THE
BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and contains one harmonious
and sufficiently complete system of doctrine. We believe in the full
inspiration of the Word of God. We hold the Word of God to be the only
authority in all matters and assert that no doctrine can be true or
essential, if it does not find a place in this Word.
THE
FATHER
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Author and Creator of all
things. The Old Testament reveals God in diverse manners, by manifesting
his nature, character, and dominions. The Gospels in the New Testament
give us knowledge of God the "Father" or "My Father", showing the
relationship of God to Jesus as Father, or representing Him as the
Father in the Godhead, and Jesus himself that Son (St. John 15:8,
14:20). Jesus also gives God the distinction of "Fatherhood" to all
believers when he explains God in the light of "Your Father in Heaven"
(St. Matthew 6:8).
THE
SON
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Second person in the
Godhead of the Trinity or Triune Godhead. We believe that Jesus was and
is eternal in his person and nature as the Son of God who was with God
in the beginning of creation (St. John 1:1). We believe that Jesus
Christ was born of a virgin called Mary according to the scripture (St.
Matthew 1:18), thus giving rise to our fundamental belief in the Virgin
Birth and to all of the miraculous events surrounding the phenomenon
(St. Matthew 1:18-25). We believe that Jesus Christ became the
"suffering servant" to man; this suffering servant came seeking to
redeem man from sin and to reconcile him back to God, his Father (Romans
5:10). We believe that Jesus Christ is standing now as mediator between
God and man (I Timothy 2:5)
THE
HOLY GHOST
We believe the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is the third person of the
Trinity, proceeds from the Father and the Son, is of the same substance,
equal to power and glory, and is together with the Father and the Son,
to be believed in, obeyed, and worshipped. The Holy Ghost is a gift
bestowed upon the believer for the purpose of equipping and empowering
the believer, making him a more effective witness for service in the
world. He teaches and guides one into all truth (John 16:13; Acts 1:8,
8:39).
THE
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST
We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is an experience
subsequent to conversion and sanctification and that tongue-speaking is
the consequence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost with the manifestations
of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23; Acts 10:46, 19:1-6). We
believe that we are not baptized with the Holy Ghost in order to be
saved (Acts 19:1-6; John 3:5). When one receives a baptismal Holy Ghost
experience, we believe one will speak with a tongue unknown to oneself
according to the sovereign will of Christ. To be filled with the Spirit
means to be Spirit controlled as expressed by Paul in Ephesians 5:18-19.
Since the charismatic demonstrations were necessary to help the early
church to be successful in implementing the command of Christ, we
therefore, believe that a Holy Ghost experience is mandatory for all men
today.
MAN
We believe that man was created holy by God, composed of body and soul.
We believe that man, by nature, is sinful and unholy. Being born in sin,
he needs to be born again, sanctified and cleansed from all sins by the
blood of Jesus. We believe that man is saved by confessing and forsaking
his sins, and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and that having become
a child of God, by being born again and adopted into the family of God,
he may, and should, claim the inheritance of the sons of God, namely the
baptism of the Holy Ghost.
SIN
Sin, the Bible teaches, began in the angelic world (Ezekiel 28:11-19;
Isaiah 14:12-20), and is transmitted into the blood of the human race
through disobedience and deception motivated by unbelief (I Timothy
2:14). Adam's sin, committed by eating of the forbidden fruit from the
tree of knowledge of good and evil, carried with it permanent pollution
or depraved human nature to all his descendants. This is called
"original sin." Sin can now be defined as a volitional transgression
against God and a lack of conformity to the will of God. We, therefore,
conclude that man by nature, is sinful and that he has fallen from a
glorious and righteous state from which he was created, and has become
unrighteous and unholy. Man, therefore, must be restored to his state of
holiness from which he has fallen by being born again (St. John 3:7).
SALVATION
Salvation deals with the application of the work of redemption to the
sinner with his restoration to divine favor and communion with God. This
redemptive operation of the Holy Ghost upon sinners is brought about by
repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ which
brings conversion, faith, justification regeneration, sanctification,
and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Repentance is the work of God, which
results in a change of mind in respect to man's relationship to God.
(St. Matthew 3:1-2, 4:17; Acts 20:21). Faith is a certain conviction
wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, as to the truth of the Gospel
and a heart trust in the promises of God in Christ (Romans 1:17, 3:28;
St. Matthew 9:22; Acts 26:18). Conversion is that act of God whereby He
causes the regenerated sinner, in his conscious life, to turn to Him in
repentance and faith (II Kings 5:15; II Chronicles 33:12-13; St. Luke
19:8, 9; Acts 8:30). Regeneration is that act of God by which the
principle of the new life is implanted in man, and the governing
disposition of soul is made holy and the first holy exercise of this new
disposition is secured. Sanctification is that gracious and continuous
operation of the Holy Ghost, by which He delivers the justified sinner
from the pollution of sin, renews his whole nature in the image of God
and enables him to perform good works (Romans 6:4;5:6; Colossians 2:12;
3:1).
ANGELS
The Bible uses the term "angel" (a heavenly body) clearly and primarily
to denote messengers or ambassadors of God with such scripture
references as Revelations 4:5, which indicates their duty in heaven to
praise God (Psalm 103:20), to do God's will (St. Matthew 18:10) and to
behold his face. But since heaven must come down to earth, they also
have a mission to earth. The Bible indicates that they accompanied God
in the Creation, and also that they will accompany Christ in His return
in Glory.
