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Does Every Member Have To Agree With These Beliefs?

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THE BIBLE

Authorship and Inerrancy
The sixty-six books of the Bible are collectively God’s revelation of Himself to mankind, and it is the sole authority for faith and practice. The Bible is verbally inspired by God in every word¹, absolutely inerrant in the original documents, infallible and understandable. It is to be interpreted literally using a grammatical-historical method. The Holy Spirit so moved on the hearts of men as to author the Scriptures²; therefore, they are without error in whole or in part³.
⁽¹⁾ 2 Timothy 3:16 ⁽²⁾ 2 Peter 1:20-21 ⁽³⁾ Matthew 5:18

Interpretation and Application
Whereas there may be more than one application of any given passage of Scripture, there is only one correct interpretation. It is the responsibility of all believers, with the aid of the Holy Spirit¹, to carefully ascertain the true intent and meaning of Scripture, keeping in mind the context and intent of the original author². Proper application is binding on all people, in all places, in all times³. The Scriptures stand in judgment of men; men never stand in judgment of the Scriptures⁴.
⁽¹⁾ 1 John 2:27 ⁽²⁾ Acts 17:11 ⁽³⁾ John 10:35 ⁽⁴⁾ Hebrews 4:12

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GOD

The Trinity
There is but one living and true God¹ who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and co-eternal, yet separate in function².
⁽¹⁾ Deuteronomy 6:4 ⁽²⁾ Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:1,3; Matthew 28:19

God the Father
The first person of the trinity is an infinite, personal spirit¹, perfect in holiness, goodness, wisdom, power and love. He orders and disposes all things according to His grace and good pleasure². He is sovereign in creation, providence and redemption³. He infallibly foreknows all that will come to pass and He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men.
⁽¹⁾ John 4:24 ⁽²⁾ Psalm 145:8,9 ⁽³⁾ Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36

Jesus Christ
He is God’s only begotten Son¹. He is truly God as well as truly man, possessing all the attributes of deity². He was conceived of a virgin³; lived a sinless life⁴; died on the cross as the substitute for all who trusted in God prior to the cross and all who would trust in Christ thereafter⁵; was buried and arose bodily from the dead⁶; ascended into Heaven⁷ and is now seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for His people⁸. He will soon return visibly to earth⁹ to gather His children, execute judgment on believers¹⁰ as well as unbelievers¹¹ and rule and reign on earth¹².
⁽¹⁾ John 1:18 ⁽²⁾ Philippians 2:5-11 ⁽³⁾ Luke 1:26-38; Isaiah 7:14 ⁽⁴⁾ 1 Peter 2:22 ⁽⁵⁾ Romans 3:25-26; Galatians 2:16 ⁽⁶⁾ John 2:19-21; Romans 8:11 ⁽⁷⁾ Acts 1:11; 2 Timothy 3:16 ⁽⁸⁾ Hebrews 7:25 ⁽⁹⁾ Zechariah 14:4; Revelation 1:7 ⁽¹⁰⁾ 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10 ⁽¹¹⁾ Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15 ⁽¹²⁾ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Zechariah 14:9

The Holy Spirit
He is a divine person¹, eternal² and possesses all the attributes of deity including intellect³, emotion ⁴ and will⁵. He is omnipresent⁶, omniscient⁷ and omnipotent⁸. He was sent from the Father⁹ and the Son¹⁰ to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment¹¹ and to guide believers into all truth¹². He indwells every true believer¹³ as He has baptized them into the Body of Christ¹⁴. The Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts as He wills on every believer for the purpose of building up the church¹⁵.
⁽¹⁾ Acts 5:3-4 ⁽²⁾ Hebrews 9:14 ⁽³⁾ 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 ⁽⁴⁾ Ephesians 4:30 ⁽⁵⁾ 1 Corinthians 12:11 ⁽⁶⁾ Psalm 139:7-10 ⁽⁷⁾ Isaiah 40:13-14 ⁽⁸⁾ Romans 15:13 ⁽⁹⁾ John 15:26 ⁽¹⁰⁾ John 16:7 ⁽¹¹⁾ John 16:7-11 ⁽¹²⁾ John 16:13 ⁽¹³⁾ Romans 8:9 ⁽¹⁴⁾ 1 Corinthians 12:13 ⁽¹⁵⁾ 1 Corinthians 12:11; 1 Peter 4:10

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MAN

Creation
Man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness, free of sin with a rational, intelligent nature that included free will and moral responsibility to God¹. He was created to glorify God, enjoy fellowship with Him and accomplish His plans in the world².
⁽¹⁾ Genesis 1,2 ⁽²⁾ Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11

