Statement of faith (continued)

Jesus Christ the Savior - Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, equal with God. As the Son of God He came into the world and took upon himself the nature of man yet without sin. The purpose of His coming was to save men from their sin by living in their place, taking their sin upon Himself, dying on the cross under the punishment of God in their place, rising from the dead and presently living as their High Priest and Leader who will bring them to glory. The death of Jesus Christ upon the cross is the only means whereby men’s sins can be forgiven and their guilt removed. Jesus Christ, the God-man, is presently Lord of the universe, sits at the right hand of God and will one day judge the living and the dead.

Salvation from Sin - God the Father, knowing that all men if left to themselves would reject Him, determined in eternity past to save a people for Himself. The Father gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of His people; that is, to die under His wrath in their place. The Holy Spirit is sent by both the Father and the Son to convict men of their sin, to recreate their hearts (new birth), and to direct and enable them to believe (trust) in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. This salvation is freely offered as a gift to all men. Men must cease endeavoring to earn salvation by good works, religious ceremonies, refraining from certain sins, etc. Instead they must repent and turn to God and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. They must depend solely upon Jesus Christ to save them as an infant depends solely on its mother for life. Since this salvation is not based upon anything in man, no one is too wicked to be saved and no one is too good to not need to be saved.

The Christian Life - The Christian’s life is lived by faith in Jesus Christ with the goal of pleasing and honoring God. Believers manifest that they are disciples of Christ by word and deed. They are used by God to lead others to a saving knowledge of Christ. Christians possess the glorious hope of one day living eternally in the presence of God; their life on earth is seen to be temporal. The Christian life is a life of continually striving against sin and by God’s grace being progressively made into the image of Jesus Christ. Self sacrificing love to God and others, humility, the ability to forgive others as Christ has forgiven them, and joy are among the chief traits of true Christians. Although not the basis of one’s salvation, good works are an inseparable result of genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

Man’s Eternal Future - The Lord Jesus Christ will one day visibly return and all men will be resurrected and will face God’sjudgement. The present heavens and earth will be destroyed and a new heaven and earth created. Those who have been saved by the grace of God will live eternally in His presence, serving Him, worshiping Him, and enjoying Him. In this state of glory all aspects of sin will be absent. Those who have not been saved will be eternally punished under God’s wrath for their sins.                                                               [<< PREVIOUS]           [NEXT>>]