Core Beliefs

We believe there is only one eternally existing God who has three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise. He is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom,  justice, and mercy. He is unchangeable and therefore is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

• (Hebrews 13:8)

We believe in the pre-existence, incarnation, and virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to reveal the Father, and is the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person; that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, for by Him all things were made. We believe that in the incarnate Christ, all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, and that He is fully God and fully Man. We believe in the sinless life of our Lord Jesus Christ, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His bodily ascension into heaven, and His future return. We believe that He is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for His redeemed. We also acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord over all things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

• (John 1:1-3, 14; Acts 7:37-38; Philippians 2:9-10; Colossians 1:13-22; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 7:25)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person of the Trinity, equal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature. He was sent to the church on the day of Pentecost, dwells in every believer, and unites all believers to Christ in one body. We believe that the ministries of the Holy Spirit include: convicting  the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; the regeneration of all believers; the sealing of all believers unto the day of redemption; and the continual filling for power and service of those among the saved who are yielded to Him and to His will. We also believe that the fruit of the Spirit is the manifestation of the character of Christ in the Christian's life.

• (Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; John 1:33, 3:5-6, 14:16-17 & 26, 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32, 11:16; Romans 8:9,14 & 16; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:13, 2:2)

We believe that the one true God exists eternally in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and that these, being one God, are equal in deity, power, and glory. God is infinite in love, perfect in judgments, and unchanging in righteousness and mercy. We believe that God not only created the world, but also now upholds, sustains, governs, and providentially directs all that exists, and that He will bring all things to their proper consummation in Christ Jesus, to the glory of His name.

• (Psalm 104:1–35, 139; Matthew 10:29–31, 28:19; Acts 17:24–28; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:9–12, 4:4–6; Colossians 1:16–17; Hebrews 1:1–3; Revelation 1:4–6)

We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible (consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments in their original texts) and that it was completely inspired by God and is the product of Spirit-controlled men. Therefore, we believe the Bible is infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks. We believe the Scriptures are the supreme revelation from God and of God, superior to conscience and reason, though not contrary to them; therefore, it is our infallible rule in all matters.

• (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

We believe that all who are united by their new birth in Jesus Christ are members of the global church, the Body of Christ. We also believe that the local congregation is God's chosen instrument for the furtherance of His work on the earth. We believe that the local church is God's chosen vehicle for world evangelization and the nurture of Christians. We believe that the local church consists of believers in Jesus Christ who have agreed to work and worship together for the cause of Christ. We believe the leadership (pastor and elders) of Grace NM is commissioned by Christ to equip every believer whom He brings to Grace NM. We believe that just as church leadership is accountable to God for our stewardship of the congregation church members are accountable to the leadership for their service to God.

• (Matthew 16:16-18; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:20-23, 2:19-22, 3:10-11, 4:4, 11-13; Colossians 3:14-15; Hebrews 10)

We believe that the local church is to be governed by a plurality (council) of Elders, and these Elders are to be men who meet the qualifications given by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus. We believe that the local church is to be an autonomous organism and may link itself with other congregations for the purpose of relationship and combined ministry efforts but not for the purpose of denominational control. We believe the Elders are God's delegated authority (leadership) in the local church and are to serve as overseers who will give an account. We believe the Elders are to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word which includes praying for the sick, setting the vision and direction for the church, equipping the church members for works of service, protecting the flock against false doctrines and teachers, and administering church discipline. We believe that new Elders should be recognized as God directs the council of Elders.

• (Acts 6:1-4; 20:17, 28-31; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 5:17-20; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:17; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

We believe that God created the world out of nothing. We further believe that man was created in the image of God, by a direct and immediate act of God. Therefore, we believe the biblical account of creation is neither allegory nor myth, but is a literal, historical account of the direct and immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process; that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve.

• (Genesis 1 & 2; Colossians 1:16-17)

We believe that man, being created in innocence and in the image and likeness of God, voluntarily sinned against his Maker and fell from a state of righteousness and holiness. We believe that through Adam's sin, sin and death entered the world and all men sinned in him and are partakers of Adam's fallen nature. We believe that man is in a state of death and sin, in which he is held as a slave to sin and an enemy of God.  Thus, man is separated from God and is under just condemnation. Mankind is unable to regain right-standing with God by his own efforts and must be redeemed by the work of Christ on the cross.

• (Genesis 3; Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-25, 5:12-21)

We believe that God, who created the universe, has the right and power to control nature and people. We believe that all God's judgments are righteous and just. We also believe He gives out talents and wealth according to His wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, we can expect to receive what we ask for in prayer only when our prayers conform to His will. Jesus said that He could do only what He saw the Father do; that is, His power was subject to God's will. We believe our prayers can move mountains, but only when the move conforms to God's specific will.

