By Jason Pettus

What do we believe?

We believe that there is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Why do we believe this?

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Why does it matter?

The exclusive claim of Christianity that it is through faith in Jesus alone that people can be saved from an empty meaningless life and an eternal torment in hell, is disturbing for some.  There are two perspectives that it is wise to look at this fact from.

One, everyone has exclusive claims. For someone to say that Jesus is not the only means of salvation is an exclusive claim. It is a claim that calls Jesus Christ a liar or a lunatic because Jesus Himself claimed to be the only means of salvation (John 14:6).  So either He was not telling the truth of He was crazy. What can come across as an ecumenical compromising position is in reality an affront to any person that takes their faith system seriously.  For there to be truth, only one claim can be right.

Two, Jesus provides the only practical and plausible means of salvation. All other religious systems demand that a person earn the right to be saved. The problem is that the cost of sin is death. Unless a person can knowingly and willingly die and then by their own power be raised again, they cannot save themselves. There is no person and no religious system that provides that except Christianity. Jesus willingly took our place and died our death and was raised in victory. We receive the benefits of His divine intervention through faith and are saved.