Greater Refuge Tabernacle Ministries International, Inc.
"WHAT WE BELIEVE"
1. Holy Scriptures – are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore, the final authority for faith and life. The Bible is the complete and divine revelation of God to man and shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21)
2. Dispensationalism – rules of life or God’s plan of the ages. His divinely ordered stewardship by which God directs man according to His purpose. The law, the church and the kingdom are the three detailed dispensations mentioned in Scripture. (Gen. 1:28, I Cor. 9:17, II Cor. 3:9-18, Gal. 3:13-25, Eph. 1:10, 3:2-10, Col. 1:24-25, 27, Rev. 20:2-6)
3. The Trinity – there is one ever-living eternal God who is infinite in Power, holy in nature, attributes and purpose and possesses absolute deity. This One true God exists and has revealed Himself to mankind as Father in creation, Son through redemption, and as Holy Spirit in regeneration. (I Cor. 8:6, Eph. 4:6, II Cor. 5:19, Rom. 1:19, 21, 28, 32, 2:15, Acts 1:8, John 16:7-11, Eph. 1:13-14)
4. The Depravity of Man – man was created in the image and likeness of God, but the human race fell through Adam’s sin and inherited a sinful nature and became alienated from God. Mankind is totally depraved and unable to remedy his lost condition on his own. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3: 10, 23, 6:23, Eph. 2:1-3)
5. Salvation – a free gift of God brought to man by grace and received by grace through the new birth experience, by personal faith in Jesus Christ. (John 1:12, Eph. 1:7, John 3:3-6, Acts 2:38)
6. The Church – the universal body of born again believers which is the bride of Christ. This body functions in through the many God-given gifts to carry on the work on Christ. (I Cor. 12:12-14, II Cor. 11:2, Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27).
7. The Second Coming of Christ – the “blessed hope” and imminent return of Christ who will rapture His Church prior to the seven – year tribulation period. (Ps. 89:3-4, I Thes. 4:13-18, Rev. 3:10-11)
8. Sanctification – the process of being made holy, consecrated and set apart for the use and purposes of God. (Rom. 12:1-2, I Pet. 1:14-16, I Thes. 4:3-4)
9. Satan – a spirit-being, like the angels, who rebelled against God. He is the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man. He is the declared enemy of God and man and he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Gen. 3:1, Job 1:6-7, Is. 14:12-17, Matt. 4:2-11, 25:41, Rev. 20:10)
10. The Eternal State – the bodily resurrection of all men – the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46, John 5:28, jj:25-26, Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)
11. Civil Government – God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all including the authorities themselves are answerable to God and governed by His Word. Each institution has specific responsibilities and each is sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility. (Rom. 13:1-7, Eph. 5:22-24, Heb. 13:17, I Pet. 2:13-14)
12. Human Sexuality – God has ordained that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Homosexuality, lesbianism, bi-sexuality, incest, fornication, and adultery are sinful perversions of God’s gifts of sex. The only legitimate marriage is joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24, 19:5, 13, 3:4, Rom. 7:2, I Cor. 7:10, Eph. 5:22-23)
13. Divorce & Remarriage – God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one’s spouse dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of Pastor or deacon. (Matt. 19:3-12, Rom. 7:1-3, I Tim. 3, 2:12, Titus 1:6)
14. Abortion – human life begins at conception and the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16, Ps. 51:5, 139-:14-16, Is. 44:24, 49:1, 5, Jer. 1:5, 20:15-18, Luke 1:44)
15. Law Suits Between Believers – Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. The church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice of slander. Only when a Christian refuses to listen to his offended brother to resolve a situation and the biblical “resolution” process has been carried out (Matt. 18:15-17) does a Christian have the grounds to go to court. But every avenue should be sought to bring this under control by the church. (I Cor. 6:1-8, Eph. 4:31-32)
16. Giving – every Christian, as a steward of God is obligated to support his local church financially. God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but other offerings should also be given sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church and its ministry. (Prov. 3:9-10, Luke 6:38, Acts. 4:32-37, II Cor. 9:6-7, I John 3:16-17)
