JEC Statement of Faith

The Holy Bible

We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the revelation of God to mankind, is verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit; is sufficient for the knowledge of God and His will that is necessary for salvation; is infallible and inerrant in its original manuscripts; and is the supreme and final authority for all Christian faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Deuteronomy 29:29; John 10:35).

God

We believe that there is but one true God, eternally existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, being the Creator and Sustainer of all things. (1 Corinthians 8:4; John 4:24, 5:26; Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17; Matthew 28:19).

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God, is fully Divine and also fully human; eternally pre-existent with the Father; being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, died on a cross as the atonement for the sins of mankind, being the only Savior and Lord of all. We believe that He arose bodily from the grave, ascended to heaven, where He is presently the High Priest and Advocate for His people, and that He will return personally and bodily to earth at the end of the age. (Philippians 2:5-11; John 1:1; Matthew 1:23-25; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Timothy 2:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Hebrews 4:14-16; John 14:3).

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Holy Trinity and was sent from the Father by the Son to convict the world; to regenerate and indwell those who trust in Christ; to baptize them into the Body of Christ; to seal them for the final day of redemption; to guide them into all truth; to fill them for a life of holiness and victory; and to empower them for witness and service by giving spiritual gifts to believers for the edification of the Body of Christ, the Church. (Acts 5:3-4; John 16:7,14; 3:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12; 3:16; 12:3-13,28-31; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:16-25; Acts 1:8).

Man

We believe that man, male and female, by a definite act of God, was originally created in His own image, being dependent upon, and accountable to, His Creator; that the first man Adam, through disobedience, sinned and fell from his original state of holiness; thereby bringing upon himself and upon the whole human race the penalty for sin, which is spiritual and physical death; that since Adam, every person is born with an inherently sinful nature and eventually becomes a sinner in thought, word and deed, so that every person stands under the just condemnation of God, being unable to save one’s self or to gain the full pleasure of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; Romans 2:6-16; 5:12-21; 6:23; Matthew 5:20-48; John 3:36).

Sin and Salvation

We believe that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; that the penalty for sin is death; that sin affects every faculty of the human person; that it is only by regeneration in Christ that sin can be overcome. We believe that a person is saved by God’s grace alone; being made possible through the shed blood of Christ, whereby He died a substitutionary death for mankind, as well as through His resurrection; this salvation being personally applied when an individual, by an act of faith, acknowledges Jesus Christ as one’s own Savior and Lord; wherefore one acquires the benefits of this salvation, which include forgiveness of sins, a new standing before God as His child, the impartation of eternal life and the assured security of its possession, and becoming a part of the household of God. (Romans 3:23,28; 5:8: 6:23: Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Acts 3:19; 16:31; 10:9; John 1:12; 3:16; 10:28; Philippians 1:6).

The Christian Life

We believe that God requires every believer to live a life of obedient discipleship, in which every area of his life is brought under the Lordship of Jesus Christ while the fruit of the Spirit becomes increasingly evident in his life. The goal of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Christ; this life being supremely characterized by self-giving love for God and for others; the life and character of Christ growing through the Holy Spirit, being noticeably distinct from the life of the world.

A believer who resists the gracious working of the Holy Spirit and fails to grow in obedience is chastened by the loving heavenly Father, so he may learn obedience. (John 14:21; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Matthew 22:37-40; 1 John 2:15-17; Hebrews 12:5-14).

The Church

We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is the company of God’s redeemed people; being His body, of which He is the Head; being also His Bride, whom He loves infinitely; and His temple, in which He dwells. The universal Body of Christ is visibly expressed in local assemblies whose purpose is to glorify God through worship, fellowship, instruction in God’s Word, observing the ordinances and training for service to the world. The supreme task of the mission of the Church is to make disciples for Christ in all nations through the proclamation and teaching of the Gospel. The Church is also to demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ, through word and deed, in an alienated world. (1 Peter 2:9-10; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:6-10; 4:11-13; 5:25-27; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25; Matthew 26:26-29; 28:18-20; 1 John 4:17).

The Future Life

We believe that Christ will return in a bodily way, inaugurating the physical resurrection of both believers and unbelievers, and that this calls for watchfulness, as instructed by the Lord Jesus. We believe that the believer goes to be with Christ in conscious blessedness immediately after death, having escaped condemnation for sins through the death of Christ. Every believer, however, will stand before God to receive rewards for works approved by God and to suffer loss for works disapproved. The believer shall dwell eternally in the immediate presence of God while the unbeliever must face Divine judgment for everything done in this life. (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 11:15-19; 20:5-15; Romans 2:11; 8:11).

Satan

We believe in the personhood of Satan, his depraved character, being the great enemy of God and man. We believe that he, along with the company of demonic beings, works out his delusions and deceptions through God’s creation, being restricted only by the sovereign will of God. We believe that he was judged by Christ at the cross and will ultimately meet his eternal doom in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:3-11; Genesis 3:1; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19; Job 1:6-12; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 12:9-10; 20:10).