It is our goal to be faithful messengers of the Gospel—the Good News—which God has entrusted to us. In outline form, here is the basic message which we believe and preach. We invite you to investigate for yourself the claims of the Gospel!
- The Creator God has objectively revealed himself to mankind! This revelation is three-fold: Through His creation (the physical universe), through His Word (the Bible), and through His Son (Jesus Christ). Because God has revealed Himself to us, it is possible for us to have a personal relationship with Him.
- The created order bears powerful witness to its creator. This witness is self-evident and carries its own conviction to the heart of every individual who will honestly consider it. Through this physical universe of which we are a part, God continually speaks to us about His own greatness, power, and wisdom.
- “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handiwork” (Psalms 19:1).
- “For the invisible things of him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
- The Word of God (the Bible) is God’s infallible revelation of Himself and His will to mankind. Through shepherds, kings, prophets, and other “holy men” of old, God communicated his word, and preserved from error those who recorded it. In its pages he reveals Himself as the God of Holiness and Love who takes careful interest in His creatures, and who seeks and pursues a relationship with them.
- “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
- “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).
- “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).
- The Son of God (Jesus Christ) is God’s fullest and most complete revelation of Himself to mankind. God personally intruded into human history when he took on human flesh and became a man. In his miraculous works of compassion he revealed God’s intense love and compassion for us; in his authoritative preaching and teaching he shewed us the truth of God, and claimed Himself to be Truth. As both perfect man and fullest deity he is God’s ultimate means of self-revelation. We neglect or reject this revelation at our own peril!
- “God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2).
- “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18).
- Man is a fallen creature. Although God created man good and righteous, through sinful self-will he chose a path of disobedience. The sin of the first man, Adam, plunged the entire race into a state of sin, alienation from God, and spiritual death! Every individual carries within himself the sinful nature inherited from Adam. We are all sinners by nature, choice, and action, and rebels against our lawful Ruler. As a result, God has already pronounced his judgment upon every one: Death! As a further result of man’s sin, the entire cosmos has been cursed and marred by evil.
- God created man good, but he chose to disobey. Sin did not originate in God, but rather in the free choice of his creation. God created man with a free will and gave him the opportunity to choose to either love and obey his Creator, or to disobey and reject Him. But even though man has liberty to choose his actions, he does not have liberty to choose the consequences of those actions. As the Creator and Moral Governor of the universe, God has decreed that sin must be punished by death.
- “Lo this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” (Ecclesiastes 7:29).
- “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
- All men are sinners by nature and choice, and are sinful in thought, word, and deed. Likewise every man is under God’s condemnation for sin, and faces the punishment of death, both physical and spiritual. This is a deeply personal problem. Because of our sin we are alienated from God, out of joint in ourselves, and out of harmony with one another. We try without success to fill the emptiness of our hearts with possessions, human relationships, personal accomplishments, religious pursuits, or other things. What we need is reconciliation with God!
- “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).
- “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
- “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it” (Jeremiah 17:9).
- “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
- Man’s sin is at the root of everything that is evil in our world today: Wars, hatred, poverty, injustice, oppression, crime, broken relationships, and so forth. Even the physical universe has been marred, resulting in sickness, death, natural disasters and other calamaties. Man has tried to solve these problems by proposing medical solutions, political solutions, religious solutions, philosophical solutions, and scientific solutions; but they have all fallen short. Ultimately, man is helpless, and stands condemned and without hope in himself.
- “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22).
- “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blashphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
- God himself has provided the means for man to receive pardon, salvation, and new life through the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ. In mercy and love for his fallen creation, God sent his Son to this earth as a man. There he willingly suffered and died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. But death could not hold him! As proof that he fully paid the debt of man’s sin, he rose again from the grave. Today he is ascended to heaven and freely offers salvation to all who will receive him as Lord and Savior. Some day soon he will return to this earth to judge and rule the world in righteousness.
- God himself has provided for man’s salvation. Because man was helpless to save himself, God in mercy took the initiative to provide a perfect salvation based on his grace alone. God’s holiness demanded satisfaction for sin; God’s love moved him to provide that satisfaction at great cost to himself.
- “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20).
- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
- “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…” (Titus 3:4-5).
- Jesus Christ died to take the punishment due to us as sinners. Because he is a sinless man, he is the acceptible substitute to suffer for man’s sin; because he is also God, his death has infinite value to atone for the sins of all mankind!
- “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him [Christ] the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
- “Who [Jesus Christ] his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…” (1 Peter 2:24).
- “For he hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- “In whom [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).
- Christ rose from the dead the third day. The resurrection was proof that Christ’s sacrifice for our sin was accepted by the Father, and that the full measure of God’s wrath was exhausted. The resurrection of Christ is one of the best attested facts of history. It is objective proof that Christ’s claim to be the Son of God was true. It is a powerful and permanent sign of the significance of the Gospel to every individual. It also validates the promise that he gave his disciples before he ascended into heaven: “I will come again”.
- “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
- “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:19-20).
- “Who [Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25).
- “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself” (John 14:2b-3).
- Every individual must personally receive God’s gift of salvation in order to receive its benefits. He must turn from his sin in repentance, and turn to God in faith. There is no sin too great to prevent a person from receiving forgiveness if he is willing to turn from it and trust Christ.
- To be born again the individual must first recognize that he is lost, separated from God, and under God’s sentence of death because of his sin. He must truly repent of his sin and believe that only God himself can save him.
- “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
- “He that believeth on him [Christ] is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).
- “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).
- To be born again the individual must believe that Christ died in his place, and that He rose again from the dead. He must recognize that Christ is his only hope for salvation.
- “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
- “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
- “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31).
- To be born again the individual must ask God to save him, and receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
- “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
- “But as many as received him [Christ], to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).
- “Behold, I [Jesus Christ] stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
Friend, now that you have read this, what will YOU do? If you would like to receive Christ today, you need only pray a simple prayer from the heart: Acknowledge your sin to God; confess your need of salvation, and your faith in Christ’s ability to save you; ask Christ to come into your life as your Lord and Savior; Thank God for providing so great a salvation for you at such a high cost to himself.
If you have just prayed to receive Christ, we would love to hear about it. Send us a message and let us know about your decision. We will be glad to help put you in contact with someone in your area who can help you to grow in your new faith.