Thursdays are going to be spent working a little Theology (study of God) together – starting with the EFCA statement of faith found here.

The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions:

God

1. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

So, what does this mean? We believe in one being – God who is three distinct persons existing in one (meaning we believe in the Trinity) being. He is holy (meaning “set apart” or “different than us”), perfect in every possible way, loving and eternal (meaning above or outside of time – no beginning and no end). God’s three persons are known as 1)Father, 2)Son and 3)Holy Spirit. They are all God, have and will always exist in these three persons. God is all-knowing (omniscient) and all-powerful (omnipotent) to do whatever He desires to do. He has purposed (not happen-stance) that man should be redeemed and all should be made new. So we wait for Him to do this, trusting Him and believing that He from outside of time knows best when all this will happen!

What does all this mean? God is good and exists in three persons. We don’t understand the mechanics of this, but believe it to be true. It is a great mystery that separates us from every other faith. There are ways to try to explain it that all fall short. Our God is one who is mysterious and chose to reveal things about Himself through the Bible, His Word. We call this specific or special revelation. He is also revealed in various other ways, like Creation and this is called general revelation. He is mysterious and holy – making Him different and unknown. Yet He is not unknowable to us because He is relational – meaning He wants to have a relationship with us. He showed this by sending His son, Jesus, to die on the cross as atonement for our sins and giving us the Holy Spirit to guide and instruct us. He wanted to redeem us and did this Himself. This shows His desire for relationship and now we work on this relationship to grow it deeper, by the leading of His Spirit to be “made new.” One day He will do this to the earth, whether it is ready or not, on His timing (not ours) and will lead to a new age where those who love Him are with Him forever. Do you have a relationship with Him? How are you being made new?