Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man in 100% unity. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind, and thus atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, intercedes for the saints, and will return again in power and glory.
The Bible
The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it’s inspired, infallible, and inerrant.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26
Trinity
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and coeternal.
1 John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11
The Church
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the Church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23
Salvation
Humanity’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life. The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that we have become children of God. The outward evidence to others is a life of righteousness and true holiness.
Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 8:16; Ephesians 4:24; Titus 2:12
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
All believers are entitled to and should fervently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father for the baptism in the Holy Spirit according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it, God gives us the power to live for Him and minister to the church and the world around us.
Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
Divine Healing
Divine healing is an essential part of the Gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers.
Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; James 5:14-16
The Second Coming of Jesus
The resurrection of those who have died in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Beliefs are not worth much unless they are translated into actions. All followers of Jesus are on a journey of growing in the character of Jesus, and we will never be perfect until we are fully changed by seeing Him face-to-face. But there are certain practices that do significant damage to us as people and to our witness for Jesus. In some instances, these choices may prevent one from becoming a member of Grand Rapids First until the issue is resolved. Based on what the Bible teaches, we feel strongly about the following:
Sexual Ethics
God wonderfully creates each person as male or female, and these complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. In light of the way God created us sexually, we believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other.
Genesis 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4
The Sanctity of Marriage
We believe in the importance of covenant marriage between a man and a woman, and that couples should be legally married before living together as husband and wife. We encourage unmarried, cohabitating couples to either make separate living arrangements or get legally married.
Colossians 1:9-10; Ephesians 5:31; Hebrews 13:4
Alcohol and Other Substances
As followers of Jesus, we are called to care for the physical bodies He has given us and live in a way that reflects His character. We believe that the use of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other substances used for the sake of recreation is destructive to our bodies and to our witness for Jesus.
1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 5:18