• (Proverbs 21:1; Romans 9:15-24; James 4:3, 14-15; 1 John 3:22, 5:14-15)

We believe that when Christians die, they pass immediately into the blessed presence of Christ, there to enjoy conscious fellowship with the Savior until the day of the resurrection and the glorious transformation of their bodies. The saved will receive eternal rewards and forever dwell in blissful fellowship with their great triune God. We also believe that when unbelievers die, they are consigned to hell, there to await the Day of Judgment when they shall be punished in the lake of fire with eternal, conscious, and tormented separation from the presence of God.

• (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:19–31; John 5:25–29; 1 Corinthians 15:35–58; 2 Corinthians 5:1–10; Philippians 1:19–26, 3:20–21; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–10; Revelation 20:11–15, 21:1–22:15)

We believe that salvation is a free gift offered by God to sinful humanity. We believe that God so loved mankind that He sent His only Son into the world to die on the cross as an atonement for our sins and a sacrifice on our behalf. We believe that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born-again of the Spirit. Spiritual birth occurs when a person hears and believes the message of Jesus Christ. Outward evidences will spring from an inward commitment to give up our right to rule ourselves and surrender control of our lives to Jesus Christ. We also believe that our redemption has been solely accomplished by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.

• (Isaiah 53:4-7; John 1:29, 3:3, 3:16-17, 5:24; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:23-25, 6:23, 10:9-10 & 13; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 2:7-8; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 2:14-17, 10:10; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2, 4:10)

We believe that faith comes from God enabling us to know Him and trust Him, and that faith comes from hearing the Word of God. We believe the object of our faith is always God and not ourselves. We believe that faith is not a force or power through which we can fulfill our own desires; therefore, trusting that God will supply our needs is faith (expecting God to supply our excesses is presumption).

• (Romans 10:17; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:10-12; Hebrews 11:6; James 4:3)

We believe that Jesus commanded the church to baptize every person who puts their faith in Him and makes a conscious decision to become His disciple. We believe that water baptism is meant for believers only, not infants, and should be performed through immersion. It should be administered in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that water baptism is the sign of the New Covenant. Baptism is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection. Our entrance into the water during baptism identifies us with Christ’s death on the cross, His burial in the tomb and His resurrection from the dead. It is a symbol of a new life as a Christian; burying the “old life” and rising to walk in a “new life”. We recognize that the New Testament scriptures teach that water baptism is a symbolic act of an inward work, between God and the believer being baptized. (Would you like to be baptized? Let us know! We would love to talk with you about baptism.)

• (Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 6:1-10; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:11-12)

We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus as a commemoration of His death. We believe that it is a lasting ordinance for His church to participate in until His return. We believe the practice of communion should be open to all believers in Jesus Christ and entered into with self-examination. We believe that the Work of Christ on the cross is the central message of the Gospel. We believe that only followers of Jesus Christ should partake of the sacrament of communion.

• (Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-33)

We believe in the contemporary operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We believe in the validity of the gifts as described in 1 Corinthians 12-14. We believe that each person receives the Holy Spirit upon their total yielding to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We further believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit  are determined by the Holy Spirit and that the manifestations of those gifts will occur as the Spirit determines. Because the release of the Spirit often comes with a dramatic personal experience many people have come to know this as "the baptism in the Holy Spirit" or "being filled with the Spirit". We further believe that the fruit of the Spirit, rather than "tongues," is the true evidence of the Spirit-filled life. We believe that God's purpose for the gifts is to edify the church body and to glorify Jesus Christ. We also believe and practice the safeguards and guidelines for the exercise and manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit as outlined in 1 Corinthians 14, acknowledging that failure to do so can result in opposition to the activity of the Spirit. Therefore, we recognize the necessity of having manifestations of the Spirit appraised and judged by the leadership of the church for the protection of the body and for the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:13)

We believe in the literal second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of this age, when He will return to earth personally and visibly to reign over the nations in His millennial kingdom. We believe that the global Church will go through the Great Tribulation with great power and victory and will only be raptured at the end of the Great Tribulation. No one can know with certainty the timing of the Lord’s return. We also believe in and are praying for a great end-time harvest of souls and the emergence of a victorious Church that will experience unprecedented unity, purity, and power in the Holy Spirit.

• (Psalm 2:7–9, 22:27–28; Matthew 24:36; John 14:12, 17:20–26; Romans 11:25–32; 1 Corinthians 15:20–28, 50–58; Ephesians 4:11–16; Philippians 3:20–21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:3–12; Revelation 7:9–14)