What We Believe

Is there any such thing as the “absolute truth?”

Absolutely! In a world where it’s popular to say that “everything is relative,” we can be certain that God’s Word is the absolute truth. Through the pages of Scripture we can know right from wrong, good from evil and truth from lies. The Bible reveals the holiness of God, the desperate state of humanity and the Saviour who spans the vast distance between them. Scripture is the ultimate authority to guide the church and its members in all aspects of life and faith. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3: 16-17, NIV).

How can I earn my way into heaven?

You can’t. (That’s the bad news.) The good news is that peace with God, which is salvation, is the gift of God, not something we earn. It’s all about grace—God’s free, unmerited gift to us. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace…” (Romans 3: 22-24). Our salvation doesn’t depend on what we do; it depends on what Christ has done for us. His work is complete and perfect. Salvation may be free to us, but it cost Jesus his life.

Why can’t I just “believe in myself?”

Saving faith has to be focused on someone bigger than ourselves and our circumstances. We’re only human—subject to mistakes, sin, accidents, diseases, aging and catastrophes of all kinds. We need to put our trust in someone who stands beyond our limitations—a perfect, almighty and unchanging someone. Someone who knows us intimately, loves us completely and is both willing and able to keep us in his care for all eternity. We need faith in God. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11: 1).

Don’t all roads lead to heaven?

Nope. There’s only one way to get to heaven. His name is Jesus Christ. He said of himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14: 6). If that sounds exclusive, it is, in a sense. There is only one person in all of history who lived a life free from sin and totally devoted to obeying God. Jesus Christ is the only one qualified to make the sacrifice that would settle accounts with God once and for all time to come.

But shouldn’t I be “looking out for #1?”

Sure. As long as God is #1, that is. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1: 8). God created the universe and everything in it, including time. He knows when it started and when it will end. He alone sees all of eternity and his purposes will be accomplished without fail. Who would want to worship a God any smaller than that? Our whole purpose in life is to glorify God with all that we have and in everything that we do. It’s a high calling—one that we can easily spend a lifetime living up to.

So what do you believe?

Good question! Ephesians 2: 8-10 sums it up: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.”