2007-2008 Grace University Catalog

Grace University Doctrinal Statement

Our Doctrinal Statement
The following is the unabridged doctrinal statement of the University and provides the basis for doctrinal agreement. Copies of this document are available from the President’s and Academic Offices.

Motto:
“Other foundations can no man lay than that is laid, which is JESUS CHRIST.” (1 Cor. 3:11)

Every member of the Board of Trustees, the Advisory Council, and the Faculty is to be in whole-hearted accord with the Unabridged Doctrinal Statement, and is required to subscribe annually in writing to this unabridged Doctrinal Statement. No one shall ever preach or teach at Grace University any doctrine contrary to it. When teaching contrary to this Doctrinal Statement is discovered, the Board of Trustees is required to take action.

Article I
The Scriptures
We believe... That “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16), accepting unreservedly the writings of the Old and the New Testaments as the infallible Word of God (Jn. 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; Ps. 119:89).
...That it is divine revelation, given by the Holy Spirit to holy men of God (2 Pet. 1:21; Acts 1:16; Jn. 16:3; 1 Cor. 2:13); verbally inspired in all its parts (Ex. 4:15) and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God (Matt. 5:18; Jn. 10:35); altogether sufficient in itself as our only infallible rule of faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11) and everywhere centering in, and pointing to, the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ of Whom all Scripture testifies (Lk. 24:27, 44; Jn. 5:39; Acts 17:2-3; 18:28).

Article II
The Godhead
We believe...That God is spirit (Jn. 4:24), eternally existing in three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
...That these three are one God (Mk. 12:29), Who is perfect, infinite and eternal in His being, holiness, love, wisdom and power (Ps. 18:30; 147:5; Deut. 33:27; Ps. 135:6); absolutely separate from and above the world as its Creator (Gen. 1:1), yet everywhere present in the world as the Upholder of all things (Ps. 139:1-10; Ps. 104); self-existent and self-revealing (Jn. 5:26; Matt. 11:27).
...That each of the three Persons is worthy of equal honor, obedience and worship (Jn. 1:1-3; Acts 5:3-4; Jn. 5:23).

Article III
God The Father
We believe...That, although God is the Creator of the universe and of the human race (Gen. 1:1, 26, 27; 2:7, 21, 22; Acts 17:28, 29), He is the Father only of those who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior (Jn. 1:12, 13; Gal. 3:26; 1 Jn. 3:2).
We do not believe in the universal Fatherhood of God, nor the universal Brotherhood of man (Jn. 8:42-44; 1 Jn. 5:12).

Article IV
Jesus Christ
We believe...That the Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Triune God (Matt. 28:19), the Eternal and Only-begotten Son of God (Ps. 2:7; Jn. 1:18; 8:58), came into the world, as provided and purposed by God, and as pre-announced in the prophecies of the Scriptures (1 Pet. 1:10; Acts 2:23; Gen. 3:15), that he might become the Redeemer of a lost world (Lk. 19:10).
...That without any essential change in His divine Person (Heb. 13:8), He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18; Lk. 1:35), became a man through the miracle of the Virgin Birth (Matt. 1:23), received a human body and a sinless human nature (Jn. 1:14; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14, 17; I Jn. 3:5) and thus continues forever as both true God and true Man (Col. 2:9; Rev. 22:16), one Person with two natures (Rom. 1:3-4; 1 Tim. 2:5).
...That as a Man He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15; Jn. 8:46).
...That as the perfect Lamb of God (Jn. 1:29) He gave Himself in death upon the Cross (Matt. 20:28; Phil. 2:8), shedding His own precious Blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19), bearing there our sin (1 Pet. 2:24) and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath as our substitute (Isa. 53:5-6; Gal. 3:13).
...That He arose from the dead and was glorified in the same body in which He suffered and died (Jn. 20:25-28; Acts 2:32, 33).
...That as our great High Priest He ascended into heaven (Heb. 4:14; Acts 1:9), there to appear before the face of God as our Advocate and Intercessor (Heb. 7:25; 9:24; 1 Jn. 2:1).
...That He will come again (Acts 1:11), first to receive from the earth His own (Jn. 14:3), and then to establish His righteous kingdom upon the earth (Acts 15:14-16).

