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CHURCH OF GOD IN
CHRIST DOCTRINE
Table of
Contents
Section One
1
THE FATHER
2
THE SON
3
THE HOLY GHOST
4
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST
5
SIN
6
SALVATION
7
ANGELS
8
DEMONS
9
THE CHURCH
10
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
11
DIVINE HEALING
12
MIRACLES
SECTION I
C.O.G.I.C. Doctrine
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and
contains one harmonious and sufficiently complete system of doctrine. We
believe in the full inspiration of the Word of God. We hold the Word of God
to be the only authority in all matters and assert that no doctrine can be
true or essential, if it does not find a place in this word.
1
THE FATHER
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Author and
Creator of all things. The Old Testament reveals God in diverse manners, by
manifesting his nature, character, and dominions. The Gospels in the New
Testament give us knowledge of God the "Farther" showing the relationship of
God to Jesus as Father, representing Him as the Father in the Godhead, and
Jesus as son (St. John 15:8, 14:20).
Jesus also gives God the distinction of :Fatherhood" to all believers when
he explains God in the light of "Your Father in Heaven" (St. Matthew 11:25).
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2
THE SON
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the
second person in the Godhead of the Trinity or Triune Godhead.
We believe that Jesus was and is eternal in His person and nature as the Son
of God who was with God in the beginning of creation (St. John 1:1). We
believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin called Mary according to the
scripture (St. Matthew 1:18), thus giving rise to our fundamental belief in
the Virgin Birth and to all of the miraculous events surrounding this
Phenomenon (St. Matthew 1:18-25).
We believe that Jesus Christ became the "Suffering Servant" to man; this
suffering servant came back seeking to redeem man from sin and to reconcile
him back to God, His Father (Romans 5:10). We believe that Jesus Christ is
standing now as mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5)
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3
THE HOLY GHOST
We believe the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is the third
person of the Trinity, proceeds from the Father and the Son, is of the same
substance, equal to power and glory, and is together with the Father and the
Son, to be believed in, obeyed, and worshipped. The Holy Ghost is a gift
bestowed upon the believer, making him a more effective witness for service
in the world. He teaches and guides one in all truth (John 16:13; Acts 1:8,
8:39).
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4
THE BAPTISM
OF THE HOLY GHOST
We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is an
experience subsequent to conversion and sanctification and that tongue
speaking is the consequence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the
manifestations of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23; Acts 10:46,
19:1-6).
We believe that we are not baptized with the Holy Ghost in order to be
saved, but that we are baptized with the Holy Ghost because we are saved
(Acts 19:1-6; John 3:5). When one receives a baptismal Holy Ghost
experience, we believe one will speak with a tongue unknown to oneself
according to the sovereign will of Christ. To be filled with the spirit
means to be spirit controlled as expressed by Paul in Ephesians 5:18-19.
Since the charismatic demonstrations were necessary to help the early church
to be successful in implementing the command of Christ, we therefore believe
that a Holy Ghost experience is mandatory for all men today.We believe that
man was created Holy by God, composed of body and soul.
We believe that man, by nature, is sinful and unholy. Being born in sin, he
needs to be born again, sanctified and cleansed from all sins by the Blood
of Jesus.
We believe that man is saved by confession and forsaking his sins, and
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and that having become a child of God by
being born again and adopted into the family of God, he may, and should,
claim the inheritance of the sons of God, namely the baptism of the Holy
Ghost.
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5
SIN
Sin, the Bible teaches, began in the angelic world
(Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah 14:12-20) and is transmitted into the blood by the
human race through disobedience and deception motivated by unbelief (I
Timothy 2:14). Adam's sin, committed by eating of the forbidden fruit from
the tree of knowledge of good and evil, carried with it permanent pollution
or depraved human nature to all his descendants.
This is called "original sin." Sin can now be defined as a volitional
transgression against God and a lack of conformity to the will of God. We,
therefore, conclude that man by nature, is sinful and that he hath fallen
from a glorious and righteous state from which he was created, and has
become unrighteous and unholy. Man, therefore, must be restored to his state
of holiness from which he has fallen by being born again (St. John 3:7)
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6
SALVATION
Salvation deals with the application of the work of
redemption to the sinner with his restoration to divine favor and communion
with God. This redemptive operation of the Holy Ghost upon sinners is
brought about by repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ, which brings conversion, faith, justification regeneration,
sanctification, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Repentance is the work of God, which results in a change of mine in respect
to God. (St. Matthew 3:1-2, 4:17; Acts 20:21). Faith is a certain conviction
wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, as to the truth of the Gospel and a
heart trust in the promises of God in Christ (Romans 1:17, 3:28; St. Matthew
9:22; Acts 26:18).
Conversion is the act of God whereby He causes the regenerated sinner, in
his conscious life, to turn to Him in repentance and faith (II Kings 5:15;
II Chronicles 33:12-13; St. Luke 19:8-9; Acts 8:30).
Regeneration is the act of God by which the principle of the new life is
implanted in man, and the governing disposition of soul is made holy and the
first holy exercise of this new disposition is secured. Sanctification is
the gracious operation or h Holy Ghost, by which he delivers the justified
sinner from the pollution of sin, renews his whole nature in the image of
God and enables him to perform good works (Romans 6:4-6; Colossians 2:12,
3:1).
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7
ANGELS
The Bible uses the term "angel" (a heavenly body)
clearly and primarily to denote messengers or ambassadors of God with such
scripture references as Revelations 4:5, which indicates their duty in
heaven to praise God; Psalm 103:20 to do Gods will; and St. Matthew 18:10 to
behold his face.
