What We Believe

Written in 1823, these are the beliefs, doctrines, and practices that guide us:

1. The only living and true God in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is the God we worship and follow.
2. The Son became incarnate in the historical person of Jesus, being fully God and fully man.
3. Salvation comes from God the Father sending his Son, Jesus, who died a sacrificial death to rescue us from our sins. The Holy Spirit convicts us of this divine rescue. Salvation is only obtained through a saving relationship with Jesus by the grace of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. We submit ourselves, both soul and body, and all we possess, to the almighty God to be ordered, directed, and used by him and his holy will. We do this in humble dependence on the grace of the Holy Spirit, who aids and supports us in everything that God calls us to do.
5. We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be our rule of faith and practice, as it relates to religion and the general affairs of life. It guides the practices of the church.
6. We maintain communion and fellowship with each other by corporate gatherings to worship God. We do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We exercise Christian forbearance and love toward one another when we meet. We lead each other to love and do good works.
7. Corporate worship is guided by the various ordinances of the gospel. Believers baptism by immersion is a public symbol that signals our salvation. Therefore, it is the means for admission into the local church. The Lord’s Supper is a symbol that powerfully remembers Jesus’s saving work for humanity. Only believers can partake in this ordinance.
8. We believe in the biblical office of deacons that serve the local church body. They provide family care to church members.
9. We respect the advice and admonitions of the church. We submit to church discipline that is directed by God’s word and is conducted in the spirit of the gospel.
10. We believe tithing is an act of obedience to God that supports public worship, the relief of the poor in the church, and the promotion of God’s kingdom in the world.
11. We conduct ourselves with uprightness, friendliness, integrity, and peace toward mankind in general and toward serious Christians of all descriptions.
12. We pay a conscientious regard to civil government, and give it our support, as an ordinance of God.

Suppose you were standing before God at this moment, and He asked you “Why should I let you into heaven?” What would you say to answer Him? 

That is a tough questions to answer. What could we possibly say to God to convince Him that we deserve heaven? Maybe “I lived a good life and tried to do the right things.” Possibly “I went to church and even gave a lot of money to help the poor.” You might even say “I have tried to be the best person that I could be.” Is any of that good enough?

There are a few facts that you should know about this important subject:

1. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. John 3:16 says that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have eternal life.
2. Our problem is our sin. Sin separates us from God. Sin, by definition, is anything that is against the will of God. Simply stated, sin is anything that we do that makes God unhappy. Romans 3:23 reminds us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. None of us could ever live a life that would be good enough to save us on our own merit.
3. God provided a way for us to have a relationship with him, resulting in a fulfilling life now and an eternal life when we die. That way is Jesus, who is the Son of God. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” Jesus is the only way to God and the only way of salvation. Jesus died on a Roman cross for our sins and rose from his grave three days later, dealing the ultimate defeat to sin and to death. He is alive and he wants a relationship with you.
4. Knowing all of these facts is not enough.In order to know the salvation that is offered through Jesus, we have to believe in Him, ask Him to come into our lives to save us from our sin, and commit to live for Him!

None of those answers to the “question” from above are good enough. Salvation is only obtained through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ . If you would like to pray and receive Christ as Savior and Lord, you might want to pray a prayer like this:

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for dying on a cross and paying the price for my sin. Please forgive me of my sin and come into my life. I want you to be the Savior and Lord of my life. I am going to live for You from this point forward. Thank you for being my Savior! Amen

If you prayed this prayer, let us know at info@ebcsc.com. We would like to follow up with you.

Baptism is an important step in your faith that is a public profession of you being saved by Jesus.

1. Baptism is an act of obedience. When a believer submits to baptism, he or she is being obedient to the Great Commission, in which Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirt”  (Matthew 28:19).
2. Baptism is symbolic. When a believer is baptized, he or she is making a public profession of the crucified, buried, and risen savior. Baptism can also be seen as a symbol of death to the old life and resurrection to a new life in Christ. We believe that baptism does not impart any additional grace. You do not have to be baptized to be saved. However, baptism is an important step of obedience in the life of a believer.

Once saved and baptized, then you can officially join the Ebenezer family as a member.

Membership can occur in one of a few ways:

• Receive Christ as Savior and Lord for the first time and ask to be baptized to join the church.
• Transfer your membership to Ebenezer from another Baptist church where you were baptized by immersion.
• If you are a Christian that has not been baptized by immersion, join by a statement of faith in Jesus Christ and request to be baptized by immersion.

Once a member, we look forward to helping you find a place to serve the Lord. Whether you volunteer to teach, sing in the choir, or serve on one of our ministry teams, there is a place for you to serve at Ebenezer. For more information about serving, contact us at info@ebcsc.com.