ATTACHMENT 1
EMMAUS BAPTIST CHURCH, INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENT OF FAITH

Emmaus Baptist Church, Inc. adopts the following “Condensed Statement of Faith”:

ABOUT GOD
There is one God who is the creator and ruler of the universe; eternally existing in three persons, i.e. Father, Son and Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7-8).

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin. He is fully man and fully God. He is co-equal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind (John 3:16). He rose from the grave three days later demonstrating His power over death, hell, and the grave. He ascended to the Father where He prays for us (Hebrews 7:25, 1 Timothy 2:5), is preparing an eternal place for us (John 14:1-4) and will come again for us (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

ABOUT HOLY SPIRIT
Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son. He convicts of sin (John 16:7-8), comforts us (John 14:16-19), guides us into all truth (John 16:13), and is our deposit, sealing us against the day our salvation is fully realized (Ephesians 1:13-14).

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
All mankind needs forgiveness from sin (Romans 3:23) in order to enjoy a full life now and to share eternity with God. This forgiveness is available through God’s free offer of grace (Ephesians 2:8-10), through trusting what Jesus Christ has done for us on the Cross (Romans 10:9-10), and by the power of Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). This relationship with God is essential to enjoy the wonderful realities of heaven and to avoid the painful realities of an eternal hell (John 5:24, 28 and 29; Philippians 2:9-10).

ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to mankind. It is the inspired and only infallible, authoritative, complete Word of God. As such, it should be viewed as the “owner’s manual” for life (2 Timothy 3:16).

ABOUT THE CHURCH
It is God’s intention the Christian life be lived out in community with other members of the church which form Christ’s body (Ephesians 1:20-23, Hebrews 10:25, Proverbs 27:17). God established the church as the institution through which His wisdom is shown (Ephesians 3:10), and in which His Spirit dwells (Ephesians 2:19-22).

CHRISTIAN LIVING
When a person accepts God’s free gift of grace, he is regenerated and new life in Christ begins (2 Corinthians 5:17). The goal of this new life is to be transformed into a life of “Christ-like” character (Romans 12:1-2). However, the supreme evidence of Christian discipleship is not that we keep all the rules, but rather that we have love for one another (John 13:35).

MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY
We believe God’s design for sexual intimacy is to be expressed only within the context of marriage. God instituted marriage between one man and one woman as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9: Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9)
We believe that God created all human beings in His image. Therefore, we believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; that we must honor the physical and spiritual needs of all people; following Christ’s example, we believe that every person should be treated with love, dignity, and respect. (Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10)

PROPERTY AND FACILITY USAGE
Emmaus Baptist Church facilities, or properties may not be used by any individual, group, or organization that advocates, endorses, or promotes any alternative lifestyle or belief that does not align with our Statement of Faith. This policy applies to events including but not limited to: Birthday parties, Classes, Reunions, Anniversaries, Baby Showers, Weddings, and Renewal of Vows Service held at Emmaus Baptist Church or Ministry Events.

EMMAUS BAPTIST CHURCH STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
All employees and volunteers of Emmaus Baptist Church represent, by example to their congregants, the outworking of Christ’s mandate to follow in His steps. Therefore, all employees and volunteers must agree to abide by this Condensed Statement of Faith and not advocate, endorse, or promote alternative lifestyles that do not align with our Statement of Faith.

 

November 20, 2019