What is salvation?
We believe that salvation is the gift of God, apart from works, offered to all who place their faith and trust in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. We believe that the shed blood of Jesus on the cross at Calvary is the only means of securing the forgiveness of sin. Because salvation is the work of God, not man, all believers are eternally secure and are kept by the power of God.
Salvation is not something we earn… it is something we receive. Religion is not the means to peace and forgiveness… the gospel is. The gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NKJV)
"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."
Religion Vs. the Gospel
Religion says that God will only accept and love us if we obey Him.
The gospel says that it is because God has loved us through Jesus that we can obey.
Religion says that the world is filled with good people and bad people.
The gospel says that the world is filled with bad people who are either repentant or unrepentant.
Religion says we should trust in our own goodness.
The gospel says that we should trust in the perfectly sinless life of Jesus because He alone is morally pure.
Religion is about obligations.
The gospel is about what we get to do because we now have a genuine love to please God; it is about Jesus and His great sacrifice, not ours.
Religion leads to an uncertainty about my standing before God because we never know if we’ve done enough to please God.
The gospel leads to a certainty about our standing before God because of the finished work of Jesus (His death, burial and resurrection).
Religion ends in either pride (because we think we are better than other people) or despair (because we continually fall short of God’s commands).
The gospel ends in humility and surrender to the one who loves us and saves us.
A Guide To Salvation
The following scriptures will guide you into a personal knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ and His plan for your life: