GRACE PRINCIPLES:
A CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALIST STATEMENT OF FAITH
We are a congregation of Bible-believing Christian Universalists whose teachings encompass evangelical Christian beliefs. This page contains an outline of our faith and practice which in all areas upholds the authority of the Word of God.
Christ, the basis of our salvation:
We believe in Christ, the Living Word, God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one person in two natures. He was supernaturally conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, a lineal descendant of King David. He lived, taught, and wrought mighty works, miracles and signs exactly as recorded in the four Gospels. He died on the stake as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. He arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father of Majesty on High. He is now our high priest, representative and substitute. We believe in His Deity, sinless life, and miracles. We believe in salvation through His shed blood. He accomplished our redemption through His true death as a propitiatory and substitutionary sacrifice, vicarious and atoning, a perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for sin. Our redemption is made available to us by His bodily resurrection from the dead. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation. He has been appointed Head of the Church. He will come again to the earth, personally, visibly, and bodily, to judge the living and the dead, to put all things in subjection under His feet, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. He is above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:20)
The Holy Spirit:
We believe that the work of the Holy Spirit during this age is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to convict sinners, enable faith, regenerate, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service. The Holy Spirit manifests the active presence of God in the world and especially in the Church. We believe that every Christian believer receives the Holy Spirit at conversion (1 Cor. 12:13; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13). The Holy Spirit performs many necessary ministries in the believer's life such as Counsellor (John 14:16), Teacher (John 14:26), Revealer of Christ as Lord (1 Cor. 12:3), Empowerer (Acts 1:8), Guide (Rom. 8:14), Intercessor (Rom. 8:26-27), Giver of Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor. 12:11), bringing conviction (John 16:8; Acts 7:51), producing spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-25), and spiritual passion (Luke 3:16).
We believe that the gift of tongues is a spiritual gift which may be used for cross-cultural evangelism (Acts 2:1-11), private prayer (1 Cor. 14:3, 14-19, 28), or for ministry to the body when an interpreter is present (1 Cor. 14:5). We believe that the Holy Spirit is sovereign and may give any gifts He wants at any time He wants (1 Cor. 12:11). We do not believe that everyone must speak in tongues (1 Cor. 12:30).
The Bible:
We believe that the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments is the verbally inspired Word of God, through the words of human authors, without error in the original writing, the complete revelation of the Will of God for the salvation of mankind, and the supreme, final, infallible authority for Christian faith and conduct. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) All of Scripture is self-attesting truth, requiring our unreserved submission in all areas of life. It is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises. The Word of God comprising the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments is a complete and unified witness to God's redemptive acts in history culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the supreme and final authority on all matters upon which it speaks. On its sure foundation we affirm the essentials of our faith. Whatever is not found in Scripture is not required of any believer, nor requisite or necessary to salvation.
Salvation:
The Bible declares that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. (Col. 1:20) The sacrificial offering freely made on the cross through the shedding of Christ's blood is the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world, both original and actual, so that no other satisfaction is required. (John 19:30; Heb. 7:26; 9:26; 10:12) Truly, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Christ's death and resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation. Any and all supplements, additions, or conditions which have been attached to the doctrine of Christ's atonement throughout the centuries are rejected. It is only through God's saving work in Christ that we are rescued, reconciled, and renewed. God commands everyone everywhere to believe the Gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit is the instrumentality in conversion. In the ages to come, God will show forth the exceeding riches of His grace in salvation. (Eph. 2:7)
The Church:
The universal Church comprising the Body and Bride of Christ is not a denomination or an organization but a spiritual organism comprised of all who have been justified by God's grace through saving faith alone in Christ alone. A believer is placed into the Church by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit, and only those who are members of the true and invisible Church shall be eligible for membership in the local Church (Acts 2:47). The local Church is an assembly of professed believers in Jesus Christ who voluntarily join together in one locality for the purpose of worship, study of the Word of God, observance of the ordinances, Christian fellowship, and equipping for Christian service. Every local church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs through the leadership of pastors and elders. (Eph1:22; Col. 1:18) It is God's intention that all believers publicly identify with a visible local assembly (Acts 2:1-4; 2:41-47; 4:19; 5:29; 1 Cor. 1:1-2; 5:3-8; 10:32; 12:12-13; Eph. 1:22-23). Christian worship is both a duty and a privilege; it is our opportunity to come before the presence of the Almighty and express our gratitude, love, and reverence toward Him. It is our obligation to offer Him thanksgiving and praise as often as possible. All believers are commanded to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and make disciples of all nations. Obedience to this Great Commission requires commitment to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. We are called to a life of self-denying love and service. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10)
Sacraments:
We believe in two sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion, which visibly and tangibly express the Gospel (Matt. 28:19; Lk. 22:19-20). These ordinances are not to be regarded as a means of salvation. Baptism of adult believers is a sign of their cleansing from sin, and of God's great covenant with His Church. It is also a pledge before the Church of a new believer's covenant with God to walk in the way of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, and a visible seal of the acceptance of the baptized individual into the fellowship of the Church. The mode of baptism is left up to the conscience of the individual. Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper is not only a sign of Christian love and fellowship, but the one act of worship commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a sign by which His Church thankfully remembers the New Covenant established by Christ with all those who believe. In this Communion meal the Church renews its covenant with God and with one another, participating in the life and death of Christ until He returns in glory. In the broken bread we partake spiritually of the body of Christ; in the cup we imbibe spiritually of the Blood of Christ.
Future Things:
We believe in the personal, bodily, premillennial and visible return of Christ to establish His kingdom, which He will rule in righteousness and peace. (Isa. 9:6-78; 11:2-5) The coming of Christ will be at a time known only to God, which requires constant expectancy and motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission. (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:14-16; 1 John 3:1-3)
Summary Overview:
We are a non-denominational, multi-cultural, Bible-based fellowship open to all who love the Word of God and His wonderful Spirit of Grace. Our meetings are centered around the study of Scripture, especially that most important subject of all, salvation. The Bible-based studies on this website and highlighted Scripture passages all serve as evidence of Universal Salvation, often known as Christian Universalism.
Come visit us...Bring your Bible (any version), your honest questions, and an open heart and mind as we grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Located on this website is a Google locator map that will give you a map of our location making it easier to find out how to get here. We look forward to seeing you soon!
