Church of God in Christ Doctrine
THE BIBLE
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.
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 "Father" or "My Father",
showing the relationship of God to Jesus as Father, or representing Him as the
Father in the Godhead, and Jesus himself that 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 :33;6:8).
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 the
phenomenon (St. Matthew 1 :18-25). We believe that Jesus Christ became the
"suffering servant" to man; this suffering servant came seeking to redeem man
from sin and to reconcile him back to God, his Father (Romans 5: 1 0). We
believe that Jesus Christ is standing now as mediator between God and man (I
Timothy 2:5)
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, c:thd 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 for the purpose of equipping and
empowering the believer, making him a more effective witness for service in
the world. He teaches and guides one into all truth (John 16:13; Acts 1:8,
8:39).
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 in 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 (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.
MAN
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
confessing 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.
SIN
Sin, the Bible teaches, began in the angelic
world (Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah
14:12-20),
and is transmitted into the blood of 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 has 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)
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 mind in respect to man's
relationship 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 that 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 that 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 that gracious and continuous operation of
the 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;5:6; Colossians 2: 12; 3: 1).
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 God's will (St. Matthew 18: 1 0)
and 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.
DEMONS
Demons denote unclean or evil spirits; they
are sometimes called devils or demonic 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)
or 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. "In my name they shall cast out Satan and the work of the
Devil and to resist him and then he will flee (WITHDRAW) from you."
(St. Mark 16:17).
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 one faith, shares one hope, and serves one 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 Caesarea Philippi.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the second coming of Christ; that He
shall come from heaven to earth, personally, bodily, visibly (Acts 1: 11; Titus 2:11-13;
St. Matthew 16:27; 24:30; 25:30; Luke 21 :27; John 1 :14, 17; Titus 2: 11) 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.
DIVINE HEALING
The Church of God in Christ believes in and
practices 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
scriptural 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 of healing in our Church testify to this
fact.
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 works of
God, which were performed during the beginnings of Christianity, do and will
occur even today where God is preached, Faith in Christ is exercised, 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).
THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
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 God in Christ, and the benefits of the
covenant of grace are 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 recognizes three ordinances as having been instituted by Christ
himself and therefore, binding upon the church practice.
A. 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 believer's participation in the crucified Christ. It represents
not only the death of Christ as the object of faith which unites the believers
to Christ, but also the effect of this act as the giving of life, strength,
and joy to the soul. The communicant by faith enters into a special spiritual
union of his soul with the glorified Christ.