Statement of Faith

Jackson Hole Bible College recognizes Christians are often divided regarding a statement of what they believe. Both the Spirit of God and we would be grieved if our Statement was perceived as divisive. It is important, however, for the men and women who are thinking of attending Jackson Hole Bible College to know what we believe in order to make a good decision about joining us. Realizing we may not be altogether accurate on every point, we submit the following as a record of our acceptance of God's testimony in the Word of God.

1. Scriptures:
We believe in the plenary, verbal inspiration, the inerrancy in the original writings, and the infallibility of the 66 books of Scripture, the Bible. It is totally authoritative in all that it records and is the complete revelation of God's will for the salvation of men. We believe all Scripture centers around the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work. Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 1:16; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21

2. Godhead (Trinity)
We believe the Godhead eternally exists in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-and these three are one God, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, having precisely the same essence, nature, attributes and perfections. Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:18-19; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Col. 2:2-3; Heb. 1:1-3

3. Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is true God and true man, and that His earth-life sometimes functioned within the sphere of that which was human and sometimes within the sphere of that which was divine. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He was and is without sin. He died on the cross as a complete and substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and is at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest and Advocate. Isa. 7:14; Luke 1:30-35; John 10:30; Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-17; 1 Tim. 2:5; 3.16; Heb. 1:2-3; 4:15; 1 John 2:22-23

4. Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit, though existing eternally as a member of the Triune God, took up His abode in the world in a special sense on the day of Pentecost. He dwells in every believer from the moment of salvation and unites all in Christ in one body. He is the source of all power and acceptable worship and service. We believe He never departs from the church, nor the weakest believer. The Spirit's ministry during this dispensation is to glorify Christ, to convict men of sin, righteousness, and judgment, to regenerate the believing sinner, and to indwell, guide, and empower the believer to godly living and service. John 16:8, 14; Acts 2:1-4; 1 Cor 6:11-19; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 1:13-14; 2:22; Titus 3.5

5. Angels
We believe God created an enormous company of sinless, spirit beings, and that one-Lucifer, son of the morning (the highest in rank)-sinned through pride, thereby becoming Satan. We believe Satan is the originator of sin, and that under the permission of God, through subtlety, he led our first parents into transgression. Satan was judged at the Cross, though not then executed, and he now rules as the "god of this age." At the second coming of Christ, Satan will be defeated. We believe a great company of angels did not sin and are before the throne of God, acting as ministering spirits to those who shall be heirs of salvation. Gen. 3:1-19; Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; John 8:44; Rom. 5:12-14; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; 11:13-15; Col. 2:15; Heb. 1:14; Rev. 20:1-3, 20

6. Creation
We believe in the authority, genuineness, reliability and historicity of Genesis 1-11, including six literal, normal days in Genesis chapter one and a worldwide Noachian flood. We believe the entire Trinity was involved in creation, that Christ is the Firstborn over all creation, and that all things were created through Him and for Him. We believe man is accountable to respond to the Creator God because of the witness of Himself which He has designed into the created universe. Gen. 1-11; Job 38-41; Psalm 19:1-6; 24:1-2; Amos 4:13; 5:8; 9:6; Zech. 12:1; Rom. 1:18-32; Col. 1:15-17

7. Man
We believe God created man in His image and for His glory. We believe Adam voluntarily turned from God, fell into sin and spiritual death. In so doing Adam represented all humans, with the God-Man, Christ Jesus, alone excepted. We believe every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and totally depraved apart from divine grace. Gen. 1:26-27, 31; 2:17; 3:6-7; 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3; John 8:46; Rom. 3:10-19, 23; 5:12-14; 8:6-7; 1 Peter 3:18

8. Salvation through Christ
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a complete and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who receive Him through faith are justified on the ground of His shed blood and resurrection from the dead, wholly apart from human merit and works. We believe the Holy Spirit seals each believer; thus the believer is eternally secure from the moment of conversion and is a child of God forever. At salvation the believer is in possession of every spiritual blessing and absolutely complete in Christ. John 3:7-18; Acts 4:10-12; Rom. 5:6-9; Eph. 1:3, 13; 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 3:18; 2 Peter 1:3

9. The Christian Walk
We believe the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit is the manifested fruit of the Spirit as the believer is being conformed to the image of Christ in his character. We believe every Christian should consciously practice a Spirit-filled, separated life-style while maintaining worship, fellowship, discipleship and evangelism within a local church which is submitted to the authority of the Scriptures and to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 6:17-18; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:1, 13-14, 16-25; Eph. 5:18; Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 10:25

10. The Church
We believe all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God are members of the Church which is the body and bride of Christ, and which began at Pentecost. Its members are constituted as such regardless of membership or nonmembership in organized local churches. All believers in this dispensation are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the one body of Christ and are under solemn duty to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances to be observed by the church as a testimony for this dispensation, and not a means of salvation. It is the explicit message of our Lord to those whom He has saved that they are sent forth by Him into the world to reach the peoples of the world who have never heard the gospel. Matt. 28:19-20; John 20:21; Acts 2:42-47; 10:47-48; Rom. 12:5; 16:25-26; 1 Cor. 11:26; 12:12-27; Gal. 5:1-6; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:3-6; Col. 1:18

11. Rapture and Tribulation
We believe the Scriptures teach that the next great event in prophecy is the personal and imminent return of our Lord in the air to receive to Himself into Heaven both His own who are alive and those who have fallen asleep in Christ. We should constantly be looking for His return which will motivate us unto godly living. We also believe that following the translation of the saints into Heaven, the whole earth will fall under a period of judgment which our Lord called the great tribulation. During this time the raptured church will dwell safely in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Dan 9:27; Matt. 24:15-21; John 14:1-3; Rom. 14:12; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 2 Cor. 5:10; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Titus 2:11-14; Rev. 6:1-19:21

12. Second Coming and Eternal State
We believe the period of great tribulation will be climaxed by the triumphant return of Christ with His saints to this earth. He will then bind Satan, remove the curse now resting on creation, restore Israel to her land, bring the whole world to the knowledge of God, execute judgment upon those who reject Him and His salvation and introduce the millennial kingdom. We believe that those who reject the Lord Jesus will spend eternity in conscious punishment in a literal hell, separated from God forever. Those who have trusted in God by grace through faith will dwell eternally in fellowship with Him and worship Him forever. Deut. 30:1-10; Isa. 11:9; Ezek. 37:21-28; Matt. 24:15-25.46; 2 Thess. 1:5-10; Rev. 20-21

As an addendum on the subject of creation, we consider it very important to present a consistent view of the authority of Scripture. In contradistinction to the teachings of evolution, we wish to make clear our understanding that the days of Genesis chapter one are literal, solar days, that the earth is young, that there was no death of animals or man prior to the intrusion of sin through Adam, and that the flood of Noah was a catastrophic, global event.