Greenville Bible Church

Beliefs

The Bible

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, written by people as lead by God to reveal God, His purposes, His ways, His love, His power, His desire for a love relationship with mankind, and the means of salvation through grace and the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21

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God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

We believe there is one God, the creator of all that exists, and that He is supreme, omnipotent, and in control of all that He has created.  We believe God became a man in the form of Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, to bring mankind to an understanding of God, and to provide a means of salvation for a sinful, undeserving world.  We believe God exists in a third form, that of the Holy Spirit, to indwell in the hearts of mankind and to guide our lives within His will.

Genesis 1:1, Matthew 28:19-20,  John 1:1-3,  John 14:10,  John 14:26,  2 Corinthians 13:14

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Jesus Christ

We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, sent to this world to reveal God more clearly and to provide the means of redemption for a sinful world.  We as Christians are to follow His perfect example, His life being the ultimate example for all mankind to follow to have a love relationship with God and with fellowman.

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We believe Jesus Christ ultimately gave His life, voluntarily and through love, to provide a means of redemption for a sinful and undeserving world.  We believe He was buried in a tomb, was physically dead, and yet rose again on the third day, demonstrating His power over death.  We believe He ascended to Heaven to be with His Father and that through Him, and only through Him, we may receive forgiveness of all our sins and through grace we may accept His offer of eternal life with God.

 

The life of Christ is God's example to us for living and having a perfect relationship with Him.  Christ's life and teachings provide the ultimate standard for Christians.

Luke 1:35,  John 1:14, Galatians 4:4-5, Philippians 2:5-8,  John 3:16-17, Romans 3:24-25, Acts 1:9-10, 1 John 2:1-2, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:7

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Satan

We believe Satan is real and represents all that is evil.  Satan influenced the first sin and has continued throughout all time to tempt and influence mankind to be sinful.  He is the enemy of God and all those who are followers of God.  Ultimately, he will suffer in Hell for all eternity.

Genesis 3:1-13, Matthew 4:2-11, Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:10

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Salvation

We believe salvation is the gift of God to mankind and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God who made the ultimate sacrifice in death on a cross so that a sinful world could be forgiven and made worthy of an everlasting love relationship with God.

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We believe once a person has accepted salvation by grace, his salvation is secured by the power of God for all eternity. 

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We believe this acceptance of the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is the one and only requirement for being a child of God, a member of His everlasting Church.

John 3:16-17, Ephesians 1:7, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 10:9-11

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The Church

We believe God's Church consists of all Christians, all those who have accepted the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Christ is the head of the Church, and we as Christians are the body of the Church, regardless of earthly denominational affiliation.  We believe local churches collectively are to provide spiritual care for their membership and to reach out to all those people in need, both spiritual and physical needs.

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Membership of the local church must be of one mind, perfectly joined together, and must be led by the Holy Spirit in seeking and following God's will.  The Church must always follow God's will and not be limited by human vision, human resources, or human will.

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We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any and all external earthly organizational or denominational authority.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 1:22-23, Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 1:10, Romans 15:5-6, Philippians 2:2

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Baptism

We believe baptism is scriptural, and the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist is an example to be followed by all believers in Christ.  We believe it is symbolic of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.  We believe in baptism by emersion in water, as we believe this is the example of Christ; however, we do not believe baptism is essential for salvation or necessary for membership in God's Church or the local church.  It is to be taught, explained, and encouraged by the local church as the example set by Christ.  Following in His footsteps includes baptism.

Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 1:8, Mark 15:15-16, Luke 3:16, Luke 23:42-43, John 1:33, John 3:23, Acts 8:12-13

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The Lord's Supper

We believe The Lord's Supper to be scriptural and should be observed frequently in remembrance of the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ in providing a means of salvation for us.  The observance of and participation in this ordinance is intended for all believers but is by choice of each individual.  The meaning of and participation in this ordinance is to be explained and encouraged through scriptural teaching.

Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:17-20, 1 Corinthians 10:16

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Heaven

We believe Heaven is real, created by God and where Christians will spend eternity after earthly life ends.  We believe it is a place of continuous rejoicing and praising God, of peace, and free of all physical and earthly ills and concerns.  It is a place totally absent of all evil.

John 14:2-3, Luke 10:20, 2 Corinthians 5:1, Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 12:23

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Hell

We believe hell is real, a place designed for Satan and those who die without accepting the gift of salvation offered by God.  It is a place of eternal torment and punishment.  It is a place totally absent of God.

Matthew 5:22, Matthew 5:29, Matthew 18:9, Luke 16:23, 2 Peter 2:4

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Prayer

We believe prayer is how we communicate with God.  We as Christians have direct access to God through prayer, and personal prayer is essential to a healthy relationship with God.  We believe God hears our every prayer and answers prayers, though He does not grant our every wish.

Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 21:22, Luke 11:9, John 15:7

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Contributions

We believe Christians and church members should support the local church financially, spiritually, with all spiritual gifts provided by God.  We are to contribute accordingly as God has blessed us.  Though we must not neglect the church, contributing to those in need beyond the church and its membership is also scriptural and necessary in following the example of Christ.  All contributions are to be given joyfully and with thanksgiving for the blessings God has bestowed on us.

Mark 12:43-44, Malachi 3:10

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God's Truths

The Bible is the source of God's truths.  Each individual believer has both the opportunity and the responsibility to search the scriptures for those truths as revealed by the Holy Spirit.  As with prayer, reading and searching the scriptures for spiritual truths and seeking God's will are essential to Christian growth and maturity.  Open discussion of individual interpretations should be encouraged, since each Christian has the opportunity to read the scriptures and seek truths as led by the Holy Spirit.

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