Thoughts on the Church Shooting in White Settlement, Texas (A Biblical Perspective)

What do we make of the killing of a church shooter at West Freeway Church of Christ? The tragedy in White Settlement, Texas, is as lamentable as it is unpreventable. In a fallen world that is increasingly Christ-hostile, such things are bound to happen with an increased frequency. 

They are shocking surprises when they occur. Equally surprising was the intervention of a church security volunteer who cut short the carnage by killing the shooter. Some say his actions were necessary because by the time the police would have arrived, dozens could have been dead.

I did not want to comment on this event until more information was available. Not that some time has passed, I would like to comment on this church shooting and the countermeasures taken to stop the shooter. Many pundits and at least one prominent evangelical pastor have weighed in on the killing of the shooter. Some raised the question of “turning the other cheek” and showing this Christian virtue in the face of persecution.

 Where does turning the other cheek come into play? Turning the other cheek is a personal decision we are encouraged to make when facing persecution for our faith. It does not apply to a situation like this church shooting. The security volunteer made the right call and took the appropriate action to protect the flock from a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

 “Turning the other cheek” was a particular illustration grounded in the culture of Jesus’ day. The slap on the cheek was also known as “the heretic’s slap.” It was a slap of contempt given on the occasion of a false teaching. It was not an attempt to do real harm or take someone’s life. What happened in Texas does not apply to what is popularly understood as “turning the other cheek.” This fact will become clearer as we consider the broader context of Scripture.

 To be clear, there is nothing Christ-like about allowing such an event to go unchecked. Imagine allowing a rapist to abuse a woman in the name of persecution, harm a child, or murdering congregation members. A church’s leaders are called to shepherd the flock of God. This involves caring for and feeding the flock. This also involves protection—that’s what shepherds do. 

If one looks to the Bible for guidance, examples of lethal self-defense abound. Israel defended herself against her enemies at God’s command and with God’s approval. Consider how many times God raised up judges to confront the nation’s persecutors (read the book of Judges).

This kind of lethal self-defense is not an isolated event but part of a larger pattern. During the exile, when the anti-Semite, Haman, in the time of Esther, sought to wipe out the Jews, King Ahasuerus permitted them to arm and to defend themselves. The Jewish people celebrate the holy day Purim to commemorate this action.

 We see this pattern again in the book of Nehemiah. At the command of Nehemiah, the builders armed themselves to defend against attacks by Sanballat and his henchmen. Israel’s enemies tried to prevent the restoration of the Temple, but they were stymied by the armed and ready Jewish defenders.

 Some suggest that Jesus condemned the use of force for self-defense. The example often cited is John 18:10-11. At Jesus’ arrest, Peter pulled out a sword and hacked off an attacker’s ear. Jesus does not tell Peter to get rid of his sword but to sheath it. He does not ask him to discard it. It’s not about passivism, it’s about God’s plan for Jesus’ sacrifice:

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:10-11)

 Some attempt to derive a principle of living by the sword and dying by the sword from Matthew 26:52-54. This is not prescriptive but descriptive of the situation:

 Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 53 “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?” (Matthew 26:52-54)

 Context is helpful. Passages like this must be read (and applied) in context. There is the immediate context of the passage, the near context in a book or section of Scripture, and there is the wider context in terms of the whole counsel of Scripture, in this case, the gospels. If Jesus was, in fact, prescribing a practice not describing what would happen to Peter and others if they resisted, then Jesus contradicts Himself within the Gospels. In Luke 22:31-35

Jesus teaches the opposite of passivism. At the close of Jesus’ earthly public ministry, Jesus warned of Satan’s attacks upon His disciples (and upon Peter and the Apostles). He also advised them to take steps to guard and defend themselves. While Jesus assured them He would provide for them, He also warned them of their responsibility for their own protection:

 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” 34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” 35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” 36 And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. 37 “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” 38 They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.” (Luke 22:31-35)

 Human beings are people of extremes. Indeed, those who characteristically live by the sword also die by the sword. At the same time, those who insist on not defending themselves or others are likely to die or allow others to die needlessly. Both extremes lack a biblical basis (aggression and passivism). Even Exodus 22:2 allows for taking the life of a burglar breaking in at night. Refusing to defend oneself and others cannot be rationalized on the basis of turning the other cheek.

