What We Believe
The Gospel Church is committed to the Gospel
What is the Gospel?
The gospel is clearly stated in Scripture: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve" (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).
Why the Gospel?
The gospel is the one message declared to be "the power of God" (Romans 1:16). Those who believe the message of Jesus' death for their sins and His resurrection from the dead receive the power.
The gospel is the only message by which we are saved (1 Thessalonians 1:10), set free (John 8:31), and stabilized (Romans 16:25). The blood of Jesus saves the believer from the penalty of sin, the death of Jesus sets us free from the power of sin, and the work of the Holy Spirit within stabilizes us.
The gospel is of first importance, on which we are to take our stand (1 Corinthians 15:1-6) and should be proclaimed daily (Hebrews 10:14). Christ's atoning sacrifice to make amends for our wrongs and cancel our sin debt is the message on which we plant our feet and the truth on which we take our stand.
The gospel is the message that matures Christians (1 Corinthians 2:2-8), growing them up in their faith to live like Jesus, and the gospel is the only basis of our eternal assurance with God (1 John 5:11-13). Therefore, we focus on the message of the cross, preach it with immense joy, and watch people's hearts and lives change and grow.
The gospel is the subject of every book of the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament (Luke 24:44-47). Jesus made this clear while talking with His disciples on the road to Emmaus, telling them that His suffering on the cross for their sins and His resurrection from the dead was the point of "all the Scriptures" (Luke 24:26-27).
Why The Gospel Church?
- The name of the church emphasizes the mission of the church: to preach, teach, sing, and live the gospel.
- When you come to church, there should be a reasonable expectation that every song and every sermon will be focused on the gospel.
- Jesus commissioned believers to go into all the world and preach the gospel and promised His presence as we preach that message.
- The church should be characterized by love, which is the very attribute produced by the preaching of the gospel.
Statement of Faith
We believe in God the Father, infinitely perfect and eternally existing, Creator of all, Who created the entire universe out of nothing by His powerful Word¹. God the Father so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross, to purchase forgiveness and eternal life for all who believe².
We believe in Jesus Christ, the living Word, Son of God³, co-equal with the Father⁴, Who came to this earth through miraculous conception, true God and true man united as one Person forever⁵, lived a perfect and holy life⁶, then died substitutionally⁷ to pay for the sins of His people⁸, according to the Scriptures.⁹ Three days later He rose from the dead according to the Scriptures¹⁰ and ascended to the Father¹¹, where He now intercedes for all He died to save¹² and will return to take us to be with Him forever¹³.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third Member of the Trinity¹⁴, whose role it is to draw people to Jesus Christ¹⁵; He does this by showing them the Gospel, reminding them of everything Jesus said and did¹⁶, convicting them of sin, righteousness, and judgement¹⁷, making Christ precious to all believers¹⁸. The Holy Spirit comes to live in all who receive Christ by faith¹⁹, as an earnest or down payment of the fullness of intimacy all believers will have with Christ through eternity²⁰, and the Holy Spirit seals all believers forever²¹.
We believe the Holy Spirit gives gifts to all believers for the purpose of building up the body of Christ²². These gifts are to be used in humility, never pointing to ourselves or to the Spirit but always used for the glory of God, always pointing to Christ, and always used for the benefit of others²³.
We believe the Scriptures (the 66 Books of the Old and New Testament) are a unified witness and God’s infallible Word²⁴, inerrant in their original languages²⁵, self-attesting, and are used by the Spirit of God to make us wise to salvation²⁶ through their constant portrayal of the good news of Christ crucified, buried and risen²⁷ and calls for us to repent and believe the good news²⁸. The Bible is the final authority on all matters on which it speaks and requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life.
We believe the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe²⁹, is the primary means the Holy Spirit uses in sanctification³⁰ and is the primary subject of the Bible³¹. The Gospel is to be preached in the power of the Spirit³² to reach the hearts of men and women³³ and to transform them into the image of Jesus Christ³⁴. This happens as we see Christ crucified and buried for our sins, risen from the dead, and we are cut to the heart and healed by the wounds of Jesus (Acts 2:37, 7:54 and Isaiah 53:5).
We believe the Gospel is to be heard, believed, received, and confessed by men and women, who then confess their sins to God and receive eternal life as a gift of God’s grace and love³⁵. Through believing the Gospel the entire Trinity comes to live in each believer.³⁶
From birth, mankind has been estranged from God and condemned by our sinful rebellion³⁷, salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God's free grace³⁸. God justifies those who put their faith in Christ alone for their redemption³⁹.
We believe the universal church is God’s invisible building on earth⁴⁰, Christ’s body,⁴¹ and bride,⁴² and is made up of people from all nations, tribes, and tongues, and will include people from all denominations⁴³. The church’s role is to proclaim the Gospel so as to evangelize and teach all people⁴⁴.
We believe the true church was prepared beforehand to do good works⁴⁵ spread and preach the Gospel⁴⁶, to love people⁴⁷, to care for the sick and dying, to visit prisoners⁴⁸, care for orphans and widows⁴⁹, administer the ordinances of baptism, and communion (the Lord’s Supper)⁵⁰, practice biblical discipline, and fulfill the great commission of Jesus Christ⁵¹.
Jesus Christ will come again to the earth personally and visibly as He promised to judge the living and the dead⁵², to complete history and the eternal plan of God⁵³.