What We Believe

All human beings are made in the image of God, which gives them inherent dignity and value, but are naturally estranged/separated from God due to an inherited sinful nature. Our sinful natures lead us to be selfish, prideful, and careless toward God and others. This condition leaves us under God’s judgement and causes all kinds of problems in the relationships and responsibilities of life.

Jesus Christ is God’s provision to solve this problem.  In Jesus Christ, God fully identified with humanity by becoming a human being, but did not sin when tempted to do so.  Instead, he humbled himself and followed God’s will to the point of voluntarily dying an unjust death on a cross as our substitute, to pay the just penalty for our sins.  After death, Jesus was buried in a sealed and guarded cave-tomb.  On the third day of his death, Jesus rose from the dead in the power of God’s Spirit, proving him to be the perfect sacrifice for all humanity and demonstrating his victory over death.

Salvation in Christ is both instantaneous and progressive. Salvation is instantaneously received by grace the moment anyone sincerely admits or confesses their sin to God and trusts or believes in Jesus Christ to save them through his crucifixion for their sin and resurrection from the dead.  In such a moment, the cumulative penalty for all their sin (past, present, & future) is completely transferred to, paid for, and forgiven through Jesus Christ.  Simultaneously, Jesus Christ’s righteous standing before God and victorious Spirit are transferred to that person, making a reconciled and intimate relationship with God possible.

Salvation is progressively received through choices made by Christians that listen to and follow Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit as disciples.  These life learners interact through prayer, reading the Bible, trusting God’s words and guidance, loving people as Jesus did, worshiping in daily life and regularly connected and contributing to a local fellowship of believers.  Other ways of referring to this progressive aspect of salvation are sanctification, discipleship, or walking in the Spirit.  This saving process helps us become more like and available to Jesus in word and deed and positively impacts the world.

A saving relationship with Jesus Christ gives anyone the ability to fulfill the Great Commandment to love God with all of ourselves (heart, soul, mind, strength)(holding nothing back) and to love their neighbor as themselves.