Article V
The Holy Spirit
We believe...That the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity (Matt. 28:19), is the divine Agent in nature, revelation and redemption (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30; 1 Cor. 2:10; Tit. 3:5).
...That, though omnipresent from all eternity, He took up His abode in the world in a special sense on the Day of Pentecost, dwelling in each and all believers (Acts 2:1-4), baptizing them into one body, the Church of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).
...That He will never take His departure from the Church (Jn. 14:16; Eph. 1:14), but is ever present to testify of Christ, seeking to occupy fill the believer with Him (Jn. 15:16; 16:14).
...That His abode in the world, in this special sense, will cease when the Church is completed, and when Christ comes to receive His own (2 Thess. 2:7; Jn. 14:16; Rev. 4:5).
...That in this age certain well-defined ministries are committed to Him, such as: the restraining of evil in the world to the measure of the divine will (2 Thess. 2:7); the convicting of the world with respect to sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:8-11); the regenerating and cleansing of all believers (Jn. 3:5; Tit. 3:5); the indwelling of all who are saved (Rom. 8:9; Jn. 14:16, 17); the anointing of believers to teach them all truth (Jn. 16:13; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27); the sealing of believers unto the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13,14; 4:30); the continued filling for guidance, power and service of those among the saved who are yielded to Him, and who are subject to His will (Eph. 5:18; Acts 4:31); and the bestowal of spiritual gifts upon the members of Christ’s body according to His own will (1 Cor. 12:1, 8-11).

Article VI
Creation and Fall of Man
We believe...That man was the direct creation of God (Gen. 2:7; 18-22), spirit and soul and body (1 Thess. 5:23), and not in any sense the product of animal ancestry (1 Cor. 15:39), but made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26, 27)....That through personal unbelief and disobedience to the revealed will of God man fell (Gen. 2:17, 3:11), became a sinful creature (Mk. 7:21-23), lost his spiritual life (Eph. 4:18), became “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), lives under the righteous judgment and wrath of God (Rom. 1:18; Jn. 3:36) and became subject to the power of the devil (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13).
...That this spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:18), has been transmitted to the entire human race (Gen. 5:3; Rom. 5:12), Jesus Christ only being excepted (Lk. 1:35), so that all are sinners both by nature and by practice (Eph. 2:3; Rom. 3:23) and are essentially and totally unable of themselves to gain recovery or salvation (Rom. 3:20; Jer. 13:23; Jn. 1:13; 2 Cor. 4:4).

Article VII
Salvation Through Grace by Faith
We believe...That our salvation is the free gift of God’s grace (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8).
...That we are justified solely on the ground of the shed Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24; Heb. 9:22) who was made sin for us by His substitutionary death on the Cross (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24).
...That salvation is received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Jn. 3:16).
...That it is neither merited nor secured, in part or whole, by any virtue or work of man (Rom. 4:4, 5; Jn. 6:28, 29), for no repentance, no confession, no feeling, no sincere efforts, no good resolutions, no submission to any rules or ordinances of any church can add in the least to the value of the Blood of Christ, nor be added in any sense to believing as a condition of salvation (Eph. 2:8, 9; Isa. 64:6; Gal. 3:11; Col. 2:13, 14).
...That this salvation has a threefold aspect: salvation from guilt and penalty of sin justification; salvation from the power of sin – sanctification; salvation from the presence of sin – glorification (Tit. 2:11-13; Heb. 9:24, 26, 28; Phil. 3:20, 21; Rom. 8:23), and includes the whole man – spirit, soul and body (1 Thess. 5:23).
...That true believers have as a present possession the gift of eternal life (1 Jn. 5:10-12), a perfect righteousness (Rom. 3:22), sonship in the family of God (Jn. 1:12; 1 Jn. 3:1, 2), every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness (Eph. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:3) and deliverance from all condemnation (Jn. 5:24). ...That in view of this completeness in Christ (Col. 2:10) and the abiding, sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:16, 17; Tit. 3:5), it is in no way required by God to seek a “second work of grace” (Gal. 3:3).
...That apart from Christ there is no possible salvation (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12; 13:39).

Article VIII
Sanctification
We believe...That sanctification, which is a setting-apart unto God, is threefold:
That it is already complete for every person because his position toward God is the same as Christ’s position (Heb. 10:10, 14; 1 Cor. 6:11, RV).
...That while the standing of the believer is thus perfect “in Christ”, his present state is as imperfect as his experience in daily life, and there is therefore also a progressive sanctification wherein the believer is to “grow in grace” and to be “changed” by the unhindered power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 7:1; 3:18; 2 Pet. 3:18).
...That, lastly, the child of God will yet be fully sanctified in his state, as he is now sanctified in his standing, when he shall see his Lord and “shall be like Him” (Jn. 3:2; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23).

