Statement of Faith

HEBC holds the following Statement of Faith as being a summary of Christian doctrine in accordance with the Bible. We realize that many truly born again believers hold differing positions on certain aspects of doctrine. This Statement of Faith is not put forth to divide believers, but rather, to ensure unity in this body through consistency of teaching (Ephesians 4:13-14).

The Bible

We believe the 66 books of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired, inerrant Word of God. The Holy Spirit revealed God’s truth to the minds of the human writers so that, using their own individual personalities, they were able to compose and record God’s perfect revelation to man (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21; I Corinthians 2:10-13).

With the passing of the apostolic office, the Bible was completed, and divine revelation is not being given today (Acts 1:20-25; Ephesians 2:20; II Peter 1:21; I Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 22:18-19).

We further maintain that God has supernaturally preserved His revelation so that we can have accurate and reliable translations of God’s Word. (Matthew 5:17-18; Psalm 119:160).

The True God

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory, all possessing the same divine attributes (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 9:14).

God the Father

We believe God the Father is perfect in holiness, boundless in love, infinite in wisdom, and measureless in power (Isaiah 6:3; I John 3:6; Psalm 147:5; Revelation 19:6).

He is sovereign in creation and provident over the world (Psalms 103:19).

He has decreed, for His own glory, all things that come to pass, yet He is neither the author nor approver of sin (Ephesians 1:11; Habakkuk 1:13).

We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, is fatherly in His attitude toward all men, and is Father to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 17:24-29; Romans 8:14-16; Ephesians 1:3-5).

God the Son

We believe that Jesus Christ eternally existed with the Father, but was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. As the God/Man, the Lord Jesus became perfect humanity and undiminished deity united in one person forever (John 1:1-2 & 14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; Philippians 2:5-8).

The Lord Jesus was sinless in both His nature and life. He died on the cross making payment for the sins of the world and rose bodily from the dead (I Peter 2:22-24; Mark 16:6; I Corinthians 15:3-4).

Forty days after Jesus’ resurrection, He ascended into Heaven and is presently interceding for believers at the right hand of God (Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34).

We are also awaiting Jesus’ literal return to earth (Acts 1:9-11; Matthew 24:29-30).

God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the deity and the personality of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4).

The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of their need for Christ and is the agent of the New Birth
(John 16:8-11; John 3:5; Titus 3:5).

At the time of salvation, the Holy Spirit permanently indwells, seals and baptizes (places) the believer into the spiritual union with Christ and all other believers (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14; I Corinthians 12:13).

He further ministers to the believer, teaching, interceding, guiding, filling, and imparting spiritual gifts (I John 2:27; Romans 8:26; Romans 8:14; Ephesians 5:18; I Corinthians 12:11).

We believe that the gifts of healing, tongues, and other revelatory gifts served a unique purpose in the apostolic church, and therefore are not in operation today (Hebrews 1: 1-2; Hebrews 2:3-4; Acts 5:12).

Angels and Demons

We believe God created sinless spiritual beings called angels. They serve as God’s ministering messengers, advancing the cause of God (Psalm 148:2-5; Hebrews 1:14).

We believe that Satan was once the greatest of God’s angels who rebelled against God and is now the open enemy of God and man (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Revelation 12:7-12).

A number of angels were led away into sin when they followed Satan in his rebellion against God, and that these fallen angels are commonly referred to as demons (Revelation 12:4 & 13; Matthew 12:24).

Man

We believe the biblical account of creation, with the days of creation being literal twenty-four hour periods (Genesis 1; Genesis 2:1-3; Psalm 33:6-9).

We believe that man was directly created by God, and not by evolution. Man was made in the image of God and was free of sin (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7).

When Adam, the first man, disobeyed God, the entire human race was corrupted and plunged into a state of sin and incurred the penalty of physical and spiritual death (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-24; Romans 5:12).

Every human being outside of Jesus Christ is under the sentence of separation and death and is condemned to a conscious and eternal punishment in the lake of fire (John 3:36; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15).

Salvation

We believe that salvation, being rescued from the power and penalty of sin, is only found in the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-17; I Corinthians 15:1-3).

The complete forgiveness of sin and the reception of eternal life cannot be earned by self-righteousness, good deeds, or religious works. Rather, it is offered to all men as a free gift of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Romans 6:23). As with any gift, salvation must be received. When a person realizes their lost and hopeless condition and places faith in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and in His resurrection from the dead as their only payment for sin, they are saved! (John 1:12; Philippians 3:3-9; Romans 10:9-10).

We believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection is sufficient for every person who would ever live and that it is God’s clear desire for all people to respond to the gospel of Christ (I John 2:2; I Timothy 4:10; II Peter 2:1; I Timothy 2:3-4; II Peter 3:9; Revelation 22:16-17).

Christian Maturity

We hold that every believer should be a growing disciple, characterized by progressive growth in Christ-like character and conduct (Titus 2:11-14; Philippians 3:10-17; Ephesians 2:10).

We believe that spiritual maturity is not achieved by the keeping of law or rules. The primary motivation for Christian living and growth is the grace and love of Jesus Christ, and is empowered by the believer’s union with the crucified and risen Christ (Galatians 3:1-3; John 14:21; I John 5:2-3; Romans 6:1-13).

Christ-like living is not mystical or passive but is based in faithful obedience to God’s word, empowered by the Holy Spirit and the progressive replacement of fleshly values, emotions, and behaviors with those of Jesus Christ’s (Romans 12:2; I Peter 2:1-2; Hebrews 5:12-14; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:17-24).

The Church

We believe that the church is a spiritual organism, composed of all born again people from the Day of Pentecost until the Rapture (Matthew 16:18; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18).

We believe the local church is a congregation of baptized believers who have come together in a local assembly for the exaltation of God, edification in the faith, encouragement in Christ, equipping for life and ministry, and the expanding of the gospel locally and in the world (Acts 1:8; 2:41-42; Ephesians 4:11-12).

We further maintain that the church is to be free from religious or state control, with Jesus as the leader (Ephesians 1:22-23), and that there should be a simple organizational structure with two biblical offices:

End Times