Word of The Day:
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
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About Us
What We Believe
Fundamental Beliefs
It would be self-harming to initiate a faith-based organization composed of members who have different or unclear beliefs. God’s truth and the passion to make it known among the nations should be the principle that holds together any evangelistic ministry. For the sake of a successful public ministry, an evangelistic organization must clarify this truth, which is meant to be the only guiding rule for the actions and behaviors of its members.
The founding members of BFEB/GBEF believe in and accept to live by the principles of the Holy Scriptures. They are also committed to teaching the same to those they share the gospel with. In particular, the members of the Organization acknowledge and testify to the following:
1. All Scripture is inspired by God
We believe that all Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Consequently, the Holy Bible is the true Word of God that does not change with time and space. It is the final authority in matters of faith and morals.
2. The Word of God is clear and self-sufficient
The Word of God is the basis and sufficient measure of what we believe and preach, the values we live by and the work we do. The inspired Word of God is unchallengeable, and we believe that there is no other means to achieve salvation apart from what the Bible teaches (2 Tim. 3.16-17).
All our evangelistic efforts, the methods we use to proclaim the truth of the word of God, all must agree with the scriptures. Where the Word of God and the Holy Spirit are not the trusted foundations of ministry, worldly philosophies and strategies are relied upon, thus creating an obstacle to the revelation of God’s mighty work.
For that reason, the full gospel must be preached to all nations because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16)
3. One God in the Holy Trinity
We believe in one God who was, is and will always be in His Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. In his first epistle, Peter clearly shows God revealing Himself as Trinity: “God’s elect… who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood” (1 Peter 1: 2).
At the time of Jesus’ baptism, God appeared as Trinity (Matthew 3: 16-17). When Jesus gave His disciples the promise of the Holy Spirit, he testified to the Trinity (John 14: 15-17). When he was sending his disciples to the Gentiles, he instructed them to baptize new believers in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). The Word of God shows us that Jesus is God as His Father is God (John 3: 1-3) and that the Holy Spirit is God as well (Acts 5: 3-4).
4. The fall of humankind and its Consequences
When God created humans in His own image, they were good and righteous. After sinning, God expelled him from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23). Since then sin separated humans from God (Isaiah 59: 2); they were enslaved by sin and fell short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23); sin brought death for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Humans did not attain righteousness by means of sacrifices and they could not keep God’s laws. Therefore, God Himself offered the Redeemer of all humankind (Isaiah 41). For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).
5. Salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ
Righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the law and the prophecies inform us of sin and become the witness of salvation. So the believer is justified by God’s grace, because Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for whoever believes in his blood (Romans 3: 21-26).
Salvation does not come from the works of the law such as the observance of the Sabbath, not from the sacrifices but from faith in Jesus who was crucified and shed His blood to make us holy (2 Corinthians 5: 14-21). Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life (John 3:12, 36).
6. Repentance and Forgiveness of sins
When the Lord Jesus Christ bade farewell to his disciples, he told them that it was written that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47). When John the Baptist began his teaching, he told his disciples to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3: 2).
After the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, people asked them, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter told them they should repent for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:37-38). When a person repents, they earn righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith in the blood of the Lamb of God Jesus Christ (Philippians 3: 9).
7. One mediator of God and man
There is one God and there is one mediator between God and humans (1 Timothy 2: 5) and salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to humankind by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
One of the miracles that took place after Jesus died on the cross was the curtain of the temple being torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This meant that everyone believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is personally united with God through Christ the mediator.
8. Immersion baptism
God’s word clearly shows us that John the Baptist baptized people in the Jordan River and all who wanted to be baptized joined him in the river to get baptized. It is the same baptism that Jesus Christ received, the only baptism recognized by the Bible (Matthew 3:13-17).
John the Baptist asked of the newly baptized to go and bear the fruits of repentance. Therefore, baptism alone does not remove sin; it does not confer righteousness and is not an automatic safe-conduct to heaven. We must be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness, as a symbol of being buried and risen with Christ. This immersion represents a new life. (Romans 6:4).
9. Baptism in the Holy Spirit
We believe that baptism in the Holy Spirit is a promise to anyone who believes in Christ. When John the Baptist was baptizing in the Jordan River, he said to his disciples that he was baptizing them with water but after him came one more powerful who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11).
