Our church covenant, constitution, and statement of faith are the foundational document of Redeeming Grace Church. Our statement of faith lays out what we believe. Our church covenant lays out how we agree to live together. Our constitution lays out how we conduct our family business.
Membership Covenant of Redeeming Grace Church (PDF)
Constitution of Redeeming Grace Church (PDF)
Statement of Faith of Redeeming Grace Church
Redeeming Grace Church is a Baptist church, within the Protestant tradition of the Christian faith, and holding to the historic gospel of Jesus Christ.
Together with the Church in all ages,
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And we believe in one Holy Universal and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
(The Nicene Creed)
Furthermore,
We subscribe to the following statement of faith, which is based largely on the New Hampshire Confession of Faith 1853, as the fundamental doctrinal standard of Redeeming Grace Church.
Of the Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible, specifically the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, is the written word of God; that it was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
Of the True God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, whose name is YAHWEH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Of Providence
We believe that God, from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any way to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free agency and responsibility of intelligent creatures.
Of the Fall of Man
We believe that God created man in his own image, and originally free from sin; but through the temptation of Satan, man voluntarily transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, having inherited a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and his law, and are under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.
Of the Way of Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, and is accomplished through Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; who is the divinely appointed Mediator between God and man; who without sin took upon himself human nature and perfectly fulfilled the divine law; who by his death upon the cross made a full atonement for the sins of his people; and who rose from the dead and ascended to his Father, at whose right hand he now sits enthroned, ever living to make intercession for his people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest, and King of the Church, and is therefore in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior.
Of Justification
We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to those who believe in him is justification; that justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners wherein he removes our guilt and reconciles us to himself; that it is bestowed through faith alone in Jesus Christ, not in consideration of anything wrought in us or done by us, but solely on account of his substitutionary death on the cross, and on the basis of his perfect righteousness, which is freely imputed to us by God; and that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.
Of the Freeness of Salvation
We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
Of Grace in Regeneration
We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again; that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, and faith, and newness of life.
Of Repentance and Faith
We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and relying on him alone as the only and all-sufficient Savior.
Of God’s Purpose of Grace
We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which he graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners; that being perfectly consistent with the free agency of man, it comprehends all the means in connection with the end; that it is a most glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, being infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable; that it utterly excludes boasting, and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of his free mercy; that it encourages the use of means in the highest degree; that it may be ascertained by its effects in all who truly believe the gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian assurance; and that to ascertain it with regard to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence.
Of Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of his holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means—especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, prayer, and devotion to the local church.
Of the Perseverance of Saints
We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
Of a Gospel Church
We believe that Christians are to associate themselves into particular churches, according to Christ’s commandment; that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, bound together by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, and exercising the various gifts given them by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the church; that its primary duties are the reading and preaching of God’s Word, the right administration of Christ’s ordinances, and the faithful exercise of discipline over its members; and that its only scriptural officers are elders or pastors, and deacons, whose qualifications and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.
Of Baptism
We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is baptized in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that it is to be done by immersion to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that its only proper subjects are those who do actually profess repentance toward God, and faith in and obedience to the Lord Jesus; and that it is pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership, and to the Lord's Supper.
Of the Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be observed by his churches until the end of the world; that it is to be observed by the eating of bread and the drinking of the cup; and that it is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate his death, to confirm the faith and other graces of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge, and renewal of their communion with him, and of their church fellowship.
Of the Lord’s Day
We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day; and it is to be kept sacred to religious purposes, by the regular assembling of ourselves for public worship, by the devout observance of the means of grace, both private and public; and by preparation for the rest that remains for the people of God.
Of the Nature of Mankind and the Family
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.
We believe that God’s great and glorious purpose was to make man in his own image, to reflect his glory and goodness. And in his wisdom, he created man male and female. These two distinct but complementary sexes together reflect the image and likeness of God.
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person biologically male or female. We may not (and have no right to) reject the biological sex with which we were created, for this is a rejection of God’s personal, merciful, and wonderful design for us.
We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and his church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the sole channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
We believe that the husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to his covenant people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper.
We believe that children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children the gospel of Jesus Christ, the worldview and values that flow from the gospel, and the obedience of faith that is the fruit of the gospel. Parents are also to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
Of Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of the kings of the earth.
Of the Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in his esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in his sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death.
Of the Resurrection and the World to Come
We believe that death is not the end; that though the bodies of men after death return to dust, their spirits live on, the righteous departing immediately to be with the Lord, and the wicked to be reserved under darkness to the judgment. We believe that the end of the world is approaching; that at the last day Christ will descend from heaven and raise the dead, both righteous and wicked, from the grave to final retribution; that a solemn separation will then take place which will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell, the wicked being adjudged to everlasting conscious punishment, and the righteous to everlasting life and joy.