Our Beliefs

We affirm with all Christians around the world and throughout the centuries:

• that God is one being in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
• that Jesus is both fully God and truly human
• that he was anointed to be our High Priest, Prophet, and King and he was put to death as the Lamb of God
• that he was vindicated by his resurrection and is the true and only Savior of the world
• that he demonstrates the wisdom, love and power of God by his life, death, resurrection, ascension and second coming
• that we can trust what he says and what the Scriptures say because his word is true over against evil, death, and sin

We affirm with other Protestants the core beliefs of our faith:

• SOLA GRATIA: Salvation is by grace alone, not the result of human merit
• SOLA FIDE: Salvation is found in faith in Jesus Christ alone. We don't trust in ourselves; we trust in Jesus!
• SOLA CHRISTUS: Salvation is found in Christ alone. Jesus paid it all!
• SOLA SCRIPTURA: The Bible is the sole authority for Christians in faith, doctrine, and practice
• SOLI DEO GLORIA: Salvation is the work of God for His glory. God alone deserves the praise!

We also affirm the emphases of the Reformed tradition:

• that God is in charge even when it doesn't look or feel like it
• that God chooses and calls us out of his mercy and grace found in Christ
• that God claims it all (all of life is to be lived out of gratitude for this great salvation)
• that God reforms the Church by filling us with the Spirit to draw closer to Christ Jesus through Word and Sacrament
• that God's plan to bless the world is through the Church:
• all believers are priests, missionaries, and ambassadors
• the Church is the bride of Christ, called to be faithful to him
• God gathers the Church around the world as covenant communities of faith, hope, and love (all for Christ)
• the Church is the demonstration and instrument of God to make one new humanity, a new family where every wall of separation is torn down
• that we do not earn our way into heaven by our own performance
• our sin in worse than we thought and God's grace is greater than our sinfulness
• we do not obey God so that God loves us; no, because we are loved, our obedience grows out of gratitude
• that we can trust what he says and what the Scriptures say because of his resurrection
• that we are all called to a faithful stewardship of all of life
• that everything that is good comes from God

Want to read more about our beliefs? Check this out...

• Check out ECO's core beliefs
• Learn more about our form of government and how we make decisions