First Evangelical Reformed Church 3.33

Introduction
First Evangelical Reformed Church is a gathering of Christian believers. Our members come from all walks of life. That which binds us together is our common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Evangelical
We are a gospel church. We confess that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. Whoever confesses his sins to God and turns to Jesus Christ by a true faith will be saved. We publish this saving gospel to the lost world in preaching and in evangelism.

Reformed
We stand in the heritage of the Reformation of the 16th century. We confess the truths of sovereign and particular grace, meaning that it is God’s grace alone that powerfully regenerates a sinner, enabling him to repent and believe.

What we believe is summarized in three historical Reformed creeds:

The Heidelberg Catechism
The Belgic Confession
The Canons of Dordt

These creeds have been the confessions of the Reformed Churches all over the world since the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.

A Reformed Church, like any faithful Christian Church, adheres to all the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith. We believe in the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus is very God and very Man. We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe the Bible to be our sole authority, and that it is inspired by God and is therefore without error.

On top of this, a Reformed Church emphasizes the teaching of God’s sovereignty. We teach that God is sovereign in all that He plans and does.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN CREATION AND PROVIDENCE
He spoke, and all things came into existence. By His power and wisdom, He continues to uphold and govern the world, and directs it according to His good purpose. He also rules over all creatures, including man, angels and the Devil so that all of their activities serve the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN SALVATION
The Bible teaches that man is dead spiritually. Because of this spiritual deadness, we have no power at all to exercise any faith in God. On the contrary, we constantly resist and oppose the things of God. Without God and resisting God, we have no hope of eternal life. But instead of leaving the whole world to perish in sin, God has chosen a people from eternity to be saved through the death of Jesus Christ. He regenerates their hearts through the Holy Spirit and gives them faith to believe in His Son. God continues this saving work until they finally arrive at His presence in heaven.

We confess therefore that our salvation from beginning to end is a work of God’s sovereign grace. To God be the glory alone!