FAQs

GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH

What is mercy?
Mercy is God's attitude of love that expresses itself by doing for mankind what
mankind could not do for itself. Man is totally helpless and unable to bring himself
into a right relationship with God. To restore the relationship which was broken by
the fall of Adam and Eve, God has done everything that is necessary and man
becomes the recipient of the works of God.

What is a dispensation?
A dispensation is a revelation from God to man in which he reveals His holy and
perfect will for man, and the consequences if man does not do God's will. There
are several distinct revelations in the Bible, each one making a difference in how
man lives. God's will changes in some respects from time to time, so His will is not
always the same from one time to the next. Dispensations are often referred to as
ages. Since the Bible refers to ages, plural, there must be more than one age. No
specific number is given but at least seven are clearly distinguishable.

What does II Timothy 2:15 mean when it says, "Study to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth."? "Study" means to pursue and research the truths that are in the Bible. "To
show thyself approved" means that God may approve the results of honest and
diligent study of the Scriptures. "Rightly dividing" means to separate the things that
differ from each other by making same divisions God makes. "The word of truth" is
a reference to the inspired scriptures that God has given to us.

Can the Bible be understood?
It has often been said that the Bible is the mind of God which is on a level so much
higher than man can think that the Bible is impossible to understand. This is a
mistaken idea that needs to be corrected. We agree that the mind of God is higher
than the mind of man. But why is it thought impossible for God to speak to man on
man's level of understanding? God wants us to know and to know that we know. If
God can create a universe, a world and everything in the world, including man, why
would it be so hard for God to speak to man on man's level? That would be the
easy part. God is a perfect communicator. He knows how to do everything and
does not major in foolishness like giving something to man he cannot grasp. The
Bible is understandable.

What is sanctification?
To sanctify means to set apart. God sets things apart. Though many people in the
world would object, Christians are a set apart people. It is not because we are
better than other people. We are basically the same. It is not because God loves
some people more than others. God has always "so loved the world". God
sanctifies believers by giving them His Holy Spirit which indwells every believer
and is God's seal upon that person, signifying that the believer belongs to God.
Nothing can remove God's Spirit from us. Every believer is secure in Christ. God
has sanctified us. The word has a wider meaning than what has just been
mentioned. It would be a good Bible study for believers to study the word
"sanctify", rightly divide it and see what the Bible has to say about this interesting
subject.

What does verbal inspiration mean?
Verbal inspiration of the scriptures is not a popular subject today. At the beginning
of the twentieth century it was a widely accepted doctrine, but in recent years has
been called into question. This need not be. The Bible says it is inspired in II
Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." The Bible says
often that God put His words into the minds or th mouths of the writers. That is what
verbal inspiration is. Zechariah 7:12 says "Yea, they made their hearts as an
adamant (hard) stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord
of hosts hath sent in His Spirit by the former prophets, therefore came a great wrath
from the Lord of hosts." God inspired every word that was originally written. He
also has guarded and protected His inspired Word so that today, in our own
language we have a version of what was originally written that is so remarkably
accurate that we can still call the Scriptures the Word of God.

How do Paul and James differ?
They do differ. The explanation is simple. They lived in different ages. James
lived under the Mosaic law. Paul said that we are not under the law. They were
both right. To James, works were of the highest importance because the law called
for them. Paul says we are saved by grace, through faith, not by works of the law.

What does I Corinthians 4:16 mean?
"Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me." Does Paul really mean we are to
follow him? Precisely. These are the very words that God inspired Paul to write. It
is not Paul's idea that people should follow him, but God's . Why does God want
people to follow Paul? It is because God has raised up Paul and made him the
apostle to the Gentiles. Before Paul, the Gentiles did not have an apostle. God's
attention was directed to Israel ever since God called Abraham out of Chaldea. Not
only did God raise up Paul, but he gave him a brand new gospel for the whole world,
for Jew and Gentile alike. The instructions for believers in the church, the Body of
Christ are found only in the Pauline epistles. The church can learn many truths and
important lessons from any part of the Bible, but Paul's epistles are for the Church,
the Body.

What is faith?
The bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God,
so we know by this that faith is of supreme importance. Faith
is a non-meritorious, positive mental response to everything
God says and does. Faith is the Bible word for believing God
who can do the impossible.

What is grace?
Grace is God's attitude of love which expresses itself by
freely giving all good things to underserving sinners. Man
has given every reason to God to abandon the human race,
But God has not done that. Instead, He has originated a plan
to save lost sinners by freely offering them salvation for
simply believing in the risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Frequently Asked Questions