Article IX
Assurance
We believe...That, because of the eternal purpose of God towards the objects of His love (Eph. 1:4; 2:6, 7) because of His freedom to exercise grace towards the meritless on the ground of the propitiatory Blood of Christ (Rom. 5:8-10; Jn. 10:28), because of the very nature of the divine gift of eternal life (Jn. 5:24; 1 Jn. 5:13), because of the present and unending intercession and advocacy of Christ in heaven (Heb. 7:25; 1 Jn. 2:1), because of the abiding and sealing presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are save (Jn. 14:16; Eph. 1:13, 14) we, and all true believers everywhere, can have a firm assurance of our salvation (Heb. 6:18, 19).
We believe also, however... that since God is a holy and righteous Father (1 Pet. 1:15, 16), and cannot overlook the sins of His children (Hab. 1:13), He will, when His children persistently sin and fail to judge themselves (1 Cor. 11:31), chasten them and scourge them in infinite love
(Heb. 12:6) in order that He may at last present them blameless before the presence of His glory (1 Cor. 11:30, 31; Eph. 5:25, 26; 1 Cor. 5:5).

Article X
The Church
We believe...That the Church is the mystical Body and Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18; Rev. 21:9), which He began on the Day of Pentecost (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47), and will complete at His second coming (1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Rom. 11:25).
...That all true believers of this dispensation, irrespective of membership in the organized local churches of earth, have been baptized into this Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12, 13; cf. 1:2).
...That the members of this one Body should wherever possible, assemble themselves together into local churches for worship, prayer, fellowship, and teaching (Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:42), and for the observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
...That it is the solemn duty of its members to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3), rising above sectarian differences (1 Cor. 3:3,4), and loving one another with a pure heart (1 Pet. 1:22).
...That the first and foremost mission of the Church in the world today is to witness for Christ among the nations (Matt. 28:19, 20; Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8).

Article XI
The Blessed Hope
We believe...That the Second Coming of Christ (Heb. 9:28) will take place in two stages, the first being the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-17) when He comes as the “Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16), in the air (1 Thess. 4:17) to receive His own (Jn. 14:3) and the second being the Revelation (2 Thess. 1:7,8) when He comes as the “Son of Righteousness” (Mal. 4:2) to the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4) to be received by repentant Israel (Zech. 12:10);
...That, according to the Word of God, the next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the pre-Tribulation coming of Christ (Rev. 3:10,11) in the air to receive to Himself His own, both those who have fallen asleep and those who are alive and remain unto His coming (1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; Jn. 11:25, 26);
...That this is the “blessed hope” of the Church (Tit. 2:13), an event for which we should constantly be watching, the time being unrevealed but always imminent (Mk. 13:32-37; Rev. 22:12,20);...That this event will be followed by the judgment of the believer’s works for reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:11-15) a judgment which may result in the loss of rewards, but not the loss of salvation (1 Cor. 3:11-15) and by the Marriage of the Lamb just before the Lord returns in glory (Rev. 19:7-9).

Article XII
Christ’s Glorious Appearing
We believe...That the world will not be converted previous to the Second Coming of Christ, but is day by day ripening for judgment (Lk. 17:26).
...That this dispensation will end with a fearful apostasy in the professing Church (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 4:3, 4; 2 Thess. 2:11, 12) which during the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21), will be headed by a personal Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:3, 4; 1 Jn. 2:18).
...That God’s righteous judgements will then be poured out upon the world (Rev. 6:1-18:24).
...That at the close of this period (Matt. 24: 29, 30) the Lord Jesus Christ will personally, visibly, and gloriously descend from heaven (Rev. 1:7; 19:11-16) with the Church (Zech. 14:5; Jude 14) and His holy angels (2 Thess. 1:7) to bind Satan in the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:1-3), judge the living nations (Matt. 25:31-46), restore to Israel her land (Deut. 30:3-5; Ezek. 37:21; Isa. 11:11, 12), establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all nations for a thousand years (Acts 15:16; Rev. 20:4-6), lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation (Isa. 11:6-9; Rom. 8:19-23), and bring the whole world to the knowledge of the Lord (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14).
...That at the end of the thousand years, Satan shall be loosed for a short season to deceive the nations (Rev. 20:7-9).
...That the unsaved dead shall then be raised, judged according to their works, and cast into the Lake of Fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Rev. 20:11-15; Matt. 25:41).
...That, as the Son of David (Lk. 1:32), Christ will finally deliver up the Messianic Kingdom to God the Father, in order that He, as the Eternal Son, may reign with the Father in the New Heaven and the New Earth eternally (1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 21:1).