Indeed, the Church is not to live by the sword. However, neither can the people of God afford to live without the sword in a fallen world. Eschewing self-defense for a misguided, though perhaps well intended, spirituality will lead to needless suffering and death.

When a wolf invades the pasture, the shepherds see to the protection of the flock. They may lay down their lives. Moreover, they will not stand idly by and watch a wolf literally or spiritually tear the flock to pieces. Neither do they flee like hirelings, failing to intervene. They engage.

 The idea that Jesus is a passivist is unsupportable in Scripture (Luke 22:31-35 and Revelation 19:14-16). Nowhere in Scripture is the practice of passivism prescribed. Nowhere in Scripture is self-defense ruled out. The opposite is true.

Self-defense is necessary because the police cannot respond quickly enough. What took place in White Settlement, Texas, should be a model for a church protecting the flock. There is nothing spiritual about allowing a murderer to slaughter God’s people for any reason. Such attacks (and such defenses) have little or nothing to do with “turning the other cheek.” We are to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). In today’s world and context, this entails taking steps to protect itself and others.

Question and Answer Part Two

We return to answering questions I was unable to answer during our Question and Answer session. These are tough questions and I’m not sure everyone will like the answers but we look to the Bible for our principles so that we can think and live biblically. Thanks for your questions! Here goes:

 How do you explain to an unbeliever when they ask what physical evidence there is that supports the stories of the bible? This is a reasonable question that people often ask. Here’s the ‘problem’ with that question. Unless you are willing to memorize and provide bibliographic information off the top of your head you are wasting your time. Why do I say this? The overwhelming archeological evidence that supports the fact that these stories are true is undeniable. Spend time in the Louvre in Paris or the British Museum. Google topics pertaining to biblical discoveries like this one here, or here and this one here. But “here” is the trouble. Whatever evidence you present will not be enough on two counts. First, secular archeologists are always looking for a way out and typically employ a “yes… but… acknowledgment. Second, they want you to prove something… Essentially, they put you on the defensive and they make themselves the final arbiter of divine truth based upon your ‘performance.’ Take a moment and read Romans 1:18-32 or Romans 3: 9-18. If you think about it, if put on the spot, they can’t prove to you their own mother or father exists or existed. Any photo evidence they can produce, if required, can be discarded with a “yes… but:” “Yes, I see a picture of a person that could be your parent… and you appear to be in that picture.  How can I be sure?” To be frank, it may be that you are engaging in the proverbial act of casting pearls before swine that Jesus warns of. My encouragement to you is to gauge their sincerity and invite them to a study of John’s gospel or invite them to come to church for 6 Sundays in a row. If they are not interested, then you have your answer. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to provide them enough evidence because whatever you provide them it will not be enough, and they will want more. In the end, no one can prove Socrates existed or Shakespeare. There is more evidence for the Bible and its contents than any of these… the Bible is the most reliable ancient document in existence, see what I mean by clicking here.

 How do you handle a situation where a fellow Christian judges someone simply because they sin differently than they do? Here’s another case where I’m not so sure the Bible allows me to accept your hypothesis. Sin is sin. There’s no place in the Bible where Christians are told not to judge. People often take Matthew 7:1-5 out of context or fail to think it through.

 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)

 The call here is not to judge hypocritically. Judge people the way you want to be judged (v. 2). Read the passage a couple of times. Jesus is telling us to evaluate others carefully not carelessly. That’s why Jesus gives the ‘Golden Rule’ as clarification in verse 12, ““So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12).” In fact, Jesus calls upon us to evaluate the conduct of others in the near context of this passage:

5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (Matthew 7:5-6)

 Notice how we go from do not evaluate to evaluate carefully? You’d have to judge the people and the situation in order not to give what is holy to dogs. Further down, Jesus says to judge further:

 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15-20)

 Notice verse 16. This calls for judging and evaluating behavior and character.

