The Basics

Sometimes we just need to return to the fundamentals, get back to the basics. Today that's all I want to do. One of the earliest confessions of faith in church history is the Apostles' Creed, which summarizes the basics as follows:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried;

he descended into hell.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

(Note: "catholic" here means "universal," not just the church of Rome.)

As a church professing belief in no creed but the Bible, we can't make you sign off on all of those statements (even though I myself do because they're all biblical). What I will demand of those called Christians is this:

Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and is 100% human and 100% divine, fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life and submitted to death by crucifixion. His death on the cross in our place brought about forgiveness of sins for all who call upon his name. He rose again the third day, giving us hope for resurrection and eternal life by defeating death, hell, and the grave. He will return again to judge all souls, and the lost will go to an eternal hell as the saved go to on to eternal life.

Do you believe this? Lost person, do you want to be saved? These are the basics of the gospel. More information is available on this website under the Salvation tab, and please feel free to contact me. Nothing in this world is more important than the state of your soul.