DOCTRINES and BELIEFS -

THE CHURCHES OF GOD, GENERAL CONFERENCE

On God-

1.        We believe God is eternal.  He is Spirit, not a physical being.

2.        God is three persons, but one God.  God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

3.        God is both unknowable and knowable.

4.        God is omniscient (All Knowing), omnipotent (All Powerful) and omnipresent (All Present).

5.        God is holy.  God's work is primarily creation, grace, justice and mercy.

6.        God wants us to know Him and has revealed Himself in various ways:  creation, history, the law, the prophets, the Holy Spirit, the Church, the Bible, and most clearly through Jesus Christ.

On Jesus Christ-

1.        We believe in the pre-existence of Christ.

2.        We believe in the incarnation - that Christ became flesh.

3.        Christ's nature is human and divine.

4.        The characteristics of Jesus' divinity are the very characteristics of God.

5.        Jesus is Savior and Lord.

6.        We believe in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

7.        We believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ.

On the Holy Spirit-

1.        We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is God.

2.        The Holy Spirit was active in the old covenant.

3.        The Holy Spirit came into the world in a new way on the day of Pentecost.

4.        The Holy Spirit can be known and experienced.

5.        The Holy Spirit endows followers of Christ with the 'unity of the Spirit'.

6.        The Holy Spirit enables believers to grow spiritually.

7.        The Holy Spirit dispenses spiritual gifts for the upbuilding of the church.

On the Bible-

1.        We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible authority, the Word of God, our only rule of faith and practice.

2.        God spoke, using the words of men to convey divine truth.

3.        The central message of the scriptures is the good news that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

4.        The proper interpretation of the scriptures comes from the Holy Spirit.

5.        The original infallible manuscripts were written in Hebrew, Greek and other ancient languages.

On Humanity-

1.        We believe in our importance to God.

2.        We believe in our created nature.

3.        We have a sinful nature.

4.        We have the potential of our new nature in Christ.

On Free Moral Agency-

1.        We believe God has created us as free moral agents.

2.        Every individual is accountable to God for choices made.

3.        Since believers were free to decide to accept Christ as Savior, they are not less free at any time to turn away from God and be lost.

4.        God provides power for living a victorious Christian life.

On Regeneration-

1.        We believe in regeneration or the new birth.

2.        We believe we must respond to God's offer.

On Justification-

1.        We believe we are justified by faith in Christ, not by the works of the law, or by works of our own righteousness.

2.        The scriptures teach four essentials in the act of justification:  remission of sin, restoration, God-bestowed righteousness and new standing before God.

On Sanctification-

1.        We believe sanctification is both instantaneous and progressive.

2.        The transformation of the believer's life and character follows from our consecration to God.

3.        It is the privilege and responsibility of believer's to live holy lives.

On the Church-

1.        We believe the church of God's called-out people.

2.        The church is 'the Body of Christ'.

3.        The church enjoys a special kind of fellowship.

4.        The church is to apply new testament principles to its life.

On the Ordinances-

1.        We believe Christ has given the church three divine ordinances:  baptism, feet washing and the Lord's supper.

On Baptism-

1.        We believe in the ordinance of baptism as a celebration of our new life in Christ.

2.        We practice 'Believer's Baptism'.

3.        Baptism is not essential for salvation.

4.        The Biblical form of baptism is by immersion.

On Feet Washing-

1.        We believe on feet washing as a celebration of the incarnation.

2.        The service of feet washing reminds us of our calling to be servants.

3.        This ordinance is an expression of our love for one another.

4.        This ordinance reminds us of our need to minister and to be ministered to.

5.        This ordinance helps us to prepare for the Lord's supper.

On the Lord's Supper-

1.        We believe in the ordinance of the Lord's supper as a celebration of our redemption.

2.        This ordinance is intended to remind us of Christ's atoning death.

3.        The Lord's supper is a proclamation of hope.

4.        The Lord's supper is open to all Christians.

On the Presentation of Children for the Blessing of the Lord-

1.        We believe in the presentation of children for the Lord's blessing.

2.        Children are a gift of God.

3.        Children are a part of the covenant community.

4.        Parents are responsible for the spiritual nurture of their children.

5.        The congregation is responsible for the spiritual nurture of children presented for the Lord's blessing.

6.        We ought to follow Jesus in ministering to children.

On the Ministry of Reconciliation and Wholeness-

1.        We believe in the healing power of faith for the whole person.

2.        All suffering became a part of human experience at the fall of humankind into sin.

3.        Sickness and suffering are not necessarily the result of the sin of the sufferer.

4.        God has the power to heal all diseases and to reconcile all circumstances to His ultimate will.

5.        The church is a means of God's grace and healing.

On the Ministry of Christians in the World-

1.        We believe Christians should be servants in their relationship with God and others.

2.        Christians have a primary obligation to be a witness to the good news.

3.        Christians have a responsibility to society.

4.        The Christian has a dual citizenship - the people of God live in the world but are not to be of the world in motives, desires or actions.

On Last Things-

1.        We believe in the second coming and ultimate victory of Jesus Christ.

2.        God will bring history to its proper close in His way and time.

3.        The scriptures do speak of times and events which are part of the movement of history towards the fulfillment of the purposes of God.

4.        The message of the end times is always one of victory and fulfillment for the Christian and the ultimate triumph of God's Kingdom.

5.        The mission of God's people until that day is to be salt and light in the world.

6.        We believe in the bodily resurrection of believers.

7.        We believe judgement will accompany Christ's return.