During the conversations with his disciples, our Lord Jesus Christ promised to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-15, Acts of Apostles 1:8) and that promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues (Acts of the apostles 2:1-4).
When the apostles Peter and John were sent to see the Samaritan believers, the Word of God shows that as soon as they got there, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit, for they had received the baptism through immersion but they were not yet filled with the Holy Spirit (acts of the apostles 8:14-17).
10. Spiritual manifestations and signs that accompany believers
The Holy Spirit brings about great changes in every human being, and there are different kinds of gifts of the Holy Spirit such as the gift of wisdom, knowledge, healing, working miracles, prophecy, discerning spirits, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues.
These gifts are manifested differently (1 Cor. 12: 4-11) and complement each other for edification of the church (Rom 12: 4-9). The Word of God expressly shows us that there are certain spiritual signs that will accompany believers, among others, casting out demons in the name of Jesus, speaking in tongues, healing diseases in the name of Jesus and so on (Mark 16: 17- 18; Acts 3:1-10).
11. Holiness of believers
As believers, our holiness comes from our God of peace who himself sanctifies us through and through so that our spirit, soul and body are kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1Thes 5:23).
Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and we must not destroy it in any way by ourselves (1 Cor. 6:19). Instead, we are to be holy in all aspects of our lives, since the one who called us is holy (1 Peter 1:15).
12. Return of Jesus Christ
We believe in and we hope for the second coming of Jesus Christ. After the ascension of Jesus, angels appeared to his disciple and told them “this same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way that you have seen him go into heaven” (Act 1.11).
Jesus himself had explained to them what would happen when he prophesied about the destruction of Jerusalem as well as his return (Matthew 24: 29-30). We are then called to be always vigilant since no one knows on what day our Lord Jesus Christ will come back (Matthew 24:42).
13. Resurrection of the dead
We believe that all the dead, the believers and unbelievers, will be resurrected, each for their respective destination. Those who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good things will rise to live and those who have done evil things will rise to be condemned (John 5:28-29; Corinthians 15:12, 20-23, 52; Revelation 20:12-15).
14. Final judgment and condemnation
We believe that all the dead will resurrect to be judged for what they did (Revelation 20:12-15). We also believe that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ will be thrown into the eternal fire, while the righteous will be given eternal life. When Jesus was talking to his disciples about condemnation to eternal fire, he explained this further.
He explained how he will separate the nations as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; he will put some to his right and others to his left. Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed and go to eternal fire for eternal punishment, while the righteous will go to eternal life (Matthew 25: 41-46).
After the resurrection and final judgment, everyone will be rewarded in conformity with their deeds. Anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
15. Dwelling in Heaven
We believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life; and those who believe in him will live, though they may be dead. (John11:25). Jesus promised believers that he has gone to prepare a place for them where they will live with him (14:1-3). The apostle Peter said regarding this, “in keeping his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells (2Peter 3:13).
16. Marriage and sustainable family
God himself remarked that it is not good for Adam to be alone so he made a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2:18). The Word of God shows that a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh (19:4-5).
This principle of monogamy absolutely prevents adultery, homosexuality, polygamy or polyandry and unbiblical divorce. In their relationship, husband and wife live in complementarity, with respective responsibilities in their domestic life, the education of their children and even in the Church (Ephesians 5:22-31; 1 Peter 3:1-7; 1 Corinthians 11:3).
When a person has known the truth, they must conform to God’s Word teaching on the relationship between husband and wife irrespective of their context, place of worship or indigenous culture. God has decreed that marriage be only between man and woman. Any other kind of marriage is perversion (Leviticus 18:22-23).
17. The principle of sanctity of human life that begins in the womb
We believe that sanctity of life of the human person as created in the image of God begins in the womb. Therefore, committing voluntary abortion is a sin of killing (psalms 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1: 41, 47; Exodus 20: 1, 13). However, any action of saving a mother’s life or the life of her child in the womb when it is in danger (Proverbs 20:11) should not be considered as voluntary abortion.
GBEB/BFEB is an international non-profit organization under Belgian law, registered under number BE787367905. A legal personality has been granted to the organization on May 19, 2022 by decree WL 22/17.531.
