Of the Gospel

God in infinite and perfect love, having provided in the covenant of grace, through the mediation and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, a way of life and salvation, sufficient for and adapted to the whole lost race of man, doth freely offer this salvation to all men in the gospel (See Revelation 22:17; John 3:16; 1 John 2:1-2; Acts 2:38-39; Matthew 11:28-30; 2 Corinthians 5:14-19; Titus 2:11; Hebrews 2:9; Luke 24:46-47).

In the gospel God declares his love for the world and his desire that all men should be saved; reveals fully and clearly the only way of salvation; promises eternal life to all who truly repent and believe in Christ; invites all to embrace the offered mercy; and by his Spirit accompanying the word pleads with men to accept his gracious invitation (See Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 4:12; John 6:37-40; John 17:3; Acts 16:31; Acts 2:38; Galatians 2:16-20; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 4:5; Acts 13:38-39, 48; 2 Peter 3:9; Matt. 11:28-30; Mark 1:14-15; Acts 17:30; Revelation 22:17; Ezekiel 33:11; Isaiah 1:18; Luke 13:34).

It is the duty and privilege of everyone who hears the gospel immediately to accept its merciful provisions; and they who continue in impenitence and unbelief incur aggravated guilt and perish by their own fault (See Hebrews 2:3; Hebrews 12:25; Acts 13:46; Matthew 10:32-33; Luke 12:47-48; Hebrews 10:29).

Since there is no other way of salvation than that revealed in the gospel, and since in the divinely established and ordinary method of grace faith cometh by hearing the word of God, Christ hath commissioned his church to go into all the world and to make disciples of all nations. All believers are, therefore, under obligation to sustain the ordinances of the Christian religion where they are already established, and to continue by their prayers, gifts, and personal efforts to the extension of the kingdom of Christ throughout the whole earth (See Acts 4:12; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:13-15; Hebrews 10:19-25; Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Matthew 9:36-38; Acts 13:2-4; Colossians 3:16; Revelation 22:17; Colossians 1:28-29).

Westminster Confession of Faith X:1-4.

Invitation

The Pastor and Elders of this church encourage you to prayerfully consider your relationship with Jesus Christ and his church. The Pastor is available at all times to speak with you regarding your salvation, and would welcome the opportunity of speaking with you about becoming a Christian and uniting with this congregation through baptism and church membership.

Phone: (864) 414-0438

Email: wgshepherd@att.net

Office Hours: Wednesdays, 10:00 am-6:00 pm

Additional Resources

Book of Confessions. The first part of the Church’s constitution is contained in the Book of Confessions, a collection of twelve confessional documents, including the full text of the Westminster Confession of Faith and its Larger and Shorter Catechisms, which have historically informed what Presbyterians believe. Persons ordained for ministry in our denomination promise to be instructed, led, and continually guided by the Church’s confessions as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do. The full text of the Book of Confessions is available here on this web page: https://pcusa.org/resource/book-of-confessions. Included in the Book of Confessions is a helpful document called “Confessional Nature of the Church Report,” which clarifies the role and function of these confessional statements in the Church’s life.

9 Things You Should Know About the Westminster Confession. For most of their history, Presbyterians in the United States were guided by essentially a single confessional standard: The Westminster Confession with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms that translated it into question and answer form for educational purposes. The following article gives some important things to know about this important document: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-westminster-confession/