EFCA Statement of faith
Adopted June 19, 2019
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, and trusted in all that it promises.
human condition
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, 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 and 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 and sits at the right hand of God the Father 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 constitute the only ground for salvation.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
The Church
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
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 and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing 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. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and 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 the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
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 and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing 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. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and 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 the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
Creeds
As a member of the historical Universal Church, Bethesda Evangelical Free Church also affirms the ecumenical creeds of Church history:
Apostles' Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into Hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the One Holy Universal Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things visible and invisible;
and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets.
I believe in One Holy Universal Christian and Apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets.
I believe in One Holy Universal Christian and Apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Chalcedonian Creed
Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body, of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of the virgin Mary, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, recognized in two natures without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the Prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.
Athanasian Creed
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the universal faith, which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. The universal faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. There is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit, but the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one; the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Spirit unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Spirit eternal. Yet, they are not three eternals, but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated, nor three infinites, but one uncreated and one infinite. So likewise, the Father is almighty; the Son almighty; and the Holy Spirit almighty. Yet, they are not three almighties, but one almighty. So, the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Spirit is God. Yet, they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise, the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Spirit Lord; yet not three Lords; but one Lord. Like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the universal religion to say, "There are three Gods, or three Lords." The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. In this Trinity none is before or after another. None is greater or less than another, but the whole three Persons are coeternal and coequal, so that in all things, as aforesaid: the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He, therefore, that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man; God, of the Essence of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man, of the essence of His mother, born in the world. Perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and physical body subsisting; equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his manhood; Who although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by assumption of the manhood by God. One altogether; not by confusion of Essence; but by unity of Person. As the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, Who suffered for our salvation, descended into Hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into Heaven. He sitteth on the right hand of the God the Father almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. At Whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works, and they that have done good shall go into life everlasting. and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the universal faith, which, except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man; God, of the Essence of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man, of the essence of His mother, born in the world. Perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and physical body subsisting; equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his manhood; Who although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by assumption of the manhood by God. One altogether; not by confusion of Essence; but by unity of Person. As the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, Who suffered for our salvation, descended into Hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into Heaven. He sitteth on the right hand of the God the Father almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. At Whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works, and they that have done good shall go into life everlasting. and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the universal faith, which, except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.