Doctor Soza's personal
testimony
and statement of faith
Personal Testimony and Statement of Faith (Dr. Joel R. Soza)
I am thankful to have been raised in an evangelical Christian home that feared God and revered the Scriptures. My father was a faithful adult Sunday School teacher for over thirty years in the Baptist church. I myself was active in church and youth group as a youngster, even to the extent of preaching from time to time at the Cleveland City Mission. It was not until my college years at a state university that my faithfulness to Christianity, and my commitment to the Baptist tradition, were challenged. During this time I attempted to serve God on occasion, but found myself overwhelmed by other influences, lacking power to carry out the will of God in my life. For the first time, I came to the point of recognizing my personal sinful condition as more than a mere theological abstract. I was desperately in need of God’s intervention and Christ’s salvation. My sin had found me out, and I came begging for the Savior’s mercy.
It was at the age of twenty-three that I surrendered my life completely to the Lordship of Christ and committed myself to full-time Christian service. The baptism in the Holy Spirit, which immediately followed my call and commissioning, left a life-changing mark on my entire approach to Christianity and life itself. It was a positive and powerful turning point in my faith journey. Things changed instantly, and to a certain extent, permanently. Years of formal theological training and active preaching and teaching ministry since have built a solid Christian worldview into my lifestyle and character.
Scripture is the starting point for my belief system. I believe in the inspiration of the Bible and its complete authority for faith and practice (2 Tim.3:16-17). Any true understanding of God and what it means to be human can only be ascertained from the Scriptures.
The Scriptures teach the sinfulness of humankind (Rom.3:23) and the tendency towards neglect, rebellion, and ignorance of God. Sin was introduced into the world as demonstrated in the Garden of Eden (Gen.3), and the first murder shortly followed (Gen.4). The result of this is death and judgment upon the human race (Heb.9:27; Rom.6:23a).
The solution to the sinfulness of humankind was the sending into the world the only begotten Son of God (Jn.3:16). I believe Jesus Christ is the "image of the invisible God" (Col.1:15) and that "in him dwells all the fullness of deity" (Col.2:9). Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the only remedy for human sinfulness, and this is appropriated only by faith (Eph.2:8-9).
The salvation of humankind is available to all (Rom.10:13) who will confess and believe the Christian gospel (Rom.10:9-10). It is to this gospel that I commit my life and profession. Because the price of salvation is not cheap, I believe the cost of discipleship can be high, and its rigors at times demanding (Mk.8:34-37).
Ultimately, I believe in the resurrection of all believers in Christ (1 Thess.4:16-17; 1 Cor.15:52-55) and the triumphal second coming of Christ to earth to establish his righteous kingdom (Rev.19:11-19). I believe there will be a new heaven and a new earth and a glorious eternal age to come (Rev.21:1-5).
God’s agent in the world is the Christian Church empowered by his Holy Spirit. I am pleased to be a part of his Church, called into ministry, carrying out his will in the Assemblies of God. I subscribe to the Assemblies of God statement of fundamental truths as a foundation in which to build my personal life of faith and ministry.