What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of Jefferson Brethren Church - Indiana based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.  We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative written word of God, and our sufficient rule for both faith and practice.

There is one eternally existing God who has three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise.  God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom,  justice, and mercy. He is unchangeable and therefore is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

God has revealed himself to us through his son, Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, the holy scriptures, and through all of creation itself.  We believe in the full deity and humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning sacrifice by His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His approaching personal return in power and glory.

Humans, both male and female, were created in God's image for His glory. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created without sin and appointed as caretakers of the rest of God's creations.  We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, leads them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, indwells all believers, empowers believers to live Godly lives, and bestows gifts for the ministry of the church.

When Adam and Eve chose not to obey God, they ceased to be what they were made to be and became distorted images of God. This caused them to fall out of fellowship with God, and fractured all of creation ever since that time. We believe that we are saved by God’s grace, apart from human works; that this grace makes possible our response of repentance and faith in the atoning work of Christ; and that our faith should bear fruit in lives of commitment and loving service.

Jesus Christ came to reconcile us with God. He lived a life without sin and willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty for our transgressions. God raised him from the dead and now, by grace, offers as a free gift eternal life to all who follow Christ, by faith, as their Lord and Savior. That is why salvation can be found in Christ alone.

The Church is meant to be the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We believe that Christians are called to active participation in a local body of believers, and that all believers are united by the Holy Spirit in a spiritual body of which Christ is the Head.

Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and to usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.  
We believe in the resurrection and judgment of both the saved and the lost. The saved will enter into eternal life in God’s presence, while the lost will be condemned to eternal separation from God.

We are a partner church with The Brethren Church, Ashland Ohio.