Believe - Grace City Church SD

What We Believe

"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity.” - Rupertus Meldenius

Grace City holds to the historic Christian faith as expressed in the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed. Grace City is also in alignment with the Confessional Statement of The Gospel Coalition and its emphasis on the authority of Scripture, the sovereignty of God, and the centrality of the Gospel. For more resources on the basic tenets of the Christian faith please visit the New City Catechism.

The Gospel

The gospel is not only the means by which people are saved, but also the truth and power by which people grow; the promises of the gospel enable us to genuinely and joyfully do what is pleasing to God and to grow in continual conformity to the image of Jesus. The salvation offered in the gospel message is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. No ordinance, ritual, work, or any other activity on the part of man is required in order to be saved. It is ultimately the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God that points us to the good news of Jesus Christ.

(Mark 1:1; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16-18; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 1:18-25; Ⅰ Corinthians 1:18-25; Ⅰ Corinthians 2:2; Ⅰ Corinthians 15:1-4; Ⅱ Corinthians 4:1-6; Ⅱ Corinthians 9:13; Galatians 1:6-9; Ephesians 1:7-10; Colossians 1:19-20; Ⅱ Timothy 1:8-14; Ⅱ Peter 3:11-13; Jude 3-4; Revelation 21-22)

Our Doctrine

God…There is only one true God, Creator of heaven and earth, who eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All things exist for the glory of God. (Matthew 3:16-17; 1 John 5:7-8; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 64:8; John 16:7-15; Hebrews 1:2-3)

Humanity…We believe that God created male and female in His image to have fellowship with Him but humanity became alienated from God through sinful disobedience. As a result, humanity is spiritually dead and totally incapable of coming back into a right relationship with God by his or her own effort. (Genesis 1:26; John 3:16; Acts 2:22-39; Romans 3:21-24)

Jesus Christ… We believe that Jesus Christ (the Son of God) became flesh to reveal God to man and from the foundation of the world is the promised Savior to the lost. He, being fully God and fully man, is the only person to have lived a sinless life and pay the full atoning penalty for sin on the cross. He physically resurrected from the dead and is alive today seated at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus will return to earth in power and glory. (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 14; I Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:15; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 2:9; John 11:25; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16)

Salvation… We believe that salvation only occurs when a person places their faith in the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the sufficient and full payment for their sin. This justification before God is by His grace. We believe that salvation is a free gift given at God’s initiative, and must be received personally by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:46-47; John 1:29; Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:7-9; Revelation 5:9)

The Christian Life… We believe that God has equipped every Christian with the power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life. It is only because of God’s mercy and grace that we are saved and sanctified, so we live a life of complete dependence on God for change in our lives. It is only through His strength that we will be able to be conformed to the image of Christ, not because we are able to change ourselves. (Matthew 16:24; John 14:23; Galatians 5:25; II Corinthians 3:18; I Thessalonians 4:3)

The Church… We believe that the Church is the body of Christ of which Jesus Christ is the Head. Through the gospel, we are invited into God’s family. The members of the body are those who have placed their faith in the finished work of Christ. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by loving Him and by making Him known to a lost world. (I Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22-23, 3:10-11)

The Holy Spirit… We believe that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person within the eternal Trinity. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to convict the world of sin, open the heart of sinful humanity to salvation, edify and empower the individual believer and church, and reveal to us the beauties of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is alive and active today and He gifts the Church to do the work of God. (Acts 1:5, 8; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 3:16-19; 1 Peter 1:2; Titus 3:5)

The Bible… We believe the entire Bible is the Word of God and God is the hero of the story. It was written by men who were moved by the Holy Spirit to write the inspired words of Scripture. It is God-breathed and without error. It is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (Luke 24:26-17; John 5:39-40; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

Our Values

Gospel-Centered. "The gospel is not the ABC's of Christianity; it is the A-Z of Christianity" (Timothy Keller). It is believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ and is received by grace alone through faith alone. As we look to the truth of the Scriptures, we see our faith is grounded in the gospel. We receive our justification and sanctification through the Holy Spirit’s power in the gospel, which is the key to transformed lives and communities. The gospel is the heart of the church because people are saved and built up in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the leader of the church and that is why the gospel is the central focus of everything we do.

Missional Family. The Bible describes the church as a family. God created all people from every nation in his image and in Christ we become children of God. Jesus made us brothers and sisters through His work on the cross. Our hope is to be an authentic family of believers; sinners loved by God. We believe that God has given us, as believers, a new mission in life to make disciples of Jesus. He sent us on mission to love our city and make disciples in our everyday lives. God can use our work or hobbies to bring people to Him. He has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to live lives not for ourselves, but for the glory of Jesus.

Everyday Rhythms. We believe that God renews all things in Him. Through this transformation, He has given us a mission to live out everyday. In all aspects of our lives we are called to show the love of Jesus, because Jesus makes all things new. The mission to show Jesus’ love is not forced, it is expressed through the natural rhythms of everyday life by the leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit of God. If you’re single, young married, parents or grandparents, we can serve Christ in every rhythm of life.

Kingdom Vision. The Kingdom is made up of all types of people from every nation. The multi-ethnic nature of the church is a reflection of our city because of the unity found in the gospel. Our church is just a small part of the Holy Spirit’s work in our city and around the world. Ultimately, there is only one church: Jesus’ Church. We are here to unite and partner with other believers in advancing the Kingdom of God.

WHO WE ARE

What We Believe

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