Lex Praedicari lex credendi...

A motto in the Christian tradition that means
"As the church preaches, so the church believes."
New Grace holds dear to the following beliefs below:

Getting to know Jesus!

Who is Jesus and whom do we believe he is?

-We believe that Jesus is God's son

-Jesus is God in the flesh

-Before coming to earth, the Son of God was with the Father in heaven

-Upon coming to earth, Jesus was born in Bethlehem

-He was born of a virgin

-He lived a sinless life

-He is the walking revelation of God's love to humanity

-He died in our place as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind

-He was buried in a borrowed tomb
-He arose BODILY from the tomb

-He ascended into heaven on the 40th day after his resurrection
-He is now exalted at the right hand of God, whereas our High Priest, He now fulfills the ministry of intercessor and advocate
-Regarding Christ's return, we believe that Jesus Christ will literally return to earth

Why did Jesus have to die?

-To bear our own sins would be to suffer God’s judgment in the flames of hell

-We all deserve to be punished (Romans 6:23)
-In God's grace and in his love instead of punishing us he took out all of his wrath and punished his son (Jesus) in our place
-Jesus had to be both God and man
-As God, Jesus could satisfy God’s wrath
-As a man, Jesus had the capability of dying

-Jesus had to die because He is the only one who can pay the penalty for our sins.

Who do we believe God is?

-There is one and only one living and true God
-God is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal being
-God is the creator preserver and ruler of the universe
-He externally exists in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Each with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being.
-Worthy of ALL possible honor and love

Our beliefs regarding baptism:

We believe that baptism is the biblical way of publicly proclaiming your new faith in Christ and your commitment to follow Him. According to the Scriptures, the proper mode of Baptism is immersion in water in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Greek word for baptism is "Baptidzo" which literally means to "dip" or "immerse." Baptism does NOT save you, nor does it add to the work of Christ for our salvation. We are baptized because we are saved, not to become saved. Some verses seem to indicate that baptism saves you. However, the Bible clearly tells us that salvation is received by faith alone. So, there must be a different meaning to those verses. Scripture does not contradict Scripture!

Our beliefs regarding communion:

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

-Luke 22:19-20 NIV

New Grace Institutional Missionary Baptist Church observes communion on the 1st Sunday of the month. Any Christian present during the observance of this ordinance, who has professed Christ and followed him through baptism shall be eligible to participate in this ordinance in accordance with the scriptures. (Acts 2:41, 42; 8:36-39)

On the night before Jesus died, Jesus shared a final meal with his disciples. During the meal, Jesus gave to his disciples, for all time, this special way of remembering him. Jesus gave new meaning to two elements: bread and wine. About the bread, Jesus said, “This is my body.” About the wine, Jesus said, “This is my blood of the new covenant”. He gave the bread and wine to his disciples and told them to keep sharing these elements as a way to remember him and all he had done. So, communion is a time when we are to remember the Lord and thank Him for His sacrifice. It's not just a normal meal where the focus is on the food.

There are three important things to remember before you partake in communion:

#1. You should look back. Look back on what Christ did for you! Look back to the cross. Remember what Christ accomplished for you. Taking a moment to look back inspires gratitude in us for the price Christ paid for our salvation.

#2. You should look ahead. Scripture says to do this "until he comes again." The first time Jesus came to this earth, He came as the suffering servant. But the next time he comes, he will come as the conquering king! A forward glance reminds us of the promise of His return and of the joy of living with Him forever in His kingdom.

#3. You should look within. Communion should NOT be taken in an unworthy manner. This is extremely important to remember. Our self-examination is an important part of receiving communion. We must search our hearts asking God to reveal any sin that may be found within us so that we can confess it to Him, and ask for forgiveness. To fail to do so and then to take part in Communion is to eat and drink damnation to yourself. To partake unworthily is to come complacently, light-heartedly, giving no thought to that which the elements signify.

Other Principles we preach

HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that God the Holy Spirit is active in convincing unbelievers of their need for salvation, and is the Comforter and Guide Who lived in every believer.

BIBLE: We believe that the Bible is the Word of God without any error, the sole authority for life and faith. The Bible is divided into two parts: The Old Testament with 39 books and the New Testament with 27 books.

OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi

NEW TESTAMENT: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the Apostles, Romans, 1 Corinthians, II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I Peter, II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude, Revelation.

ETERNITY: We believe that those persons who die in their sins without Christ spend eternity in Hell and those persons who die with their sins forgiven through Christ spend eternity in Heaven.

CHURCH: We believe that the church is a local body of baptized believers with the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head.

PRAYER: We believe that each believer has direct access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

CHURCH COVENANT (Numbers 30:2 & Deuteronomy 23:21)

The church covenant is a voluntary agreement by members of a Baptist church whereby they promise to conduct their lives in such a way as to glorify God and promote the ongoing of the church. It is supported by the Scriptures and every church member should study it carefully, refer to it often, and seek to live by it. While many churches have a statement of faith that articulates their theological convictions, a church membership covenant functions to articulate how those beliefs are to be lived out within the local body. Scriptures have been added to show that the Church Covenant adopted by this church is straight from the word of God.

HAVING BEEN LED, AS WE BELIEVE BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, (John 6:63) TO RECEIVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR (John 1:12) AND ON THE PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH, (Acts 2:41) HAVING BEEN BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, (Matt. 28:19) WE DO NOW IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD'S ANGELS AND THIS ASSEMBLY MOST SOLEMNLY AND JOYFULLY ENTER INTO COVENANT WITH ONE ANOTHER, AS ONE BODY IN CHRIST (1 COR. 12:12-13)

WE ENGAGE, THEREFORE, BY THE AID OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (John 14:26), TO WALK TOGETHER IN CHRISTIAN LOVE; (Eph. 5:1-2) TO STRIVE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THIS CHURCH (Eph 2:21-23), IN KNOWLEDGE (2 Pet. 3:18), HOLINESS (2 Cor. 7:1), AND COMFORT (1 Thess. 5:14); TO GIVE IT A PLACE IN OUR AFFECTIONS, PRAYERS, AND SERVICES ABOVE EVERY ORGANIZATION OF HUMAN ORIGIN; TO PROMOTE ITS PROSPERITY AND SPIRITUALITY (Jude 20); TO SUSTAIN ITS WORSHIP, (Heb. 10:25) ORDINANCES, (Matt. 28:19-20) DISCIPLINE, (Rom. 16:17) AND DOCTRINES; (Acts 2:42) TO CONTRIBUTE CHEERFULLY AND REGULARLY, (1 Cor. 16:2) AS GOD HAS PROPOSER US, TOWARDS ITS EXPENSES, FOR THE SUPPORT OF A FAITHFUL AND EVANGELICAL MINISTRY AMONG US, (Matt. 10:10) THE RELIEF OF THE POOR, (Acts 11:29) AND THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. (Luke 24:46-48) IN CASE OF A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION OF THE CHURCH, WE WILL STRIVE TO AVOID A CONTENTIOUS SPIRIT, AND IF WE CANNOT UNANIMOUSLY AGREE, CHEERFULLY RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT OF THE MAJORITY TO GOVERN.

WE ALSO ENGAGE TO MAINTAIN FAMILY (Deut. 11:18-20) AND SECRET DEVOTION; (Matt 6:6) TO DILIGENTLY STUDY THE WORD OF GOD: TO RELIGIOUSLY EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN; (Eph. 6:4) TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF OUR KINDRED AND ACQUAINTANCES; (Mark 5:19) TO WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY IN THE WORLD; (Matt. 5:16) TO BE KIND AND JUST TO THOSE IN OUR EMPLOY, (Rom. 12:17) AND FAITHFUL IN THE SERVICE WE PROMISE OTHERS; (Eph. 4:25) ENDEAVORING IN THE PURITY OF HEART AND GOODWILL TOWARDS HUMANITY TO EXEMPLIFY AND COMMEND OUR HOLY FAITH.

