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PREAMBLE
We believe the Bible to be inspired of God; the infallible Word of
God. The Bible is the only God-given authority which man possesses;
therefore, all doctrine, faith, hope, and all instruction for the church must
be based upon, and harmonize with, the Bible. It is to be read and studied by
all men everywhere, and can only be clearly understood by those who are
anointed by the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27)."... no
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter
1:20, 21).
ARTICLES OF FAITH THE ONE TRUE GOD
We believe in the one ever-living, eternal God: infinite in power,
Holy in nature, attributes and purpose; and possessing absolute, indivisible
deity. This one true God has revealed Himself as Father, through His Son, in
redemption; and as the Holy Spirit, by emanation. (1 Cor.
8:6; Eph. 4:6; 2 Cor. 5:19; Joel 2:28). The
Scripture does more than attempt to prove the existence of God; it asserts,
assumes and declares that the knowledge of God is universal. (Romans 1:19,
21, 28, 32; 2:15). God is invisible, incorporeal, without parts, without
body, and therefore free from all limitations. He is Spirit (John 4:24), and a spirit hath not flesh and
bones. (Luke 24:39). The first of all the commandments is, hear, 0 Israel; the Lord our God is one
Lord" (Mark 12:29; Deut. 6:4). "One God and
Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph.
4:6). This one true God manifested Himself in the Old Testament in divers ways; in the Son while He walked among men; as the
Holy Spirit after the ascension.
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THE SON
OF GOD
The one true God, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, took upon Himself
the form of man, and as the Son of man, was born of the virgin Mary. As Paul
says "and without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness: God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto
the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (1
Timothy 3:16). "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not"
(John 1:11). This one true God was manifest in the flesh, that is,
in His Son Jesus Christ. ". . God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them. . ." (2 Cor. 5:19). We believe that,
". . in Him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"
(Col. 2:9). "For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness
dwell" (Col. 1:19). Therefore, Jesus in His humanity was man; in His
deity was and is God. His flesh was the lamb, or the sacrifice of God. He is
the only mediator between God and man. "For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
Jesus on His Father's side was divine, on His mother's side, human; Thus, He
was known as the Son of God and also the son of man, or the God-man.
"For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that
He is excepted, which did put all things under
Him" (1 Cor. 15:27). "And when all things shall
be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that
put all things under Him, that God may be all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28). "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which
was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8).
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THE
NAME
God used
different titles, such as "God Elohim,"
"El Shaddai," "Jehovah," and
especially "Jehovah Lord," the redemptive name in the Old
Testament. unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: ... and His name
shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). This prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled
when the Son of God was named, "And she shall bring forth a son, and
thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save
His People from their sins" (Matt. 1:21).
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
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CREATION
OF MAN AND HIS FALL
In the
beginning God created man innocent, pure and holy; but through the sin of
disobedience, Adam and Eve, the first of the human race, fell from their holy
state, and God banished them from Eden. Hence by one man's disobedience, sin entered into
the world. (Gen. 1:27; Rom. 3:23, 5:12).
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REPENTANCE
AND CONVERSION
Pardon and
forgiveness of sins is obtained by genuine repentance, a confessing and
forsaking of sins. We are justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans
5:1). John the Baptist preached repentance, Jesus proclaimed it, and the
Apostles emphasized it to both Jews and Gentiles. (Acts 2:38, 11:18,
17:30). The word "repentance" comes from
several Greek words which mean, change of views and purpose, change of heart,
change of mind, change of life, to transform, etc. Jesus said, -except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Luke 24:47 says,
"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
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WATER
BAPTISM
The scriptural
mode of baptism is immersion, and is only for those who have fully repented,
having turned from their sins and a love of the world. It should be administered
by a duly authorized minister of the Gospel, in obedience to the Word of God,
and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Acts of the
Apostles 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5; thus obeying and fulfilling Matthew 28:19.
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THE
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
John the
Baptist, in Matthew 3:11,
said, "...He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."
Jesus, in Acts 1:5, said, "...ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost
not many days hence." Luke tells us in Acts 2:4, they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as
the Spirit gave them utterance." The terms "baptize with the Holy
Ghost and fire," "filled with the Holy Spirit," and the
"gift of the Holy Ghost" are synonymous terms used interchangeably
in the Bible. It is scriptural to expect all who receive the gift, filling,
or baptism of the Holy Spirit to receive the same physical, initial sign of
speaking with other tongues. The speaking with other tongues, as recorded in
Acts 2:4, 10:46, and 19:6, and the gift of tongues, as explained in 1
Corinthians, chapters 12 and 14, are the same in essence, but different in
use and purpose. The Lord, through the Prophet Joel, said, I will pour out my
Spirit upon all flesh; ..." (Joel 2:28).
Peter, in explaining this phenomenal experience, said, having received of the
Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He (Jesus) hath shed forth this which
ye now see and hear." (Acts 2:33).
Further, "...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." (Acts 2:39).
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FUNDAMENTAL
DOCTRINE
The basic and
fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of full
salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy
Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit
gives utterance. We shall endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit until we
all come into the unity of the faith, at the same time admonishing all
brethren that they shall not contend for their different views to the
disunity of the body.
