hort Statement of Belief
Jesus Christ, God incarnate, paid the full penalty for man's sin when He died on the cross of Calvary. Any person who, in simple faith, trusts in the risen Christ as his or her only hope of heaven, refusing to trust in anything else, receives the gift of eternal life which, once granted, can never be lost.
ternal Salvation
The sole condition for receiving eternal salvation is faith (trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died a substitutionary death on the cross for man's sin and rose from the dead (John 3:16-18; 6:47, Rom. 4:5; Gal. 2:16; Titus 3:5).
ssurance of Salvation
Assurance of eternal salvation is based solely on the promise God makes in His Word that everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ alone has eternal life (John 5:24; I John 5:9-13). Good works, which can and should follow regeneration. are not necessary to affirm assurance even though they may have a secondary, confirmatory value (Eph. 2:10. Titus 3:8). Primarily, assurance of salvation is based on the authority of scripture, not on religious experience.
iscipleship
Obedience to the Word of God, while not necessary for obtaining eternal salvation, is the essential responsibility of each Christian (Rom. 6:12-23; I Cor. 2:14-3:4). However, the Bible does not teach that this obedience will be manifested in each believer, or to the same degree in each believer. If a believer does not yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in his or her experience, failure will result, evidenced by sinful acts or even prolonged disobedience (I Cor. 10:1-13; Gal. 5:16-21).
otivation to Serve
The Scriptures present several motivations for obedience in the Christian life. One powerful motivation is gratitude to God for saving us by His grace (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:14). Another is the knowledge that our Heavenly Father both blesses obedience and disciplines disobedience in His children (Lev. 26:1-45; Heb. 12:3-11). A third powerful motivation is the recognition that each Christian must one day stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. The Lord will assess the quality of each Christian's life on earth and determine whether he will be rewarded, and if so, to what degree (I Cor. 9:24-27; 2 Cor. 5:10; I John 2:28).