We meet together as a house church for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to promote the unambiguous proclamation of God's free gift of everlasting life through faith alone in Christ alone, which is properly correlated with and distinguished from issues related to discipleship.
The ultimate lens through which we understand our world and humanity is God's Word, the Bible, which we consider to be the infallible and inerrant truth of God. We believe that the Scriptures are God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16-17). God moved holy men to write (2 Pet 1:20-21) and He made certain that what they wrote was without error in the original documents. He has revealed Himself and His eternal plan to mankind in the Bible. Divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the Bible.
The NT interpretation of the OT, both factually and theologically, represents an authoritative way of interpreting the Bible. For example, if the author of Hebrews says that Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead, then that is indeed what Abraham believed.
The Bible is the necessary and sufficient source of spiritual sustenance for the believer, and is able to equip us for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17). Especially important in maintaining a godly walk is a continual focus on the Second Coming of Christ in the prophetic teachings of Scripture (2 Pet 1:3-11).
The sole condition for receiving everlasting life is faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died a substitutionary death on the cross for man’s sin and rose bodily from the dead (John 3:16-18; 6:47; Acts 16:31).
Faith is the conviction that something is true. (Rom 4:21) Faith, therefore, requires an object, and it occurs involuntarily when one is convinced of the evidence.
To believe in Jesus (“he who believes in Me has everlasting life”) is to be convinced that He guarantees everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him for it (John 4:14; 5:24; 6:47; 11:26; 1 Tim 1:16).
No act of obedience, preceding or following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, such as commitment to obey, persevering in works, sorrow for sin, turning from one’s sin, baptism or submission to the Lordship of Christ may be added as additional requirements or considered part of faith as a condition for receiving everlasting life (Rom 4:5; Gal 2:16; Titus 3:5). This saving transaction between God and the sinner is simply the giving and receiving of a free gift (Eph 2:8-9; John 4:10; Rev 22:17). God's gift of everlasting life is the gift of grace, and it is offered freely to us without cost! If one is simply convinced of the truth of this incredible offer (believes), then one can be assured of the promise of everlasting life!
Assurance of everlasting life is certainty that one is eternally secure simply by faith in Jesus. Assurance of everlasting life is based only on the promise God makes in His Word that everyone who believes in Jesus Christ alone possesses everlasting life (John 5:24; 1 John 5:9-13). Good works, which can and should follow regeneration, are not necessary for a person to have assurance of everlasting life (Eph 2:10; Titus 3:8). The promise of Christ is the sole guarantee of everlasting life. He is the sole Guaranteer of His promise of life, not us or anything we do.
Assurance is of the essence of believing in Jesus for everlasting life. That is, unless when one, at the moment he believes the promise is assured he possesses everlasting life and it cannot be lost, he has not believed the promise. If a person believes the promise of everlasting life to the believer, then he knows he has everlasting life (John 5:24; 6:35, 47; 11:27; 1 John 5:9-13).
At the moment one believes in Jesus for everlasting life, the Holy Spirit indwells him (Rom 8:9, 11, 1 Cor 3:16, 2 Tim 1:14, Jas 4:5). The goal of the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer’s life is to produce spiritual maturity reflected in consistent Christlike behaviour and attitudes (Gal 5:22-25; Luke 14:25-33; Col 1:23-29). Therefore, obedience to the Word of God, while not necessary for obtaining or proving one has everlasting life, is the essential responsibility of each Christian (Rom 6:12-23; Heb 5:13-14; 1 Cor 2:14–3:4). However, the Bible does not teach that this obedience will be manifested in all believers. If a believer does not yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in his experience, failure will result, evidenced by sinful acts or even prolonged disobedience (1 Cor 10:1-13; Gal 5:16-21).
It is inconsistent with Christ's offer of everlasting life to seek to gain or keep everlasting life by godly living. Everlasting life is guaranteed by Christ not by us or anything we could possibly do. The Scriptures, however, do present several motivations for obedience in the Christian life.
Believers will spend eternity with the Lord on the New Earth in His glorious kingdom (1 Thess 5:10; Rev 21:1-3ff). Unbelievers, those whose names are not in the Book of Life, will spend eternity in eternal conscious torment (ECT) in the lake of fire (Isa 66:22-24; Dan 12:1-2; Matt 25:46; Gal 6:8; 2 Thess 1:5-10; Jude 13; Rev 14:9-11; 20:10-15).