The Inspiration of the Scriptures
We believe the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.
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2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21
The One True God
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10,11, Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:22
The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:
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His virgin birth, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31 , Luke 1:35
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His sinless life, Hebrews 7:26, 1 Peter 2:22
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His miracles, Acts 2:22, Acts 10:38
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His substitutionary work on the cross, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21
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His bodily resurrection from the dead, Matthew 28:6 [ Luke 24:39, 1 Corinthians 15:4
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His exaltation to the right hand of God. Acts 1:9 Acts 1:11 , Acts 2:33 Philippians 2:9-11, Hebrews 1:3
The Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God.
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Genesis 1:26,27, Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-19
The Salvation of Man
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Conditions to Salvation: Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life.
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Luke 24:47,,John 3:3, Romans 10:13-15, Ephesians 2:8, Titus 2:11, Titus 3:5-7
The Evidence of Salvation is twofold:
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The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit. Romans 8:16
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The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24, Titus 2:12
BAPTISM IN WATER
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded by the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life.
HOLY COMMUNION
The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements –bread and the fruit of the vine– is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Peter 1:4, a memorial of his suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26, and a prophecy of His second coming 1 Corinthians 11:26, and is enjoined on all believers “till He come!”
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry.
This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth.
With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as:
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an overflowing fullness of the Spirit, John 7:37-39 [KJV/NIV], Acts 4:8 [KJV/NIV]
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a deepened reverence for God, Acts 2:43 [KJV/NIV], Hebrews 12:28 [KJV/NIV]
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an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work, Acts 2:42 [KJV/NIV]
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and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost, Mark 16:20 [KJV/NIV]
The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance.
The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues but is different in purpose and use.
Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God.
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Romans 12:1,2, Hebrews 13:12
The Scriptures teach a life of “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14
By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15,16
Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by the faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit.
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Romans 6:1-11, Romans 6:13, Romans 8:1,2, Romans 8:13, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:12,13 1 Peter 1:5
The Church and Its Mission
The Church is the Body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven.
Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshipped by man, to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, and to demonstrate His love and compassion for all the world, the priority reason for being of the member of Joy Bringers Church is:
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To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world. Acts 1:8 [KJV/NIV], Matthew 28:19,20, Mark 16:15,16
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To be a corporate body in which man may worship God. 1 Corinthians 12:13
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To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son. Ephesians 4:11-16, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 1 Corinthians 14:12
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To be a people who demonstrate God’s love and compassion for all the world. Psalms 112:9, Galatians 2:10; 6:10, James 1:27
JOY BRINGERS CHURCH:
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His working of miracles, His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory.
We believe the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, is absolutely essential.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling presence in the Christian enables them to live a godly life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to all that believe in Jesus Christ who will totally surrender their lives to the complete, perfect will of God.
We Believe, The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, convicts the world of sin and gives new life to those who trust in Jesus. He indwells all believers and is available to empower them to lead Christ-like lives. The Spirit gives them spiritual gifts with which to serve fellow believers and reach out to a lost and needy world.
We believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit: word of knowledge, wisdom, faith, healing, and working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues and interpretation are available through the Holy Spirit and are for the church today.
We believe man was created in the image and likeness of God. Through the original sin of Adam and Eve, mankind has fallen from God and become sinful in nature. Humankind is totally incapable of returning to God by self-effort and is lost without hope apart from the salvation of Jesus Christ.
We believe salvation is the gift of God through grace, by faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other Name, except that of Jesus Christ, by which men may be saved. By turning from sin to repentance, and trusting in Christ and His vicarious death, man is born again into eternal live by the dwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We believe the church is the body and bride of Christ, whose task it is to take the gospel to all people in all nations, and to make them disciple.
We believe the consummation of all things includes the visible, personal return of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of the dead, and the translation of those alive in Christ into the presence of God for eternity.