But since heaven must come down to earth, they also have a mission to earth,
The Bible indicates that they accompanied God in the creation, and also that
they will accompany Christ in His return in Glory.
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8
DEMONS
Demons denote unclean or evil spirits; they are
sometimes called devils or demoniac beings,. They are evil spirits,
belonging to the unseen or spiritual realm, embodied in human beings.
The Old Testament refers to the prince of demons, sometimes called Satan
(Adversary) of Devil, as having power and wisdom, taking the habitation of
other forms such as the serpent (Genesis 3:1).
The New Testament speaks of the Devil as Tempter (St. Matthew 4:3) and it
goes on to tell the works of Satan, the Devil, and Demons as combating
righteousness and good in any form, proving to be an adversary to the
saints. Their chief power is exercised to destroy the mission of Jesus
Christ. It can well be said that the Christian Church believes in Demons,
Satan, and Devils.
We believe in their power and purpose. We believe they can be subdued and
conquered as in the commandment to the believer by Jesus. (St. Mark 16:17).
"In my name they shall cast out Satan and the works of the Devil and then he
will flee (withdraw) from you."
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9
THE CHURCH
The Church forms a spiritual unity of which Christ is
the divine head. It is animated by one Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. It
professes on faith, shares one hope, and serves on King,. It is the citadel
of the truth and God's agency for communicating to believers all spiritual
blessings. The Church then is the object of our faith rather than of
knowledge.
The name of our Church, "CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST" is supported by I
Thessalonians 2:14 and other passages in the Pauline Epistles. The word
"CHURCH" or "EKKLESIA" was first applied to the Christian society
by Jesus Christ in St. Matthew 16:18, the occasion being that of His
benediction of Peter at Caesurae Philippi.
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10
THE SECOND
COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the second coming of Christ; that He shall come from heaven to
earth, Personally, Bodily, Visible (Acts 1:11; Titus 2:11-13; St. Matthew
16:27, 24:30, 25:30; Luke 21:27; John 1:14-17) and that the Church, the
bride, will be caught up to meet Him in the air (I Thessalonians, 4:16-17).
We admonish all who have this hope to purify themselves as He is pure.
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11
DIVINE HEALING
The Church of God in Christ believes in and does practice Divine Healing. It
is a commandment of Jesus to the Apostles (St. Mark 16:18). Jesus affirms
his teachings on healing by explaining to His disciples, who were to be
Apostles, that healing the afflicted is by faith (St. Luke 9:40-41).
Therefore, we believe that healing by faith in God has spiritual support and
ordained authority. St. James' writings in his epistle encourage Elders to
pray for the sick, lay hands upon them and to anoint them with oil, and that
prayers with faith shall heal the sick and the Lord shall raise them up.
Healing is still practiced widely and frequently in the Church of God in
Christ and testimonies to healing on our Church testify to this fact.
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12
MIRACLES
The Church of God in Christ believes that miracles occur to convince men
that the Bible is God's Word. A miracle can be defined as an extraordinary
visible act of Divine power, wrought by the efficient agency of the will of
God, which has, as its final cause the vindication of the righteousness of
God's word.
We believe that the word of God, which was performed during the beginnings
of Christianity to do and will occur even today where God is preached, Faith
in Christ is exerciser, the Holy Ghost is active, and the Gospel is
Promulgated in the truth (Acts 5:15, 6:8, 9:40; Luke 4:36, 7:14-15, 5:5-6;
St. Mark 14:15).
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SECTION III
ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
SECTION III
It is generally admitted that for an ordinance to be valid, it must have been
instituted by Christ. When we speak of ordinances of the Church, we are
speaking of those instituted by Christ, in which by sensible signs the grace
of Goose in Christ, and the benefits of the covenant of grace is
represented, sealed, and applied to believers, and these in turn give
expression to their faith and allegiance to God.
The Church of God in Christ then recognizes only three ordinances as having
been instituted by Christ Himself and therefore, binding upon the Church
practice.
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THE LORD'S SUPPER (HOLY COMMUNION)
The Lord's Supper symbolizes the Lord's death and suffering for the benefit
and in the place of His people. It also symbolizes the believers
participation in the Crucified Christ. It represents the death of Christ as
the object of faith which unites the believers to Christ, but also the
effect of this act as giving life, strength, and joy to the Soul. The
communicant by faith enters into a special spiritual union of his soul with
the glorified Christ.
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B. FEET WASHING
Feet Washing is practiced and recognized as an
ordinance in our Church because Christ, by his example, showed that humility
characterized greatness in the Kingdom of God, and that service, rendered to
others gave evidence that humility, motivated by Love, exists. These
services are held subsequent to the Lord's Supper, however, its regularity
is left to the discretion of the Pastor in charge.
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C. WATER BAPTISM
We believe that Water Baptism is necessary as instructed by Christ in St.
John 3:5
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"UNLESS MAN BE BORN AGAIN OF WATER AND OF THE
SPIRIT…"
However, we do not believe that Water Baptism alone is a means of
salvation, but as an outward demonstration that one has already had a
conversion experience and has accepted Christ as his personal Savior.As Pentecostals, we practice immersion in preference to "SPRINKLING",
because immersion corresponds more closely to the Death, Burial, and
Resurrection of our Lord (Colossians 2:12). It also symbolizes regeneration
and purification more than any other mode. Therefore, we practice immersion
as our mode of baptism. We believe that we should use the formula given us
by Christ for all baptism: "…IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND THE
SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST…" (St. Matthew 28:19)
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