Our Pastor and his wife, Steve & Ann, have a passion for the Lord with a unique background in missions. They love to see people, young and old, growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Ann heard the gospel at Grace Church of Lockeford when she was a young girl. Steve grew up on the mission field in the middle east. They served among native tribes in New Mexico and the southwest for 34 years. With this experience, Steve & Ann have a desire not just to know the Word of God but to live it.
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired, God-breathed Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18 John 16:12-13). Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in his image and likeness, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. We believe that humans are totally depraved and, on their own (of themselves), are unable to save themselves (remedy their lost condition) (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12) Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled, and renewed.
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus–Israel’s promised Messiah–was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (John 1: 1-2, 14; Luke 1:35). He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest, Intercessor and Advocate (Romans 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).
We believe that salvation is the gift of God given to humans (man) by grace and received through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on the cross (at Calvary) for the forgiveness of (our) sins (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5)
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him, they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14). He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service. It is the privilege and duty of every believer to be filled with the Spirit (John 16:31; 1 John 2:20, 27; Ephesians 5:18).
We believe that the true church, which the Bible calls the Bride of Christ, comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; and Titus 1:5-11). We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:8; 1 Cor 11:23-26). Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer and are a means of testimony for the church in the present day.
We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. In addition, the Bible clearly states that Christians are forbidden to use Christian liberty as an excuse to indulge the sinful nature (modified from #7b) (Romans 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15). We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God (2 Timothy 3: 1-5; Romans 12: 1-2; 14:13; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 2 Corinthians 6:2-4; 7:1).
God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20).
With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission.
We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will bodily raise the dead and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
We believe that in every saved person there exist two natures: the old nature (the sinful nature or the flesh) and the new nature, which is controlled by the Spirit. We believe that those who are saved can and should experience victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural (Romans 6:13; 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9).
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 12: 12; Ephesians 4:7-12).
We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15).
We believe that the Scriptures in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive eras. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. The dispensation of Law, Grace/Church and the Millennial Kingdom are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture (John 1:17; 1 Corinthians 9: 17; 2 Corinthians 3:9-18; Galatians 3:13-25; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2-10; Colossians 1:24-25; Hebrews 7:19; Revelation 20:2-6).
a. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, that are saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).
b. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Revelation 20:4-6; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17).
c. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15
We believe marriage is the original and foundational institution of human society, established by God as a one-flesh, covenantal union between a man and a woman (gender at birth) that is life-long (until separated by death), exclusive (monogamous and faithful), and generative in nature (designed for bearing and rearing children), and it is to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church. As our Lord Jesus describes marriage in Mathew 19:4-6, so is our view of marriage. A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found in this position statement.
The marital union between Christ and His Bride/Church is best revealed in the union between one man and one women (Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 16:25; Mk 10:6-9) in Christian matrimony (1 Cor. 7:39; Rom 7:1-6; 1 Cor. 11:8-12). The foregoing becomes the only matrimonial basis for the family (Gen. 2:23-25; Matt. 19:4-6).
We believe that God first created man and then woman from the man, as a counterpart to the man. He then brought the woman to the man and established marriage as a one-flesh relationship between the man and the woman. We, therefore, believe that sexual intimacy is a wonderful gift of God that is only to be expressed between one man and one woman (As genetically defined) within the love and bonds of marriage (Gen. 2:24-25; Mat. 19:4-6; 1 Cor. 7:3-5; Heb. 13:4).
Hence, sexual activities outside of marriage–including but not limited to–fornication, adultery, incest, homosexuality, pedophilia, and bestiality are inconsistent with the teaching of the Bible and the church. Furthermore, lewd conduct, transgender behavior, and the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography are incompatible with God’s intention (Lev. 18:1-30; Prov. 6:32; 1 Cor. 6:18; Rom 1:26-27; 1 Thes. 4:3-8).
Grace Church is located on Dawson road behind the Payless Shopping Center.
13301 Dawson Rd., Lockeford, California 95237 | Phone: (209) 727-5668 | gracechurchlockeford@gmail.com
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