JESUS AND THE GOSPEL

Being a Christian isn't just identifying yourself with a specific religion or believing in a certain value system. Being a Christian means you have embraced what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation. 

God Is Sovereign Creator
We were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The bible reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

God Is Holy
God is absolutely and perfectly holy (which means to be set apart) (Isaiah 6:3); therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. 1 Peter 1:16 says, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

Mankind Is Sinful
According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin (wrong/evil doing): There is no man who does not sin (1 Kings 8:46). That doesn't mean we're incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we're utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12).

Sin Demands a Penalty/Payment
God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by eternal death (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23). That's why simply changing our patterns of behavior can't solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences.

Jesus Is Lord and Savior
Romans 10:9 says, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. As much as God's justice demands death for sin, in His love, He provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners like me and you (1 Peter 3:18). Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice, and Christ's perfect life satisfied the demands of God's holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).

Characters of True Saving Faith
True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), pursue Christ (Matthew 11: 28-30; John 17:3), and obey Him (1 John 2:3).