Article XIII
The Future Life
We believe...That the spirits of the SAVED at death go immediately to be with Christ in heaven (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21-23), where they abide in joyful and conscious fellowship with Him until He comes for His own (1 Thess. 4:14), when their bodies shall be raised from the grave and changed into the likeness of His own glorious body (1 Cor. 15:25-58; Phil. 3:20, 21), and in that state forever to enjoy the presence of the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17) and to reign with Him on Earth (Rev. 5:10; 20:6) and throughout eternity (Rev. 22:5).
...That the spirits of the UNSAVED at death descend immediately into Hades (Lk. 16:23; Num. 16:33) where they are kept under conscious punishment and misery (2 Pet. 2:9, RV), until the judgment of the Great White Throne after the Millennium (Rev. 20:11), at which time Hades will deliver up its dead (Rev. 20:13) and their bodies shall be raised from the grave (Rev. 20:5); they shall be judged according to their works (Rom. 2:3-6; Rev. 20:12), and be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15; 21:8), not to be annihilated (cf. Rev. 19:20; 20:10), nor ultimately restored (Rev. 22:11), but to be punished with final and everlasting destruction away from the presence of the Lord (2 Thess. 1:9).

Article XIV
Angels, Fallen and Unfallen
We believe...That God created an innumerable company of sinless, spiritual beings, known as angels (Col. 1:16; Heb. 12:22).
...That one, Satan, a personal being of the highest rank (Ezek. 28:12-19) through pride (1 Tim. 3:16) and unlawful ambition (Isa. 14:12-15) rebelled against God and fell, thereby becoming completely depraved in character (Jn. 8:44) and the leader of a large host of evil angels and demons who followed him in his fall (Rev. 12:9; Matt. 12:24, RV; Jude 6).
...That a great company of angels kept their holy estate (Mk. 8:38), and are before the throne of God (Rev. 5:11) from whence they are sent forth as ministering spirits, to minister to the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:13, 14).
...That Satan was judged at the cross (1 Jn. 3:8) and through subtlety led our first parents into transgression (2 Cor. 11:3), accomplishing their moral fall (Gen. 3:1-7), and, as the “god of this world,” subjecting them and their posterity to his own power (2 Cor. 4:4).
...That Satan was judged at the cross (Jn. 16:11; Col. 2:15), and, although that judgment was not immediately executed, he will ultimately be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone” where, together with the fallen angels and all the unsaved, he will be “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10,15; Jude 6).

Article XV
The Christian’s Walk
We believe...That the believer is called with a holy calling (2 Tim. 1:9) to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Rom. 8:4) and so to live in the power of he indwelling Spirit, that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-18).
...That as the flesh with its fallen Adamic nature in this life is never eradicated (Rom. 7:23; 1 Jn. 1:8; 1 Ki. 8:46; Phil. 3:12), it needs to be kept by the Spirit in constant subjection to Christ (Rom. 6:11-13; Eph. 4:22-24; 1 Cor. 10:12; 2 Cor. 10:5).
...That good works are in no sense the procuring cause of salvation (Eph. 2:8-10), but are its proper evidence and fruit (1 Jn. 3:9-10; Tit. 2:14; Matt. 7:16-20).
...That since our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20, RV), we as the children of God should live a consistent, separated Christian life (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Eph. 5:11), and abstain from all worldly amusements and unclean habits which defile mind and body (1 Thess. 5:22; 1 Pet. 2:11; Rom. 13:14; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20), and from such worldly practices as: the swearing of oaths (James 5:12), affiliation with secret societies (2 Cor. 6:14), using courts from settling disputes between believers (1 Cor. 6:1-8), taking personal vengeance and participating in carnal strife (Rom. 12:17-21; 2 Cor. 10:3, 4), and divorce as forbidden by the Lord (Matt. 19:9; Rom. 13:9).
...That the believer should keep the Word of the Lord (Jn. 14:23), seek those things which are above (Col. 3:1, 21), walk as He walked (1 Jn. 2:6), be careful to maintain good works (Tit. 3:8), and especially accept as a solemn responsibility the duty and privilege of bearing the Gospel (1 Cor. 5:19; Jn. 15:16), remembering that a victorious, fruitful life is possible only to those who in gratitude for the infinite and undeserved mercies of God have presented themselves wholly to Him for His service (Rom. 12:1, 2).