Doctrinal statements can sometimes highlight what a group is against rather than what it is for. Our hope is to accentuate the latter. We love truth, for truth helps us to love Christ and others better. Instructed by God’s word, guided by God’s Spirit, and equipped with God’s gospel, we want to be a loving band of disciple making disciples for the glory of Jesus Christ.
6 CORE BELIEFS OF BGC
01 —
We believe:
that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31, 32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32).
02 —
We believe:
that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption (Genesis 1:1, 26; John 1:1, 3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19, 20; Ephesians 4:5, 6).
03 —
We believe:
that man and woman were created by God in His own image; that they sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. Unregenerate mankind is incapable of rectifying his sinfully corrupted state before God and is under the tyranny of sin and Satan. Apart from God’s intervention, man remains eternally separated from God with no hope of salvation (Genesis 1:26; 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17; 3:19; Ecclesiastes. 2:11; John 3:14; 5:24; John 5:30; 7:13; 8:12; 10:26; Romans 9:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 19:3, 20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:18; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19; Ephesians 2:1-2; 2:12).
04 —
We believe:
that the gospel, or good news, is revealed in Jesus Christ. Through his perfectly obedient life and substitutionary death on the cross Jesus fulfilled man’s righteousness and bore his curse, making it possible for human beings to be reconciled with God. At the cross God reveals his love for mankind and his justice by expending his wrath against Christ, the sin bearer. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which men and women must be saved. For his willing and obedient sacrificial death, God the Father has highly exalted Jesus Christ and has appointed him Judge of all mankind and Savior of all who repent and believe upon him. This is attested to by Christ’s resurrection from the dead, which ensures the efficacy of his sacrifice on behalf of sinful man and displays him to be the sure object of saving faith and atonement for sins (Mark 1:1; Romans 5:10, 18-19; Galatians 3:13; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:23-26; 1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:9-11; Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 15:17).
05 —
We believe:
that in addition to effecting regeneration and sanctification, the Holy Spirit also empowers believers for Christian witness and service. While all genuine believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at conversion, the New Testament indicates the importance of an ongoing, empowering work of the Spirit subsequent to conversion as well. Being indwelt by the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit are theologically distinct experiences. The Holy Spirit desires to fill each believer continually with increased power for Christian life and witness, and imparts his supernatural gifts for the edification of the Body and for various works of ministry in the world. All the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work in the church of the first century are available today, are vital for the mission of the church, and are to be earnestly desired and practiced (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 7:7; 12:8-11, 28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Corinthians 14:1, 39).
06 —
We believe:
in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of baptized believers in Jesus Christ, associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world and making disciples of all nations (Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19-21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23-25; Matthew 28:19-20).