About First Church of Deliverance
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We follow Jesus by obeying his commands. He calls us to love our neighbour, and for At First Church of Deliverance, that means the whole of Chicago. We are called to embody the love of Jesus in our neighbourhoods and networks. We encourage each other to love the city in the specific ways God is calling us to. This love takes a variety of forms: serving those in need, befriending the lonely, welcoming the immigrant, seeking justice for the oppressed, speaking the good news to those who have not heard, participating in culture-making, pursuing vocational calling with integrity. Through these acts of love, we seek the good of the city, recognizing the importance of the city in God's story of salvation. We seek to be a city on a hill, a place that cannot be hidden, whose good works bring glory to God.
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.
About Salvation: Salvation is a gift from God to mankind, received by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can we be saved from sin's penalty. Eternal life begins the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our life by faith.
About Salvation: We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God; that it was purchased by Christ on the cross; that it is received through faith, apart from any human merit, works, or ritual; and that salvation results in righteous living, good works and biblically informed actions to bring about godly justice wherever we live.