The easiest way to answer this question is to say, "We believe what Church of the Good Shepherd believes." But of course, we'd like to be a little bit more helpful than that.
The next answer goes something like this: "We are Reformed, Evangelical, and Missional." Each of those words is a label that carries a huge bundle of meaning, but it's fairly likely that this answer still doesn't mean very much to you. So even though the next answer isn't as simple, we hope it will be a lot more helpful.
We believe that God made the universe, including mankind, with one purpose—to glorify himself. However, man has turned away from that purpose and sinned against God. In our pitiful state of sin, we attempt to glorify ourselves, and we worship created things instead of the Creator. But one day we will each stand before God and be judged for every thought, word, and deed. If we are found guilty of any sin, the fair sentence will be eternal punishment in Hell. We will be cast out of God's presence and into a place where there is weeping, gnashing of teeth, and fire that never goes out.
Without God's help, our only response to hearing these facts is to attempt to justify ourselves. We do this by comparing ourselves to people who are "worse than us"; by saying that we "don't believe God would do that"; by denying that he even exists; or by attempting to make up for our sins by doing "good things." Yet God tells us in his Word, the Bible, that we cannot save ourselves. Nothing we do can make up for our sins against God.
However, God is merciful. He sent his only son, Jesus, to Earth in order to save his people from their sins. Jesus is both fully God and fully man. He was born to a virgin named Mary, and he lived a perfect life, never sinning. But he suffered the punishment that sin deserved. When he was in his thirties, one Friday afternoon he was hung on a cross and died, and God the Father punished him for our sins. But death had no power over Jesus, and that very Sunday morning he came back to life.
Now, since Jesus, an innocent man, has paid the penalty for sin, it is possible for us to be saved from God's wrath. God has given us this promise in his Word, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
What you have just read is called the Gospel, which means "good news". It is what we believe, and we are not ashamed of it at all. Instead, we delight in telling other people about it. It is our desire that God will use us to proclaim this message to the whole campus of Indiana University, and that many who hear it will be saved and glorify God.
But that isn't where it ends!
Being a Christian consists in more than simply being able to say "I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior on such and such a day." If you have truly repented and turned to Jesus, then you have been changed. Jesus calls that change "being born again." In other words, when you become a Christian you are 'remade'. You are a "new man".
Why is this important? Because life doesn't stop when you become a Christian. As a matter of fact, your new life has just begun.
Being a Christian means growing in holiness, slowly overcoming sin in your life through the power of God's Holy Spirit. It is not until we reach Heaven that we are made perfect. In other words, if you are a Christian, college is not a time to relax spiritually. It is a time to fight for your faith. But this is not something that you can do alone. God has given you a community of believers to help, and he calls it church. Use it. (For more about church, see our FAQ section.)
If our answer to "What do we believe?" has you asking more questions, we'd love to answer them in person. Regardless, we would love to meet you and get to know you better. Contact us, or better yet, come to our weekly gathering of the Fold. See you there!
