FM's basis of faith

1) We believe in one God creator of all things visible and invisible.

- He is the only true God, sovereign and all powerful.
- As living God, He has always existed, and reveals Himself in three persons of the same substance, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- He makes Himself known to men in His love, His holiness, His righteousness and His wisdom :
through creation,
through man's conscience
through the Bible.

2) We believe in Jesus Christ the only son of the Father.

- He is truly God and truly man.
- Conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, his human nature was free of sin although He was tempted in all ways.
- He came on earth :
* to reveal the Father to men
* to bear our transgressions and sins as a sacrificial offering when He died on the cross as our substitute.
* to reconcile mankind with the Father.
- Risen bodily on the third day
* He triumphed over sin and death, over Satan and his works
* He is now seated at the right hand of God, proclaimed to be Lord and all judgement has been given over to Him.
- He is the only mediator between God and men.

3) We believe in the Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity.

- He is one with the Father and the Son
- Sent from the Father and from the Son He convinces men of sin, righteousness and judgement by showing them Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
- At work in creation and in the history of men, He was given to the Church at Pentecost
* He gives power in witness
* He inspires in prayer
* He leads in the understanding in the scriptures
* He imparts gifts according to His sovereign will
* He regenerates and is the source of far-reaching changes in the life of the believer
* He enables the believer to persevere throughout his earthly life.

4) We believe that the Bible in its entirety (the canonical writings of the Old Testament and the New Testament) is the word of God.

- Inspired by the Holy Spirit, and written by different authors, it is, in the original texts, both complete and without error.
- It has supreme authority concerning truth, faith and life.

5) We believe that man and woman were both created in the image of God, without sin, in order to live in harmony with Him. Through the unbelief and disobedience of the first couple (Adam and Eve) they were separated from God and cut off from fellowship with Him, leading all mankind into the corruption of sin. The human race has thus fallen under the condemnation of God and under the domination of Satan resulting in men dying and being eternally lost.

6) We believe that the salvation of man is not due to his merits or his works.

- It is a free gift from God
- This salvation, based on the sacrifice made once and for all at the cross by Jesus Christ, is given to any man who turns to God in repentance and believes in Jesus Christ his Saviour.
- Forgiven and justified through grace alone, man is freed from the domination of sin and Satan.
- He receives the Holy Spirit and is born to a new life in Jesus Christ. Through this baptism in the Holy Spirit he is brought into the Church. This salvation and this new life are eternal.

7) We believe that God gathers together and incorporates into the Church all those who have been redeemed in Jesus-Christ whatever their race, culture or nation. This Church, founded at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down, forms the body of Jesus Christ who is its only head and source of life.
* Its unity is the work of the Holy Spirit and goes beyond denominational barriers.
* Its calling is to glorify God and to proclaim the Good News by word and action to the ends of the earth.
* Its practical manifestation according to the Bible is the local church - the place where Christians gather :
- to witness to their conversion by obeying the Lord in baptism (immersion)
- united together, to be taught in the Word of God, to share in the Lord's supper, for prayer, and to enjoy fellowship
- to serve in the up-building of the church by submitting to each other according to the gifts imparted to each one by the Holy Spirit

8) We believe in the second coming of Jesus-Christ, the hope of the Church. He will come personally and in a recognisable way to gather and reward his people. The dead will be raised and all men will be judged
- those who have believed will live eternally in the presence of God
- those who have not believed will suffer eternal punishment.
Thus the glorious reign of God will be made manifest.

Appendix to the basis of faith
(proposed by the Evangelical Federation of France)

ARTICLE 1 - Reception of the Holy Spirit
The believer receives the Holy Spirit when he is united by faith to Jesus-Christ. We cannot dissociate in time these two aspects of the beginning of the Christian life.

ARTICLE 2 - The work of the Holy Spirit in the believer
During his spiritual growth, in the form of different experiences, the believer benefits in two ways from the work of the Holy Spirit : he enters into the effective enjoyment of the blessings which were already his in Jesus-Christ but which he had not yet entered into possesssion of (for example in the realm of sanctification) and also he receives one or several spiritual gifts according to the particular plan of God for each believer.

ARTICLE 3 - Assessment of spiritual gifts
The presence of gifts does not allow one to claim any spiritual superiority. In general, the life and devotion of other churches who wish to remain faithful to the Holy Scriptures should not be disparaged.

ARTICLE 4 - Speaking in tongues
Speaking in tongues is neither an indispensable nor a sure sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

ARTICLE 5 - Divine healing
Since we are still awaiting the redemption of our bodies at the second coming of Jesus-Christ, although he has already achieved this for us in his death, God may already grant the healing of illness when He chooses to, but He has not promised to always do so. It may therefore happen that a most faithful Christian remains ill and be called on to glorify God in this way.

ARTICLE 6 - Prophecy
The prophetic ministry in the church, whatever form it may take, can in no way contradict, alter, complete or replace the Holy Scriptures.