Declaration of faith
1. The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the Word and the revelation of God, our unique and infallible authority. We assert that the Scriptures are inerrant because the 66 books of the canon were inspired by God (cp. 2 Timothy 3:16 ).
God chose, inspired, led and kept the sacred writers to send us his oracles. Only the original texts of the 66 books were verbally inspired. We affirm the absolute character and unity of biblical truth, on the triple plane of message, history and science.
Understanding and interpreting Scripture requires the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who breathed on the sacred writers and can open our minds so that "we contemplate the wonders of your law" ( Psalm 119: 18 ).
2 Peter 1: 19-21; 1 Peter 1: 10-12; John 14:26 ; John 16: 12-14; 1 Corinthians 2: 10-11 ; 1 John 2: 20-21; 1 John 2: 26-27 .
2. God
We believe in one God, holy, eternal and all-powerful, creator of the heavens and the earth ( Isaiah 43: 10-13 ).
We believe in the unity of deity while maintaining the distinction of people: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Trinity).
1 Corinthians 8: 6, Matthew 28:19 ; 2 Corinthians 13:13 ; Ephesians 2:18 ; Ephesians 4: 1-6.
3. Jesus Christ
We believe in the absolute divinity of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God.
Romans 9: 5; John 1: 1 ; John 1:20:28; Colossians 2: 9 ; Tit 2:13 ; Hebrews 1: 7-12; 1 John 5: 20-21; Revelation 7:10 .
We believe in its miraculous conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary (incarnation, perfect humanity).
Isaiah 7:14 ; Matthew 1: 18-25 ; Luke 1:35 ; John 1:14 ; Galatians 4: 4 ; 1 Timothy 3:16 .
We believe in the atonement for sin through the blood of the Son of God.
Matthew 26:28 ; Romans 3:25 ; Ephesians 1: 7 ; Colossians 1: 19-20; Hebrews 9:12 .
We believe in his bodily resurrection, his ascent, his presence on the right hand of the Father and his perfect and permanent priesthood in favor of his people on earth.
Luke 24:34; Luke 24:39; Acts 1: 3 ; Romans 4:25 ; 1 Corinthians 15; Luke 24: 50-51 ; Acts 1: 9-11 ; Acts 2: 32-33; Romans 8:34 ; 1 Timothy 2: 5 ; Hebrews 4: 14-16 ; Hebrews 7:25 ; Hebrew 9:14 , Hebrew 9: 24; 1 John 2: 1-2 .
We believe in his return to raise the dead, remove the Church, establish his reign of glory and judge humanity.
John 5: 25-29; Acts 24:15 ; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-23 , 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11; 1 Timothy 6: 13-16; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 1: 7-8 .
4. The Holy Spirit
We believe in the personality and the divinity of the Holy Spirit ( Acts 5: 3-4 ; Ephesians 4:30 ; Hebrews 10:29 ). It was spread in fullness on earth at Pentecost (historic and unique day), following the glorification of Jesus.
John 7: 37-39 ; John 14: 15-20; John 16: 7 ; Acts 1: 4-5 ; Acts 2: 32-33 .
The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, regenerates those who believe, incorporates them into the Church (baptism of the Spirit, initial experience of Christian life), inhabits them, sanctifies them. He administers the Church, the mystical body of Christ.
John 16: 8 ; Acts 2: 37-40; Titus 3: 5-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13 ; Romans 8: 9 ; 1 Corinthians 6:11 -19; 1 Thessalonians 4: 7-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Acts 9:31; Acts 13: 1-4 ; 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11 .
In view of the confusion that reigns in the Christian world concerning questions relating to the work and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we affirm the following biblical truths: Excerpted from the conditions of admission and maintenance in the Evangelical Federation of France - FEF
4.1 Reception of the Holy Spirit The believer receives the Holy Spirit by uniting himself with Jesus Christ by faith, without it being possible to dissociate in time these two aspects of the beginning of the Christian life.
John 7:39 ; Acts 11: 15-17; Romans 8: 9 ; 1 Corinthians 12:13 ; Galatians 4: 6.
4.2 Work of the Holy Spirit in the believer During his spiritual growth, in the form of various experiences, the believer benefits in two respects from the work of the Holy Spirit: he enters on the one hand into the effective enjoyment of blessings which were already his in Jesus Christ , but from which he did not yet profit (thus in the field of sanctification), and on the other hand, he receives one or more spiritual gifts according to the particular plan of God with regard to each.
Matthew 25: 14-30; Romans 8: 13-16; Romans 12: 4-8; 1 Corinthians 6:11 ; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 5: 16-18; Galatians 5:22 ; Ephesians 4: 11-15 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 4: 10-11 .
4.3 Evaluation of spiritual gifts The presence of gifts does not allow us to claim any spiritual superiority. It is therefore inappropriate to depreciate the life and piety of other churches which claim to be faithful to Holy Scripture.
