The Gospel

1.We Are All Fallen Creatures in Adam

• “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12

• “For as in Adam all die” 1 Corinthians 15:22

• “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5

• "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

2. We Are All Corrupted by Sin and Unable to Do Any Good

• “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Galatians 3:10

• "There is none righteous, no not one, there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God...there is none who does good, no, not one." Romans 3:10-12   

• “For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.”Ecclesiastes 7:20

• “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6

3. We Are All Deserving of God’s Wrath for Suppressing the Truth

• “and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

• "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”  Romans 1:18

• “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10

• "The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries...And He reserves wrath for His enemies" Nahum 1:2-3

4. Because of Our Sin, We Will Die and Face God’s Righteous Judgment

• "Who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death" Romans 1:32

• "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23

• “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27

• “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4

5. Those Without Christ Will Face Eternal Punishment

• “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

• “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."”Mathew 25:46

• “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:14

• " in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

1. God Has Made a Way of Reconciliation Through Christ

• "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

• “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John. 4:9-10

• "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1-2

• For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:10-11

2. Christ Lived the Righteous Life We Could Never Live

• "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19

•  "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21

• "whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith,...to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Romans 3:25-26

• "He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness..." Isaiah 61:10

3. Christ Bore the Wrath of God That We Deserve

• "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Smitten by God, and afflicted."But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed."  Isaiah 53:5

• “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Romans 5:9 

• "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree') Galatians 3:13

•  "Who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." Romans 4:25

4. Christ Died in Our Place to Satisfy God’s Justice 

• But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

• "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit."  1 Peter 3:18

• "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance...And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." Hebrews 9:11-22

The Good News of The Gospel is that Salvation Was Not Merely Made Possible, but Fully Accomplished and Secured for His People at the Cross.

• “It is finished!” (τετέλεσται - tetelestai: "paid in full").  John 19:30  

• “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11

• "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Ephesians 5:25

• "the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”Acts 20:28

• " shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11

• “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many." Hebrews 9:28

• "purify for Himself His own special people." Titus 2:14

• "having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us,... having nailed it to the cross." Colossians 2:13-14

5. Those Who Are in Christ Have Eternal Life and Will Never Perish

• “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14

• "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:1

• "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:11-12

• "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." John 10:28

Gospel Tenets

• Holy Scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. To deny this is to lose your soul. 2 Timothy 3:14-16; Romans 15:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; John 17:17

• All men are made in the image of God and are given knowledge of His existence: that He is the Creator, that He is holy, and that He is the Judge of all men. Romans 1

• We are without excuse. Everyone has God's law written on their heart, and we are able to judge good and evil. Though we recognize sin, we continue in it. Our iniquities have separated us from God, and our sins have hidden His face from us. Romans 2; Isaiah 59

• We suppress this knowledge, choosing to worship ourselves and the world around us rather than acknowledging God as the Creator and Lord of all. Romans 1

• God is just. His eyes are too pure to behold evil, and He cannot look upon wickedness. He displays His perfect justice by condemning and punishing sin. Habakkuk 1:12-13; Romans 1

• For His own glory and to display His mercy, God chose a particular people for Himself to save them from their sins through a Redeemer. Romans 8; Romans 9; Ephesians 1; 2 Thessalonians 2

• God is both just and the Justifier. He satisfies His justice through the righteous life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, on behalf of His people. Romans 3

• Jesus Christ, being born without sin, fulfilled the demands of the law through perfect obedience. Though Christ satisfied all the requirements of the law, He was crucified, taking the punishment owed to His people for their sins. Galatians 3; Philippians 2 

• By the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, we are made partakers of this salvation, receiving payment for our sins and the reward of His obedience through the imputation of His righteousness to our account. This faith is given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3; Ephesians 2; John 6; Romans 8

•  The particular work of each distinct Person of the Godhead infallibly secures the salvation of all the elect vessels of mercy, and not one will perish, for they are made the recipients of eternal life. The Father sovereignly chose those whom He willed to saved; the Son died for those whom the Father had chosen; and the Spirit regenerates and seals all those for whom the Son died. Therefore, there is perfect unity within the Trinity in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:3; Titus 2:13; Jn. 14:26

• “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’…unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:3-5

