Through faith in Jesus Christ, God has given his people a vision and purpose:
- To honor, obey, and teach the Bible, the only inspired, useful, and flawless word of God. "Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16, WEB). "Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him." (Proverbs 30:5, WEB).
- To make ourselves, our family, our friends, our neighbors, and all people disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. "18) Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19) Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20) teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20, WEB).
- To obey Christ and call others to obey His two great commandments. "36) 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?' 37) Jesus said to him, ' "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." 38) This is the first and great commandment. 39) A second likewise is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 40) The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.' " (Matthew 22:36-40, WEB).
- To boldly teach the gospel which proclaims a righteousness from God given to all mankind that is received by faith from beginning to end. "16) For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17) For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, 'But the righteous shall live by faith.' " (Romans 1:16-17, WEB). "18) So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. 19) For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:18-19, WEB).
- To be a part of building up the body of Christ, the congregation of believers, the church, for fellowship, service, and worship as we wait for the Lord's return, "8) But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9) For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10) who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11) Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do. 12) But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, 13) and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14) We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the weak; be patient toward all. 15) See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all. 16) Always rejoice. 17) Pray without ceasing. 18) In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. 19) Don’t quench the Spirit. 20) Don’t despise prophesies. 21) Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. 22) Abstain from every form of evil. 23) May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24) He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it." (I Thessalonians 5:8-24, WEB).
- To promote the unity of the body of Christ. "1) I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2) with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3) being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4) There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, 5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6) one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in us all." (Ephesians 4:1-6, WEB).
- To accept the Lord's discipline, encourage others to do the same, pursue holiness, and warn others that the unbelieving will be punished in Hades and the unredeemed will be separated from God for The Ages of the Ages in the Lake of Fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels. "7) It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? 8) But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not children. 9) Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? 10) For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. 11) All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12) Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, 13) and make straight paths for your feet, so what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14) Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, 15) looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it." (Hebrews 12:7-15, WEB).
