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Statement of Beliefs |
1. God the Father: God the Father is the eternally
existing, glorious, supreme Creator of the heavens and the earth, the source of all life, and the Divine
Father of Jesus Christ. He is a personal Spirit being, the epitome of love, wisdom, justice, power,
goodness, and mercy. God is the Sovereign Ruler and sustainer of all that is. In His magnificent infinite
Plan, God is reproducing Himself through mankind making them Children of God, and members of the
everlasting Family of God. More...
Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the Children of God: therefore the world knows us not,
because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the Children of God and it
does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall
appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:1-2)
God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship him in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. In
this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His
only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him… And we
have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love; and
he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:8, 9, 16)
The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and
Divine Nature; so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
2. Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah,
the Christ, the Divine Son of God the Father, begotten of Holy Spirit, born in the human flesh
of the virgin Mary, and that He became fully human and, therefore, capable of dying.
Jesus is the Word and He has existed eternally with the Father. We believe that Jesus
was God in the beginning and that He was, and is, a member of the glorious Godhead, and
that God the Father created all things by and through Jesus Christ. We believe that without
Christ nothing was made, and that He was the God of the Old Testament and the God of ancient
Israel. We believe that, though capable of sinning, Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life.
He was crucified to pay for the sins of mankind. The Father resurrected Him after three days
and three nights in the grave the sign and proof that He was the Messiah and Savior of all
mankind. Jesus has made reconciliation to God the Father possible for mankind, which
was cut-off from God by sin. We believe that Jesus now sits at the right hand of the
Father in heaven, as our High Priest intervening for us before God the Father.
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3. Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God the
Father and Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Life, Love, Wisdom, Mind and Power of God, by
which all things were created and made. The Holy Spirit is not a personage or a separate
third member of the Godhead. God's Spirit fills the universe. "Whither
shall I go from thy Spirit? Whither shall I flee from thy presence?" The full
attributes of God's Spirit are beyond the grasp of our finite minds.
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4. Man: We believe that man was created to be in the image and
likeness of God, formed of flesh, and is wholly mortal without the possibility of eternal
life inherent in himself, except and until he receives the Holy Spirit as the gift of God
upon the laying on of hands at baptism. We believe that the reason for creation and the
purpose of man's existence is to be born into the Family of God at the resurrection to
immortality, and to literally become God-beings at that time. We believe that at this
time, while we are in the flesh, we are already the Children of God, begotten of Holy Spirit
at baptism, heirs of the promise, but not yet inheritors.
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5. Church: Jesus Christ has only one Church. We believe
that the Church is made up of those brethren who have been called out of the world
into the Body of Christ, the body of believers, and are the first fruits in Gods plan, who
have and are being led by God's Holy Spirit. The true Church of God is not a denomination
or a corporate body, but a spiritual entity. The inspired Scriptural name for this
spiritual organism is The Church of God. We believe that those brethren within the Church at
this time have the opportunity to be in the better resurrection, that is, resurrected to Spirit
God-life, to rule under the authority of Jesus Christ as kings and priests throughout the
one-thousand year millennium. We believe that no pope or man has dominion over our faith,
but that every converted person must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. We
believe that God places each person within the Church as it pleases Him, and that He gives
gifts to the individual members for the profit of all. The Church has the duty to preach the
gospel of the coming Kingdom of God, and to warn all nations, especially, the lost tribes
of the house of Israel, as God gives us the strength. We believe that only those whom
God the Father draws and places in the Church can, by repentance, baptism (through submersion
under water), the receiving of the Holy Spirit (by the laying on of hands), and faith in Jesus
Christ as our personal Savior, become part of the first fruits harvest. We believe that
the brethren of the Church of God are only the first fruits and not the end of God's plan of
salvation, and that the Church is being taught and trained to teach and rule in the millennium
under Christ, when He sets His hand to save the rest of mankind. We believe that the Church is
the Kingdom of God in embryo, and that God is reproducing Himself in man.
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6. Ten Commandments: We believe that sin is the transgression of the Law of God and that the
Law of
God is spiritual, perfect, holy, just, good, and is, therefore, summed up in
one word
–
LOVE. We believe
that the Law of God involves the two great principles of love to God, and love to neighbor,
and that the Ten Commandments compose the ten supreme points of the law, and that
the breaking of only one point makes one guilty of all.
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7. Sabbath: We believe that the seventh day of the week, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is
the Holy Sabbath of the Lord our God. On this day we believe that we must rest from our
physical labors and pursuits, and be spiritually rejuvenated by assembling together with
God's people to worship God wherever possible. God rested on the seventh
day after creation, picturing the millennial rest at the end of the first six thousand
years of God's plan for man. We believe that at Christ's return He will establish
the Kingdom of God on the earth and rule the earth with the Spirit born saints
for one thousand years, completing the seven thousand year plan of God for mankind. The
millennial reign of Christ, the Messiah, will bring peace and prosperity to
the earth with salvation open to all mankind. In keeping and observing the Sabbath, we are
following the command and example of Jesus Christ. The
Apostle Paul, along with the first century New Testament Church of God, kept the Sabbath, and
true Christians keep the Sabbath today.
