Salvation

The central purpose of God's revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself and to know their need for it. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go an independent way, and was thus alienated from and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God or remain in fellowship with Him. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered those consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God's free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human works of righteousness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation. Those who are truly redeemed will persevere and demonstrate the fruits of an authentic relationship with God. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:37-39; II Corinthians 5:21; I Corinthians 12:13)