Gratia Gratis

Statement of Faith

Gratia Gratis is a Free Grace Christian ministry.

God

  1. We affirm that there is one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6), creator of all things (Genesis 1:1; Nehemiah 9:6; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:1-3);
  2. We affirm that God exists eternally in the three persons revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), who share the one divine essence (John 1:1; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18);
  3. We affirm that what is today known as the Trinity is evident in the scriptures from the beginning (Genesis 1:1, 26) to the end (Revelation 22:6,16);

The Scriptures

  1. We affirm that the Biblical canon consists of sixty-six books , which are the inspired word of the living God, infallible and without error in the original writings;
  2. We affirm that the Bible was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, given by the Lord to his servants throughout the ages (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17);
  3. We affirm that the Bible has absolute authority on spiritual, moral, and practical matters (2 Timothy 3:16);
  4. We affirm that God wrote the Bible to be understood by everyone, therefore we affirm a natural method of interpretation, that is, contextual, literal, historical, grammatical;

Sin

  1. We affirm that all humanity inherits a fallen, sinful nature (Romans 3:10-12; 3:23);
  2. We affirm that every human being has a heart that is irremediably diseased (Jeremiah 17:9), due to original sin (Genesis 3; 5:3);
  3. We affirm that all humanity lives in a fallen and corrupt environment (Romans 8:20-23);
  4. We affirm that every descendant of Adam, being freely capable of moral actions, sins (Romans 3:23);
  5. We affirm that every human being dies because of sin (Romans 6:23);
  6. We affirm that every sinner who does not find salvation will be resurrected (Acts 24:15), judged (Romans 2:16), and will receive a punishment sentence that is eternal (Isaiah 66:24; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:41,46), i.e., the “second death” (Revelation 21:8).

Redeemer

  1. We affirm that God promised a Redeemer at the same time He pronounced the curse following the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15);
  2. We affirm that such a redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Scriptures (e.g., Isaiah 9:5; 53; Micah 5:1)
  3. We affirm that the Redeemer Jesus Christ has two distinct but complete natures (hypostatic union): human (1 Timothy 2:5-6) and divine (1 John 5:20)
  4. We affirm that the human nature of the Redeemer is necessary to the work of redeeming humanity, according to the principle of the kinsman redeemer (Leviticus 25:47-55)
  5. We affirm that the divine nature of the Redeemer is revealed in both the Old and New Testaments (Isaiah 9:5; Micah 5:1; John 1:1; 1 John 5:20)

Salvation

  1. We affirm that no one can earn eternal life through good works (Titus 3:5; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 11:6);
  2. We affirm that eternal life (salvation) is a free gift that God offers to humanity (Ephesians 2:8-9);
  3. We affirm that this gift, grace, is to be received by placing one’s faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-24; 10:9; 11:6; John 3:16-18);
  4. We affirm that Jesus Christ is the only way to reconciliation with God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12);
  5. We affirm that Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice is sufficient for all the sins of mankind, past, present, and future (Hebrews 10:12; 1 John 2:2), but efficacious only for those who believe (Romans 5:1; John 3:18; Colossians 2:13-14);
  6. We affirm that God desires the salvation of all (1 Timothy 2:4);
  7. We affirm that God’s will is that whoever looks to the Son in faith for the forgiveness of their sins should have eternal life (John 6:40);
  8. We affirm that salvation is therefore available to anyone who asks in faith (Luke 11:10-13);
  9. We affirm that salvation is personal and each person is responsible for his or her own destiny (Ezekiel 14:13-14);
  10. We affirm that salvation can only be obtained during this life and there are no second chances (Hebrews 9:27);
  11. We affirm that salvation is guaranteed by God at the moment of the new birth (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

Salvation — New Birth

When we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, God grants us His grace: all our sins are blotted out and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is a pledge and guarantee of things to come (Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Hebrews 10:12). This satisfies the condition of new birth (or birth from above or from God ) (John 3:3; John 1:13; John 3:6-7). We thus become God’s possession (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), from Whom no one can take anything away (1 John 4:4; John 10:28-29; Matthew 16:18), not even ourselves (Romans 8:38-39).

