God’s holiness

The triune God is one being in three eternal persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  God is perfect in every way.  He is blameless and by nature unable to do wrong.  He is the creator and sustainer of all things that exist in the Cosmos. 

Our sinfulness

The first man, Adam, sinned by disobeying God’s command in the garden of Eden.  The consequences of sin is death – both physical and spiritual.  Since Adam sinned, sin has infected the entire human race.  Sin is the central problem with mankind, causing all mankind to fall short of his glory, and separating us from God.

Savior

But God in his mercy chose to show grace toward mankind by redeeming a people for Himself. He sent Jesus the eternal Son of God to take on flesh and become a true human being. He lived a perfect life of obedience to the Father, and died upon the cross, taking the punishment we deserved upon himself. Whereby he turned God’s wrath away from His people for all time due to their sin, and made God favorably disposed to them.

Preaching

Jesus proclaimed the gospel (good news) of salvation to people in his first sermon, recorded in Mark 1:15. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” All people everywhere are called to obey this command: to repent of sin (acknowledge they are a sinner and make a decisive act to change their ways - to obey God) and to place their faith in Christ alone (to trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation). Jesus has done what we could never do - he alone is the way to be reconciled with the Father.

Eternal Life

Those who repent of sin and trust in Christ alone for salvation receive mercy from God, forgiveness of all sins, adoption into God’s family, and become a new creation in Christ Jesus. They receive the Holy Spirit who dwells within them in power to obey God and fulfill his purposes for their lives. They inherit eternal life, knowing they will dwell with God for eternity.

Lordship

A true believer does not live for themselves, but for God. Christ is Lord (master) of their lives. They will hunger and thirst for righteousness, love His Word (the Bible) and desire to live according to God’s commands. They will show the fruits of repentance, of righteousness, and of the Spirit in their lives. They will become part of the family of God through membership in a local church.