 So how do I handle a situation where a Christian evaluates someone’s behavior who sins in a different manner than you or that Christian sins? I’d point both of you back to Matthew 7:1-5. Aren’t you judging the Christian whom you say is judging? We all sin. We are to hold one another accountable. I just taught on this in the Sunday service in a sermon entitled “Intervention.” To listen click here.

 The wisest way to do this is to employ Matthew 18:15-17:

 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)

There’s a popular mythology that we are not to judge or evaluate one another’s conduct. That’s just plain wrong, as Jesus shows above and as Paul shows below:

 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you…” 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers…9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God… 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)

 We are to hold one another mutually accountable. We are to help each other confront our own sin. So, to answer your question, as your brother or sister struggles with his or her own sin (and as you struggle with yours) help them humbly but help them—because you will need their help someday:

…if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1-2)

 Be kind, be brave, be gracious; and be humble. But above all be helpful. Judge wisely.

Roman's 13: 1-7 command to submit to the civil authority then 8-14 command us to love our neighbors.  How do we apply this today in San Jose where bashing the "alien" living among is acceptable? This is a difficult and complicated question. With all due respect, I have to reject part of your hypothesis. Who are ‘those in San Jose?’ Are you suggesting that every man woman and child (including every ‘alien’) bashes aliens? Our country is the most welcoming country in the world when it comes to outsiders. It is a nation of outsiders. My son-in-law is an “alien” who recently received citizenship. He’s from Jakarta. No one that I know of in San Jose is or has bashed him. San Jose, at the heart of Silicon Valley is filled with people from all over the world, working in the tech industry. I don’t see anyone bashing them. My neighborhood is about 60% Indian and Sino-Asian. No one is bashing them.

 My guess is that you are referring to the controversy surrounding our seemingly broken immigration system. Now that IS frustrating when you think about it. President Bush when he and his party had control of the House of Representatives and the Senate failed to address this issue. Imagine that! You are the President of the United States and you have both houses of Congress and you don’t solve the problem. Some people blame the terrorist attacks of 9-11 for this. But the truth is, President Clinton had the opportunity as well. President Obama had both houses of Congress, he was the president and he chose not to address this issue. What does this tell us? I think people are naturally frustrated by all this. Sinners are frustrated and sinners, well, sinners sin. Sinners sin by breaking the law and coming here illegally. Our country has asylum laws. If you are being persecuted for your race, political believers and or religious beliefs you can seek and obtain political asylum. Wanting a better life for you or your family doesn’t not necessarily qualify you to come here. There are laws, procedures, and steps that must be taken. Thousands upon thousands of people take these steps every year. Others disregard these laws, processes, and procedures.

 People on all sides are naturally frustrated. They are frustrated with the countries who corrupt governments and ineptitude create the issues that drive these folks here. Some are frustrated because they live in failed states who cannot and will not take care of them (click here). People who live here, pay taxes, and who have immigrated here legally are frustrated (click here). People who are born here and whose parents are here legally are frustrated. Everyone is frustrated. Some make the case that if you live down the street from me and you like my home better than your own home that you do not have the right to enter my home without an invitation. The reasoning goes on that if you are invited into my home that you should not take advantage of my hospitality—you should respect my practices and preferences as a homeowner extending hospitality to you. When you shrink the idea down to its simplest concepts one sees there are multiple sides to the story. Some may crassly argue that if while visiting my home for dinner and you have a baby neither you nor the baby are necessarily entitled to take up residence in my home. If you stay in my home for an extended time, then you should probably share in the burdens I bear in my home.

 Those breaking existing laws in disobedience God’s word in Romans 13:1-7 inevitably (maybe inadvertently) put both themselves and their families at a great disadvantage. Sin has consequences. When you break the law, you fear law enforcement. And living outside the law of the land puts you at a marked disadvantage.

