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People of The Living God |
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The Scriptures - We believe the Holy Bible to be written by forty-four men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write exactly as they wrote, therefore leaving a foundation upon which Christ’s church can be built and which the gates of hell shall not prevail against. It is a foundation upon which all church doctrines, traditions, creeds and ordinances must align themselves, therefore it is God’s instructions to man. We also believe the King James Version to be the best of our modern translations.
2 Tim 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The Godhead - The Godhead is made up of three distinct persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, each distinct in themselves but all one in perfect harmony, purpose and character. We will offer just a few verses of scripture that help unveil this truth.
1. In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” When He said, “Let us” He made the Godhead plural. The Hebrew also bears this out so it is not a translation error.
2. In John 14:28, Jesus tells His disciples, “my Father is greater than I” making a clear distinction between Himself and the Father.
3. Jesus in His prayer to the Father in John 17 makes a statement in which He explains, to some degree, the unity of the Father and the Son connecting it to the unity of the members of His church and Himself.
John 17:20-23
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Take special notice for whom Jesus is praying: He prays not only for the disciples of that time but also for those who would believe on Christ through their word. He then prays that they would be one just as He and the Father are one. The millions of believers are to be one in the exact unity that Jesus and the Father are one. Following up this remark, He tells of how this is to be, “I in them and thou in me”.
4. The last point in this brief “statements of faith” is the part the Holy Spirit has in the Godhead. John includes the Holy Spirit as a part of the Godhead in 1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. We are familiar with the argument that would remove this verse from Holy writ but there are other scriptures that substantiate this verse of scripture as authentic. Consider just a few of the personality traits of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be grieved. (Eph. 4:30) The Holy Spirit can speak. (Acts 13:2) The Holy Spirit is a Teacher, a Guide and a Comforter. (John 14, 15, 16) These scriptures and many more show that the Holy Spirit is a person and is the third person in the Trinity.
Creation - God created all things and those things created declare God’s omnipotence and omniscience, so that man is without excuse. There are only two suggested ideas of creation and they are creation and evolution. Although some who have attempted to merge these two into one the scripture is clear that God created everything in six days. While evolutionist have been forced through new scientific discoveries to altar their ideas to conform to new-found facts, the Bible has never had to alter its clear statements of how the world came into being. One is compelled to admit that if there is a God, then He could have created all things just as the Bible states.
Jesus - Jesus came as God in the flesh, lived a perfect and holy life, and died for the sins of all who will believe on Him and walk with Him by faith. The Old Testament has many, many prophesies concerning the coming of the Messiah, all of which were fulfilled in Jesus. His birth was prophesied as that of a virgin (Isa. 7:14) and that He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). His life was one lived holy and righteously and yet one of suffering and finally death (Isa. 53). Jesus, Who is God, condescended from heaven and lived as a man and suffered the same limitations of man and died upon a cross, shedding His blood so man could be saved and find his way back to God. All this was prophesied before Jesus came. No other religion has ever foretold the coming of their so-called messiahs. No other religion has had its god come down and die for the people’s sins. No other religion is a religion of love and grace as the Christian religion and God disclosed and unveiled His divine love and grace through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Salvation - We believe in original sin and that all men inherited the sin nature therefore requiring forgiveness through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Therefore there is salvation only in Jesus Christ.
We believe in original sin in that the sin nature passed on to all men through Adam and that all have sinned and therefore in need of a Savior. Scripture is clear in both Old and New Testaments that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Heb. 9:22). Jesus, God’s Son became that atoning sacrifice when He went to the cross and shed His blood. That atonement is obtained by those who will, through faith, believe on Christ Jesus and that the evidences of this faith are repentance and a life changed. When a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, he is born again and he will put off the old life and walk in obedience to Christ’s words. The way of salvation is through Jesus alone and all other paths lead to destruction. (John 14:6)
Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit comes and dwells within the heart of those who are saved and when He comes, He will produce righteous living in the Christian’s life. The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead (see the statements of the Godhead above) and is sent into the heart of those who believe to lead them into truth (Jn. 16:13), to comfort them in times of trial, guide them in the strait and narrow way (Jn. 15:26), to take the things of God and show them unto the believer, and to bring to remembrance those things Jesus has said (Jn. 14:26). So important is the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer that the apostle Paul said in Romans 8:9 “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”
Water Baptism - Baptism in water is by immersion. Baptism is a sacrament, which we are commanded to obey in the New Testament. It is commanded for those who are born again to follow the new birth by this sacrament, which signifies that the believer has been cleansed from his old life of sin and is raised up clean through the cleansing power of the blood of Christ. It also signifies the burying of the old life and the commitment to a walk with God in newness of life. The old life of sin and death has been replaced by the resurrection of the believer with that eternal life which is in Christ.
