Statement of Faith

  • We believe that the Old and New Testament Scriptures are inspired by God and are inerrant in the original writings. The Scriptures are supreme and final authority in faith and life (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
  • We believe in one God, eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, manifesting Himself in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one in nature, equal in attributes, power, and glory (Psalm 90:2; 1 Tim. 1:17; Rev. 19:6; Psalm 139:7-8; 1 John 3:20 Eph. 4:4-6; I Cor. 12:4-6; Matt. 28:19).
  • We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and that He is the true God and true man (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38).
  • We believe that God created man in His own image and in a state of innocence, but man willfully transgressed God’s law and lost communion with God, becoming dead in sin, corrupt in nature and incapable of pleasing God (Gen. 1-3).
  • We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as representative and substitutionary sacrifice and rose again for our justification; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart from human merit and works (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8-9).
  • We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus by faith are born again by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and thereby become the children of God, possessing eternal life (Acts 16:31; John 1:12).
  • We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate (Hebrews 4:14-16; Luke 24:46-47).
  • We believe in the personal and visible return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:7-8).
  • We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead: the saved to a life of eternal glory and bliss in heaven with God; the unsaved to eternal judgment of conscious suffering and woe in the lake of fire (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 21:3-4, 7-8).
  • We believe in the separation from all worldly practices, in wholehearted devotion to the cause of Christ, in a high standard of Christian conduct; since such separation, devotion, and standard is the only Scriptural basis for a useful Christian life. For this reason, we oppose all practices which hinder Christian growth and detract from Christian influence (2 Tim. 2:22; 2 Cor. 6:17; 1 Thess. 5:22).

 

Beliefs on Marriage and Sexuality

  • We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as either male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
  • We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
  • We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, or use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).
  • We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Camp Jacob as a part of the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to Camp Jacob employees/volunteers and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Camp Jacob in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage and Sexuality (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:22).
  • We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11).
  • We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Camp Jacob.

Beliefs on the Sanctity of Human Life

  • We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Ps. 139).

 

 

Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct

  • The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Camp Jacob’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Board of Directors and Executive Director is Camp Jacob’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s application (2 Tim. 3:16-17).