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8. Holy Days:
We believe that the seven annual Holy Days listed in Leviticus 23 were ordained
by God, commanded to be observed as holy convocations by His New Testament Church, and were observed
by Old Testament Israel. These Holy Days and Feasts were observed by Jesus Christ, the
twelve apostles, the Apostle Paul, and the first century Church of God. Each Feast Day has
a special
prophetic meaning depicting an important step in God's plan for man. The Feasts and Holy
Days are: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, the Feast of
Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day. The Lord's Passover is observed just after sunset, at the
beginning of the 14th day of the
first month, just as Christ did the evening before he died. Passover
is observed only once a year. We partake of the unleavened bread and
wine, representing Jesus' body and blood, symbolizing forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God and man, and
spiritual healing. Because we sin during the year, we cannot take Passover, which represents Christ
in us, without being spiritually clean. We carry out the foot-washing service as our renewed
commitment to walk in the newness of life that we made at our baptism. For those who are physically able,
participation in the foot-washing is a requirement for salvation, for without it,
we have no part with Jesus Christ. The foot-washing is about helping one another to
be spiritually clean before God. It teaches us that we must continually
lay down our life for others in spiritual matters in accordance with Christ's example of
laying down His life for us.
The entire
service is a memorial of Christ's death. All the Feasts of the Lord
are preserved for us in the
sacred calendar that God gave to the nation of Israel.
We believe that God has entrusted the enduring stewardship of His oracles to
the Jews who have survived throughout history.
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9. Gospel of the Kingdom: We believe that Jesus Christ was the Messenger sent by God the Father to announce
and preach the gospel of the kingdom of God,
and that any other gospel beside that
which Jesus preached is a false gospel. We believe that it is necessary to repent and
believe this gospel in order to receive salvation. Christ will
establish the kingdom of God over the entire earth at His soon coming return as
King of kings.
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10. Spirit in Man: We believe that there is a
spirit in man. We believe that man is not and does not have an
immortal soul, but a human spirit, which is imparted to the human brain. The human spirit
is not a conscious element of man, rather it enables man to reason, to think, to be aware
of his own existence, thereby, separating man from the animals. Man does not have an
eternal soul that is rewarded in heaven, or punished in an ever-burning hell-fire after
death. When conversion takes place, our human spirit is united with the Spirit of
God, and we become the Children of God in the Family of God. God's Holy Spirit
enables His begotten sons and daughters to keep the commandments, understand the Bible
and those spiritual truths contained within it.
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11. Resurrections: We believe in the
resurrections. We believe that there will be a resurrection to
spiritual life of all the faithful saints who have ever lived at Christ's return, and
that those faithful saints who are alive at His return will be changed to immortality.
We believe that, following the millennium, there will be a resurrection to
physical life during the Great White Throne Judgment to give opportunity for salvation
and spiritual birth into the Kingdom of God to all those who have lived down through
history, and who have never had the calling to know God. We believe that those
who have not been called by God into His Church at this present time have not lost
their opportunity for salvation. We believe that there will be a resurrection of those
who are incorrigible to the lake of fire, which is permanent death, not everlasting
suffering in hell.
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12. Covenant People: We believe that the promise to
Abraham of the scepter included both the kingly line and spiritual promises, which include
Christ the Messiah and salvation through Him. We believe that salvation is through
Jesus Christ alone. It is not inherited through the birthright. Salvation is
offered to all nations, ethnic groups, and races of people who, through Christ, become
Abraham's children and are adopted into spiritual Israel. We also believe that the
physical promises called the birthright promises, which were made to Abraham and his
physical descendants, are being fulfilled at this time. We believe that the nations
of the English-speaking people are largely the descendants of Joseph, the son of Jacob
(whose name was changed to Israel), and that they are enjoying the material and national
blessings of the physical birthright, which was handed down through Joseph's sons, Ephraim
and Manasseh. We believe that the knowledge that God is fulfilling both, the spiritual
promise through Jesus Christ, and the physical birthright promises in modern day Israelitish
nations, is necessary for the understanding of Biblical prophecy in our day.
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13. Tithing: We believe that the tithing system established by God in
the Old Testament, confirmed by Jesus Christ, and practiced by the New Testament Church,
is applicable and binding upon Christians today. We believe that God opens the windows of
heaven and pours out blessings on those who have proven Him and not robbed Him.
First tithe is for perpetuation of the Gospel message, and instructing Church brethren.
Second tithe is a personal fund that provides the means for brethren
to observe all the Feasts of the Lord. Third tithe is for the needy, and
it occurs only in the third and sixth years of a seven year cycle.
More... See also:
Ten Reasons to Tithe
14. Divine Healing: We believe that God is our Divine
Healer. "By His stripes we are healed." He has promised to heal
us. We believe that God heals us according to faith. Time and chance do not happen to
the people of God. When we go to God in faith through anointing and accept the sacrifice of
Christ to cover our sins, our prayer is heard. Jesus personally bore our sins in His
own body when He was killed, so that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness.
