Church
of God, Fundamentals of Belief
1
We believe in ONE GOD, eternally existing in the heavens, who is a Spirit, a
personal Being of supreme intelligence, knowledge, love, justice, power, and
authority, the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that in them is,
and the source of life aka God the
Father. Elohim, Genesis 1:1 Theos, Logos, John 1:1
2.
We believe Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the Christ, the divine Son of the
living God, begotten of the Holy Spirit, born in the human flesh of the virgin
Mary, and that He is true God and true man, that God created all things by
Jesus Christ, and without Him was not anything made that was made.
3.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of God and of Christ Jesus; the
power of God with which all things were created and made; that thru the Holy
Spirit, God is everywhere present; that the Holy Spirit is divine Love, Faith,
Understanding, Power, Joy and all the attributes of God -- the Spirit of life
eternal.
4.
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are God's revelation
and complete expressed will to man, inspired in thought and word, and
infallible in the original writings; that they are of supreme and final
authority in faith and in life, and the source of Truth. We believe all
teachings contrary to the Holy Bible are false. We accept the Bible alone, and
not the Bible and "something else."
5.
We believe Satan is a personality, a spirit being; and as the Devil is the
adversary of God and the children of God; and that he now has dominion over the
world which God allowed him for a definite "week" of seven
thousand-year days -- the first six of which are his six working days for his
labor of deception, leading the children of Adam into rejection of God's law
and therefore rebellion against God -- the seventh thousand-year day of which
will be the DAY OF THE LORD (the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God), during which Satan will be forced to rest from his work of deception
while Christ rules the nations of the earth. Satan's power is merely to
influence and lead, not to force men arbitrarily against their will. He has
ruled by deception with the aid of a host of demons which are rebellious
angels, spirit beings, who have followed Satan in his rebellion.
6.
We believe man was created in the image of God, formed of flesh, which is
material substance, living by the breath of life, and is wholly mortal, subject
to corruption and decay, without possibility of eternal life inherent in
himself, except as the gift of God under God's terms and conditions as
expressed in the Bible; that God placed before the first man, Adam, his free
choice of eternal life through obedience to God's commandments, or death
through sin, that Adam sinned, thereby incurring the death penalty without
having received eternal life, having yielded to the temptation of Satan, and
that the sinful fleshly nature with its sensual desires and its pride passed on
all men, so that all become sinners, thus bringing upon themselves the penalty,
death.
7.
We believe sin is the transgression of the Law; that the Law is spiritual,
perfect, holy, just, and good, summed up in the word "LOVE"; that it
involves the two great principles of love to God, and love to neighbor, and
that the Ten Commandments compose the ten points of that Law, and that the
breaking of only one point makes one guilty of sin. We believe this fundamental
spiritual Law reveals to us the only right and true way to life -- the only
possible way of happiness, peace and joy; that it has existed from Adam, is
immutable and binding thru-out eternity; and that all unhappiness, misery,
poverty, anguish, and woe has come from its transgression. First 4 towards God
last 6 toward humanity, even the most pagan peoples have not had trouble
keeping the last 6 “they kinda make sense” The 4th is the test
commandment “you have to keep it to understand how to keep the first 4, Exodus
31 ~ Hebrews4”
8.
We believe God so loved this world of helpless sinners that He GAVE His only
begotten Son, who, though in all points tempted as we are, lived without sin in
the human flesh, and died for us as a representative and substitutionary
sacrifice thus making it legally possible for man's sins to be forgiven and for
God to release him from their penalty, since Jesus, whose life was of greater
value than the sum-total of all other human lives (because it was He who
brought them into being) has thus paid the penalty in man's stead.
9.
We believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead after His body reposed three days and three nights in the
grave, thus making immortality possible for mortal man; that He thereafter
ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father, as
our High Priest and Advocate. That Jesus Christ was “cut off in the middle of
the week” DANIEL9:27 and was crucified on a Wednesday late
afternoon and hurriedly entombed because of the High Holy annual Sabbath Day of
Unleavened Bread John 19:31 was upon
the mourners thus making it three day and three night in the tomb (as Jonah was
in the belly of the great fish) as it begin to dawn Matt 28:1 as it began
to dawn toward the first day
of the week, came …. Sorry you gonna have to read the Bible to understand.
10.
We believe that all who truly repent of their sins in full surrender and
willing obedience to God, accepting Jesus Christ as personal Saviour in faith
believing, are forgiven their sins by an act of divine GRACE, justified,
pardoned from the penalty of past sins, reconciled to God, and receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit which literally comes and abides within, supplying the
divine LOVE which alone can fulfill the law and produce righteousness; and thus
are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ which is the true CHURCH OF
GOD. We believe in a true change in life and attitude and that only those who
have the indwelling presence of, and are being led by the Holy Spirit are
Christ's. Bible evidence of being thus baptized by the Spirit is the fruit of the
Spirit in one's life. (See Matthew 7:20; Galatians 5:22-23).
"Manifestations" regulated by I Corinthians 14.
11.