1. Holy Scriptures – are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore, the final authority for faith and life. The Bible is the complete and divine revelation of God to man and shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21)
2. Dispensationalism – rules of life or God’s plan of the ages. His divinely ordered stewardship by which God directs man according to His purpose. The law, the church and the kingdom are the three detailed dispensations mentioned in Scripture. (Gen. 1:28, I Cor. 9:17, II Cor. 3:9-18, Gal. 3:13-25, Eph. 1:10, 3:2-10, Col. 1:24-25, 27, Rev. 20:2-6)
3. The Trinity – there is one ever-living eternal God who is infinite in Power, holy in nature, attributes and purpose and possesses absolute deity. This One true God exists and has revealed Himself to mankind as Father in creation, Son through redemption, and as Holy Spirit in regeneration. (I Cor. 8:6, Eph. 4:6, II Cor. 5:19, Rom. 1:19, 21, 28, 32, 2:15, Acts 1:8, John 16:7-11, Eph. 1:13-14)
4. The Depravity of Man – man was created in the image and likeness of God, but the human race fell through Adam’s sin and inherited a sinful nature and became alienated from God. Mankind is totally depraved and unable to remedy his lost condition on his own. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3: 10, 23, 6:23, Eph. 2:1-3)
5. Salvation – a free gift of God brought to man by grace and received by grace through the new birth experience, by personal faith in Jesus Christ. (John 1:12, Eph. 1:7, John 3:3-6, Acts 2:38)
6. The Church – the universal body of born again believers which is the bride of Christ. This body functions in through the many God-given gifts to carry on the work on Christ. (I Cor. 12:12-14, II Cor. 11:2, Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27).
7. The Second Coming of Christ – the “blessed hope” and imminent return of Christ who will rapture His Church prior to the seven – year tribulation period. (Ps. 89:3-4, I Thes. 4:13-18, Rev. 3:10-11)
8. Sanctification – the process of being made holy, consecrated and set apart for the use and purposes of God. (Rom. 12:1-2, I Pet. 1:14-16, I Thes. 4:3-4)
9. Satan – a spirit-being, like the angels, who rebelled against God. He is the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man. He is the declared enemy of God and man and he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Gen. 3:1, Job 1:6-7, Is. 14:12-17, Matt. 4:2-11, 25:41, Rev. 20:10)
10. The Eternal State – the bodily resurrection of all men – the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46, John 5:28, jj:25-26, Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)
11. Civil Government – God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all including the authorities themselves are answerable to God and governed by His Word. Each institution has specific responsibilities and each is sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility. (Rom. 13:1-7, Eph. 5:22-24, Heb. 13:17, I Pet. 2:13-14)
12. Human Sexuality – God has ordained that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Homosexuality, lesbianism, bi-sexuality, incest, fornication, and adultery are sinful perversions of God’s gifts of sex. The only legitimate marriage is joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24, 19:5, 13, 3:4, Rom. 7:2, I Cor. 7:10, Eph. 5:22-23)
13. Divorce & Remarriage – God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one’s spouse dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of Pastor or deacon. (Matt. 19:3-12, Rom. 7:1-3, I Tim. 3, 2:12, Titus 1:6)
14. Abortion – human life begins at conception and the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16, Ps. 51:5, 139-:14-16, Is. 44:24, 49:1, 5, Jer. 1:5, 20:15-18, Luke 1:44)
15. Law Suits Between Believers – Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. The church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice of slander. Only when a Christian refuses to listen to his offended brother to resolve a situation and the biblical “resolution” process has been carried out (Matt. 18:15-17) does a Christian have the grounds to go to court. But every avenue should be sought to bring this under control by the church. (I Cor. 6:1-8, Eph. 4:31-32)
16. Giving – every Christian, as a steward of God is obligated to support his local church financially. God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but other offerings should also be given sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church and its ministry. (Prov. 3:9-10, Luke 6:38, Acts. 4:32-37, II Cor. 9:6-7, I John 3:16-17)
