Kwanglim Church has taught five distinct standards for the life of an exemplary Christian in accordance with its pastoral philosophy. Such standards are called “Five Traditions of Kwanglim,” through which Kwanglim Church has grown and thrived as a single community. Therefore, in order to understand Kwanglim Church and get to know it more quickly, you are invited to learn more about Kwanglim’s Five Traditions.
Positive faith
The formation of a personal relationship with God leads to the experience of transformation in word and action, an escape from fatalistic or pessimistic ways of thinking. Positive faith is a conversion to positive thinking through faith and a change for a purpose-driven life. As stated in "I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13), it is through Christ that we have positive and active faith that empowers us to do all things. We come to acknowledge Christ as the only savior and share Christ through our positive faith and life.
Abundant Creation
Christians live a life that creates abundance in the world through their faithful abundance. That is, they make spiritual impacts and do not keep their abundance to themselves but share it with others. The verse "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10) teaches us why Jesus came to us as the good shepherd.
We are living in an era that people pursue material abundance, but without peace of mind, there can be no happiness. It is only through Jesus, our good shepherd, that we can restore the image of God and live a life of abundance and new creation.
Faithful Life
Sincere life is what defines the character and orientation of a Christian. Proverbs 3:3 "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart" teaches us to keep and follow the truth and to live up to it. We should live a life of maturity along with our growth in daily life. John Wesley taught sanctification—the full devotion to Christ to be transformed into his likeness, that is, loving God with all our heart and with all our soul. When our life is filled with the full energy of the love of the Holy Spirit, we are able to live a sincere life. This is not something attainable by human effort, but the spiritual journey of a Christian who has been given the grace of sanctification.
Sharing Love
Orthodoxy in faith and confession must be translated into orthopraxis. That is, our salvation through the confession of Jesus Christ must lead to the life of sanctification as the fruit of salvation, a life of sharing love. Faith is dead, if not accompanied by action. True faith is validated by responsible love. Galatians 5:6 also puts a strong emphasis on "faith expressing itself through love." Christians should live a life of sharing love on earth, just as God is love. Kwanglim Church is a community that expresses and shares God’s love.
Unified Obedience
The church is a single community or entity headed by Christ. We present every aspect of life through our obedience to God. Obedience has the power to unify us, and in such unification, we have a sense of fellowship, stability, and security. Obedience is the orientation of a self-sacrificial life and the attitude of an eschatological life. Just as it is through such aspects of obedient life that the early church formed true fellowship and communion, when the whole congregation becomes one-hearted through unified obedience, it becomes able to carry out its task as the church that witnesses God’s life-giving works and gives help to many people.