Glenvista Baptist Church Our mission
Living the gospel
As the gospel is so central to our faith we believe that every facet of our lives must be saturated with it. This implies that we do not only believe that the gospel is enough to save us from the coming judgment but also that it is totally sufficient for everything in life. The gospel is the means of grace that keeps us going. We remind ourselves of this good news, that God made the way of escape for sinners. Through it He also enables us to live a life that truly speaks of victory. Peter reminds us that ‘His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence’ (2 Peter 1:3). The fact that Christ died for us and brought us to life, and that He enables us to live life for Him (Jn. 15:5), is the reason we can thrive in a world that is caught up in utter confusion.
Looking to Christ
Life would be futile without Christ. Jesus is the one who made salvation possible (John 19:30). He is the one who keeps on sustaining us (John 4:14). He is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). If the point of human history could be summarised in one word it would be JESUS. There never has been anyone before or since who has had the same impact on world history that Christ has had. We are overjoyed that we belong to Him because He will one day return in judgment (Luke 3:17). We look to Him for sustenance and we long for His return to Earth.
Loving the saints
As Christians we are instructed to love our neighbour as ourselves. This is seen as the second most important commandment after loving the Lord with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. We know that these two commandments are closely related. It is not possible to love God as we should if we do not love others, and most especially our brothers and sisters in the Lord. They are our closest neighbours. The apostle John speaks seriously against a lack of love among brothers and sisters. He compares a lack of love to murder (1 John 3:15). It is our hearts’ desire to love the saints by serving them, by meeting their needs and by edifying them in the Word. Love is only lived out when the gospel of Christ is spoken and lived between the family members of God (Colossians 3:17).
Leaving comfort for the lost
Jesus left us with a very important mission during His final moments on earth. He instructed us to take this good news (of His payment for sin and of His constant enabling of the believer) as far as people are found (Mark 16:15). When we have been faithful in living the gospel, looking to Christ and loving the saints, we also aim to make every effort to reach those who do not worship Christ. This may be done through direct witnessing, relationship evangelism, evangelistic Bible studies and larger scale outreach and mission efforts. Christ left His perfect heavenly dwelling to die for us. We want to be faithful in bringing this message to others, even if it means leaving our comfort zone.