BELIEVE
Believing the Gospel
As a church we want to be characterized by believing the gospel. Believing is meant to convey a continuous, ongoing commitment to the gospel--living in the reality that Jesus is the reigning Lord and we are citizens of his kingdom.
Confessional vs. Functional
We believe there is a significant difference between confessional Christianity and functional Christianity.
Confessional Christianity is typically measured by whether or not I believe the right things. In America, 94% of the population confess belief in God. Furthermore, 42% of Americans claim to be born again Christians and of those, 71% confess that they are "absolutely committed" to the Christian faith.
However, the Barna Group reports that in spiritual surveys conducted in 2006, four themes emerged time and again. Two of them were:
People do not have an accurate view of themselves when it comes to spirituality.
If people's faith is objectively measured against a biblical standard of how faith is to be practiced, Americans are spiritually lukewarm.
This begs the question, is true Christianity only to be measured by what I believe, or also by how I live?
Functional Christianity is when your confession impacts your way of life -- you are functioning in accordance with your confession that Jesus is Lord. If Jesus is the reigning Lord of heaven and earth, then discipleship (true Christianity) is measured not simply by what I believe, but by how I live my life in relation to the rule of Jesus. In other words, the gospel should impact every area of my life.
