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| NEW LIFE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD 217 EAST COLLEGE FREDERICKTOWN MO 63645 573-783-5151 |
| NEW LIFE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD |
| As a Christian constituency of New Testament believers, we, The Pentecostal Church of God, subscribe to the following declaration of the things which are most surely believed among us (Luke 1:1), praying that there be no harmful nor divisive difference of belief to the injury of any, nor the distrubance of the peace and harmony of the church, and that we may be all of the same mind and same judgement, speaking the same things in love (1 Corinthians 1:10; Acts 2:42) and with one voice glorifying God, to the edification of His people, and to give Christian witness to the world. 1. THE SCRIPUTRES The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16) presenting to us the complete revelatoin of His will for the salvation of men, and constituting the Divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice (2 Peter 1:21). 2. THE GODHEAD Our God is a Trinity in unity, manifested in three person: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is infinitely perfect, being in His three persons co-existent, co-equal,a nd co-eternal. The Son was begotten of the Father, accepting earthly limitations, true God and true man; conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. He died upon the Cross, the Just for the unjust as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on High as our great High Priest, and He will return again to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and justice. The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, Executive of the Godhead on earth, the Comforter sent by the Lord Jesus Christ to indwell, to guide, and to teach the believer, and to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement. 3. MAN, HIS FALL, AND REDEMPTION Man is a created being, made in the likeness and the image of God, but through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world (Romans 5:12). "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one:" (Romans 3:10). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil, and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God (Ephesians 2:8). 4. SALVATION Salvation is possible through the meritorious work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through Holy Spirit conviction. Godly sorrow works repentance and makes possible the experience of the new birth, and Christ formed within us is the Gift of eternal life (Titus 2:11, Romans 10:13-15; Luke 24:47; Titus 3:5-7). 5. CHURCH The true Church is the body of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:15), He being the Head. Its earthly constituents are all true believers, born again by the Spirit (John 3:6) and by the word (1 Peter 1:23). To it is delegated the various gifts and offices of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and 27, 28) necessary for the successful fulfillment of Christ's Great Commission ot the Church, as given tot he disciples in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15-20. 6. MINISTRY God, through the Holy Spirit, definitely calls such as He desires to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, and speifically endues the one called with the talents and gifts peculiar to that office or offices (Ephesians 4:11-13). Under no circumstances should anyone be ordained or set apart to any such office unless the calling is distinct and evident. 7. WATER BAPTISM Baptism in water is by immersion, and is a direct commandment from our Lord (Matthew 28:19), and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's identificaion with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. (Romans 6:4; Colassians 2:12; Acts 8:36-39). The following recommendation regarding the Water Baptismal formula is adopted, to wit: "On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." 8. BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST The Baptism of hte Holy Ghost and fire (Matthew 3:11) is a gift from God, as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation, adn is received subsequent to the new birth (John 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 2:4, 38, 39; 10:44-48). The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is accompanied with the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance, as the initial physical sign and evidence (Acts 2:4). 9. SANCTIFICATION The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We believe in the doctrine of sanctification as a definite, yet progressive, work of grace, commencing at the time of regerneration and consummation of salvation (Hebrews 13:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Corinthians 6:11; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). 10. LORD'S SUPPER The ordinance of the Lord's Supper is a commandment of our Savior; and being a memorial to His death and resurrection, is strictly limited to Christian believers (1 Corinthians 11:27). The time and frequency of its observance is left to teh discretion of each congregation (1 Corinthians 11:26). Only unfermented grape juice, the fruit of the vine, as recommended by our Lord (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:18) shall be used in connection therewith. 11. DIVINE HEALING Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God, through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands (Mark 16:18; James 5:14, 15); it is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is available to all who truly believe. 12 RESURRECTION OF THE JUST The Bible promises, "This same Jesus shall so come in like manner" (Acts 1:11). His coming is imminenet; when He comes, "The dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in hte clouds to meet the Lord in the air ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). Following the tribulation, He shall return to earth, as King of kings, and Lord of lords, and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reigna thousand years (Revelation 20:6). 13 SETTING A TIME FOR THE LORD'S RETURN It is unwise to teach that the Lord will come at some specified time, thereby setting date for His appearing, and it is also unwise to teach, preach or publish visions of numbers and dates which would tend to fix the time of the second coming of the Lord (Mark 13:32, 33). 14. THE COMING OF THE LORD The Pentecostal Church of God has declared itself that it holds to the belief of the imminent coming of the Lord as the blessed hope of the Church. Whereas, the teaching that the Church must go through the tribulation tends to bring confusino and deivision among saints; therefore, we recommend that all our ministers teach the imminent coming of Christ, warning all men to be prepared for that coming, which may occur at any time, and not lull their minds into security by any teaching that would cause them to feel that certain events must occur before the rapture of the Church. 15. HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION The one why physically dies in his sins without Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the lake of fire, and therefore has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or for repentance (Hebrews 9:27). The lake of fire is literal (Revelation 19:20). The terms "eternal" and "everlasting" used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned (Matthew 25:41-46) in the lake of fire, carry the saem thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and exstasy of saints in the presense of God. 16 TITHES We recognize the Scriptural duty of all our people, as well as ministers, to pay tithes as unto the Lord (Hebrews 7:8). Tithes should be used for the support of the active ministry and for the propagation of the Gospel and work of the Lord in general and not given to charity or used for other purposes (Malachi 3:7-11; Hebrews 7:2; 1 Corinthians 9:7-11; 16:2). A much more complete publication has been preapred on teh doctrinal statement fo the Pentecostal Church of God in the form of a book with the title Basic Bible Truth written by Aaron M. Wilson. The material has been prepared so that is can be taught as an elective Sunday school lesson series for 13 weeks or could be used as a textbook for a mid-week doctrinal series of study. A workbook to use with the course has been developed as a part of the Minister's Study Series. Orders may be sent to: Messenger Publishing House, PO Box 850, Joplin, Missouri, 64802. |
| WHAT WE BELIEVE |
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| Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. |