It is because of the entire ordeal of Christ's anguish, torment, and suffering, that
total healing is available. Jesus paid the price that we may be made whole physically,
emotionally, psychologically and especially, spiritually.
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15. Clean and Unclean: We believe God's word, the Bible, sets apart certain foods
that can be eaten, and certain foods called "unclean," that are not to be eaten.
Unclean foods violate our bodies, which are the temple wherein God's Holy Spirit
dwells. God says, "Become ye holy, as I am holy."
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16. Military Service: We believe that God's Commandment forbids Christians to
kill – purposely taking any human life, directly or indirectly. We believe that bearing
arms is contrary to this fundamental doctrine of our belief system and we, therefore,
conscientiously refuse to bear arms. If compelled by the government to enlist, we refuse
to serve in any capacity that would violate the spirit of the sixth commandment against
murder. We believe that our Christian duty to God is of a higher nature than our duty
arising from man's government. We, therefore, also do not participate in voting in
political elections, or take part in jury duty. We do believe that we are to be subject
to our government and its laws – that we are to pay our taxes – that we are to
pray for government officials – and that we are to honor our leaders.
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17. The Bible: We believe that the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments
is the inspired Word of God. The purpose of the Bible is to reveal the supreme Divine
authority of God over mankind, and to make known His universal plan of salvation. The
true inspiration of the Bible is Jesus Christ. The Bible is the basis of all Godly
knowledge and the source of all Truth. Containing God's instructions for the Church
of God, it is entirely sufficient for salvation. The Bible reveals the purpose for
man's existence, which is to ultimately be like God in the Family of God. The
Word of God is the
Foundation of Knowledge. Without Holy Scripture, we would know nothing of God the
Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, salvation, eternal life, or the Kingdom of God.
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18. Church Eras: We believe that the seven actual church communities of Revelation
2 and 3 prophetically represent literal church eras extending throughout church history between
Christ's first and second coming. The message to each successive church era reflects its
predominant spiritual attributes and/or weaknesses. We are admonished to heed the message
given to every church era. We believe that Jesus Christ is the continuous living head of the
Church, and that He has established Church doctrine through the apostles. Since we are to be
increasing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are committed to alter our understanding and
return to the original truth, when proven wrong by the Bible. We believe that Scripture
is the supreme and final authority in faith and life, and that the duly ordained ministry must
be servants to all, not exercising dominion or authority over them, but are helpers of their
joy. We believe that the Philadelphia era Church of God has, as its fundamental doctrines and
teachings, those which were originally established by Jesus Christ through the founding of His
Church at the time of the early apostles. We believe that Jesus Christ used Herbert W.
Armstrong to usher in the Philadelphia era of His Church. "We know that we have passed
from death unto life, because we love the brethren." (1John 3:14)
We must persevere and maintain that zealous spirit of brotherly love so as to hold on to our
crown and avoid the tribulation of the final Laodicean era of the Church.
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19. Angels and Satan: We believe in the existence of holy angels, who faithfully
serve God, and minister to the children of God. We also believe that there are angels
who rebelled against God. We believe that Satan the devil is a spirit being who is an adversary
of God and an adversary of the children of God, and that he now has dominion over the world
which God is allowing him to rule for 6000 years.
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20. Bride of Christ: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him:
for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to
her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine
linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which
are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Revelation 19:7-9) We
believe that the Bride of Christ will be the entire Church of God, which has prepared
herself for the wedding of the Lamb. God has mercifully given us this time to go
on to perfection. Most of the brethren in this final Church era will go into the
Tribulation because of their half-hearted approach to their faith. Though we have
been the recipients of bountiful peace, fellowship, and doctrinal truth, we do not possess
the full spirit of unity and brotherly love that Jesus expects of His Bride. There
are serious lessons that we must make a part of our character. We must “lay
our lives down for the brethren,” just as Jesus laid His life down
for us. We believe this is what His “new” commandment is all about –
“That ye love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
” We must go to the spiritual rescue of a brother who has a serious sin in their
life. We believe that unless we learn what it means to lay our lives down for the brethren,
we will not have a part in the Kingdom of God. We are disqualified as the Bride when we fail
to demonstrate a genuine care for one another. God’s Spirit, which is held in common
by those who comprise the "Wife of Christ," is the strongest bond that exists.
Jesus Christ has one body - the Lord's Body. It is necessary to discern the Lord’s
Body – which means that we must share a Godly love with all who are led by His Spirit.
Jesus is not going to return to an estranged people who will not have anything to do with
each other. The Bride of Christ will be together in mind, attitude, and spiritual community.
Only those who are actively working to achieve this will be the Bride. (This does not mean
being in one earthly organization or group.) The lines must be crossed - the barriers must
come down. The unity of the brethren will be a miracle when it happens. Jesus ardently prayed,
“that they may be one”– He will have only one wife. It is required
that we examine ourselves and take a stand against substitutes for true religion. We will not
go into the Kingdom of God until God knows that we will take a stand and be loyal to His word
in every instance.
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