About the Church of God | First Church of God Home
As Christians, Here We Stand
Introduction
We believe “all scripture is
inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be
proficient, equipped for every good work”
(2 Timothy
2:16-17). We
are nourished by “the sacred writings” that are able to instruct us “for
salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (3:15).
We believe all the Bible teaches in light
of the eternal Word incarnated in Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God” (John 1:1). “In him was life, and the life was the light
for all people” (1:4). “And the Word became flesh and lived among
us, and we have seen His glory,” a glory that is “full of grace and truth” (1:14).
We are humbled by the vastness of God’s
revelation in the Bible. Although we
recognize that we can never put into a short document all that we are taught in
the Bible, we, nevertheless, believe it to be beneficial to confess at least
some major themes of our faith, using the words of Scripture.
I: CONFESSIONS ABOUT GOD
In agreement with the historic Christian
church’s understanding of biblical faith, we believe in the one eternally
triune God: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
Along with the ancient people of Israel,
and with Jesus (Matthew 22:37),
we confess, “the LORD our God is one LORD. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy
6:4-5).
In harmony with a New Testament hymn of
faith, we confess Jesus Christ as “the image of the invisible
God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on
earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him
all things hold together. He is head of
the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that
he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell
and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on
earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Colossians
1:15-20).
Likewise, with Scripture, we confess that
our Lord, in whom “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” was also fully
human: “And being
found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of
death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7d-8). And we believe he “died for our sins in
accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised
on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
In agreement with the New Testament, we
confess, “Jesus is Lord”
(1
Corinthians 12:3).
As people of resurrection faith, we
experience “the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who
believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the
dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all
rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the
head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who
fills all in all”
(Ephesians 1:19-23).
We rejoice at the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and experience the fulfillment of
our Lord’s promise when he said the “Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I
have said to you”
(John 14:26). Thanks be to God!
II: CONFESSIONS ABOUT SALVATION
We know that “all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23),
and recognize Jesus Christ as our only means of salvation. “There is salvation in no one
else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we
must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Our Lord says: “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me” (John 14:6).
With the New Testament, we teach that the
experience of this salvation requires both personal repentance of sin and
personal faith in Jesus Christ.
We know that “godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation” (2
Corinthians 7:10), and we gladly proclaim, “God so
loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). We are convinced that “if anyone is in
Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2
Corinthians 5:17).
We teach that the fruit of this new creation is “love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control” (Galatians 5:22).
And so, by divine grace working through
personal repentance and faith, we have been buried with Christ “by baptism
into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glory
of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans
6:4). In connection
with this spiritual baptism, we preach and practice the immersion of believers,
about which it is reported that on the day of Pentecost those who believed the
gospel “were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added” (Acts
2:41).
But after baptism, as the pilgrim people of
God, we are to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the
heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 3:14).
As Christians, we are admonished to “be
filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18),
and “to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with
all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”
(Ephesians 4:1-3).
As believers, we are instructed by these
words: “My little children, I am
writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice
for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1
John 2:1-2).
We know that as believers we are urged to
present our “bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to
God,” which is our “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). We take with seriousness the practical
implications of these questions: “Do
you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which
you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your
body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And we believe that the following
benediction is to be experienced in this life prior to death: “May the God of peace himself sanctify
you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this” (1
Thessalonians 5:23-24).
We are convinced that God’s sanctifying
grace produces wholehearted love of both God and others: “Love has been perfected among us in
this: that we may have boldness on the
day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect
love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever
fears has not reached perfection in love.
We love because he first loved us.
Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are
liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen,
cannot love God whom they have not seen.
The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also” (1
John 4:17-21).
We believe that we are secure in our
salvation so long as we remain faithful to Christ. As the faithful people of God, we take
comfort in the promise of our Lord, “No one will snatch them out of my hand” (John
10:28).
We are instructed, however, of the necessity of continuing to
abide in Christ and are warned, “whoever does not abide in me is thrown
away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the
fire, and burned” (John 15:6). “The one who endures to the end will be
saved” (Matthew 10:22). “But thanks be to God, who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”
(1 Corinthians 15:57).
