Beliefs & Values

The Beliefs & Values of EBC

Our Beliefs

Scripture

We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally and plenarily inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore has truth without admixture of error for its matter. We believe that it is the true center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds and opinions. (II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:19-21)

God

We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the God-head there are three distinct persons... the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; one in substance and equal in every divine perfection. (Exodus 20:2,3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7)

Christ

We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He is both human and divine; that He is very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His deity; but He did give up the independent exercise of His divine attributes; that as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. (John 1:1,2;1John 5:20;Matt 1:20;Luke 1:26-38)

Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness to the truth, is the Agent of the New Birth and that He baptizes, seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies and empowers the believer, indwells every true child of God. (II Cor 13:14; John 14:16,17; Rom 8: 14-27)

Satan

We believe in the distinct personality of Satan; that he is the god of this age, author of all the powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)

Creation

We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, "each after its own kind" by direct act and not by the process of evolution. We believe that these days are solar days (24 hours) of creation. (Genesis 1:2; Colossians 1:16; John 1:3)

​Human Sexuality and Marriage

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. A person’s gender is a good gift to be embraced and celebrated in accord with God’s created intention.  Only when God’s intentions for gender are respected can individuals image God so that they can fully know God and so know the potential of their humanity for their own flourishing and the flourishing of others (Genesis 1:26-28). God’s redemptive work in Christ by the Spirit is to restore this vision of humanity which has been marred through brokenness and sin (Colossians 3:9-10).

 

We believe that God created marriage to be an exclusive, lifelong union of one man and one woman, and that intimate sexual activity is to occur exclusively within that union (Genesis 2:24). Jesus asserts that this “one flesh” union is brought about by God himself (Matthew 19:4-6). Marriage is a good gift from God to enable the men and women so gifted to experience and reflect their identity as God’s image-bearers (1 Corinthians 7:1-7; 1 Timothy 4:3). Marriage, when lived out according to God’s design for the nature and roles of the partners involved, bears the additional significance of serving as a living representation of the relationship of Christ to His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:22-32). Only when God’s intentions in creation and redemption are observed can the glory of God be fully declared in and through marriage. To conform to God’s intentions for marriage is to create an environment best suited for the flourishing of the couple and their children as well as for preserving an institution essential to the health of the church and society at large. 

Man

We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in innocence but by voluntary transgression fell into sin, thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that now all mankind is born in sin and shaped in iniquity and become practical sinners with the first expression of personal choice and so are without excuse before God. (Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19)

Christ – Atonement

We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the blood atonement and reconciling work of Jesus Christ, the Sinless One who could not sin; that He voluntarily took upon Him a human body and nature, and by His suffering, death, and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the blessings of salvation are bestowed on the grounds of grace to all who put their trust in Him. (John 3:1-7; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-13; Romans 3:25, 26)

Redemption

We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus is the only means of salvation, that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure. (Acts 16:31; Titus 3:4-7; Rom 3:28; Eph 2:8-10; Rom 12:1-3)

Church

We believe that a local Church is a congregation of regenerated and immersed believers, associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the rights and privileges invested in it by His Word; that its officers are bishops, or pastors, and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit, and it is answerable only to Christ, and that in all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline and benevolence the will of the local Church is final. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:3-11; 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18; 3:14-15; I Timothy 3:1-7)


We believe that there are two Church Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water and is properly called "Believer's Baptism". It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior. The Lord's Supper is by the invitation and command of the Lord himself in commemoration of our Lord's death until He comes. It is for obedient believers only and must always be preceded by careful self-examination. (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-32)


We believe that all who take Christ as Savior are born from above and eternally secure in Christ. Therefore, it is the responsibility of believers to maintain the purity of the Church in both doctrine and deportment; that defilement demands discipline, (I Corinthians 5) that neither individuals nor an assembly of such should be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers". (II Corinthians 6:14; John 10:28,29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6)


We do not believe that personal sign "gifts" such as tongues (i.e. known languages), healing, prophecy, are appropriate for this dispensation. (Acts 2:8; James 5:14,15; I Corinthians 13:8)

Future

We believe there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are set apart by the Spirit of God; truly righteous in His esteem; while all such who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; that this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting life of the saved (Heaven) and the everlasting damnation of the lost (Hell). (Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-23; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 6:25; John 8:21)


We believe in the bodily, personal, premillenial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven year tribulation period to catch away His Church, coming only into the air, and that He will come with His Church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His Kingdom. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:31-36)


We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead; the believer's bodies being raised at the coming of Christ for His Church and caught up with transformed living saints to meet the Lord in the air, and that the wicked dead will be raised at the close of the millennial Kingdom and stand in their bodies at the Great White Throne Judgment to receive their final doom. (II Thessalonians 1:7-9; I Corinthians 15:51-54; Revelation 7:9-17; 20:11-15)

Questions?

For questions regarding EBC's Beliefs, please click on the button below.