Griggs Statement of Beliefs
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES: The Holy Scriptures are the Old and New Testaments. They alone are the inspired Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
THE GODHEAD: There is one triune God eternally existing. He is manifested in three personal distinctions—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (1 Peter 1:2)
JESUS: He is the eternal Son of God. He is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He revealed God and redeems sinful man. He accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. Our justification is made possible by his resurrection from the dead. He ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father, where he serves us as Savior, King, and Friend. (Galatians 4:4–7)
THE HOLY SPIRIT: He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; he regenerates us, indwells us, and seals us until the day of redemption. He gives us spiritual gifts so that we can serve the church and reach the world. (John 16:8–11)
SIN: Mankind was created in the image of God. Men and women were created to enjoy God, marry each other, and live in harmony with others and the earth. However, because of the sin of Adam and Eve (after being tempted by Satan) the entire human race is fallen, sinful by nature and separated from God, unable to reconcile with God by human effort. (Romans 5:12)
SALVATION: Salvation is the gift of God. It is given to mankind by love and grace. It’s received by repentance and faith in Jesus, whose blood was shed on the cross for our forgiveness and whose resurrection secured the defeat of Satan, sin, and death. (Ephesians 2:8–9)
THE CHURCH: The Church is the body of Christ. It’s universal, consisting of all followers of Jesus of every time and place. It’s also local, consisting of believers in a certain geography. The local church takes the Lord’s Supper to remember Jesus’ death and baptizes the saved for a testimony of their new life in Christ. As the people of God, the church serves others using their spiritual gifts, follows the leadership of qualified pastors and deacons, and lovingly fellowships around the gospel. (Acts 2:42–47)
ETERNITY: All people will stand before Jesus to be judged. Those who accepted Jesus in life will be given eternal life in the new heaven and new earth, and those who rejected him will suffer what is known as the second death in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11–21:6)
THE SECOND COMING: Jesus will personally return to earth one day to rule and reign. His return is imminent. At his return he will establish his kingdom physically, lovingly dwell with his people for all eternity, and wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 21:1–6)
GENDER AND MARRIAGE: By divine design each one of us are born male or female. Our design is to be embraced in thanks to God because these two distinct, complementary genders are good. Together they reflect God’s image and nature. (Genesis 2:18–25)
Christian marriage is a calling from God whereby one Christian man and one Christian woman enter into an exclusive, lifetime covenant to display the love of Christ and the church. According to Scripture, all sexual activity must be reserved for, and stay within the covenant of marriage and any sexual activity before, or outside of, marriage is sin. (Ephesians 5:25–33)
THE GOSPEL
The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is the promised King, the Messiah. Through his life, death, and resurrection, he mercifully and justly offers full access to the Kingdom of God to all who repent of their sinful state and believe in Him. This invitation extends to everyone, including those that society often sees as abandoned by God—the outcast, the poor, the sick, the unclean, and the guilty. Anyone who confesses their sin and wholly depends on Jesus will receive salvation.
Salvation is a gift from God, given to sinful humanity by his love and grace alone. Our salvation includes, among other benefits, being forgiven of our sins, justified before God, and brought into a right relationship with him. When we receive salvation, we also receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who transforms us into new creations in this life, serving as a guarantee of eternal life in God’s presence.
Ultimately, after Jesus returns and executes his final judgment of the living and the dead, those who trusted Jesus in life will dwell in a new heaven and new earth, where sin and its curse will be no more.
THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word, completely true and without error. Its ultimate purpose is to reveal God’s plan to redeem mankind from Satan, sin, and death. The heart of this plan is found in the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—where we encounter the good news of Jesus. In a profound way, the entire Bible is about Jesus.
This doesn’t mean the Bible only teaches us how to convert to Christianity. All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. However, it does mean that the Old Testament points forward to Jesus’ coming and is fulfilled in him. The New Testament, from Acts to Jude, guides Christian living by pointing back to Jesus. And Revelation looks ahead to his second coming. Therefore, studying the Bible without considering all that Jesus accomplished would lead to empty religion. As Jesus himself said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39).
So, whenever we study the Scriptures, interpret the Scriptures, or seek to apply the Scriptures to our lives, we do so through the lens of all that Jesus did and taught.
