JBC Statement of Faith (Abbreviated)
We believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Holy Bible and its literal interpretation as the final authority and absolute sufficiency for faith and life.
We believe there is one, and only one, living and true God, who is infinite, Creator, sovereign over all, sustainer of all, and is unified as the Triune God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We believe that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, is eternal in His being and is fully God. As the only absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. We believe He orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace.
We believe in the Biblical account of creation by the Triune God. We believe God created the physical universe in an immediate act in a literal six days, apart from any evolutionary process; man was created directly in God’s image and after His own likeness and that historical Adam and Eve were the first parents of the entire human race.
We believe Jesus Christ to be the second person of the Trinity, eternal in His being, and fully God. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the Cross to provide full atonement of sin, rose from the grave on the third day, ascended to heaven, is now seated at the Father’s right hand, and will someday come again for His own.
We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Trinity, eternal in His being, and fully God. We believe that the Holy Spirit was active in the creation, is now convicting of people sin, judgment, and righteousness, is the giver of life in the New Birth, and indwells and secures the believer for eternity. We also believe that the transitional gifts of the Holy Spirit have fulfilled their purpose during the apostolic generation and are not normative for today.
We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, the devil, who lost his heavenly position, was cast out of heaven, and drew after him a host of angels. He is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world, the author of all sin, the great tempter of man, and will someday face eternal judgment in hell.
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God for the purpose to glorify God, to enjoy fellowship with God, and to live in the will of God. We believe man fell into sin and in consequence of which mankind became alienated from God, sinners by nature, under just condemnation, and unable alone to remedy our lost condition on our own.
We believe in the sanctity of life, and that every life is important and valuable to God.
We believe in the sanctity of marriage, and that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a life-long commitment.
We believe that all are sinners, rightfully condemned, and in need of salvation. Apart from the saving work of God and because of sinfulness, man is eternally separated from God and destined for eternal judgment in hell.
We believe that salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly of grace through the mediatorial work of Jesus Christ, and for one to experience salvation, he must be born again through personal faith in Christ. Salvation is a gift of God.
We believe man to be justified by faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God, experiencing new birth resulting in a changed life.
We believe once an individual has been born again, he is eternally secure, cannot lose his salvation, and is kept by the power of God.
We believe in the Local Church to be a congregation of baptized believers, associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel.
We believe the true purpose of the church is to glorify God and meets together for the purpose of teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer. Additionally, we are to be diligent in obeying the great commission: to make individual disciples, to baptize them, and to teach and instruct them.
We believe the church has been given two ordinances to follow. These ordinances are baptism by immersion of believers and partaking of the Lord’s Supper, which is a memorial service reminding of the death of Christ and an anticipation of His return.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
We believe in the rapture of the church, followed by a seven-year period of tribulation, the second coming of Christ, His literal millennial reign on the earth, final judgment, and the establishment of the eternal home of believers.
A complete Statement of Faith is available upon request