Lord has entrusted to us. The following statements are our attempts to give a general and concise clarification of where we stand at GracePointe Church as we seek to make the biblical gospel, not any social movement, central among us.
- WE BELIEVE that biblical justice has social implications, particularly in protecting those who are the most vulnerable and marginalized in society. But, we aren’t adherents of any secular “social justice” movement. (Mic 6:8, Mt. 23:23, 25:34-45, Is. 58:6-10)
- WE ARE COMMITTED to following the numerous biblical commands both to demonstrate care for those vulnerable in our community, such as immigrants and foreigners (regardless of their legal status), and to be subject to our governing authorities. These two sets of convictions may create a difficult tension that is exacerbated by the infinite number of scenarios and changing circumstances that are impossible to address thoroughly. But, we will neither resist government authorities nor assist immigration enforcement actions against our neighbors. Rather, we will seek to live humble lives, working for the good of our communities and loving all our neighbors as ourselves. (Rom. 13:1-5, 1 Peter 2:11-17, Luke 10:25-37, Deut. 10:17-19, Matt. 25:31-46)
- WE ARE COMMITTED to a biblical worldview that compels us to regard others with respect and dignity, treating everyone justly, fairly, and with selfless kindness and love. Our faith calls us to thoughtfully examine racial issues through a gospel lens and to be alert and responsive to global and personal impacts of sin, including racial injustice. We embrace the gospel’s powerful call to reconciliation and restoration, which naturally extends to addressing racial disparities and taking action to bring good to others. The questions and challenges these racial issues raise stir us to recall biblical truths that we may have neglected and require our attention and action. But, we are not adherents of any secular theory that reduces all racial inequities to a struggle between oppressor and oppressed or presents a worldview that is contrary to the Scriptures. (Isa. 1:17; Micah 6:8; Zech. 7:9-10; Mat. 19:19; Rom. 12:19, 13:8-10; Eph. 5:2; 1 Peter 3:8-12.)
The full document has a few more bullet points covering the issues of politics, patriotism, men and women, and gender/sexuality. The rest will be shared with the congregation over the next 6-9 months.
A Few Summary Statements Reflecting GracePointe’s Conviction
We believe that the good news of the kingdom of God, announced and embodied by Jesus Christ, is the ultimate and final solution to the problems of this world. Love for God and our neighbor, to which the gospel calls us, requires that we seek the welfare and common good of our communities, nation, and the world. (Jer. 29:7, Mt. 22:37-40, 1 Tim. 2:1-4)
We believe that the church is the new community of God, the “pillar and buttress of truth.” Our primary ministry and mission is to proclaim the gospel and to make disciples among all people as salt and light in the world as we await the glorious return of Jesus, who will complete the transformation he has begun. (Mt. 28:19, 20, Mk. 16:15, Acts 1:8)
We believe that biblical truth and the gospel are to be valued above any contemporary social ideology, while acknowledging that social movements may contain biblical truth to which we must attend. Therefore, we are committed to remaining tethered to the text of Scripture and grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ as we love God and others (Matt 22:37-39). As we interact with one another and the world around us, we are committed to convictional kindness – conviction that is grounded in the “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) and kindness that manifests “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22-23). We proclaim the gospel (Rom 1:16) and live in a manner worthy of the gospel (Phil 1:27).