DEMONS
Demons denote unclean or evil spirits; they are sometimes called devils
or demonic beings. They are evil spirits, belonging to the unseen or
spiritual realm, embodied in human beings. The Old Testament refers to
the prince of demons, sometimes called Satan (Adversary) or Devil, as
having power and wisdom, taking the habitation of other forms such as
the serpent (Genesis 3:1). The New Testament speaks of the Devil as
Tempter (St. Matthew 4:3) and it goes on to tell the works of Satan, The
Devil, and Demons as combating righteousness and good in any form,
proving to be an adversary to the saints. Their chief power is exercised
to destroy the mission of Jesus Christ. It can well be said that the
Christian Church believes in Demons, Satan, and Devils. We believe in
their power and purpose. We believe they can be subdued and conquered as
in the commandment to the believer by Jesus. "In my name they shall cast
out Satan and the work of the Devil and to resist him and then he will
flee (WITHDRAW) from you." (St. Mark 16:17).
THE
CHURCH
The Church forms a spiritual unity of which Christ is the divine head.
It is animated by one Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. It professes one
faith, shares one hope, and serves one King,. It is the citadel of the
truth and God's agency for communicating to believers all spiritual
blessings. The Church then is the object of our faith rather than of
knowledge. The name of our Church, "CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST" is
supported by I Thessalonians 2:14 and other passages in the Pauline
Epistles. The word "CHURCH" or "EKKLESIA" was first applied to the
Christian society by Jesus Christ in St. Matthew 16:18, the occasion
being that of his benediction of Peter at Caesarea Phillippi.
THE
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the second coming of Christ; that He shall come from
heaven to earth, personally, bodily, visibly (Acts 1:11; Titus 2:11-13;
St. Matthew 16:27; 24:30; 25:30; Luke 21:27; John 1:14, 17; Titus 2:11)
and that the Church, the bride, will be caught up to meet Him in the air
(I Thessalonians, 4:16-17). We admonish all who have this hope to purify
themselves as He is pure.
DIVINE HEALING
The Church of God in Christ believes in and practices Divine Healing. It
is a commandment of Jesus to the Apostles (St. Mark 16:18). Jesus
affirms his teachings on healing by explaining to His disciples, who
were to be Apostles, that healing the afflicted is by faith (St. Luke
9:40-41). Therefore, we believe that healing by faith in God has
scriptural support and ordained authority. St. James' writings in his
epistle encourage Elders to pray for the sick, lay hands upon them and
to anoint them with oil, and that prayers with faith shall heal the sick
and the Lord shall raise them up. Healing is still practiced widely and
frequently in the Church of God in Christ, and testimonies of healing in
our Church testify to this fact.
MIRACLES
The Church of God in Christ believes that miracles occur to convince men
that the Bible is God's Word. A miracle can be defined as an
extraordinary visible act of Divine power, wrought by the efficient
agency of the will of God, which has as its final cause the vindication
of the righteousness of God's word. We believe that the works of God,
which were performed during the beginnings of Christianity, do and will
occur even today where God is preached, Faith in Christ is exercised,
The Holy Ghost is active, and the Gospel is promulgated in the truth
(Acts 5:15; 6:8; 9:40; Luke 4:36, 7:14-15; 5:5-6; St. Mark 14:15).
THE
ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
It is generally admitted that for an ordinance to be valid, it must have
been instituted by Christ. When we speak of ordinances of the church, we
are speaking of those instituted by Christ, in which by sensible signs
the grace of God in Christ, and the benefits of the covenant of grace
are represented, sealed, and applied to believers, and these in turn
give expression to their faith and allegiance to God. The Church Of God
In Christ recognizes three ordinances as having been instituted by
Christ himself and therefore, binding upon the church practice.
A. THE LORD'S SUPPER (HOLY COMMUNION) The Lord's Supper symbolizes the Lord's death and suffering for the
benefit and in the place of His people. It also symbolizes the
believer's participation in the crucified Christ. It represents not
only the death of Christ as the object of faith which unites the
believers to Christ, but also the effect of this act as the giving
of life, strength, and joy to the soul. The communicant by faith
enters into a special spiritual union of his soul with the glorified
Christ.
B. FEET WASHING Feet Washing is practiced and recognized as an ordinance in our
Church because Christ, by His example, showed that humility
characterized greatness in the Kingdom of God, and that service,
rendered to others gave evidence that humility, motivated by love,
exists. These services are held subsequent to the Lord's Supper;
however, its regularity is left to the discretion of the Pastor in
charge.
C. WATER BAPTISM We believe that Water Baptism is necessary as instructed by Christ
in St. John 3:5, "UNLESS MAN BE BORN AGAIN OF WATER AND OF THE
SPIRIT."
However, we do not believe that water baptism alone is a means of
salvation, but is an outward demonstration that one has already had a
conversion experience and has accepted Christ as his personal Savior. As
Pentecostals, we practice immersion in preference to "SPRINKLING" ,
because immersion corresponds more closely to the death, burial, and
resurrection of our Lord (Colossians 2:12). It also symbolizes
regeneration and purification more than any other mode. Therefore, we
practice immersion as our mode of Baptism. We believe that we should use
the Baptismal Formula given us by Christ for all "...IN THE NAME OF THE
FATHER , AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST." (St. Matthew 28:19) |