• “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

• “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

• “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12

• “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-10

• “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” 2 Corinthians 11:4

• “...Repent, and believe in the gospel.  Mark 1:15 …but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:3 …and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31 …Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31

• Understand that in salvation, all of our righteousness are like filthy rags, and it is only by the righteousness of Christ that we are justified before God. Isaiah 64

• Understand that because of sin, we owe an eternal debt to God, and that debt can only be paid by receiving the benefits of the Gospel. Colossians 2; Psalm 51

• Understand the message of the Gospel: It is not sufficient to say that we believe the Bible, that we believe in God, or even that we believe in Jesus. We must understand the message. Romans 10

• Believe that the Gospel is true: It is not sufficient, in and of itself to understand the Gospel message; we must not only understand it, but also believe it. This belief, or faith, along with repentance, is a gift from God and a result of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.  1 Corinthians 2; Ephesians 2; John 15

• Everything else: works, obedience, love, a relationship with God, and affections are a result of saving faith. 1 John

• These fruits of faith are promised by God. They are how we justify our profession of faith before men, but they are not the means by which we are justified before God. Romans 5, James 2

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." John 5:24

We believe that creation, in its original state, was exceptionally good and without sin. God created Adam and Eve in His image and placed them in the Garden of Eden to live in joyful fellowship with Him under His righteous rule. They were given freedom to eat from every tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve, having been deceived by the serpent of old (that is, the devil), ate the fruit of the tree that God had commanded them not to eat. She then gave the fruit to Adam, and he, too, knowingly transgressed God’s command. Adam’s willful disobedience brought sin into the world, and as our federal head, his guilt was imputed to all mankind. Spiritual death (separation from God) and physical death would follow as just punishment for sin. Because of the fall of our first parents, all men are born under the bondage of sin and the curse of the law. This curse can be removed only through Jesus Christ, the sole Mediator between God and man, who alone provides salvation for His people. Genesis 1:31; 1 Timothy 2:5-6, 13-14; Romans 5:12-14; 8:20-22; Genesis 3:17-19; Hebrews 9:15

We believe that the salvation of man is entirely the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and that no part can be attributed to the works of man. We believe that man is totally incapable of seeking after God by his own power, strength, or will. This ability was lost in original sin through the inheritance of a sinful nature.  Isaiah 64:7; John 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:1-8; Romans 3:10-11

We believe that salvation originates in the eternal purpose and grace of God the Father to predestine individuals for salvation. The Father gives these individuals to Jesus Christ according to His purpose in election. Justifying them by the merits of Christ, He regards these individuals as if they had never sinned, granting them righteousness apart from the works of the Law. This is based on the sinless, vicarious life and death of Jesus Christ, which is imputed to their account. We believe that God chose to save His elect from their sins because of His own particular desire, love, and mercy for them individually, and not based on anything naturally present in them. John 6:37-44,65; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:3-12; 2:4-5; Romans 1:17; 3:28; 4:5-6; 5:1-11; 8:28-31; 9:1-24; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:9-10; 3:1

We believe that Jesus Christ, in accordance with the Father’s good pleasure, the eternal Son, who is equal with the Father and is the exact representation of His nature, willingly left the glory of heaven, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, and was born the God-man. Jesus of Nazareth is the merit and source of salvation by virtue of His fulfillment of the demands of the Law of God and suffering as a substitutionary atoning sacrifice for the sins of His people. We are therefore saved from the wrath of God-past, present, and future-by the death of Jesus Christ through His one blood sacrifice on the cross. On the third day, God raised Him from the dead, marking His victory over death. This resurrection is the divine declaration that the Father has accepted His Son’s death as a sacrifice for sin. Jesus paid the penalty for our disobedience, satisfied the demands of justice, and appeased the wrath of God. Forty days after the resurrection, the Son of God ascended into the heavens, sat down at the right hand of the Father, and was given glory, honor, and dominion over all. This perfect work of Jesus Christ is imputed to undeserving sinners as righteousness. Not only is the curse removed, but God is now pleased with and delights in those who are justified by Christ. Acts 2:23; Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 2:6-7; Luke 1:35; Galatians 3:10-13; Romans 3:21-26; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-19; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; Isaiah 53:10; Luke 24:6; Romans 1:4; 4:25; Luke 24:6; Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 28:18; Daniel 7:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; 1 Peter 2:9; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 18:19; 149:4

