Church of the Nazarene
Baptist (Southern Baptist Convention)
Affirms

Eternal life with God; bodily resurrection; believers dwell in God's presence

The EFCA Statement of Faith affirms 'the everlasting blessedness of the saved' — the eternal, conscious, blessed life of those who trust in Christ for salvation. Heaven is a real destination for the redeemed: a state of perfect, unending communion with God, the enjoyment of his presence, and the full realization of the salvation Christ accomplished.

The bodily resurrection is integral to the EFCA's vision of eternal life. Salvation encompasses the redemption of the whole person — body and soul — not merely the survival of a spiritual essence. The glorified resurrection body, modeled on Christ's resurrection, is the form in which believers will enjoy eternal life with God in the new creation.

The EFCA's evangelical mission — church planting, evangelism, global partnership — is motivated by the conviction that eternal life with God is the destiny for which humanity was created and which Christ's gospel makes available. The hope of heaven shapes both the denomination's preaching and its pastoral care for those facing death and grief.

Key Distinctions

Heaven nature:
eternal conscious presence with God; beatific vision; transformed creation
Access timing:
at final resurrection and judgment (Last Day)
Bodily resurrection:
full bodily resurrection; glorified body reunited with soul

Scripture References

Sources

  • EFCA Statement of Faith (2008), Article 10: Response and Eternal Destiny