What We Believe

WHAT WE BELIEVE
(Ten Core Beliefs)

CJF Ministries
611 Broadway
San Antonio, Texas

  1. We believe that the Bible—as given in the original texts of the Old and New Covenants (Testaments)—is the inspired, inerrant, authoritative, and providentially preserved Word of God (Psalm 107:20; 119:89, 160; 147:18; Isa. 40:8; Eph. 5:26; Heb. 4:12; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23-25).

  2. We believe that God (Heb., Elohim) is a Triunity (three in one)—Father (Abba), Son (Ben), and Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh; Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 4:6; 1 Peter 1:2).

  3. We believe in the deity (Col. 1:15-19), virgin birth (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Matt. 1:21), substitutionary death (Isa. 53:5-6; 1 Peter 3:18), bodily resurrection (Psalm 16:10; 1 Cor. 15:14-19), and imminent return of Jesus the Messiah (Yeshua HaMashiach; Titus 2:13).

  4. We believe that salvation is solely by grace apart from works (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). True salvation produces works—not vice versa (that is, works do not produce salvation). The Apostle James said, “Faith without works is dead” (2:20, 26).

  5. We believe in divine Election; that is, God chose and elected His people to salvation before the beginning of the ages (Rom. 8:29-33; 9:6-26; 11:5, 7, 28; Eph. 1:3-6; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13; Titus 1:1). In a broader, corporate sense, this principle of divine Election also applies to His earthly people Israel (Deut. 4:37; 7:6-8). At the same time, however, we resist any effort to turn Election into a form of fatalism (i.e., the pagan notion that the future is predetermined and there’s nothing we can do to change it). The Bible often emphasizes the importance of our choices—choices that can make the difference between life and death (Deut. 30:19). We recognize the tension between divine Election and human free will; however, we embrace that tension, believing it enables us to maintain the biblical balance between the two truths.

  6. We believe in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus (HaAdon Yeshua) for the remission of sins (Heb. 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19)—and that salvation is in Him alone (Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5).

  7. We believe in the eternal security of the believer (John 10:27-29). If a professing believer lapses into a sinful lifestyle with no evidence of divine chastening, it means he was never truly a believer in the first place (Heb. 12:8; 1 John 2:19).

  8. We believe that the true Church (the Ekklesia or Kehila; the Body of Messiah) is composed of all followers of Messiah (Jewish and non-Jewish) of this present age (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:1-12; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:22-23). We also affirm that the Ekklesia is largely (but not exclusively) distinct from Israel (1 Cor. 10:32) and that God has wonderful plans for both (Jer. 29:11). The Church is a remnant people composed of both the believing remnants of Israel and of the nations, brought together through the New Covenant, which was inaugurated in the atoning death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah (Matt. 26:28). Non-Jewish NT believers are “grafted in” to the “olive tree” of Abrahamic faith when they place their trust in the Jewish Messiah (Rom. 11:17-23; Gal. 3:8). We affirm that the Church has not replaced ethnic Israel—the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—in God’s ongoing program (Rom. 11:1-36).

  9. We believe in the enabling ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit, Who equips and empowers us to carry out our God-appointed tasks and to bring glory to the Son of God by the power of God (John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:7-9; Acts 1:5; 2:4; Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18). We also believe it’s important to maintain integrity and authenticity in our relationship with the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11) and in faithfully exercising the gifts He bestows (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-14, 28-31; Eph. 4:11-13).

  10. We believe in the Rapture (catching up) of believers (1 Thess. 4:13-18) prior to the premillennial return of our Lord Jesus the Messiah to fulfill the prophecies about a literal earthly kingdom and about Israel’s future regeneration and restoration as a nation (Jer. 31:31-40; Ezek. 36:1-38; Matt. 6:10; Acts 1:6-8; Rom. 11:1-36; Rev. 20:1-15).

    What We Believe (Ten Core Beliefs) (PDF)