THE GOSPEL

In simplest terms, the gospel (Good News) is who God is and what He has done on our behalf. To elaborate a little more, the gospel is the good news of what Christ has done for us through His incarnation, life, death, and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-5). The gospel is the good and joyous news, the proclamation, the message of victory. Christ came as God incarnate, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, rose from the grave defeating death, and by grace, through faith in Him we can be saved, justified, and reconciled to God. And He is coming again.

GOD

There is only one God who exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three persons are identical in essence, equal in power, and have the same attributes and characteristics (Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Matt. 28:19).

GOD THE FATHER

The Father is fully God, and His Fatherhood is personal and eternal. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and of all who believe in Christ (Matt. 28:19-20; John 14:1-2, 21).

GOD THE SON

Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, equal with the Father. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life, and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all mankind by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead, physically demonstrating His power over sin and death, then ascended to God’s throne where He currently acts as our advocate. One day He will personally and visibly return to reign as King of kings (John 1:14, 3:16-18; Rom. 3:24-26, 5:8-9; Rev. 20:1-10).

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is a person, fully God, equal with the Father and the Son. He moved the human authors of the Bible to write God’s Word. He makes people aware of their need for Jesus Christ, performs the miracle of new birth, and comes to live permanently in every Christian the moment they trust in Jesus Christ. He unites all Christians into the one Body of Christ, providing each of them with power for service, understanding of spiritual truth, and comfort in the midst of trials. Christians mature as they submit to His leadership (1 Cor. 2:10-11, 12:11; John 3:5-7; 14:16-17, 16:8; Eph. 1:13).

THE BIBLE

The Bible is God’s revelation to us about Himself. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit so that it is without error in the original manuscripts. The Bible is our supreme and final authority in faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).

HUMAN BEINGS

People are created in the image of God, made for relationship with Him. However, all of us are marred by sin, which separates us from God, makes us liable for judgment, and ultimately results in eternal death apart from God’s salvation through Jesus Christ (Gen 1:26-27; John 3:16-18; Rom. 3:23, 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3).

ETERNITY

People are created to exist forever. We will either be separated from God by sin in hell or eternally in relationship with God through forgiveness and salvation in heaven. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence (Rev. 21:6-8; John 3:16-18; Heb. 9:27; Matt. 25:31-46).

SALVATION

Salvation is God’s gracious gift of relationship with Him that is offered to all. We cannot enter that relationship by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ alone can we be forgiven for our sins, come into a secure, eternal relationship with God and be saved from His judgment. When we turn from depending on ourselves to Jesus Christ in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the instant one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith (John 3:16-18; Eph. 2:8-9; John 5:24; Rom. 8:1, 38-39).

THE CHURCH

The church is the family of God, the Body of Christ created by God to worship Him and reveal His glory on earth by reaching out to those who do not know Him, loving each other, growing in unity to become more like Christ, and serving others in His Name. The Church celebrates baptism and the Lord’s Supper until Jesus returns (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Matt. 28:19-20).