God
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
The Bible
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged.
Therefore, it is to be:
✔ Believed in all that it teaches
✔ Obeyed in all that it requires
✔ Trusted in all that it promises
The Human Condition
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, all human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath.
Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be:
✔ Rescued
✔ Reconciled
✔ Renewed
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel’s promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He:
✔ Lived a sinless life
✔ Was crucified under Pontius Pilate
✔ Arose bodily from the dead
✔ Ascended into heaven
✔ Sits at the right hand of God as our High Priest and Advocate
The Work of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins.
His atoning death and victorious resurrection are the only grounds for salvation.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ in all He does.
He:
✔ Convicts the world of guilt
✔ Regenerates sinners
✔ Baptizes believers into union with Christ
✔ Adopts them into the family of God
✔ Indwells, illuminates, guides, equips, and empowers believers
The Church
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone.
The church is united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, with Jesus as the Head.
The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers.
Jesus Christ mandated two ordinances:
✔ Baptism
✔ The Lord’s Supper
These ordinances visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though not means of salvation, they confirm and nourish the believer when celebrated in genuine faith.
Christian Living
We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose.
God commands us to:
✔ Love Him supremely
✔ Love others sacrificially
✔ Live out our faith with care for one another, compassion for the poor, and justice for the oppressed
Through God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer, we are to:
✔ Combat the spiritual forces of evil
✔ Make disciples among all people
✔ Bear witness to the gospel in word and deed
Christ’s Return
We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Since the timing of His coming is known only to God, believers must live in constant expectancy and be motivated to:
✔ Godly living
✔ Sacrificial service
✔ Energetic mission
Response and Eternal Destiny
We believe that God commands everyone, everywhere, to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving Jesus Christ as Lord.
God will raise the dead and judge the world:
✔ Unbelievers – Condemnation and eternal conscious punishment
✔ Believers – Eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and new earth
All to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
Source: EFCA SOF