1 Corinthians 4: 1-7; 12:31 to 14: 1; Philippians 2:13
4.4 Speak in tongues Speaking in tongues is not an indispensable or certain sign of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12: 7-13 and 1 Corinthians 12: 28-30.
4.5 Divine healing Since we are still awaiting the redemption of our bodies upon the return of Jesus Christ, although he acquired it from us by his death, God grants healing to the sick in advance when he pleases, but he did not promise to do it always. It may therefore happen that the most faithful Christian remains sick and is called to glorify God in this situation.
Matthew 8: 16-17; Romans 8: 18-25 and Romans 8: 28-29; 1 Corinthians 15: 42-44; 2 Corinthians 4:16 to 5: 5 and 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10; 2 Timothy 4:20 ; James 5: 13-16
4.6 Prophecy Prophetic ministry in the Church, whatever its form, cannot in any case contradict, alter, supplement or replace Holy Scripture.
1 Corinthians 14: 22-23; Ephesians 2: 20-22; 2 Peter 1: 20-21 ; Jude 3; Revelation 22: 18-19 .
5. The damnation of men
We believe in the total forfeiture and eternal damnation of men in their sins, in the universality of sin, in the guilt of the sinner.
Genesis 3: 1-8; 6: 3; Jeremiah 17: 9 ; Matthew 7:11; Romans 3: 9-23; Romans 5: 12-19; Ephesians 2: 1-3 .
6. Salvation
We believe in salvation by the only grace that includes justification, new life in Christ, victory over sin, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, redemption of the body and eternal inheritance. This salvation is unwavering, God completing the work that He has started.
Romans 3: 23-24; Ephesians 2: 8-9 ; 2 Corinthians 5:17 ; Romans 6: 1-14; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 8: 23-25; 1 Peter 1: 3-5; Philippians 1: 6.
7. The Church
We believe in the unity of the members of the body of Christ, the universal Church, which consists of people regenerated by the incorruptible seed of the Word and by the Spirit of God.
Matthew 16:18 ; Ephesians 4: 4 ; 1 Corinthians 12:13 .
We believe that the local church is the visible expression of the reality of the Body of Christ.
Matthew 18:17 ; 1 Corinthians 4:17 .
We believe and obey the order of Jesus Christ by practicing baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Matthew 28:19 ; Mark 16:16 ; Matthew 26: 26-30; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-29 .
We make a distinction between the Church (Body of Christ) and Christianity, a religious system mixed with the world.
Ephesians 4: 1-16; John 3: 3 , John 3: 5, John 8; 1 Peter 1: 23-25; Matthew 13: 24-43; Revelation 18: 1-4 .
8. Satan
We believe that Satan exists, that he is a powerful personality and that he was overcome by the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ.
John 2:30 p.m . ; 2 Corinthians 4: 4 ; Ephesians 2: 2 ; 1 John 5:19 ; Colossians 2:15 ; Revelation 20: 7-10 .
We believe that its activity is aimed specifically at members of the Church, with the aim of disarming, accusing and seducing them.
Luke 22: 31-32 ; 1 Peter 5: 8-9 ; 2 Corinthians 11: 1-4, 2 Corinthians 11: 13-15; Ephesians 6: 10-12; 1 Timothy 3: 6-7; 2 Timothy 2:26; Revelation 12: 10-12.
9. The Last Times and the Antichrist
We believe that we are in the last times, with their undeniable characteristics: abandonment of God (apostasy), iniquity, impiety, violence, seductions, social and political upheavals, scandalous profits.
Matthew 24: 1-14; 1 Timothy 4: 1-3 ; 2 Timothy 3: 1-5; 2 Timothy 4: 1-4; James 5: 1-9 .
We believe that these conditions prepare the manifestation of the Antichrist and call for God's judgment on unbelieving humanity.
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-12; 1 John 2:18 ; 1 John 4: 3; Revelation 13: 1-10; Colossians 3: 6; 2 Peter 3: 8-10 .
10. The reign of Jesus Christ
We believe in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and in his reign of justice and peace with his people on earth. The pre-millennialist position is not an absolute condition for collaboration. Psalm 2:45; Psalm 2:72; Isaiah 9: 5 , Isaiah 11: 1-10; Isaiah 49: 5-7; Isaiah 52: 13-15; Isaiah 65: 18-25; Jeremiah 23: 5-8; Daniel 7:14; Zechariah 14: 1-5; 1 Thessalonians 3:13 ; 2 Thessalonians 1: 6-10; Revelation 2: 26-27; Revelation 19:15; Revelation 20: 4-6 .
11. Eternity
We believe in a heaven of eternal and perfect happiness for the regenerated men, in the immediate presence of God, as well as in a place of eternal and conscious punishment for the ungodly, in the lake of fire and sulfur far from God , with Satan, the beast and the false prophet.
Matthew 25:46 ; Revelation 20: 10-15, Revelation 20: 21-22 .
[Adapted from https://www.bible-ouverte.ch/ Used by Permission.]