WHAT WE BELIEVE


Ebenezer Baptist Church Statement of Beliefs


We believe that both the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God and are inerrant in the original writings. They are supreme and final authority in faith and practice. (Psalm 138:2; Matthew 5:17-18; Mark 12:26, 36; Luke 24: 27, 44; John 5:39-47,10:33,16:13, 17:17; Acts 1:16; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)





  • We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. We believe Jesus lived a sinless and perfect life and He died for our sins according to the Scriptures. We believe He is our representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.



  • We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. We believe He is very God and is co-existent with the Father and the Son. We believe the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Supernatural Agent in the regeneration of the soul. We believe that the Holy Spirit baptizes each believer into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation. We believe He seals and indwells every Christian at the moment of salvation. The Spirit teaches, guides, comforts, empowers, and develops the character of Christ in believers as they are filled with and walk in the Holy Spirit. He equips the believer with spiritual gifts according to His will. These gifts must be used in accordance with Scripture. (John 14:16-17; 16:5-15; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 12:1-14:40; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 1:13-14,2:22,5:18)




  • We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is built up by believers who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation. His church exists in autonomous local churches where His people gather together. The church is to fulfill the Great Commission until Christ’s return for us. We believe the local church observes two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that all who have received Christ as Savior and Lord should be baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that baptism is by immersion in the likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; and that the Lord’s Supper should be observed in remembrance of Him to show forth His death for our sins until He comes again. (Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 2-3; Acts8:36-38;16:30-33; Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)


  • We believe the believer is to grow in grace during his earthly life. Sanctification (a setting apart unto God) occurs positionally when the believer is placed into Christ at the moment of salvation. He is to continue to grow throughout the rest of his life. The believer is complete and perfect when he is glorified in heaven (John17:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 7:1; Ephesians 4:17-24, 5:27; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 10:10, 14).



  • We believe in the reality of angels, who are spirits created by God. They continually worship and serve God and also minister to believers. We also believe in the reality of Satan and demons, who are fallen angels. However, we also believe that Christ defeated Satan on the cross and believers have authority over him today. (Isaiah 6; Hebrews 1; Genesis 3; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 3:8; Jude 6; Revelation 12; 20:10)



  • We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and the wife are equal before God, since both are created in God’s image. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously and voluntarily to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. In other words, husbands and wives are equal persons with distinct, God-given roles. They are to work together to manage the household and nurture the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to raise their children with a godly example, loving discipline, wise teaching and training, and proper affection. Children are to honor and obey their parents. (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15-25, 3:1-20; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 127; 139:13-16; Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-7)


  • We believe the Bible teaches a literal heaven and a literal hell. Those who are born again by faith in Christ will go to heaven. All those who refuse Christ as Savior and Lord will be cast into the lake of fire. The unrepentant will suffer eternal torment. The lost “shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-44, 46; Luke 16:19-30; John 14:1-3; Revelation 20:14-15, 21:8)


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