What is the Gospel?

At our church, you will hear the word “Gospel” repeatedly because it is the most important truth that we can know and experience. The Gospel is not merely a message that needs to be shared with non-Christians, but also with Christians. It is not something that mature Christians move on from, but rather something that they move deeper into. The Gospel is the lens in which we should view theology, ministry, and all aspects of life.

The Apostle Paul defined the word “Gospel” concisely in 1st Corinthians 15:3-5 when he wrote, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” Simply put, the Gospel is all about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and the implications it has for us.

The word “Gospel” literally means “Good News.” It is the good news of God taking on flesh through the person Jesus Christ and rescuing mankind by His perfect life that we could never live, His substitutionary death that we deserved, and the resurrection that now gives us true life through His Spirit. While the Gospel can be stated in a sentence, it is also the grand narrative that is told throughout the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The Gospel is the glorious story of how God is reconciling the whole world back to Himself through the life, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. It is personal,yet universal. It is simple, yet infinite.

What do we Believe?

We believe in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the accepted canon of the Scriptures as originally given and that they are infallibly and uniquely authoritative and free from error of any sort in all matters with which they deal, including scientific and historical as well as moral and theological (II Timothy 3:16; I Corinthians 2:13).

We believe in the Eternal Godhead who has revealed Himself as ONE God existing in THREE persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; distinguishable but indivisible (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14).

We believe in the literal, special creation of the existing space-time universe and all of its basic systems as indicated in Genesis.

We believe in the full historicity of the biblical record of primeval history, including the literal existence of Adam and Eve as the progenitors of all people, the literal fall and resultant divine curse on the creation, the worldwide cataclysmic deluge, and the origin of nations and languages at the tower of Babel (Genesis 1-11).

We believe in the creation, test and fall of man as recorded in Genesis; his total spiritual depravity and inability to attain to divine righteousness apart from God's intervening grace (Romans 5:12,18).

We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of men, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully man (Luke 1:26-35; John 1:18; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6).

We believe Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day, and personally appeared to His disciples (I Corinthians 15:1-8; Romans 4:25).

We believe in the bodily ascension of Jesus to heaven, His exaltation and personal, literal and bodily coming again the second time for the church (John 14:2-3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

We believe in the salvation of sinners by grace, through repentance and faith in the perfect and sufficient work of Christ on the cross by which we obtain remission of sins (Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:12,22; Romans 5:11).

We believe in the necessity of water baptism by immersion in the name of the Eternal Godhead for the circumcision of heart by faith in order to fulfill the command of Christ (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38-39; 19:1-6; Romans 2:29; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 2:11-12).

We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an experience subsequent to salvation and a distinct aspect of the Christian foundational experience (Acts 2:1-4; 8:14-17; 19:6)

We believe in the operation of the gifts of the Spirit as enumerated in I Corinthians 12-14 as manifested in the Early Church.

We believe in the Spirit-filled life, a life of separation from the world and the perfecting of holiness in the fear of God as an expression of Christian faith (Ephesians 5:18; II Corinthians 6:14; 7:1).

We believe in the healing of the body by Divine power or Divine healing in its varied aspects as practiced by the Early Church (Acts 4:30; Romans 8:11; I Corinthians 12:9; James 5:14).

We believe in the Table of the Lord, commonly called Communion or the Lord's Supper, for believers (I Corinthians 11:23-32).

We believe in eternal life for believers (John 5:24; 3:16) and eternal punishment for unbelievers (Mark 9:43-48; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:10-15).

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan and the eternal judgment of Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10-15).