Sinfulness and Separation
However, mankind, in Adam, chose to sin and so incurred the penalty of physical and spiritual death¹. He is now hopelessly depraved and sinful² and under condemnation³. He can only be saved from eternal judgment, which is separation from God, by God’s grace through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ⁴.
⁽¹⁾ Genesis 3; Romans 5:12 ⁽²⁾ Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:10; Romans 3:10-18 ⁽³⁾ John 3:18 ⁽⁴⁾ John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23

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SALVATION

Saving Work of Christ
Salvation is completely of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not by human merit or works¹.
⁽¹⁾ John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10

Sovereign Plan of God
In order to display the full extent of His glory, it pleased God to choose, before the foundation of the world, those whom He would graciously regenerate, justify, sanctify and glorify¹. This act of choosing, predestination or election, is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life-not because of foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy in Christ-- in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified. God’s sovereign election does not negate the personal responsibility of every individual to repent and trust Christ as Savior and Lord², nor does it negate the responsibility of every believer to make known the gospel of the glory of Christ³.
⁽¹⁾ Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4-11; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:1-2 ⁽²⁾ John 3:18-19; Romans 9:22-23; Revelation 22:17 ⁽³⁾ Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 10:11-15

Power of the Gospel Unto Salvation
The Holy Spirit does this saving work in connection with the presentation of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Thus neither the work of the Father in election, nor the work of the Son in atonement, nor the work of the Spirit in regeneration is a hindrance or discouragement to the proclamation of the gospel to all peoples and persons everywhere. On the contrary, this divine saving work of the Trinity is the warrant and the ground of our hope that our evangelism is not in vain in the Lord. The Spirit binds His saving work to the gospel of Christ, because His aim is to glorify the Christ of the gospel¹. Therefore, we do not believe there is salvation through any other means than through receiving the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, except that infants and severely retarded persons with minds physically incapable of comprehending the gospel may be saved².
⁽¹⁾ John 16:14 ⁽²⁾Romans 1:19-20

Regeneration and Preservation by the Spirit
Apart from the effectual work of the Holy Spirit, no one would come to faith, because all are dead in trespasses and sin, that they are hostile to God, and morally unable to submit to God or please Him, because the pleasures of sin appear greater than the pleasures of God ¹. Thus, for God’s elect, the Spirit triumphs over all resistance, wakens the dead, removes blindness, and manifests Christ in such a compellingly beautiful way through the gospel that He becomes irresistibly attractive to the regenerate heart² guaranteeing the sinner will repent and believe. All who are justified are kept by the power of God and will persevere in faith until their ultimate triumph in glorification. This perseverance is the promise of the New Covenant³, obtained by the blood of Christ, and worked in us by God Himself, yet not so as to diminish, but only to empower and encourage our vigilance⁴.
⁽¹⁾ Ephesians 2:4-6; Romans 8:7-9 ⁽²⁾ 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 ⁽³⁾ Jeremiah 32:40 ⁽⁴⁾ Philippians 1:6; 2:12,13; 2 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Peter 1:5

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THE CHURCH

The Universal Church
A living spiritual body made up of all who have placed faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, having been placed into this body by the Holy Spirit¹ immediately upon their conversion. The formation of this spiritual body began on the Day of Pentecost² and will continue until the Coming of Christ for His own³. The universal Church is a mystery not revealed until this age⁴ and is therefore a separate entity from Israel in the Old Testament⁵.
⁽¹⁾ 1 Corinthians 12:13 ⁽²⁾ Acts 2:1-21 ⁽³⁾ 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 -18 ⁽⁴⁾ Ephesians 3:1-6; 5:32 ⁽⁵⁾ 1 Corinthians 10:32

The Local Church
The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught in Scripture¹. The members of any given local church are instructed to organize and associate themselves together². Jesus Christ is the Head and Lord of the Church³; every true Christian church exists to exalt, glorify and magnify Him.
⁽¹⁾ Acts 14:23,27; 20:17; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1 ⁽²⁾ Hebrews 10:25 ⁽³⁾ Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18

The Leadership of the Church
To accomplish this, He has instituted officers under Himself and over the assembly called elders (also pastors, bishops)¹ and deacons, both of whom must meet biblical qualifications². These leaders rule and have authority in directing the church as servants of the Lord³, and the congregation is to submit to their leadership⁴.
⁽¹⁾ Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11 ⁽²⁾ 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5 ⁽³⁾ 1 Timothy 5:17-22 ⁽⁴⁾ Hebrews 13:7,17