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DIVINE
HEALING
The first
covenant that the Lord (Jehovah) made with the children of Israel after they were brought out of Egypt was a covenant of healing. The Lord said, ". . if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the
Lord (Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord that healeth) thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His
sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I
will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the
Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth
thee." (Exodus 15:26). Some translations read: "For I am Jehovah,
thy physician," He being our physician or doctor, we have the most
capable in the whole world. Our Lord Jesus Christ went about Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of
sickness and disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23, 24). "Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). The
vicarious suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ paid for the healing of our bodies,
the same as for the salvation of our souls, for with His stripes we are
healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Matthew 8:17
reads, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (See also
I Peter 2:24). We see from this that divine healing for the body
is in the atonement. That being true, then it is for all who believe. Jesus
said of believers, ". . they
shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Later, James wrote
in his Epistle to all the churches: "Is any sick among you? Let him call
for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and
the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to
another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much." (James 5:14-16). All of these promises are for the church today.
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SACRAMENT
OR COMMUNION
On the night
of our Lord's betrayal, He ate the Passover supper with His Apostles, after
which He instituted the sacrament. "And He took bread, and gave thanks,
and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, this is my
body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the
cup after supper saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is
shed for you." (Luke 22:19-20). Paul instructed the church how to
observe it (I Cor. 11:23-34). Thus was instituted the use of literal bread
and the fruit of the vine, which are partaken of literally, as emblems of His
broken body and shed blood. There is also a spiritual significance and
blessing in partaking of the sacrament.
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HOLINESS
Godly living
should characterize the life of every child of the Lord, and we should live
according to the pattern and example given in the Word of God. "For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and Godly, in this present world"
(Titus 2:11,12). "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: who
did no sin, neither was 'guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled,
reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed himself
to Him that judgeth righteously" (1 Peter
2:21-23). "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).
"But as He which hath called you is holy, so be
ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be ye holy; for
I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of
your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:15-19). We
wholeheartedly disapprove of our people indulging in any activities which are
not conducive to good Christianity and Godly living, such as theaters,
dances, mixed bathing, women cutting their hair, make-up, any apparel that
immodestly exposes the body, all worldly sports and amusements, and
unwholesome radio programs and music. Furthermore, because of the display of
all these evils on television, we disapprove of any of our people having
television sets in their homes. We admonish all of our people to refrain from
any of these practices in the interest of spiritual progress and the soon
coming of the Lord for His church.
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THE
GRACE OF GOD
"For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and Godly, in this present world"
(Titus 2:11,12). "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
A Christian, to keep saved, must walk with God and keep himself in the love
of God (Jude 21) and in the grace of God. The word "grace" means
"favor." When a person transgresses and sins against God, he loses his
favor. If he continues to commit sin and does not repent, he will eventually
be lost and cast into the lake of fire. (Read John 15:2, 6; 2 Peter 2:20-21).
Jude speaks of the backsliders of his day, and their reward. (Also, read
Hebrews 6:4-6). "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8).
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RESTITUTION
OF ALL THINGS
We understand
the scripture to teach the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken
by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21). But we cannot find where the devil, his angels,
and all sinners are included. (See Rev. 20:10).
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CONSCIENTIOUS
SCRUPLES
We recognize
the institution of human government as being of divine ordination, and, in so
doing, affirm unswerving loyalty to our Government; however, we take a
definite position regarding the bearing of arms or the taking of human life.
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we believe in
implicit obedience to His commandments and precepts which instruct us as
follows: ".. that ye
resist not evil. . ." (Matt. 5:39):
"Follow peace with all men..." (Heb. 12:14). (See also Matt. 26:52;
Rom. 12:19; James 5:6; Revelation 13:10). These we believe and
interpret to mean Christians shall not shed blood nor take human life.
Therefore, we propose to fulfill all the obligations of loyal citizens, but
are constrained to declare against participating in combatant service in war,
armed insurrection, property destruction, aiding or abetting in or the actual
destruction of human life. Furthermore, we cannot conscientiously affiliate
with any union, boycott, or organization which will force or bind any of its
members to belong to any organization, perform any duties contrary to our
conscience, or receive any mark, without our right to affirm or reject same
(1930). However, we regret the false impression created by some groups or
so-called "conscientious objectors" that to obey the Bible is to
have a contempt for law or magistrates, to be
disloyal to our Government and in sympathy with our enemies, or to be
unwilling to sacrifice for the preservation of our commonwealth. This
attitude would be as contemptible to us as to any patriot. The Word of God
commands us to do violence to no man. It also commands us that first of all
we are to pray for rulers of our country. We, therefore, exhort our members
to freely and willingly respond to the call of our Government except in the
matter of bearing arms. When we say service, we mean service-no matter how
hard or dangerous. The true church has no more place for cowards than has the
nation. First of all, however, let us earnestly pray that we will with honor
be kept out of war. We believe that we can be consistent in serving our
Government in certain noncombatant capacities, but not in the bearing of
arms. (1940). We further believe that our military personnel must live in a
manner consistent with the Articles of Faith.
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TRANSLATION
OF SAINTS
We believe
that the time is drawing near when our Lord shall appear; then the dead in
Christ shall arise, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up with
them to meet our Lord in the air. (1 Thess.
4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; Phil. 3:20-21)
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