WE FURTHER ENGAGE TO WATCH OVER, TO PRAY FOR, TO EXHORT AND STIR UP EACH OTHER UNTO EVERY GOOD WORD AND WORK; TO GUARD EACH OTHER'S REPUTATION BY NOT NEEDLESSLY EXPOSING THEIR INFIRMITIES; TO PARTICIPATE IN EACH OTHER'S JOYS, AND WITH TENDER SYMPATHY, BEAR ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS AND SORROWS; (1 Cor. 12:25-26) TO CULTIVATE CHRISTIAN COURTESY; (Titus 3:2) TO BE SLOW TO GIVE OT TAKE OFFENSE, BUT ALWAYS READY FOR RECONCILIATION, BEING MINDFUL OF THE RULES OF OUR AVIOR IN THE 18TH CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF MATTHEW, TO SECURE IT WITHOUT DELAY; (Matt. 5:23-24) AND THROUGH LIFE, AMID EVIL REPORT, AND GOOD REPORT, TO SEEK TO LIVE TO THE GLORY OF GOD, WHO HATH CALLED US OUT OF DARKNESS AND INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT.

WE MOREOVER ENGAGE THAT, WHEN WE REMOVE FROM THIS PLACE, WE WILL, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, UNITE WITH SOME OTHER CHURCH WHERE WE CAN CARRY OUT THE SPIRIT OF HIS COVENANT AND THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD'S HOLY WORD. (Acts 18:27-28)

AND NOW UNTO HIM, WHO BROUGHT AGAIN FROM THE DEAD, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, BE POWER AND GLORY FOREVER. AMEN!

How do I get saved?

If you had died the minute you started reading this, do you have the assurance that you would be in heaven? Do you know Jesus as your personal savior? If Jesus were to come right now, would you be ready?

The Bible tells us there are some things a person must know to go to heaven:

1. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. This means we have all sinned and we fall short of Jesus, God's Glory.

2. For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23(a). Our sins have earned a wage and that wage is death or separation from God in Hell.

3. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23(b).

God offers us the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. We must receive God's

Son, Jesus Christ to receive His gift of eternal life.

If you are not saved and you know you are not saved, we want to extend to you this opportunity to get to know Jesus as your personal savior. If you don't know Jesus as your personal savior, you are standing on sinking sand. Having a relationship with the Lord will be the best thing you will ever do. Why wait until tomorrow when you can do it today? Tomorrow is not promised. All we have is right now!

Let the Lord come into your heart. Romans 10:9 tells us that if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him out from the dead, you will be saved. It doesn't matter your age, what you have done, how many times you have fallen or how far you have fallen. God loves you unconditionally and you can still come to him. God already knows you personally and intimately, and he wants you to know him too.

A life without Christ can only offer eternal death, but the acceptance of Jesus as our risen Savior gives us eternal life. God offers us this gift called Eternal life. You can't work for this gift and you cannot pay for this gift. The only way you can get this gift is to simply receive it. If you are ready to accept Jesus as your savior and let him give you the gift of eternal life, we want you to repeat this simple prayer out loud:

Dear Lord Jesus
I admit my sin to you right now
I know I am a sinnner
Please forgive me and come into my life right now
and be my Lord and savior
I believe that you are the son of God
I know that you died on the cross to pay for my sin
I believe that you Jesus was my substitute when you Died on the Cross
I believe that you rose from the dead to justify me
I believe that your shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me
Give me that gift of eternal life
I thank you for the forgiveness of my sins,
The gift of Salvation
And everlasting life
Because of your merciful grace
Amen!

If you said that prayer and you really meant it, you are saved! Take God at his word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, and no good works can save you only God does the saving. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR TODAY! Thank you for the decision you have decided to make in your life today, and just know heaven is rejoicing.

If you'd like for us to pray with you and encourage you in this decision, contact us. We will try our best to reach out to you within 24 hours.

Our Beliefs regarding salvation

Who can be saved?

-We believe that ANYONE AND EVERYONE can be saved
-God's desire is for everyone to have a relationship with His Son
-The "whosoever" in John 3:16 includes you and every other person in the world

How can you know for sure that you are saved?

Jesus gives every believer the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us a desire to live for God as well as the ability to hear, recognize, and respond to God's voice. Also, God wants us to know without a doubt that we have eternal life. He tells us this in 1 John 5:11-13.

Can you lose your salvation?

You didn't earn your salvation, so you can't lose your salvation. If you have put your trust in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit has changed your heart, nothing and no one can separate you from God (Romans 8:38-39).