Called to Faith

Every person, everywhere and for all time has pondered the question of, “What happens when I die?” Your answer to this question greatly influences the life you live here on this earth. TIme and time again, people throughout history and from all backgrounds have come to this conclusion: that the God of the Bible has the answer. If you have been wondering what it means to be a Christian, then you are in the right spot.

Salvation

In John 17:3, Jesus said this in His prayer, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”. Oftentimes people want to define what it means to be a Christian. They say things like, “You have to be a good person”, or “You have to do this ritual or speak these words”. But according to the Bible, all that salvation takes is having a proper view of God and a relationship with Jesus.

God's Grace

Salvation is impossible apart from God's grace (Eph. 2:8-9). This means that no one could do anything in their own strength to earn a right standing with God. But what about those who are “good” people? The Bible teaches us that every one of us has fallen out of favor with God (Romans 3:23). Jesus demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, He loved us, lived a perfect life that we cannot, and died for us. His death paid the penalty of sin that otherwise alienates us from God, and likewise from an eternal life with Him (Romans 5:10). In Romans 10:9, we are told that we must confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Then we will be saved. Maybe you’ve heard this verse, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Continuing Jesus's Work

After we are saved, God calls us to respond in faith by continuing the work of what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross: to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:16-20). Or in other words, to be the light of the world (Matt. 5:14-16). But will doing good things get us into Heaven? Jesus said in John 14:15 that if we love him then we will obey him. Note the order there: we don't work for love, but we work because we are loved. The love is already there. It’s up to us to love him back. We see how to work by following the greatest commandment, as written in Matthew 22:36-40. “‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Baptism

Baptism is the expression that Jesus has commanded each of His followers to do. It is an outward, public profession of their faith in Him. If it is your desire to be baptized, please email tyler@phos.church to set up a time to meet, with the subject line “Baptism”.

Connection

The Christian life was never meant to be done in isolation. The author of Hebrews said, “Do not forsake the gathering of the saints which is the habit of some” (Heb. 10:25). Going forward it will be vital to be a part of Christian community in the context of the local church. We are seeing a great change in the way “church” is done nowadays, but the Bible never changes or becomes out of touch. In addition to joining a local church, it is critical to have a healthy diet of God's Word in our lives, achieved through personal time in Scripture (Matt. 4:4). By doing both these things, you’ll have a greater understanding of God’s will for your life, be able to defend your faith, and gain the knowledge to discern good from bad, among so much else (Jer. 29:11, 1 Pet. 3:15, 1 John 4:1).

It's Never too Early. It's Never too Late

God desires a relationship with you. If you do not know Him, make today the day that you meet your Savior.