Beliefs

Church of God Declarations of Faith

We Believe:

In the verbal inspiration of the Bible

In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.

That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.

That justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.

Holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people.

In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.

In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Divine healing is provided for all in the atonement.

In the Lord’s Supper and washing of the saints’ feet.

In the premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.

In the bodily resurrection; eternal life for the righteous, and eternal punishment for the wicked.

Additional Statements of Belief

The Holy Scriptures

We believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are the inspired accurate and infallible word of God as written in their original languages.

 

Eternal Godhead

We believe that God is without beginning or end and exists as one God in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten of the Father, the Word made flesh who at a point in time was conceived of the Holy Spirit by a virgin who lived a perfect life and died for our sins and thereby completely satisfying God’s righteous requirement of death for sin. We believe that He rose again 3 days later and then ascended into heaven. He is now at the right hand of the Father interceding for us as our High Priest and advocate to the Father.

 

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the personality, presence, and power of God. He reveals and glorifies Christ. He dwells within us working on and through us to perform the will of the Father through the finished work of the Son on the cross. Only by regeneration of our spirit by the Holy Spirit of Goad can we attain salvation regeneration and be empowered to live a spirit filled life that is pleasing to the Father in accordance to His will.

Fall of Man

We believe that man was made in the image and likeness of God and that by their willing disobedience died spiritually and were eternally separated from God and in desperate need of a savior without any hope of salvation by any effort of their own. Without Jesus, we cannot have a relationship with God.

 

Salvation

We believe that a relationship with God and salvation from eternity in hell separated from God can only be obtained by believing in and trusting on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work upon the cross.

 

The New Birth

We believe that as we put our faith and trust in Jesus, ask for forgiveness of our sins, and accept Him into our live as our Lord and Savior the His Holy Spirit then makes our spirit alive in Him and that we have a new life and hope in Him.

 

Repentance and Acceptance

We believe that as we recognize our desperate need for a savior believe in our hearts and with our lives that Jesus is the very Son of God and the only way to the Father and that His death is the only vehicle through which we may find forgiveness, we confess our sins ask Him to dwell within us and make Him the Lord (boss) of our lives, He hears us forgives us saves us from eternal punishment and welcomes us into His family.

 

Sanctification

We believe that the Holy Spirit is working within the life of the believer to cause them to become more and more like Jesus.

 

Communion / The Lord’s Supper

We believe in the taking of the Lord’s supper just as Jesus commanded, that all true believers should take the broken bread and fruit of the vine in remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection as a symbol of what He did and the new life and hope that we now have in Him.

 

Water Baptism

We believe that water baptism is an act of obedience following Christ’s example and while it is not required for salvation, it is an evidence and action taken by those who are saved and are pursuing a relationship with God.

 

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit in an experience that follows salvation. That all believers at the point of salvation have a deposit of the Holy Spirit within them but that only through the baptism of the Holy Spirit can the believer move fully in the power authority and purposes of God for their lives. Baptism of the Holy Spirit empowers believers to exalt Jesus, to live according to God’s will of holiness and to be witnesses of His saving grace. We believe that those who experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit today will experience it in the same way that believers did in the early church that is to say that we believe that they will speak in tongues, a prayer language not known to them.

 

Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God gives various gifts to the body of Christ as He so desires so that His body may function together and that His will may be accomplished on the earth.

 

Fruit of the Spirit

We believe that as a child of God grows and matures in discipline and relationship with God, that God’s character becomes more evident in the life and character of the believer.

 

The Church

We believe that the church was established and is built by Jesus Christ for the purpose of growing His family and His Kingdom and that hell shall not prevail against it.

 

Church Relationship

We believe that it is essential to the life and growth of a believer to be a part of a local body, in obedience to Christ, joining together for encouragement fellowship worship and in sharing time gifts and resources as each one has an important role in seeing God’s plans and purposes come to fruition in the earth through the church.

 

Evangelism

We believe that it is the mission and purpose of the church to be a light in a dark world and to go into all of the world and preach the gospel and that this carried out on many levels ranging from one’s own personal sphere of influence, to traveling to foreign nations.

 

Daily Christian Living

We believe that it is the will of God that those who have been born again grow in sanctification meaning that they separate themselves from the values of the world and live according to the values of the Kingdom as taught by Jesus and as they do that they will grow in holiness, faith, discipline, prayer, power, authority, the fruit of the Spirit, love, and service.

 

Moderation

We believe that following Christ should lead the believer away from extremes of fanaticism and that moderation should be evident in their life.

 

Civil Government

We believe that civil government is established by God; civil laws should be upheld at all times except when they oppose the Word of God

  

The Spirit-Filled Life

We believe that born again believers should walk in the Spirit and be people who pray allowing God to shape our values priorities and behaviors, serving the Lord day by day, moment by moment and that their lives should exemplify love, truth, mercy, and sincerity.

 

Divine Healing

We believe that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever and just as He healed in the past, He heals today in response to faith and that He is able and willing to heal the spirit soul and body.

 

Heaven

We believe that Heaven is the habitation of God and the eternal home of born again believers.

 

Hell

We believe that Hell is a place of eternal punishment completely separated from God that was created not for man but for the condemnation of the devil and his fallen angels. It is a place of unquenchable fire eternal torment without hope or anything good. It will become the final destination for all who reject Christ.

 

Future Events

We believe that there will be a bodily resurrection of all who have died, for the believer a resurrection unto eternal life and joy where there will be no more pain and every tear will be wiped away and for the unbeliever a resurrection unto judgment and eternal separation from God.

 

Christ’s Second Coming

We believe that Christ’s second coming is personal and imminent just as much as we believe that His fist coming is a historical fact. No one knows the exact time that He will appear but that first the gospel must be preached to all the nations of the earth.

 

Tithes and Offerings

We believe that tithes (10% of earnings) and offerings (amounts above the tithe that are determined by the giver) are God’s ordained method of providing for and the expanding of His ministry upon the earth as well an avenue of release of personal blessing.