Gages Lake Bible Church

Our Beliefs

Gages Lake Bible Church is a member of Independent Fundamental Churches of America. We support the IFCA as a fellowship committed to biblical ministry; we seek to accurately proclaim God's Word, exemplify Christ's character, declare God's holiness to the nations, and reflect the ethnically blended Body of Christ.

The purpose of the IFCA is to strengthen local churches toward biblical maturity, leading to reproduction. We aspire to become healthy churches that work together.

For more information about IFCA, go to www.ifca.org. Our Articles of Faith are below.

Article I. THE SCRIPTURES

We believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," by which we understand the whole book called the Bible, nor do we take the statement in the sense in which it is sometimes foolishly said that "works of human genius are inspired ," but in the sense that the Holy Ghost gave the very words of sacred writings to holy men of old, and that His divine inspiration is not in different degrees, but extends fully to all parts of these writings, historical, poetical, doctrinal and prophetical, and to the smallest word and inflections of a word, provided such word is found in the original manuscripts. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21; I Corinthians 2:13; Mark 12:26, 36; Mark 13:11; Acts 1:16; Acts 2:4).

Article II. THE GODHEAD

We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience. (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 5:3-4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6).

Article III. THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man, originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, fell from his high and holy estate by eating the forbidden fruit, and as the consequence of his disobedience, the threatened penalty of death was then and there inflicted, so that his moral nature was not only grievously injured by the fall, but he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and subject to the power of the devil. (Genesis 1:26; John 5:40; John 6:53; Ephesians 2:1-3; I Tim. 5:6; I John 3:8).

Article IV. THE DEPRAVITY OF ALL MEN

We believe that this spiritual death, or total corruption of human nature, has been transmitted to the entire race of man, the man Christ Jesus only excepted; and hence, that every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and unchangeably bad, being at enmity against God, and incapable by any educational process whatever of subjecting to His law. (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6; Romans 5:12-19; Romans 8:6-7).

Article V. THE NEED OF A NEW BIRTH

We believe that owing to this universal depravity and death in sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again; and that there is no degree of reformation, however great; no attainment in morality, however high; no culture, however attractive; no humanitarian and philanthropic schemes and societies, however useful, no baptism or other ordinance, however administered; can help the sinner to take one step toward heaven; but a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the Holy Ghost through the Word, is absolutely essential to salvation. (Isaiah 64:6; John 3:4; John 3:18; Galatians 6:l5; Philippians 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; I Peter 1:23).

Article VI. THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST

We believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin, and made a curse for us, dying in our room and stead; and that no repentance, no feeling, no resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of any church, or of all the churches that have existed since the days of the apostles, can add in the very least to the value of that precious blood, or to merit of that finished work, wrought for us by Christ, who united in His person true and proper divinity and sinless humanity. (Leviticus 17:11; Matthew 26:28; II Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:6-9; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:17; I Peter 1:18-19).

Article VII. THE UNION WITH CHRIST

We believe that Christ, in the fullness of the blessings He secured by His obedience unto death, is received by faith alone, and that the moment we trust in Him as our Savior, we pass out of death into everlasting life, being justified from all things, accepted before the Father according to the measure of His acceptance, loved as He is loved, and having His place and portion, is linked to Him, and one with Him forever. (John 5:24; Acts 13:39; Revelation 5:1; Ephesians 2:4-6, 13; I John 4:17; I John 5:11-12).

Article VIII. THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

We believe that it is the privilege, not only of some, but of all who are born again by the Spirit through faith in Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, to be assured of their salvation from the very day they take Him to be their Savior; and that this assurance is not founded upon any fancied discovery of their own worthiness, but wholly upon testimony of God in His written Word, exciting within His children filial love, gratitude, and obedience (Luke 10:20; Luke 12:32; John 6:47; Romans 8:33-39; II Corinthians 5:1,6-8; II Tim. 1:12; I John 5:13).

Article IX. THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST

We believe that all Scripture, from the first to the last, centers about our Lord Jesus Christ, in His person and work, in His first and second coming; and hence that no chapter even in the Old Testament is properly read or understood until it leads to Him; and moreover that all the Scriptures, from the first to the last, including every chapter even of the Old Testament, were designed for our practical instruction. (Luke 24:27-44; John 5:39; Acts 17:2- 3; Acts 18:28; Acts 26:22-23; Acts 28:23; Romans 15:4; I Corinthians 10:11).

Article X. THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS

We believe that the church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit to the risen and ascended Son of God; that by the same Spirit we are all baptized into one body; whether we be Jews or Gentiles; and thus being members of one another, we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all sectarian prejudices and denominational bigotry, and loving one another with a pure heart fervently. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:32-47; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 1:20-23).

Article XI. THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Ghost, not as an influence, but as a Divine Person, the source and power of all acceptable worship and service, is our abiding Comforter and Helper; that He never takes His departure from the Church, nor from the feeblest of the saints, but is ever present to testify of Christ, seeking to occupy us with Him, and not with ourselves nor with our experiences. (John 7:38-39; John 14:16-17; John 15:13-14; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9; Philippians3:3).

Article XII. THE HOLY CALLING IN CHRIST

We believe that we are called with a holy calling to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, and so to live in the Spirit that we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh; but the flesh, being still in us to the end of our earthy pilgrimage, needs to be kept constantly in subjection to Christ, or it will surely manifest its presence to the dishonor of His Name (Romans 8:12-13; Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:1-10; I Pet.1:14-16; I John 3:5-9).

Article XIII. THE ETERNAL STATE

We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming, when the soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory; but the souls of the unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgment of the great white throne at the close of the Millennium, when soul and body united shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power (Luke 16:19-26;Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Jude 1:6-7; Philippians 1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15).

Article XIV. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

We believe that the world will not be converted during the present dispensation, but is fast ripening for judgment, while there will be a fearful apostasy in the professing Christian body and hence that the Lord Jesus will come in person to introduce the Millennial age, when Israel shall be restored to their land, and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord; and that this personal and pre-Millennial advent is the blessed hope set before us in the Gospel for which we should be constantly looking. (Luke 12:35-40; Luke 18:8; Acts 15:14-17; II Thessalonians 2:3-8; II Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 2:11-15).

We believe in the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to earth with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6; I Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

Article XV. HUMAN SEXUALITY

We believe that the definition of marriage as defined in the Bible is a covenant monogamous relationship to be entered into solely by one man and one woman. Any other redefinition of marriage, such as a relationship between two men, two women, or more than two persons, is against the ordinances of God. (Genesis 2:27; Malachi 2:14-15; Matthew 19:4-6; I Corinthians 6:9-11).
We believe that chastity outside of marriage and fidelity within marriage is the Biblical standard of human sexuality. (Hebrews 13:4).
We believe that premarital sex, extramarital sex and homosexuality are sins and that those engaged in such practices are objects of the grace of God to be reached and won to the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Savior of sinners. (Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:18,24,27; I Corinthians 6:9-20; Ephesians 5:3).

Article XVI. MISSIONS

We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:19-20).

Article XVII. THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and, that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were compiled and their authority became established. (I Corinthians 12:4-11; II Corinthians 12:12).
We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. (John 15:7; I John 5:14,15).

Article XVIII. THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born again persons of this present age. (Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2).
We believe that 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).
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).
We recognize the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s supper as a scriptural means of testimony for the Church in this age. (Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 2:41,42; 18:8; I Corinthians 11:23-26).