WHAT WE BELIEVE
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
The word gospel means “good news.” It is the good news of what God has done to rescue sinners through His Son, Jesus Christ.
God created us to know Him, love Him, and enjoy fellowship with Him. Yet we have turned from Him. Because God is holy and just, our sin leaves us guilty before Him, and we cannot make ourselves right with Him.
But God, rich in mercy, has not left us in our sin.
He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who took on human nature and lived the perfect life of obedience we have failed to live. On the cross, Jesus willingly gave Himself for us, bearing the judgment our sins deserve. He died in our place, and on the third day He rose again, conquering sin and death.
This good news calls for a response. God freely offers salvation in Christ, and He calls us to turn from our sin and trust in Jesus. Whoever comes to Him in faith will find a Savior who is mighty to save and gracious to receive sinners.
If you have questions about the gospel or would like to talk with someone about following Christ, we would love to speak with you.
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10)
Scripture
We believe the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God and the final authority for what we believe and how we live. Through His Word, God reveals Himself, makes known His saving purposes in Jesus Christ, and equips His people to grow in faith and godliness. We seek to receive all that God has spoken with faith, humility, and joy.
(2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:19–21; Psalm 19:7–10)
Sin
God created humanity to know Him, worship Him, and enjoy fellowship with Him. But through Adam's disobedience, sin and death entered the world, and all people are now born in sin. Our sin separates us from God, leaves us guilty before Him, and makes us unable to save ourselves. We stand in need of God's mercy and the salvation that He alone provides through Jesus Christ.
(Romans 3:10–23; Romans 5:12–19; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1–3)
The Christian Life
Salvation is entirely the work of God's grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ. God justifies sinners, not on the basis of their works, but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, counting them righteous in His sight. He also adopts them as His beloved children and, by His Word and Spirit, begins to renew them in holiness. Our salvation rests not on our own merit or strength, but on Christ's finished work and God's faithfulness to His promises.
(Romans 3:21–28; Romans 4:4–8; Ephesians 2:4–9; Galatians 4:4–7; Titus 3:4–7)
Salvation
The Christian life is a life of faith in Jesus Christ. United to Him, we depend on His grace, trust His promises, and seek to follow Him in every area of life. By His Word and Spirit, we grow in holiness and in love for God and one another, even as we continue to struggle with sin and look to Christ as our righteousness and strength.
(John 15:4–5; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 1:15–16)
God
We believe in one, triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is holy, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth (WSC #4) God created all things, making mankind in His own image, preserving and governing all His creatures and their actions (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; WSC 4, 9, 11).
Jesus
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully God and fully man. He is the promised Savior and the only mediator between God and man. Having accomplished our redemption through His life, death, and resurrection, He ascended into heaven, where He reigns at the Father's right hand and intercedes for His people. He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead and to bring His saving work to completion.
(John 1:1–14; Acts 1:9–11; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25; Philippians 2:5–11)
THE CHURCH
The church, made up of all Christians worldwide, exists to call sinners to put their faith in Christ and to perfect God’s people in Christlikeness. Christians grow spiritually through the means of grace: the Word, Prayer, Sacraments, and Fellowship with God’s people. It is every Christian’s privilege and responsibility to belong to a local body of the church. The church is commissioned by Christ to make disciples of Christ from all nations (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 2:42; Heb 10:25).
OUR DENOMINATION
Christ Ridge Presbyterian Church is a member of the Fellowship Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The Presbyterian Church in America was founded in 1973 and is a conservative, Reformed denomination spanning from Virginia to California and from Florida to Washington State.The PCA seeks to be faithful to the Scriptures, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission. This vibrant and growing denomination holds a high view the Scriptures, the divinity of the Lord Jesus, and the universal need for people to repent and believe in Jesus. The governing documents of the PCA are: Westminster Confession of Faith with Shorter and Larger Catechisms, and The Book of Church Order.