We believe in keeping all ORDINANCES STATUTES & JUDGEMENTS instituted by God.
Among these, Keeping God Holy Days, Water
baptism by immersion, into Jesus Christ (not a denomination) for the remission
of sins, following genuine repentance; and The Lord's Supper as continuation of
the Passover, observed at night on the anniversary of the death of our Saviour,
the 14th of Abib.
13.
We believe that from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, the seventh day of the
week is the Sabbath of the Lord our God. On this day we must rest from our
labors following the commands and example of the apostle Paul, the New
Testament Church, and Jesus. Exodus 31 Hebrews 4
13.
We believe the seven Annual Holy days as given to ancient Israel by God through
Moses, kept by Christ, the Apostle Paul, and the New Testament Church, as
evidenced by the books of Acts and Corinthians, are to be kept today. The
sacrifices, which were added, are not to be kept on those days nor any other
day of the year. During the spring festival of seven days, leavening in any
form is not to be eaten, as Paul instructed the Corinthians.
14.
We believe that certain foods called "unclean" are not to be eaten
under any circumstances as they are harmful to body and health and also violate
our bodies which are called the temple of the Holy Spirit of God.
15.
We believe that Christian disciples of Christ are forbidden by Him and the
commandments of God to kill, or in any manner directly or indirectly to take
human life; by whatsoever means; we believe that bearing arms is directly
contrary to this fundamental doctrine of our belief; we therefore
conscientiously refuse to bear arms or to come under the military authority.
16.
We believe the PROMISES were made to Abraham and his "seed," Christ,
and that the Covenants (including the New Covenant), and the promises pertain
alone to ISRAEL. That our white, English-speaking peoples of today are enjoying
the national phases of the promises -- that of MATERIAL blessings -- called the
"Birthright," which was handed down thru the sons of Joseph, Ephraim
and Manasseh, whose descendants we are; but that the "Scepter" -- the
promise of kings, and the SPIRITUAL phase of the promises, including Christ and
salvation thru Him -- was given to and shall not depart from Judah of whom are
the race we know today as the Jews. We believe eternal life is God's gift
resting upon the promises made to Abraham and his "seed," Christ,
designating this earth (made new), not heaven, as our eternal home and reward.
That salvation is thru Christ alone, and not inherited thru the Birthright
(right of birth) and that salvation is freely open to Gentiles who, thru
Christ, become Abraham's children and are adopted into the family of Israel and
become heirs according to the promises. We believe the “key of David” Rev 3:7 is 1) knowing the
Throne that Christ will return to is in England “the British Throne” and 2) The identity of the modern day descendants
of the sons of Jacob. .3) and that the Unted Sates and Great Britain are from
the tribe of Joseph which was the inheritor of the Firstborn Birthright
promises …. Gen 48:19 but
truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a
multitude of nations … Gen
22:17 "your descendants shall
possess the gates of their enemies"
17.
We believe God's purpose is the creation of high spiritual character, and
therefore the very object of redemption is to rescue mankind from SIN
(transgressing the fundamental spiritual law), and its resulting degradation,
misery and unhappiness; and that the object of the present dispensation is to
fit those whom God now calls, with their consent, thru a life of trial and test
and overcoming sin, growing in grace and knowledge to possess the KINGDOM and
to become kings and priests reigning with Christ after His return. We believe
Christians must therefore live a clean, pure, holy life by faith according to
the Bible standard, with constant Bible study and surrendered prayer, trusting
God in and for all things, that yielding to pride and lust of the flesh is sin,
that God hears and literally answers the believing prayers of His children who
keep His commandments -- according as He has promised in His Word, including
physical healing, deliverance from temptation and trouble, providing the way for
every actual need.
18.
We believe the Church is merely that body of believers who have, and are being
led by the Holy Spirit; that the true Church of God is not a denomination; that
the inspired name for this spiritual organism is "THE CHURCH OF GOD;"
that the Bible name for each local assembly is "THE CHURCH OF GOD,"
and, considered collectively, "The Churches of God;" that the mission
of the Church in this time is to preach the Gospel (Good News) of the coming
KINGDOM OF GOD, (with special stress on the warning to America and Britain of
the prophecies pertaining to them), into all nations as a witness, reaching the
vast multitudes with power and conviction; to reconcile to God, and to save,
thru Christ, such people as are now called; and to minister to the Church of
God, strengthening and edifying the brethren in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord.
19.
We believe the only hope of eternal life for mortal man lies in the
resurrection; thru the indwelling (now) of the Holy Spirit; and that there
shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and unjust -- the just to eternal
life as spirit beings upon earth, the unjust to receive the second and final
death in hell (Gehenna) fire in which they shall perish in eternal punishment.
20.
We believe in the personal, visible, premillennial, imminent return of the Lord
Jesus Christ to rule the nations of earth as King of Kings, and to continue His
priestly office as Lord of Lords; that at that time He will sit upon the throne
of David restoring all things during a thousand year reign upon earth and
establish the KINGDOM OF GOD upon earth forever.