1.
Commitment to God and His Authoritative
Word
2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Hebrews 4:12
The Bible is God’s revelation to us in completion, perfection, and absolute authority.
Therefore consistent expository teaching and application of what God has said in his
Word is a must. This living Word is the primary means of our knowing and
worshiping him in truth.
2. Commitment to God-centered Worship
Luke 4:8; John 4:24; Hebrews 12:28-29; Acts 2:42; 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
Believers gather to worship and to be equipped and then spread out to evangelize.
Church services must be primarily for the glory and pleasure of God, which results in
the progressive maturity of his people.
3. Commitment to Proclaiming Jesus as Lord
and Savior
Luke 9:23-27; 14:25-33; James 2:14-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus Christ is both the Lord and Savior, and the two cannot be separated. The modern
shallow understanding of salvation and the gospel, known as “easy-believism,” stands
in stark contrast to what the Bible teaches. The gospel call to faith presupposes that
sinners must repent of their sin and yield to Christ's authority. Therefore, salvation is
an absolute transition of allegiance to Jesus, the Messiah and the Master.
4. Commitment to Making Disciples Locally and
Globally
Matthew 28:16-20; 1 Timothy 1:16
The church should foster disciple-making within its own community through the
relational witness of the body as well as in the world through church planting and
missions. Both individually and corporately, we will purposefully and aggressively
pursue evangelism.
5. Commitment to Grace-Motivated Spiritual
Growth
Galatians 3:1-3; Romans 11:33-12:2; Philippians 2:12, 13; 1 John 1:9
Living a grace-motivated life is not a liberty that allows a believer to choose a
lifestyle independent of the Scriptures. Rather, it is a discipline that increasingly
teaches a believer to say “no” to ungodliness, and to hunger for righteousness. While
the presence of sin will not be absent until we reach heaven, followers of Christ can
be confident that if they confess their sin, God is faithful to forgive and restore the
parental relationship between him and his elect ones.
6. Commitment to Dependent Expectant Prayer
Matthew 7:7-11; 21:13; Acts 1:13-14
Prayer is the lifeblood of the church. Every aspect of ministry must be saturated with
humble surrender and confident intercession. Whether secret or public, whether
personal or corporate, prayer must be the hallmark of the local church.
7. Commitment to Plurality of Servant Leaders
1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:2
Multiple qualified elders who respect and value one another and who serve God’s
people in humility must lead the church. The church must diligently prepare future
leaders who are confidently committed to God’s truth and who are able, with
precision and skill, to lead others into that truth.
8. Commitment to Authenticity and
Accountability
Hebrews 10:24, 25; Acts 4:32
Believers must go beyond superficial relationships and be committed to intimacy in
each other’s lives, continually stirring up one another to love God and love others.
The church must minister to both the physical and spiritual needs of the body.
Selfless, sacrificial love is the defining mark of Christ's disciples and the continual
requirement for flawed humans to work together demands a sacrificial giving of one's
self for another.
9. Commitment to Church Discipline and
Restoration
Matthew 18:15-35; 1 Corinthians 5; Galatians 6:1-2
Even though it is unpopular in today’s culture, a church family must be committed to
following the complete biblical process when a church member is in unrepentant sin.
Restoration, the constant goal of church discipline, patiently returns an erring
Christian to complete fellowship with God and the church. Church members must
mourn over sinning brothers and sisters and eagerly forgive with joy at their
repentance.
10. Commitment to Corporate Ministry
Ephesians 2:10; 4:11-16; James 1:27
Every believer is made for ministry and has a place of service or outreach. Ministry
should never be viewed as the job of the “trained professionals.”
Additional Commitments
The elders of Grace Church recognized the Nashville Statement as an additional
statement representing and affirming our church belief and positions on human
sexuality. You can read our personalized version of the statement here at GCV
Nashville Statement.
