What We Believe
1. The Bible is verbally and completely inspired, is God's infallible word, authoritative for all faith and life. (II Timothy 3:16-17)
2. There is one God- personal, infinite, perfect and eternally existing as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. (I John 5:7)
3. Jesus Christ is true God and true Man, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, provided substitutionary atonement for lost man and rose bodily from the grave. (Hebrews 1:1-14)
4. The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person and works in the conviction of men and in the regeneration, sanctification and preservation of the believer. (John 14:26)
5. God directly created the universe from no pre-existing substance. We reject both naturalistic and theistic evolution. (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16)
6. Satan is a fallen created personality, opposed to all that is holy and is destined for eternal punishment. (John 8:44)
7. Man was made in God's own image and fell into sin in Adam and is now a sinner both by nature and choice and can be restored to God's favor only by God's provision in Christ as applied by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 3:10-19)
8. God's provision- Christ is the only ground for man's justification which includes both pardon from sin and the gift of eternal life. (I Peter 2:24)
9. Salvation comes to man only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from any human merit. (Romans 4:4-5; Ephesians 2:8-9)
10. All persons will experience resurrection, believers to a state of eternal happiness and unbelievers to eternal punishment. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29)9)
11. The return of Christ includes both the rapture of the church and His return in glory. The first is for His church which is personal and may occur at any moment. The second is His return to earth to establish His righteous reign over the earth. (I Thessalonians 4:16)
TAKEN FROM: GARLAND COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH CONSTITUTION, REVISED JULY 24, 2011- ARTICLE V