What We Believe

 

THE GODHEAD

We believe there is one God, who is infinitely perfect, existing eternally in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 3:13-17, 5:48, 28:19; John 14, 15).

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, came into the world that He might manifest God to men, fulfill prophecy, and become the redeemer of a lost world.  To this end, He was born of the Virgin Mary, received a human body and a sinless human nature without ceasing to be God. (Luke 1:30-35; John 1:1, 14, 18; Hebrews 4:15; Philippians 2:5-11).

We believe in infinite love for the lost, He voluntarily accepted His Father’s will and became the divinely provided sacrificial Lamb who took away the sins of the world. (Romans 3:25-31; II Corinthians 5:14; Hebrews 10:5-13).

We believe that He arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He had lived and died and that His resurrected body is the patter of that body which ultimately will be given to all believers. (John 20:20; Philippians 3:20-21).  We believe that, on departing from the earth, He was accepted by His Father and that His acceptance is a final assurance to us that His redeeming work was perfectly accomplished. (Hebrews 1:3).

We believe that He became Head over all things to the Church which is His body, and in this ministry He does not cease to intercede and to be an advocate in behalf of mankind. (John 17:20; Ephesians 1:23; Philippians 2:6-11; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1-2).

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit, the Third divine person of the Trinity was sent to indwell, guide, teach, empower every believer immediately after he/she places their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that God provided, through the Holy Spirit, power to live the Christina life. (John 14:15-18, 16:13, 16:7-11; Acts 1:8; Romans 5:5, 8:9-15; Acts 1:8, Galatians 5:16-25).

We believe that every believer received grace from God in the form of a spiritual gift which enables him/her to function as a member of the body of Christ. (Romans 12:6; I Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 4:7-8).

We believe that the Bible commands all Christians to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).  To be filled with the Spirit means to live under the Spirit’s control and by the Spirit’s power.  We believe that this filing takes place when a Christian thirsts or desires for God to fill him or her with his Spirit (John 7:37-29).

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe the Holy Scriptures to be the verbal, inspired Word of God, authoritative, and without error in the original manuscripts.  We further believe that the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testament are the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men.  We further believe that they constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice, designed for our practical instruction in faith and conduct. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21).

MAN

Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God: he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death.  All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The portion of the impenitent and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment; and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; I Corinthians 15:20-23; Revelation 21:1-4, 21-8).

SALVATION

We believe that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again spiritually, and that the new birth of the believer comes only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  We believe, also, that our redemption has been accomplished by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this redemption is by the grace of God, an unmerited gift, given in love by God and not the result of any human works.  (John 3:7-18; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; Romans 4:4-5).

We believe that upon receiving the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, the believer passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life and into fellowship with God. (John 1:12, 5:24).

We also believe that once this salvation is accomplished, we and all true believers everywhere shall be kept saved forever. (John 10:28-29; Romans 3:24, 8:35-39; II Timothy 2:11-13; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:5, 8-9).

HEALING

We believe that provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body.  Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.  (Matthew 8:16-17; James 5:13-16).  In keeping with the Scriptural injunction in James 5:14-16, the Pastor and Deacons of the church shall anoint and pray for the sick upon their request.

Anointing may be performed in the public service or in the home or hospital as the need may require.

THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit.  Christ is the head of the Body, the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as witness, preaching the gospel to all nations. (I Corinthians 12:12-27; Acts 2:42-47).

We believe that the explicit message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those whom He has saved is to make Christ known to the whole world and that this is the purpose of the Church through the individuals within it.  (Matthew 28-18-20; Acts 1:18; II Corinthians 5:11-21).

We believe that local churches, such as Eden Baptist Church, are joined together for worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinance of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  (Ephesians 1:22-23; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-47).

THE RESURRECTION

We believe there shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life, for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.  (I Corinthians 15:20-23, John 5:28-29).

THE RAPTURE AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

We believe that a future period of great tribulation on the earth will be climaxed by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth, as He went in person, in the clouds with power and great glory to establish His millennial kingdom. Acts 1:9-11, I Thessalonians 5:1-11

THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN

We believe that Satan, the devil, is the prince of demons and is the declared adversary of God and man However, when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross; He limited the power of the devil and guaranteed the ultimate triumph of God.  (Ephesians 2:1-3; I Peter 5:8’ Revelations 20:10; Colossians 2:13-15).

THE ETERNAL STATE

We believe that at death the spirits and souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence.  They will remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the glorified body when Christ comes for his own, whereupon soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory.  All those who rejected Jesus Christ will eternally be separated from God to endure His eternal wrath forever.  (II Corinthians 5:8; Revelations 20:11-15, 21:1-27).

CHURCH ORDINANCES

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper to be observed by all believers until His return.  (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 10:47-48).

We believe that the ordinance of baptism in immersion of the believer in water as it sets forth the essential facts in redemption—the death and resurrection of Christ and the essential resurrection to newness of life. (Romans 6:4; Acts 8:26-39).

We believe that the Lord’s Supper, as commanded by Jesus, is a privilege afforded to all believers in commemoration of our Lord’s death until He “comes again”. (I Corinthians 11:23-28).