FIRST THINGS: The Gospel of Grace, Core of Our Core Values
At its core, the Christian religion is a story, a love story. It is a story of the God of the universe sending His Son Jesus to redeem for Himself a bride, namely His people, His church. It is the story of the coming of this One to lay down His life for her, taking her place on the cross — the innocent for the guilty, the righteous for the unrighteous — in order that He might take the stain of her sin and the penalty for her guilt upon Himself, thereby clothing her in the pure white robe of His righteousness. Now He builds a glorious new home for her where He will one day live with her happily ever after.
This story is called the gospel (which means, good news). It is the heart of the Christian faith as revealed in the Scriptures. Everything else flows out from it. Worship is the celebration of the gospel. Doctrine is the explanation of the gospel. Love is the demonstration of the gospel. Evangelism is the propagation of the gospel. The church is the family of the gospel. Marriage is the symbol of the gospel. The Christian family is the training ground of the gospel for the next generation. The fruit of the Spirit is the character produced by the gospel. The gifts of the Spirit are the tools of the gospel.
Other Biblical truths can be accurately expressed and defined, but if the gospel is left out, then there is only an empty shell, a lifeless corpse. Even if the gospel becomes just another spoke in the wheel instead of the hub itself, the glory of Christ is undermined at best, and ruined at worst.
(Click on the underlined words above to find out more, or click here to read our Core Values in their entirety.)
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