Statement of Faith
Our Statement of Faith summarizes the foundational beliefs of our church. EBCI is a Christian, Evangelical, Baptist, congregational church.
THE BIBLE. We believe in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments as fully inspired of God and accept them as our final and sufficient authority for faith and life. (2 Sam 22: 31, Ps 19:7-11, Ps 119:105, Luke 16:29, Rom 15:4, 2 Peter 1: 20-21, 2 Tim. 3:15-17, Heb 4:12, Rom 16:25-26, I Pet 1:25)
GOD. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Gen 1:1, Deut. 6:4, Jer. 10:10, Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14, John 1:1-3; 14:11; 15:26, 20:30-31, Heb. 1:2, 1 John 4:14-15)
JESUS. We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man. (Matt. 1:20-25, John 1:1-3; 14; 18; 5:18, 8:58, 20:28, Rom. 9:5, Col 1:13-14, Heb. 1:8, I Thes 4:14-18, Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1, Matt. 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-38)
HOLY SPIRIT. We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, His regenerating work, and abiding presence in the true believer. (John 14:16; 26; 15:26; 16:7-11, Rom. 5:5; 8:1-17, 1 Cor. 12-14, Gal. 5:16-26, John 3:5-8; II Tim 1:14, Titus 3:5, II Pet 1:21, I John 4:13)
MAN & SIN. We believe that God created man in His own image: that man sinned and thereby incurred the penalty of death, physical and spiritual: that all human beings inherit a sinful nature which produces actual transgressions involving personal guilt. (Gen. 1:26-27, Gen. 3, Rom. 3:10-18, 23-25; 5:12-14, Gal. 3:22)
SALVATION. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, an atoning and substitutionary sacrifice, according to the Scriptures, and that all who repent of their sin and believe in Him are justified by grace through faith, on the ground of His shed blood. (John 3:16-21, Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:23-26, Eph. 1:7, 2:8,9, 5:9, Gal 2:20, 3:13, I Tim 2:3-6)
RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven, His exaltation and His ministry as our high priest, mediator and advocate. (Matt. 28:6, Luke 24:5-6, John 21:14, 1 Cor. 15:3-4; 12-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:1-2; 9-11, Heb. 4:14; 8:1-6, Phil 2:5-11, I Tim 2:5, Rom 8:34, I Pet 1:3)
RETURN OF CHRIST. We believe in the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory. (Matt. 24:30-44, 1 Cor. 15:24, 1 Thes. 4:14-17; 5:1-2, II Thes 1:7, I John 2:28, Rev. 1:7, Acts 1:11, Tit 2:11-14)
FINAL JUDGEMENT. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the just and the unjust. We believe that all will be judged by Jesus Christ, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost. (Eccl. 11:9; 12:14, Acts 17:31, Acts 24:15, Rom. 14:10, 1 Cor. 15:21-23, 35-58, 1 Thess 4:13-18, Heb. 9:27, Rev. 20:11- 15)
THE CHURCH. We believe that a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptised believers, observing the two ordinances of Christ – Lord’s Supper and Baptism, committed to His teachings, exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. We also believe that the Church is the body of Christ which includes all those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 16:18, 18:17, 28:19-20, John 3:5-7, Acts 1:8, 2:41-47, Rom. 9:23-26, 1 Cor. 1:1-2; 3:10-11; 11:23-34; 12:27, Eph. 2:8-9; 19-22, Col 1:18, 2:9-10)
ORDINANCES. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ gave His church two ordinances to follow, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that He commanded all believers to be baptised by immersion. We believe that all believers should examine themselves before they take the Lord’s Supper; we also believe that they should ensure that they take the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.
MARRIAGE. We believe that God has ordained marriage as a lifelong relationship between one natural man and one natural woman. We also believe that a believer should only marry another believer and that believers are to abstain from sexual immorality, including pre-marital and extra-marital sex. (Gen 2:24, Mat 19:4-6, Mal 2:10-16, 1 Cor 7:39, 2 Cor 6:14,15, 1 Thes 4:3-8, Heb 13:4, Acts 15:20)
GOD. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Gen 1:1, Deut. 6:4, Jer. 10:10, Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14, John 1:1-3; 14:11; 15:26, 20:30-31, Heb. 1:2, 1 John 4:14-15)
JESUS. We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man. (Matt. 1:20-25, John 1:1-3; 14; 18; 5:18, 8:58, 20:28, Rom. 9:5, Col 1:13-14, Heb. 1:8, I Thes 4:14-18, Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1, Matt. 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-38)
HOLY SPIRIT. We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, His regenerating work, and abiding presence in the true believer. (John 14:16; 26; 15:26; 16:7-11, Rom. 5:5; 8:1-17, 1 Cor. 12-14, Gal. 5:16-26, John 3:5-8; II Tim 1:14, Titus 3:5, II Pet 1:21, I John 4:13)
MAN & SIN. We believe that God created man in His own image: that man sinned and thereby incurred the penalty of death, physical and spiritual: that all human beings inherit a sinful nature which produces actual transgressions involving personal guilt. (Gen. 1:26-27, Gen. 3, Rom. 3:10-18, 23-25; 5:12-14, Gal. 3:22)
SALVATION. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, an atoning and substitutionary sacrifice, according to the Scriptures, and that all who repent of their sin and believe in Him are justified by grace through faith, on the ground of His shed blood. (John 3:16-21, Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:23-26, Eph. 1:7, 2:8,9, 5:9, Gal 2:20, 3:13, I Tim 2:3-6)
RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven, His exaltation and His ministry as our high priest, mediator and advocate. (Matt. 28:6, Luke 24:5-6, John 21:14, 1 Cor. 15:3-4; 12-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:1-2; 9-11, Heb. 4:14; 8:1-6, Phil 2:5-11, I Tim 2:5, Rom 8:34, I Pet 1:3)
RETURN OF CHRIST. We believe in the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory. (Matt. 24:30-44, 1 Cor. 15:24, 1 Thes. 4:14-17; 5:1-2, II Thes 1:7, I John 2:28, Rev. 1:7, Acts 1:11, Tit 2:11-14)
FINAL JUDGEMENT. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the just and the unjust. We believe that all will be judged by Jesus Christ, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost. (Eccl. 11:9; 12:14, Acts 17:31, Acts 24:15, Rom. 14:10, 1 Cor. 15:21-23, 35-58, 1 Thess 4:13-18, Heb. 9:27, Rev. 20:11- 15)
THE CHURCH. We believe that a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptised believers, observing the two ordinances of Christ – Lord’s Supper and Baptism, committed to His teachings, exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. We also believe that the Church is the body of Christ which includes all those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 16:18, 18:17, 28:19-20, John 3:5-7, Acts 1:8, 2:41-47, Rom. 9:23-26, 1 Cor. 1:1-2; 3:10-11; 11:23-34; 12:27, Eph. 2:8-9; 19-22, Col 1:18, 2:9-10)
ORDINANCES. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ gave His church two ordinances to follow, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that He commanded all believers to be baptised by immersion. We believe that all believers should examine themselves before they take the Lord’s Supper; we also believe that they should ensure that they take the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.
MARRIAGE. We believe that God has ordained marriage as a lifelong relationship between one natural man and one natural woman. We also believe that a believer should only marry another believer and that believers are to abstain from sexual immorality, including pre-marital and extra-marital sex. (Gen 2:24, Mat 19:4-6, Mal 2:10-16, 1 Cor 7:39, 2 Cor 6:14,15, 1 Thes 4:3-8, Heb 13:4, Acts 15:20)