Doctrine Orientation

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

The Bible

We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Holy Bible.
We believe in the inerrancy and verbal plenary of the Scriptures in their original writings.
We believe the Scriptures to be God’s pure Word preserved unto all generations.
The Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice. 
(I Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Psalms 12:6-8)

The King James Version of the Bible is the English version we use.

The Godhead

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. 
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:18-19; Acts 5:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-3)

The Person and Work of the Father

We believe that God the Father, unlimited in holiness, power and majesty, especially showed His exceeding great love in giving His only beloved (begotten) Son to redeem man from sin for eternal fellowship with Him.  This act of grace was carried out according to His eternal, sovereign plan.  The nature of the Father is completely and perfectly revealed in the Son. 
(Genesis 3:14-15; Isaiah 53:10-12; John 3:16; Romans 16:20; Colossians 1:15,18-20)

The Person and Work of the Son
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God the Father and redeem sinful men.
(John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6, 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross, as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.
(Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest, He fulfills the Ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. 
(Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2)

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead who reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and He is the One who accomplishes the work of regeneration, indwelling all believers and seals them unto the day of redemption.
(John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14)

We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to the church for the common good of all believers.  Since each gift is given according to God’s sovereign will and the possession of any gift is of grace and does not constitute spiritual maturity.  The proper use of the gifts is for the edification of the church body and for giving preeminence and glory to Jesus Christ.
(I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22)

Man

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved, and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
(Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3,12)

The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image is mindful of him and in that Christ died for man, therefore every individual possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
(Psalm 8:4-9; Colossians 3:9-11)

Satan

We believe in the existence of Satan as a personal being and a fallen angelic creature of God, who is the open and declared enemy of God and man.
(Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; II Corinthians 4:3-4,14-15)

The Way of Salvation

We believe that the clear message of salvation is “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).  We believe that salvation is “by grace” plus nothing minus nothing.  We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.                       
(Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-19)

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever.  We believe that eternal life is the present possession of every believer.
(John 6:37-40,10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1-2)

The Church

We believe that the New Testament Church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the Great Commission.  The Lord is doing His work in this world through local churches.  The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.                  
(Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

Baptism

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper to be observed by all believers until His return.  We believe baptism was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ to symbolize the work of the Holy Spirit identifying the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.  Baptism is commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ and was practiced by the New Testament Church.  We practice the ordinance of public baptism by immersion after conversion and believe that it is the solemn responsibility of every believer to bear this testimony of trust in Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-44, 10:47-48; Romans 6:3-7; Colossians 2:12)

The Lord’s Supper

We believe the Lord’s Supper was instituted as a memorial remembrance which instructs the body of believers by focusing the believer’s worship upon Christ and His work on the cross.  The Lord’s Supper is the only act of worship where Jesus Christ gives us special directions and thus is the highlight of corporate worship.  We believe each believer is responsible not to partake of the bread (signifying His body broken for us) and the cup (signifying His blood shed for us) unworthily.          
(I Corinthians 11:20-34; Matthew 26:17-30)

The Responsibility of the Believer

We believe that all believers should walk by the Spirit in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Lord and Savior.  We believe that is the obligation of every believer to witness by life and by word to the truths of the Holy Scriptures and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all the world.  We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the Lord in prayer and to support it with their means as the Lord has prospered them.  We believe that every believer has a spiritual gift which should be used to edify the body of Christ.
(Acts 1:8; Romans 12:1-2, 14:13; I Corinthians 12:14, 16:2; II Corinthians 6:14, 7:1, 9:7; Ephesians 4:11-16)

The Bodily Return of Christ

We believe the “Blessed Hope” of our Lord’s return is literal, personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational.  Believers will be caught up (raptured) to be with the Lord prior to the seven years of tribulation and at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to establish His thousand-year reign on earth.
(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10;
Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4)

Our Eternal State

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
(Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13)

What We Believe...

Good Shepherd Baptist Church * 1880 Mayfield Road * Grand Prairie, Texas * 75052

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