Encouragement
Cornerstone Baptist Church is a community of sinners, saved by grace, and any success we have experienced over the years is credited to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our 'Chief Cornerstone.' Our church stands firmly upon Christ, who serves as our Foundation. With Christ as the Cornerstone and Foundation, we will continue to grow and receive Christian encouragement, recognizing that our salvation is a gift from God. As long as we stay focused on this truth, we will be blessed by His presence.
As you look at Ephesians, Chapter 2, we cannot help but praise God for what He, in His grace, has done for sinners. Through Christ, He has raised us from the dead and seated us on the throne. He has reconciled us and set us into His temple. Neither spiritual death nor spiritual distance can defeat the grace of God! But He has not only saved us individually, He has also made us a part of His church collectively, like Cornerstone Baptist Church, which embodies Christian encouragement. What a tremendous privilege it is to be a part of God's eternal program of salvation!
Remember what the Lord told Peter: "upon this Rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." There are four purposes for the church, and as we speak of the church, we are speaking to individuals saved by grace.
Our purpose as members of Cornerstone Baptist Church is:
Exalt Jesus Christ
We are to Evangelize the lost
We are to Edify the believers
We are to Express what we have in Christ by our faithfulness to His church
We need to pray this Prayer: "Bestow on me, O Lord my God, understanding to know, diligence to seek you, and faithfulness that may finally embrace you, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
_Pastor Dave Peters
Salvation
Heaven is a place that you can be sure of today, offering true Christian encouragement for those seeking peace. The Bible teaches us about salvation and how we can have our sins forgiven, allowing us to live in harmony with God through Jesus Christ, as emphasized by Cornerstone Baptist Church.
Realize and acknowledge that you have sinned. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) All men, including you, have come short of Heaven because of sin. This is a key aspect of Christian encouragement, reminding us of our need for salvation.
Realize and acknowledge the penalty of sin. "The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) All men die physically, but all men do not die spiritually. You can be born again through Jesus Christ and be saved from the penalty of sin, which is an eternal Hell, a place of "fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
Realize and acknowledge that Christ died for you. "Christ died for our sins." (1 Corinthians 15:3) Jesus Christ paid the entire price on the cross for your sins. God set the price on sin, a perfect sacrifice, and then God Himself gave His own Son to pay that price.
Realize and acknowledge that you can have eternal life. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) God offers you freely His gift of eternal life. This gift is yours by believing in a risen Christ who arose on the third day and is alive forevermore.
Realize and acknowledge that Christ can save you. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) Whosoever means you. If you, by simple faith, will trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for your soul's salvation, you can be 100% sure that you are going to Heaven. Nothing else will do; not church membership at Cornerstone Baptist Church, not baptism, not confirmation, not communion. None of these things can save us from sin. Only Jesus Christ can provide true salvation.
Confess and ask: Why not pray this prayer, "Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. Forgive me for my sin and come into my heart and save me. Thank you for saving me. Amen."