EEFC - Statement of Faith

We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God,
without error in the original writings, and the Divine and final authority for Christian doctrine
and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; John 17:17)

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinite, and eternal, existing in three
persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - who have the same nature and attributes, but who
are distinct in office and activity. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 6:3; Psalms 90:2;
Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; John 14)

We believe in God the Father, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal and immutable;
full of love, justice, goodness, mercy and truth. (Eph. 4:6; I Cor. 8:6; I Tim. 2:5; Gen. 1:1)

We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy
Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross for our sins according to the
Scriptures, arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where, as our High Priest,
He fulfills the ministry of intercession and advocacy for His people. (Jn. 1:1,14; Lk. 1:35; I
Cor. 15:3-4; Acts 1:9; Heb. 4:14-16, 7:25)

We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during
this age to convict sinners, regenerate those who receive Christ as Savior, baptize them into
the Church (the body of Christ), indwell them permanently, keep them eternally secure, give
spiritual gifts to each one and fill those yielded to Him. (Jn. 16:7-15; 3:6-8; I Cor. 12:13; Jn.
14:16-17; Eph. 4:30; Rom. 12:4-8; Eph. 5:18)

We believe that all things in heaven and earth were created by God and exist by His power
(Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16-17). We believe that angels are spiritual beings who were created as
sinless personalities and presently exist in both fallen and unfallen states, the former
consisting of Satan and his angels. Satan is the author of sin and cause of the fall; he is the
open and declared enemy of God and man; he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire
(Heb. 1:13-14; II Pet. 2:4; Rev. 7:11-12, 20:10). We believe that man was created innocent
and in the image of God, but that he sinned, bringing both physical and spiritual death to
himself and his posterity. We believe that man has inherited a sinful nature, is alienated from
God, and is in need of salvation. (Gen: 1:27, 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3)

We believe that God in His mercy did not leave sinful man to suffer the eternal punishment he
deserves, but that Jesus Christ, by His shed blood, did purchase salvation so that all who
repent of their sins and in faith turn to Christ receiving Him as Savior are justified by grace
through faith apart from works and given the free gift of eternal life. All true believers, once
saved, are kept secure in Christ forever. (Rom. 8:38-39; Jn. 10:27-30)

We believe that sanctification is the work of God by which he set the believer apart for
Himself and works in the believer's life to conform him to the character of Christ. Because the
believer is united to Christ and adopted into His family, sin no longer has complete dominion
over him. Because the Holy Spirit indwells him and he has been given a new nature which
conflicts with his sinful nature, he is continuously at war with sin. The believer is to participate
in the process of sanctification by diligently applying himself to cooperate with God's working
in his life. The believer will not be completely sinless in practice until Christ returns and the
believer is made like Him. (Rom. 8:29; I Cor. 1:2, 1:30, 6:11; II Cor. 3:18; Eph. 5:15-27; I
thes. 5:23; Rom.6:12-14; Gal. 5:17; II Pet. 1:5-11; I Jn. 3:2)

We believe that the church, the Body of Christ consists of all born-again believers anywhere
in the world. We believe that the local church is an assembly of believers - persons who
come together under divinely ordained leadership to worship and praise God, to study His
Word, to observe the ordinances, to have fellowship with one another, to make disciples, and
to serve the community and mankind. We believe that the authority of the local church rests
with the congregation - persons who have joined together to support the church body with
their prayers, presence, gifts and service- under the leadership of Christ. (Mt. 16:16-18; Eph.
4:11-13; 5:23-29; Mt. 28:18-20; I cor. 3:11; Eph. 1:22-23, 2:19-22; Col. 1:18; Acts 2:42-47)

We believe that Christ instituted the ordinances of water baptism, and the Lord's Supper,
which are to be observed by believers until He returns. We believe that by water baptism a
believer is publicly identified with his Savior. The mode of baptism practiced by this church is
immersion because we believe it best portrays the believer's death to sin and new life in
Christ. We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's death, the elements being
symbols of His body and blood. The ordinance also represents the unity of believers and
looks forward to the second coming of Christ. We believe that every Christian has the
privilege to partake of the elements of the Lord's Supper, but that participation should be
preceded by reflection and serf-examination. (Mt. 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Rom 6:4; col. 2:12;
Acts 8:35-39; Mt. 26-30; I Cor. 11:23-26)

We believe in the personal, visible, premillennial, and imminent second coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ; and this fact motivates the Christian to holiness and faithful service to Him. We
believe that at the second coming He will raise the dead: the believers to everlasting
blessedness and joy with the Lord, and the unbelievers to judgment and everlasting,
conscious punishment. (I Thes. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:1-6, 11-15; Mt. 24:14-31; II Pet. 3:10-13; I
Cor. 15:50-58)

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