Mediation between God and Man

  1. We affirm that before sin, man had no need of mediation in his relationship with God (Genesis 3:8);
  2. We affirm that after the Fall into sin (Genesis 3) mediation between God and man became necessary;
  3. We affirm that mediation is implemented differently depending on the dispensation (e.g. Exodus 20:18-19; Exodus 28);
  4. We affirm that once the Father’s work was completed (John 19:30), Jesus Christ became the only eternal mediator between man and God (1 Timothy 2:5);
  5. We affirm that Jesus’ mediator role is based on the role of High Priest according to the model of the temple that was given to the Israelites; Jesus is now high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 4:7);
  6. We reject any attempt to introduce mediators of another nature (priests, clergymen, false prophets, madonnas, dead saints, etc.).

Baptism of water

  1. We affirm water baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19);
  2. We affirm that every born-again believer should honour the commandment of water baptism (Acts 8:12,36-38; 16:31-33; 18:8);
  3. We affirm that every born-again believer should have free access to water baptism solely on the basis of his or her profession of faith (Acts 10:47);
  4. We reject the idea that water baptism is necessary for salvation (1 Corinthians 1:14-17).

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

  1. We affirm that all born-again believers are Baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) at the moment of the new birth, that is, at the moment they believe (Ephesians 1:13-14);
  2. We affirm that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is exclusively the process by which the Lord adds the saved to the Church (1 Corinthians 12:13);
  3. We affirm the equivalence of expressions such as “Baptism of the Spirit”, “Baptism in the Spirit”, “Baptism with the Spirit”, as all indicating the same event; therefore, we consider it incorrect to refer to subsequent visible investitures in power (e.g. speaking in tongues, etc.) of the Spirit as “Baptism of the Spirit”;
  4. We affirm that the endowment in power of the Spirit also occurred under the old covenant (e.g., Ezekiel 11:5; 1 Samuel 11:6; John 11:51; and many others); however, this did not constitute a Baptism of the Spirit;
  5. We affirm that such an endowment in power can also occur today for born-again believers, but this does not constitute visual evidence of the Baptism of the Spirit (Acts 4:8; 7:55; 13:52);
  6. We affirm that dramatic manifestations of the Spirit such as those in Acts 2; 8; 10; 19 do not constitute the average reference experience for the Baptism of the Spirit, but are linked to particular moments where baptism and investiture in power coincide.

Holy Supper (Communion)

  1. We affirm that the Lord Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper at His Last Supper (Matthew 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:14–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–25);
  2. We affirm communion as an act commemorating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (Luke 22:19-20);
  3. We affirm that during communion we look both to the past sacrifice and to the future return of the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:26);
  4. We reject transubstantiation .

Church and Israel

  1. We affirm that there is only one true Church, which is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), made up of the body of born-again believers between Pentecost (Acts 2) and the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) regardless of denomination, place of birth, etc.;
  2. We affirm that the Church and Israel are two distinct entities in the sight of God (1 Corinthians 10:32);
  3. We affirm that there are neither Jews nor Gentiles in the Church (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:15);
  4. We affirm that outside the Church the distinction between Jews and Gentiles, started with the calling of Abraham (Genesis 12), still exists;
  5. We affirm that Israel will forever be a nation before God (Jeremiah 31:35-36; 33:14-26);
  6. We affirm that following the Rapture of the Church, the nation of Israel will again be the focus of God’s plans (Acts 15:13-18), to begin the process of fulfilling all the remaining promises He has made to His people (Romans 11:25-26).

Eschatology

  1. We affirm that the Great Tribulation has the dual purpose of eliminating disobedient nations and disciplining the remnant of Israel who will carry on as God’s chosen nation (Jeremiah 30:5-11);
  2. We affirm that the Church, being part of neither group (Galatians 3:28), and being cleansed once and for all by the blood of the Lamb (Hebrews 10:14; Ephesians 5:25-27), has, theologically, neither role nor reason to be involved in the Great Tribulation;
  3. We affirm, therefore, that the Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) will occur before the Great Tribulation and the Wrath of God (Revelation 3:10);
  4. We affirm the physical return of the Lord Jesus to earth to establish the Millennial Kingdom, with Israel as the Lord’s chosen nation (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:27; Revelation 20:1-6);
  5. We affirm that the Church will reign in the Millennium together with the Lord Jesus, being his bride (Revelation 5:9-10; Ephesians 2:4-7).