Statement of Faith
Equipping Christians accepts the UMJC (Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations) statement of faith (view UMJC statement) Equipping Christians Ministries holds the following doctrinal positions:
God: There is one God, creator and ruler of heaven and earth. He had no beginning and has no end; He is from everlasting to everlasting. There were no gods formed before Him and there will be no gods formed after Him. In the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in all their works (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Christ: Jesus Christ is the Divne Son of God; He became fully human without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the power of Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life and shed His blood to redeem mankind (John 1:2-3; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15-16; Hebrews 1:2-3).
Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son (Acts 5:3-4). His convicting, regenerating, and sanctifying activity is based upon the redemptive work of Christ and the preaching of the gospel (John 16:13-14; Titus 3:5,6; Ephesians 2:22).
Bible: The sixty-six books of the Bible as originally given are in their entirety the Word of God, that they are unique and final, and that they are therefore the supreme authority for faith and life (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). God has providentially preserved the integrity of these biblical scriptures down through the ages so that they remain reliable today (Matthew 5:18).
Humanity: Through the disobedience of Adam all have become sinners both by nature and choice (Psalms 51:5; Romans 5:12ff), and that apart from regeneration, we are at enmity with God (Romans 8:7).
Salvation: God in His grace has provided salvation through the Person and work of Jesus Christ, who bore our sins in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24); that salvation is apart from any human merit; that salvation is a gift from God resting solely on the merit of Christ’s blood, shed on the cross. We receive this imputed merit by personal faith in Messiah as our atonement.
Repentance: Essential for salvation, repentance is turning away from sin and turning to God. Repentance is not just intellectual acknowledgement that one comes short of God’s expectations and standard; it means “Quit sinning. Turn around. Start obeying God.”
Church: Upon repentance and personal trust in Jesus Christ, the believer is baptized by the Spirit into the Church which is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Local assemblies, meeting for edification, instruction, and fellowship, are its visible form.
Israel: All the promises of God regarding the nation of Israel will be fulfilled. God chose Israel to be a priestly nation, a light to the world, representing the people before God and revealing God to the nations. God has always preserved a remnant of faithful Jewish believers in Yeshua (Jesus’ Hebrew name). This ministry rejects “replacement theology,” which promotes the idea that the Gentile church has replaced Israel.
Last Things: We believe that Jesus Christ will return bodily at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead; that all people will be raised; those who have personally trusted in Christ to a resurrection of life, and the lost to a resurrection of damnation (John 5:29; Revelation 20:11-15).