Lord’s Supper - We observe the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice and its efficacy for the daily cleansing of the believer’s heart. Jesus instituted this sacrament on His last night with His disciples. He directed them to observe this in remembrance of Him. So we believe this is to be observed today as a remembrance of His sacrifice, His love, His mercy, His grace, His provision for all needs for the believer to obtain eternal salvation and through that ordinance are brought to a place of deep appreciation, devotion and love for Christ. We also believe that it is a time in which the believer is to examine himself and therefore root out and cleanse himself of any evil, especially in regard to his brothers and sisters in Christ. Keeping a clean heart and conscience before God is important for partaking of the Lord’s Supper. We also believe it should be practiced regularly and not just once a year for Paul said “For as oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup” (I Cor. 11:25) implying that it is not just once a year but often.
Baptism of the Holy Ghost - The baptism of the Holy Spirit as experienced by the early church is a blessing provided for the church today. The baptism is an immersion into the Holy Spirit and provides a deeper commitment and surrender to God and more sensitivity to the leading and work of the Holy Spirit within the heart. We believe this “promise of the Father” is for the church today for Peter said, Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
While we believe this is for today’s church, we also believe that most of what we see today in modern Christianity is not genuine or at least is not producing what the “promise of the Father” was intended to be. Most of what we see today is emotionalism and a working up of “the spirit”. However, this departure from the genuine does not do away with nor abolish the validity of the genuine baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Kingdom - Jesus set up a spiritual kingdom when He came and the believer is heir in that kingdom and is given power over Satan, the powers of darkness and over sin. Jesus is king today and his kingdom is a present reality established in the hearts of every true Christian. The postponement of Christ’s kingdom to a future time is to discredit the perfect work of Christ upon the cross and it weakens the church by postponing those provisions of grace and power provided by that perfect atoning sacrifice. The postponement theory gives Satan too much power and in many cases excuses man for his weaknesses and sin. Jesus declared that He came to “bind the strongman” (Matt. 12:29). John tells us in I John 3:8 “…for this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil”. And in His kingdom the believer is given power over the enemy. Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Power has been given to the church to use for the furtherance of the gospel and for conquering and overcoming sin in one’s own personal life.
Jesus is King today and will reign until the last enemy is put under His feet and that last enemy is death. (I Cor. 15:25,26)
Commandments - We believe in the observance of the Ten Commandments, including the fourth, therefore we are Sabbatarians. The Ten Commandments were not a part of the Mosaic Law. Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Paul clearly states there are two laws, one added for the transgression of the first. “It was added because of transgression”. The Mosaic Law was the law “ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator” ; the mediator being Moses and it was his law that was added. The first law being broken required the second for a “shadow of good things to come”. This added law is done away in Christ. But the eternal moral law of God will never pass away. The Sabbath was ordained by God in creation when God “rested on the seventh day”. Israel also observed the Sabbath before they came to Mount Sinai. This is seen in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus regarding the gathering of the manna. They were not to gather on the Sabbath. The fourth command itself declares it to have been observed in the past for it says, “Remember” the Sabbath day to keep it holy. It was not a new command.
We also believe in observance of all the commands Jesus gave in the four gospels.
Covenant - The Old Covenant is contained in the Old Testament and has been replaced with the New Covenant so we are not under the requirements of the Mosaic (Old) Covenant. This does not mean that we discard the Old Testament. We believe the Old Testament is also the word of God and is still profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction and much can be learned from the Old Testament. However, the Mosaic Law and ordinances are no longer applicable for believers under the New Covenant. For instance we do not believe that offering animal sacrifice is required today and such a sacrifice would be to discredit the True Lamb Who takes away the sin of the world. So with the other commands set up by Moses regarding various washings and activities regarding cleansings, meats, etc. We do believe that New Covenant saints are to observe the 10 commandments because they were not given through a mediator (Moses) but given to the ear of all Israel as they stood around Mount Sinai and heard God speak and those laws were also written on tables of stone with the finger of God.
Under the New Covenant God has written His laws in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance the things Jesus has spoken. Jesus’ words can be learned by searching, especially the four gospels, the whole New Testament and the Spirit will then bring those things said to us when we need them most and will lead us through any circumstance or trial and show us His faithfulness and power.