Our Core Beliefs

The following encapsulate the essential tenets of faith at Grace Summit Church, founded on the unshakeable truths in the Bible. All our teaching and ministerial work are deeply entrenched in and flow from these theological doctrines.

Scripture

We believe the Bible is the God-inspired word, a revelation from the Divine to humanity, the living, unfailing, and ever-potent word of God, and a guide to our lives surpassing even our conscience or reason. Penned by human authors under the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit, it stands as the embodiment of truth, devoid of any error and remains relevant to our day-to-day existence.

2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25

The Trinity

We embrace the doctrine of the Trinity, consisting of three unique persons – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit – who exist eternally, self-revealing, and functioning as a singular entity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have coexisted eternally. Although each member of the Trinity fulfills different roles, they equally share in power and authority.

Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 1:35; John 5:21-23; 14:10, 16; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8-10; James 2:19

God the Father

God is majestic, omnipotent, omniscient, ever-present, unchanging, completely deserving of our trust, and above all, Holy. In Him, we live, move, and have our being. God is benevolent. He is our Heavenly Father, abounding in love, compassion, and faithful to His people and His promises.

Exodus 3:14; Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; Psalm 11:4-6; Malachi 3:6; John 3:16; 4:24; 5:26; 14:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 3:3-4

God the Son

Jesus Christ is wholly human and concurrently, wholly divine. He is the singular plan for reconciling humanity that is far from God back to a harmonious relationship with Him. He lived a faultless and sinless life, offering Himself as our substitute to satisfy God’s requirement for perfection. By His death and resurrection, He vanquished death, granting life to those who receive Him.

Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 14:33; 16:16; 28:5-6; Luke 22:70; 24:46-47; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 11:25-27; 17:1-5; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 8:1-3; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Gal 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16

God the Holy Spirit

The presence of the Holy Spirit reassures us of our relationship with Christ. He leads believers into all truth and exalts Christ. He convicts us of our sin, God’s righteousness, and impending judgment. He provides comfort, gifts us spiritually, and helps us become more Christlike.

Genesis 1:2; Psalms 51:11; 139:7; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Mark 1:10; Luke 1:35; 4:1; 11:13; 12:12; John 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 13:2; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:2; Revelation 22:17

Baptism in the Spirit

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is marked initially by the physical sign of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit provides utterance, followed by the ability to live and serve as Christ’s witnesses and ministers. It enables the believer to pray perfectly by praying in the Spirit, signified by speaking in tongues. Praying in tongues allows us to communicate perfectly with God, tailored to any situation.

Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:1-7; Galatians 5:16-26; 1 Corinthians 4:15

Eternity

Humans were created for eternal existence. They will either live forever separated from God due to sin or in union with Him through forgiveness and salvation, which comes from accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. To be eternally separated from God is Hell, while eternal union with Him is Heaven. Both Heaven and Hell are literal places of eternal existence.

John 3:16, 36; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15

Humanity

Humans, made in God’s image, are the pinnacle of His creation. They were formed to commune with God but became estranged through sinful disobedience. Consequently, they cannot attain a harmonious relationship with God through their effort alone.

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-22; 3; Psalms 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11

Redemption

Salvation is provided solely through the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross. It offers the only path to salvation through sin forgiveness. Salvation happens when individuals place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as the sufficient atonement for their sin and make Him the Lord of their lives. It’s a divine gift and cannot be attained through our own efforts.

Isaiah 1:18; 53:5-6; 55:7; Matthew 1:21; 27:22-66; 28:1-6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-18; 3:23-25;5:8-10; 6; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 9:24-28; Revelation 3:20; Romans 10:9

The Church

The Church is God’s selected vessel for reaching out to the world. It consists of a body of believers, unified through faith in Christ, dedicated to the teachings of Christ, obeying all His commandments, and committed to propagating the Gospel. The Church strives in love and unity, with the prime purpose of glorifying Christ.

Matthew 16:18-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11-14; 13:1-3; 14:23; 16:5; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:10-12; 5:22-32; Colossians 1:18; 3:15; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3

Water Baptism

Baptism through immersion is a commandment in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord should be baptized. It publicly declares our faith, indicating to the world that we have died with Christ and risen with Him to lead a new life.

Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is about more than the bread and wine; it’s about Jesus’s body and blood. It’s not an obligation but a celebration, a command to remember. Comprising the elements – the bread and wine/juice, it symbolizes our shared divine nature with our Lord Jesus Christ, reminds us of His suffering and death, and prophesies His second coming. In partaking, we offer thanks and praise to God for His Son, always pointing us back to Christ. The Bible advises us to approach communion with the right spirit.

2 Peter 1:4; 1 Corinthians 11:26, 28

Marriage, Gender, and Sexual Relations

God created genders as male and female. The Church will only sanction or conduct marriages between a man and a woman. God established marriage between male and female as the family’s foundation, the primary structure of human society. He commanded that intimate sexual activity should only occur within the context of marriage between a man and a woman. God created each person wonderfully and immutably as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together mirror God’s image and nature. Biological sex and gender identity are firmly determined at birth.

Genesis 1:26-27, 2:24, 19:5, 26:8-11; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4