Our
Covenant
By the
grace of God, having, as we trust, been brought by divine grace
to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give up ourselves to Him,
and having been baptized upon our profession of faith, in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, relying on His
gracious aid, joyfully and solemnly enter into this holy covenant with each
other. Knowing that our Lord Jesus
taught that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our
heart, soul, mind and strength, and that the next is to love our neighbor as
ourselves, we endeavor to do these things in the following manner:
Regarding the Corporate Body of Grace
Community Baptist Church we desire and intend to:
1. Walk
together in Christian love, working and praying for the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace;
2. Strive
for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, unity and warmth of
fellowship;
3. Promote
her spirituality and well-being;
4. Sustain
her worship, ordinances, and doctrines;
5. Submit
to the church’s discipline upon ourselves and lovingly assume our
responsibility to participate in the discipline of other members, as taught in
Scripture;
6. Give
her sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin;
7. Commit
our resources for the support of the ministries of this church, the relief of
the poor, the cause of revival and reformation, and the spread of the gospel
through all nations.
Regarding ourselves individually, we desire and intend to:
1.
Maintain
personal and family devotions;
2.
Religiously
educate our children and any others who are given to our care;
3.
Seek the
salvation of our kindred and acquaintances;
4.
Be just
in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our conduct;
5.
Personally
contribute time and money, cheerfully and regularly, to the support of the
ministries of this church, the relief of the poor, the cause of revival and
reformation, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
Regarding our relationships with one another, we desire and intend to:
1.
Watch
over one another in brotherly love, affectionately caring and encouraging
whenever possible, and gently correcting when necessary;
2.
Remember
one another in prayer;
3.
Aid one
another in sickness and distress;
4.
Cultivate
the ability to rejoice at each other’s joys and bear with each other’s burdens
and sorrows with tenderness and sympathy;
5.
Cultivate
Christian courtesy in speech by avoiding all tattling, backbiting, and
excessive anger;
6.
Be slow
to take offense, always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the teaching of
our Savior to secure it without delay.
Regarding our relationship with the world, we desire and intend to:
1.
Strive
by God’s grace and power to live as Christ in the world, walking circumspectly
and denying ungodliness and worldly lusts;
2.
Use our
influence as salt and light to combat practices such as prejudice, abuse of
substances and the spread of pornography, and any other which lead to moral and
spiritual decay both personally and socially;
3.
Be
zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior, seeking the
salvation of our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and all the nations.
When by
God’s hand we move from this place, we will as soon as
possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of
this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
May
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.