The gospel of Jesus Christ
According to the Scriptures
According to the Scriptures, the gospel is as of first importance for it reveals the glory of Jesus Christ; the gospel is the most important truth God wants every person to know. 1 The gospel reveals the declaration of God, the work of God, the righteousness of God, the power of God, and the love of God in Jesus, through Jesus, and for Jesus so that salvation can be offered to all and granted to everyone who believes. 2
The Holy Scriptures is the sole and absolutely authority regarding the content of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 3 The gospel that God will reveal and enable a person to believe will always be according to the Scriptures and will never be in contradiction to it. 4 The gospel that a person believes must be according to the Scriptures and must not be in contradiction to it, otherwise that faith is in vain. 5
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According to the Scriptures, the Church is comprised of every person who has been saved by God through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures. 6 Unless God has revealed the entire gospel of Jesus Christ to a person and gives them the faith to believe, then that person is not saved and is therefore not a Christian, nor a member of God’s Church. 7 Unity in the gospel of Jesus Christ is as of first importance in the Church and must be the ultimate reason for unity as a Church. 8
God-given saving faith in the gospel includes knowing, understanding, and entrusting oneself to the truth of the gospel according to the Scriptures. 9 The truth of the gospel includes the person of Jesus Christ the God-Man, His death and resurrection; the work and testimony of the holy triune God in salvation; and salvation by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone. 10
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; John 5:39-40; Colossians 1:13-20. (2) Romans 1:16-17; Colossians 2:9-12; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 1 John 3:16; John 3:16. (3) 2 Peter 1:16-21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 1:11-12; John 17:20-21; John 14:25-26. (4) John 6:44-45; Matthew 16:15-17; Luke 24:13-44. (5) 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 1:6-12; Romans 10:1-4. (6) Matthew 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Titus 2:11-14. (7) 2 Corinthians 13:5-8; John 3:16-18; John 3:35-36; Matthew 7:13-23. (8) Ephesians 4:1-16; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4; Colossians 1:16-18. (9) Acts 4:8-12; Romans 1:1-17; Ephesians 1:1-17; Colossians 1:1-6; Matthew 13:18-23. (10) 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Colossians 4:2-4; Ephesians 6:18-20; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6.
"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!"
Galatians 1:6-9
Gospel Truth #1: Jesus Christ the God-Man
According to the Scriptures, the gospel includes the truth of the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, who has eternally existed as God, humbled Himself to become man without ceasing to be God. 1 He is fully God and fully man at the same time. 2 He is the Son of God which reveals His holiness as God and His inherent right to be heir of all creation, worshipped by all creation, and Lord of all creation. 3 He is the Son of Man 4 which reveals His humility as a man, 5 who was made in every way like man but without sin, 6 lived a perfect life, fulfilled all righteousness, 7 and is thus man’s perfect representative before God. 8 Jesus, who by His title of the Christ, is the promised fulfilment of the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets. 9
The uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man reveals Him as the only worthy one to fulfill the holy sacrifice required by God to save mankind from our sins; 10 He is the only mediator between God and man, and the only name by which we must be saved. 11
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; John 1:1-18, John 17:1-5; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:8-9. (2) Hebrews 1:1-13; Luke 1:31-35; John 5:16-18; Romans 1:1-4. (3) Jeremiah 23:5-6, Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 22:41-46. (4) Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 10:5-14. (5) 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5. (6) Matthew 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Titus 2:11-14. (7) Matthew 3:15, Matthew 5:17. (8) John 1:1-18; John 3:16; Colossians 2:8-9; John 14:6. (9) 2 Corinthians 1:20; Luke 4:17-21; John 4:25-26; John 20:31; John 10:39-43; Luke 24:13-44; (10) Matthew 1:20-23; John 1:29; Revelation 5:11-14; Isaiah 53:1-12. (11) 1 Timothy 2:5-7; Acts 4:10-12.
Gospel Truth #2: The Death of Christ
According to the Scriptures, the gospel includes the truth of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross which served as substitution, propitiation, reconciliation, and redemption. 1
As the substitute for mankind, Jesus Christ died in our place, in our behalf, and for our benefit. 2 As the propitiation for the whole world, 3 the death of Jesus Christ satisfied the righteousness of God, 4 the Law of God, 5 and the wrath of God for the forgiveness of our sins. 6 In reconciliation, His death resulted in sinners having peace with God through faith in Christ. 7 In redemption, the death of Jesus Christ paid for mankind’s debt to God for our sins; paid to be Lord over all creation; and paid for His ownership of the Church. 8
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Mark 10:45; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. (2) 1 Corinthians 1:17-24; Romans 5:8. (3) 1 John 4:10. (4) Romans 3:21-26. (5) Matthew 26:26-28. (6) Isaiah 53:1-12. (7) Romans 5:8-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. (8) Ephesians 1:7-8; Colossians 2:13-14; Philippians 2:5-11; Titus 2:11-14.