 There’s little doubt that the immigration system is broken. It should be ‘fixed.’ Fixing it is not in the best interest of the established political parties (Democrat and Republican) so they aren’t going to do it even when they have the means. Both have had the means and chose not to address the issue. However, this does not empower others to break the law. We have a system. We have the rule of Law. Laws and systems can be repaired, changed, and modified. Go through the system or change it. Laws cannot and should not be ignored. If they are no longer sufficient change them. Meanwhile, obey them. Disobey them? That’s sin. Sin has temporal and eternal consequences.

 Implicit in your question may be the question or inference of racism. We like to say that America is a racist country. Our country in some sense is like a bright white dress shirt. A few oil drops ruin the appearance of the shirt. They stick out. The shirt is still useful but stained. Racism is a stain on humanity. Racism is sin. But as a black friend of mine likes to point out to me that the U.S. is the safest country in the world for black people and people of color. Why? We have the rule of law. Yes, we have sinners. Racist countries he likes to point out don’t elect minority (black) presidents. Blacks, he reminds me, make up less than 15% of the population. I’ve been all over the world people are sinners in virtually every country I visit whether I go to Fiji, the Solomon Islands, the Republic of Kiribati, Europe, the former Soviet Union—everywhere I go. And there’s discrimination in all these places. There’s racism in all these places. And there’s racism here, too. But what differentiates this country from others is that everyone is coming here. Why? They feel safe. They are safer here than anywhere else in the world.

The larger problem has to do with Hillside’s credo and the culturally tainted thought process of many well-meaning Christians. The only way to abolish injustice and racism and reduce sin is changing the world one soul at a time with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Change all the laws you want. Pass all the laws you can. Create institutions and agencies by the score. But when you think about it, we have laws against speeding. Do people speed? We have laws against murder. Do people murder? We have laws against stealing. Do people steal?

 Put all that emotional effort you feel into serving God by fulfilling the Great Commission. Until then realize that none of this will ‘get fixed’ by human beings. It requires the return of Christ. And if you really want to make a difference—share your faith. If Clinton, Bush, Obama, and, now, Trump can’t fix it—it won’t be fixed.  In the meantime, what does the word of God say? Respect the laws of the land or change them through prescribed means (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). Be like Jesus, “rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.

 As far as obeying the law (ala Romans 13:1-7) and loving our neighbor: do both. It’s difficult but not impossible. Difficult does not mean impossible. And as you do so, join me in taking the log out of my own eye so I can see clearly to help others get the speck out of theirs.

 Thanks again for these challenging questions! I’ll answer more in a few weeks!

Questions and Answers!

At Hillside, we spent two services doing question and answer based on our study of the book of Romans. At this point, we’ve preached through Romans 15:13. Consequently, it seemed fitting to take a break and answer any questions our Hillside Family might have about Romans (and anything else). People submitted their questions by text, living during the service, and also by email and slips of paper written in long-hand. Regrettably, we did not have time to answer all the questions people wished to ask. Consequently, we are going to answer the remaining questions in the Hillside Blog. You can listen to the Q and A here. Every few days I’ll be answering three or so questions in the blog (see below).

 Regarding Job; I've read it several times and really have a hard time wrapping my head around why God allowed so much trauma and sorrow to come upon him .  Can you speak to this ?

 Great question! The key to understanding Job is found in Romans 15:4: “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” The purpose of Job is to remind us and teach us that there is a larger picture to this universe than what we detect with our five senses. Among the themes of Job is the reality of so-called “spiritual warfare.” As you read through Job you see periodic changes in venue. One moment we are on earth where Job leads a comfortable life among friends and family. The next scene we see the heavenlies (or spiritual realm) where there is a large spiritual conflict that affects the physical world.

 Part and parcel of the dialogue between Satan and God is the reality that true believers, like Job, trust in God regardless of their circumstances. Satan contends that Job will only trust God in the good times. God proves him wrong.

 Returning to the theme of spiritual warfare, Job’s friends ineptly ‘help’ Job cope with his situation. They look at his circumstances and assume the worst, “God must be punishing you for something—you must be terrible if bad things are happening to you…” The fact is, God is accomplishing a larger purpose through the hardships and suffering of Job. Job’s friends needed to learn to weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice.

