Tipp City GMC Beliefs
The Trinity
There is only one living and true God, and in this unity are 3 persons - of one substance, power, and eternity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ
The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the eternal God, is one with the Father, took humanities nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary; so that two whole and perfect natures, God and Man, were joined together in one person, never to be divided; one Christ, both God and Man, who suffered, was crucified, died, and buried, to reconcile the Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original sin, but also for actual sins of men and women.
The Resurrection of Christ
Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, and he ascended into heaven, and reigns until he returns to judge all humankind at the last day.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son.
The Bible
The Holy Scripture contains all things necessary to gain salvation; so that whatever is not read there, nor may be proved there, is not required to be believed as a statement of faith, or be thought necessary to gain salvation. The Old and New Testament of the bible is the inerrant truth of God used also for the strengthening of every believer. The names of the canonical books are:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st & 2nd Kings, 1st & 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Songs of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 & 2 & 3 John, Jude, Revelation.
Original Sin
Original sin is the corruption of the nature of every man and woman, that naturally is occurring from the offspring of Adam, where humankind is separated from original righteousness, and his own nature is inclined toward evil.
Justification
We are called righteous before God only by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deeds.
The Church
The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men and women in which the pure Word of God is preached, the Sacraments are administered according to Christ's ordinance, and those who call on the name of the Lord are in fellowship.
Sacraments
Sacraments ordained of Christ are not only badges or tokens of Christian profession, but rather they are certain signs of grace, and God's good will toward us, by which he does work invisibly in us, to strengthen and confirm, our faith in him.
There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.
Baptism
Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church, and for parents or guardians who desire dedication of their children that will also be practiced.
The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves, but rather is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death; the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ. The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to lay people.
The Cross
The offering of Christ, once made, is that perfect redemption, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is no other satisfaction for sin but that alone.
Sanctification
Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature as humankind; whereby we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but are washed from its corruption, saved from its power, and are enabled, through grace, to love God with all our hearts and to walk in his guidance blamelessly.