Gospel Truth #3: The Resurrection of Christ
According to the Scriptures, the gospel includes the truth of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, revealing His victory over sin and death, testifying that He alone is able to save mankind from God’s spiritual and physical judgment for sinners which is hell. 1 His resurrection served as justification, adoption, sanctified, sanctification, and future glorification.
Because Christ resurrected, God justifies or declares sinners righteous through faith in Jesus Christ resulting in being acceptable to, approved by, and right with God. 2 Because Christ resurrected, Christians are adopted through faith in Him resulting in being indwelt, established, and declared by God as His children. 3 Because Christ resurrected, Christians are sanctified or set apart by God as His Church through faith in Christ. 4 Because Christ resurrected, God’s work and will is for the sanctification or purification of those who belong to Him as His Church. 5 Because Christ resurrected and is now exalted to the right hand of the Father and will one day return in glory, Christians will also share and dwell in the presence of His glory, glorified physically and positionally by His sovereignty. 6
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Matthew 16:21-23; John 20:24-31; Acts 4:31-33; Hebrews 7:23-28; Romans 6:23. (2) Romans 4:23-25; Romans 3:10-18. (3) Romans 8:1-17; John 1:12-13; Ephesians 1:3-6. (4) Acts 26:12-18; 1 Corinthians 1:2-3. (5) 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. (6) Philippians 3:7-21; Romans 8:11-18; John 11:24-27.
Gospel Truth #4: Saved by the Holy Triune God
According to the Scriptures, the gospel includes the truth of the work and testimony of the holy triune God in salvation. There is only one true God eternally existing in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 1 God is holy and beyond understanding. 2 However, God has revealed through creation, His Word, and ultimately in the person of Jesus Christ, His gospel which a person must believe to be saved. 3
Christians are saved by the grace of the one true God through faith in Jesus, who by His title of the Christ, is the anointed one of the Father with the Holy Spirit. 4 God the Father commands everyone to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ; God the Holy Spirit convicts everyone to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ; God the Son testifies that everyone must believe in the Father and the Holy Spirit. 5
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Acts 10:34-44; Titus 3:4-7; 2 John 1:3; John 1:18; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 1:1-17. (2) Revelation 4:5-11; Romans 11:25-33. (3) Romans 10:1-17; John 20:30-31; 1 John 5:6-13. (4) Luke 2:25-32; Acts 4:23-26; Acts 10:34-44; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14. (5) John 3:31-36; John 16:8-15, John 14:1-31.
Gospel Truth #5: Saved by God's Grace through Faith
According to the Scriptures, the gospel includes the truth of salvation by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone. 1 Every person ever conceived or born has sinned and fall short of the glory of God, has used their freewill to reject God, is without excuse, and is thereby deserving of God’s condemnation. 2 Man is thus totally depraved (dead, helpless, ungodly, sinners, enemies) and unable to work for God’s forgiveness and unable to save himself (unable to see the light of the gospel, unable to escape condemnation, unable to understand the gospel, unable to believe the gospel). 3
According to the Scriptures, a person is saved only by God’s doing, whereby: God revealed to all mankind our condemnation and made salvation available to all; 4 God chose and compelled Christians to repent from their unbelief for the forgiveness of their sins; 5 God regenerated Christians unto salvation, 6 by giving them the ability to understand 7 and the faith to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 8 Therefore, Christians are saved entirely by the love, grace, and mercy of the triune God alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone. 9 The assurance of a Christian regarding his salvation is that it is a free gift of God, wholly by the power of God, and entirely apart from any Christian’s merit or works. 10 There is nothing a Christian did or can do to earn salvation, deserve it, or lose it. 11 The only thing a Christian should do is live a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ by continually offering to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise through Him. 12
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Colossians 2:9-14; Titus 3:4-7; Ephesians 2:1-9. (2) Romans 1:18-27, Romans 3:10-18; Matthew 6:23; John 3:16-21. (3) Romans 1:18-27; Romans 3:10-27; Romans 6:23; John 3:16-19, John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6. (4) 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 11:28-30. (5) John 6:35-65; Romans 9:15-24; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Ephesians 1:1-6; Luke 24:44-47; Acts 2:38-39. (6) Colossians 2:12-13; John 1:12-13; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Peter 1:23-25; John 3:5-8. (7) 1 John 5:19-20; Colossians 1:1-6. (8) Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Peter 1:1-4; Philippians 1:27-30. (9) 2 Timothy 1:8-11; Romans 5:1-21; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. (10) Philippians 1:27-28; Hebrews 13:15. (11) Romans 8:1-39; John 10:27-30. (12) Philippians 1:27-28; Hebrews 13:15.
statement of beliefs
For what we believe regarding other matters, we are in agreement with the doctrinal statement of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith which you can read here.