The Life of the Church
The local church is the setting where discipleship is to take place¹, believers are to be accountable to each other², and sinning members of the congregation are disciplined according to the standards of Scripture³. Each local church is free to govern its own affairs under the Headship of Christ. It is the responsibility of the elders to determine matters of policy, membership, discipline, benevolence, government, and the degree to which the local church will partner with other churches or organizations to propagate the Gospel⁴. Partnership is dependent upon local churches fulfilling three Biblical duties as set forth in the Belgic Confession of Faith (1561, Article 29). These duties are defined as (1) preaching the pure doctrine of the Gospel; (2) properly administering the sacraments of Baptism and Communion; and (3) the exercise of church discipline among its members.
⁽¹⁾ Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2 ⁽²⁾ Matthew 18:5-14 ⁽³⁾ Matthew 18:15-22; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 1:19-20; Titus 1:10-16 ⁽⁴⁾ Acts 15:19-31; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4-7,13; 1 Peter 5:1-4

The Importance of the Church
Every Christian has been gifted by God to serve Him in the local church¹. Members, therefore, should use their gifts in active service to God in the church, thereby building the church in the faith² and glorifying God³. Indispensable elements of building up the church are: instruction in God’s Word⁴; fellowship⁵; observation of the ordinances⁶; and advancement of the Gospel around the world⁷. All Christians are called by God to do the work of the ministry⁸.
⁽¹⁾ 1 Corinthians 12:27; 1 Peter 4:10 ⁽²⁾ Ephesians 4:13-16 ⁽³⁾ Ephesians 3:21 ⁽⁴⁾ 2 Timothy 2:2,15; 3:16-17 ⁽⁵⁾ Acts 2:47; 1 John 1:3 ⁽⁶⁾ Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ⁽⁷⁾ Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8 ⁽⁸⁾ Ephesians 4:12

Baptism and Communion
The two ordinances given to the church to observe regularly are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In baptism, a person is placed under water into the name of the triune God as a symbol of his previous conversion experience, which includes the death of the old self. As he is raised from the water, it is symbolic of his new life in Christ¹. Baptism is not essential for salvation; it is, however, a significant act that all obedient Christians should follow, considering the example and command of Christ². The Lord’s Supper (or Communion) is to be practiced on a regular basis by a local assembly of believers, always preceded by self-examination³. It, like baptism, is a symbolic act, but extremely meaningful nevertheless, as it is an actual communion with Christ Himself, foreshadowing the Day when all Christians will enjoy unbroken, perfect fellowship with Him⁴.
⁽¹⁾ Romans 6:3-5 ⁽²⁾ Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:9 ⁽³⁾ 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 ⁽⁴⁾ Revelation 19:7-10

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LAST THINGS

Return of Christ
The Lord Jesus will return personally and visibly to the earth to administer the final judgments and establish His eternal kingdom¹ .
⁽¹⁾ Revelation 20:11-15

Judgments of Christ
The wicked face an eternity of endless suffering¹ and the righteous receive an eternity of perpetual blessedness².

⁽¹⁾ Matthew 16:27 ⁽²⁾ 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 21:1-8

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Preface
Does Every Member Have To Agree With These Beliefs?

(What is the relationship between doctrine and unity of the Body at GRBC?)

We, the elders, affirm wholeheartedly the concept of "confessional Christianity". That is, individuals that make up a church need some way of knowing if their beliefs, goals, and ideals are the same. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to measure unity without some such standard.

For Green Run Baptist Church, this standard of unity is the Membership Covenant. By signing this document, one is affirming agreement with, among other things, the doctrinal statement of the church (Article III, "Foundational Beliefs", in the Constitution). The more doctrine a church can agree on, the greater its unity and strength. Every prospective member of Green Run is required to pledge his agreement with these beliefs.

We further realize that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to come up with a set amount or percentage of doctrine that a person has to agree on to become and remain a member in good standing. Each individual is at varying stages of Christian growth and understanding, and this must be taken into consideration. For example, many in first-century churches were spiritual “infants” in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 5:12-13), having limited understanding of basic doctrine, yet their church membership was not denied.

While understanding is one consideration, however, disagreement is quite another. While there is certainly room for disagreement on some issues among the members of Green Run, there are some areas we consider "essential" to the faith, and therefore essential to church membership. These include: the deity of Christ; the inerrancy of Scripture; the tri-unity of the Godhead; salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; the reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit; eternal security for the believer. These minimum elements of distinctive Christian doctrine and the Christian gospel must be adhered to for one to come into and continue in membership at Green Run Baptist Church.

The elders understand that absolute doctrinal agreement is not realistic. However, we remain committed to not only protecting the church from false doctrine, but also to teaching our members and prospective members the elements of Christian doctrine we believe to be essential. After all, the apostle Paul was ready to pronounce eternal judgment on anyone (even an angel from heaven) who proclaimed "another gospel" (Galatians 1:9). The elders of Green Run take the issue of doctrinal integrity just as seriously and we are glad for every opportunity to discuss these particular areas with all who have honest questions, and even disagreements.

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