III: CONFESSION ABOUT THE CHURCH
As followers of Jesus Christ, we accept his
commission to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew
28:19-20).
We affirm in the words of Scripture that
“there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the
one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father
of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of
Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:4-7). This grace at work within us manifests
itself always and without exception “so that the church may be built up” (1
Corinthians 14:5).
We are guided by the truth that “there are varieties of gifts,
but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;
and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all
of them in everyone. To each is given
the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good”
(1 Corinthians 12:4-7).
In humility, we understand ourselves to be
a continuing fellowship of what the New Testament calls “the church of
God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son” (Acts
20:28).
We are convinced that the only way into this one, universal church of
God is as Scripture reports: “the Lord
added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts
2:47). We understand
ourselves according to the proclamation:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own
people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). On the day of Pentecost, the church was empowered
to be Christ’s witnesses “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That empowerment took place as the
Spirit was poured out on people indiscriminately so that “your
sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your
old men shall dream dreams. Even upon
my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit: and
they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18).
Even as the seven churches of Asia were
called to mend their ways, even so God continues calling his church to reformation. The following words addressed to all of the
seven churches are addressed also to us:
“Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the
churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
In accordance with the guidelines of
Scripture, we take delight in the fellowship of God’s church, “not
neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another,” and all the more, as we “see the Day approaching” (Hebrews
10:25).
In historic continuity with the people of
God, we are committed to corporate worship in accordance with the
words of our Lord: “God is spirit, and
those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John
4:24). We gather to
hear the Scriptures read, preached, and taught, for we remember
that our Lord on the day of his resurrection did so: “Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted
to them the things about himself in all the scriptures” (Luke
24:27).
We give of our resources for the cause of Christ, knowing
that “the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows
bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians
9:6). We lift up
the ancient standard for our giving:
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in
my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will
not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing
blessing” (Malachi 3:10). We enjoy singing “psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs … making melody to the Lord in our hearts” (Ephesians
5:19). We are
committed to prayer, remembering the sacred instruction, “Do not
worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians
4:6).
We anoint “with oil in the name of
the Lord” and believe that “the prayer of faith will save the sick, and
the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be
forgiven. Therefore confess your sins
to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and
effective” (James 5:14-16).
We commune at the table where
our Lord, with broken loaf, says, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1
Corinthians 11:24), and, with cup uplifted, says, “This is
the cup of the new covenant in my blood” (25).
As the servant people of God,
we wash each other’s feet in obedience to our Lord who, after washing the feet
of his disciples, said, “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14). All of us are called to the role of servant,
for our Lord says, “I have set you an example, that you also should do as I
have done to you” (15).
We seek to be part of the answer to our
Lord’s prayer “that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you,
may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John
17:21).
And, with glad hearts, we are earnestly
committed to living out the glorious reality we have in Christ
that “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there
is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians
3:28). We praise God
for the grace that makes all who are in Christ, “Abraham’s offspring, heirs
according to the promise” (29). Thanks be to God!
IV: CONFESSIONS ABOUT THE KINGDOM
As people commissioned “to proclaim
the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:2),
we are committed to ministering in the name of Christ who, in the
words of Isaiah, said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight
to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s
favor” (Luke 4:18-19).
As believers, we live in the present
reality of the Kingdom, which is “righteousness and peace and joy in
the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
It is out of devotion to Christ and
compassion for the lost that we proclaim the gospel knowing that all of us face
final judgment at the time of our Lord’s return when to those who
live in harmony with the Kingdom, the Lord says, “Come, you that are blessed by
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world” (Matthew 25:34)
but to those who refuse, he says, “Depart from me into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). “And these will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (46).
As people of the Kingdom, we look forward
to the one and only return of the Lord, when “the Lord himself,
with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s
trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be
caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so
we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians
4:16-17).
Maranatha!
“Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation
22:20).