 Among the lessons we learn are these, (1) the sovereignty of God over everything that happens, even Satan needs his permission to act (Job 18-12; Job 2:1-6). Jesus provides us this insight as well: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:31-32).” This should be a great comfort for all of us from people here to far off missionaries that no harm came come to them without God’s watch-care and purposes. This is why James writes “count it all joy… whenever you encounter various trials (James 1:2).” This is why we say our suffering is never wasted.

 A final lesson I’d like to address is that God’s higher purposes are often beyond our understanding or comprehension. His ways are perfect and good and His ends desirable but we often lack the capacity to grasp the forest for the trees. This is why we read that mysterious and awesome passage:

 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man;

I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:1-7)

 We sometimes forget our place in the universe and the nature of our relationship to our Creator and Savior, God. This is also why Paul warns us in Romans 9:20, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Again, our suffering is never wasted. Things truly and really do work together for good for those who love God. But His plans are beyond our comprehension. We cannot understand God and His ways exhaustively or comprehensively. But we can understand Him sufficiently to know that He is good and in the scheme of eternity supplies what is best for us.

 This brings us full circle, back to Romans 15:4.  “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).” Through Job we understand there is a world we cannot see and a plan we cannot always comprehend. Job was written for our benefit. In the end, Job never learns all that went on behind the scenes of his trials. But he does learn that God is good and can be trusted. Job wrestles through his trials imperfectly but faithfully. And I suppose that is a lesson for us as well. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).”

 How to answer when someone thinks all religions lead to the same God and how come Jesus is the only way for salvation and having relationships with God.

 At the core of this question is the assumption held in popular culture that all religions are somehow created equal. But the gods portrayed in the so-called holy books of the world’s religions are so radically different, morally and ethically, that they cannot be the same god, even remotely so. The god of Islam considers a woman to be half the value of a man. It allows for having one standard of morality in dealings with those outside the faith in contrast to dealings with those inside the faith. Islam is a monotheistic religion but it bears little resemblance to Judaism or Christianity. In Islam god is unknowable. In Christianity in Judaism God is knowable and personal. Christianity tells you to love your enemy, Islam says to kill them where you find them.

 Hinduism is a polytheistic religion with millions of gods. It subjects its adherents to a caste system where not all people are of equal value. Dalits (untouchables), even today, function as what is tantamount to slaves in India. Through reincarnation people may advance to a better station in life in the next incarnation they experience. Or they could return as an ant or a slug. The gods are unpredictable.

 To say that all these are the same god is nonsense. All of these religions contradict one another. They are radically different. Consider the truth claims of Jesus Christ: “I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by Me (John 14:6). Christianity teaches that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned and that even the good we do was ordained by God (Ephesians 2:8-10). All the other religions have humanity doing things to earn a salvation they cannot be certain of. There is no assurance of salvation. When it comes down to it, there are only two religions in the world. There is the religion of human achievement and the religion of divine achievement. The first contains all the world religions as denominations. In this religion you have to do something to deserve god’s favor and purchase, earn, or manipulate god’s favor. Christianity is the religion of divine achievement. God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves---save us: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).” You see similar teaching elsewhere:

 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

 All religions can’t be the same and they can’t point us to the same God unless such a god is an inveterate liar who invariably contradicts himself and confuses people through incompetence or outright deception. There is One God—the God of divine achievement who came among us and did for us on the cross what we could not do for ourselves. Accept no substitutes.

 What are "majors"? What's the set of central truths about which Christians must agree? 

 Space does not allow a thorough, thorough answer to this question—one that it is exhaustive. However, our statement of faith does a decent job of pointing them out. You can find that statement of faith here. That said, if I had to distill it down to the most basic level it would be that salvation comes only through Christ by faith alone. That Christ died according to the Scriptures, rose from the dead, according to the Scriptures. That He is the virgin-born son of God and God the Son. And that there is salvation in no other. The other tenets in our statement of faith revolve around this.

Until next time!