We believe that God the Holy Spirit effectually works to change a sinner’s heart from being dead in sin to being alive in Jesus Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit in the gospel is to make men capable of believing in Jesus. The Holy Spirit regenerates, sanctifies, and preserves the Father’s chosen people in Christ, and this is evidenced in their lives by bearing fruit and fellowship with God. We believe that all three members of the Trinity play a particular role in the gospel. Ephesians 1:3-14; Romans 8:6-11; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Hebrews 9:14-15; 1 Peter 1:2-4

We believe that one benefit we enjoy based on Jesus Christ’s literal, physical, bodily resurrection from the dead is that we enjoy freedom in Christ from the penalty, power, and slavery to sin. As Christians, we are now made slaves of Jesus Christ and delight in obeying Him, because of the change in our nature through regeneration, which enables us to walk in newness of life. We believe this to be the true definition of Christian liberty. We are now free and at liberty to serve and love the Lord Jesus Christ. John 20: 20-29; Romans 8:11; 6:4-11, 17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19; Galatians 2:20

We believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone, and that faith is the gift of God, which He implants in each of His elect at the time of regeneration. Salvation involves faith and repentance; both graces are given by God and do not originate with man, nor is man able to produce them himself. Faith and repentance are exercised by Christians throughout their lives, as they seek to live in obedience to God. Ephesians 2:8-9; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Galatians 2:16; Luke 13:3; John 3:3; 1 John 1:8-10; 2:3-6; Matt. 3:8

We believe in the physical return of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection of the dead. At the last judgment, those who have believed in Christ and have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will enter into their eternal reward, and those who have not believed or received the love of the truth will enter into eternal damnation. We believe that Hell is a literal and physical place of torment, where God will reveal the fury of His wrath, declare His perfect justice, and execute His righteous judgment against sinners who have not believed in faith and repentance in Jesus, the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world. Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 21:6-8, 22-27; Revelation 20:11-17

“The human race in the order of history, so far as this world is concerned, first stood in subjection to God under the covenant of works. Adam was the representative man. A certain law was given him. If he kept it, he and all his posterity would be blessed as the result of obedience. If he broke it, he would incur the curse himself and entail it on all represented by him.

That covenant our first father broke. He fell; he failed to fulfill his obligations; in his fall he involved us all, for we were all in his loins, and he represented us before God. Our ruin, then, was complete before we were born; we were ruined by him who stood as our first representative. To be saved by the works of the law is impossible, far under that covenant we are already lost. If saved at all it must be all quite a different plan, not on the plan of doing and being rewarded for it, for that has been tried, and the representative man upon whom it was tried has failed for us all. We have all failed in his failure; it is hopeless, therefore, to expect to win divine favour by anything that we can do, or merit divine blessing by way of reward.

But divine mercy has interposed and provided a plan of salvation from the fall. That plan is another covenant, a covenant made with Christ Jesus the Son of God, who is fitly called by the apostle, “the Second Adam,” because He stood again as the representative of man. Now, the second covenant, so far as Christ was concerned, was a covenant of works quite as much as the other. It was on this wise. Christ shall come into the world and perfectly obey the divine law. He shall also, inasmuch as the first Adam has broken the law, suffer the penalty of sin. If He shall do both of these, then all whom He represents shall be blessed in His blessedness and saved because of His merit. You see, then, that until our Lord came into this world, it was a covenant of works towards Him. He had certain works to perform, upon condition of which certain blessings should be given to us. Our Lord has kept that covenant. His part in it has been fulfilled to the last letter. There is no commandment which He has not honoured; there is no penalty of the broken law which He has not endured. He became a servant and obedient, yea, obedient to death, even the death of the cross. He has thus done what the first Adam could not accomplish, and He has retrieved what the first Adam forfeited by His transgression. He has established the covenant, and now it ceases to be a covenant of works, for the works are all done. 'Jesus did them, did them all, long, long ago.'

And now what remaineth of the covenant? God on His part has solemnly pledged Himself to give undeserved favour to as many as were represented in Christ Jesus. For as many as the Saviour died for, there is stored up a boundless mass of blessing which shall be given to them, not through their works but as the sovereign gift of the grace of God, according to His covenant promise by which they shall be saved."