The Bible
The Bible is
the inspired Word of God, giving a true history of the creation of
heaven, earth, and humanity and containing a correct prophecy of
the ages to come regarding heaven, earth, and the destiny of
humanity. Moreover, there is no salvation outside of what is
taught in its pages.
God
There is
only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is the creator of heaven and
earth, and of all living beings. He has revealed Himself to
humanity as the Father (Creator), in the son (Savior), and as the
Holy Ghost (indwelling Spirit).
Father
God is a
Spirit (John 4:24). He is the Eternal One, the Creator of all
things, and the Father of all humanity by creation.
He is the First and the Last, and beside Him there is no God
(Isaiah 44:6).
There was no God formed before Him; neither shall be there any
after Him (Isaiah 43:10).
Son
Jesus is
the Son of God according to the flesh (Romans 1:3) and the very
God Himself according to the Spirit (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is the
Christ (Matthew 16:16); the creator of all things (Colossians
1:16-17); God with us (Matthew 1:23); God made flesh (John
1:1-14); God manifested in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16);He which
was, which is, and which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation
1:8);the mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of peace
(Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus Himself testified of His identity as God when He said, "He
that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:7-11) and "I and
my Father are one" (John 10:30).
It took shedding of blood for the remission of the sins of the
world (Hebrews 9:22), but God the Father was a Spirit and had no
blood to shed. Thus He prepared a body of flesh and blood (Hebrews
10:5)and came to earth as a man in order to save us, for in Isaiah
43:11 He said, "Beside me there is no Savior." When He came in
flesh the angels sang, "For unto you is born this day in the city
of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).
Holy Ghost
The Holy
Ghost is not a third person in the Godhead, but rather the Spirit
of God (the Creator), the Spirit of the resurrected Christ. The
Holy Ghost comes to dwell in the hearts and lives of everyone who
believes and obeys the gospel, as the comforter, Sustainer, and
keeper (John 14:16-26; Romans 8:9-11).
Sin
Sin is the
transgression of the law, or commandments of God (I John 3:4). The
guilt of sin has fallen upon all humanity from Adam until now
(Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23;
Revelation 20:14) to all those who refuse to accept salvation as
set forth in the Word of God.
Salvation
Salvation
consists of deliverance from all sin and unrighteousness through
the blood of Jesus Christ. The New Testament experience of
salvation consists of repentance from sin, water baptism in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the
baptism of the Holy Ghost, after which the Christian is to live a
godly life (Acts 2:36-41).
Water Baptism
Water
baptism is an essential part of New Testament salvation and not
merely a symbolic ritual. It is part of entering into the kingdom
of God (God's church, the bride of Christ), and therefore, it is
not merely a part of local church membership. (See John 3:5;
Galatians 3:27).
Mode of
Baptism
Water baptism
is to be administered only by immersion. Paul said, "We are buried
with him [Jesus Christ] by baptism (Romans 6:4; see Colossians
2:12), Jesus came up "out of the water" (Mark 1:10), and Philip
and the eunuch went down "into the water" and came up "out of the
water" (Acts 8:38-39).
Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection are applied to our lives
when we experience New Testament salvation: "Repent [death to
sin], and be baptized [burial] every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost [resurrection]." (See Acts 2:38; Romans
6:1-7; 8:2).
Sprinkling, pouring, or infant baptism of any kind cannot be
substantiated by the Word of God, but are only human traditions.
Formula for
Baptism
The name in
which baptism is administered is vitally important, and this name
is Jesus.
Jesus' last command to His disciples was, "Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). We should notice
that He said name (singular) not names. As previously explained,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not names of separate persons, but
titles of positions held by God. An angelic announcement revealed
God's saving name in the New Testament: "She shall bring forth a
son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his
people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
The apostles understood that Jesus was the name to use at baptism,
and from the day that the church of God was established (the Day
of Pentecost) until the end of their ministry, they baptized all
nations (Jews--Acts 8:16; Gentiles--Acts 19:5) in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, Jesus is the only name given for our salvation. "Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts
4:12).
Baptism of the
Holy Ghost
The baptism
of the Holy Ghost is the birth of the Spirit (John 3:5). This
spiritual baptism is necessary to put someone into the kingdom of
God (God's church, the bride of Christ) and is evidenced by
speaking in other tongues (other languages) as the Spirit of God
give utterance.
It was prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:28-29) and Isaiah (Isaiah
28:11), foretold by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11), purchased by
the blood of Jesus, and promised by Him to His disciples (John
14:26; 15:16). The Holy Ghost was first poured out on the Day of
Pentecost upon the Jews (Acts 2:1-4), then upon the Samaritans
(Acts 8:17), and later upon the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-46; 19:6).
"The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts
2:39).
Tongues
- Speaking
in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance is the
manifestation God has given as the definite, indisputable,
supernatural witness or sign of the baptism of the Holy Ghost
(Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6).
It was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as the rest and the
refreshing (Isaiah 28:11-12), foretold by Jesus as a sign that
would follow believers of the gospel (Mark 16:17), and
experienced by Jews and Gentiles alike.
- The gift
of "divers kinds of tongues," mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians
12:1-12 and concerning which he gave regulations in I
Corinthians 14:1-40, is given by both for self-edification (I
Corinthians 14:4) and for the edification of the church (I
Corinthians 14:27-28).
In church meetings the gift of tongues is used to give a public
message, and it is to be interpreted. Since this gift can be
misused in public, it needs proper regulation (I Corinthians
14:23-28). Not all believers exercise the gift of tongues, which
is different in function from tongues given by God as the
initial witness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Paul said, "Forbid not to speak with tongues" (I Corinthians
14:39) and "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye
all" (I Corinthians 14:8). Who dares to teach or preach to the
contrary?
Speaking in
tongues means speaking miraculously in a language unknown to the
speaker, as the Spirit gives utterance. Tongues can be classified
in two ways, according to function: (1)speaking in other tongues
as the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and
(2)the gift of tongues as mentioned in I Corinthians.
Holiness
After we are
saved from sin, we are commanded, "Go, and sin no more" (John
8:11).
We are commanded to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this
present world (Titus 2:12) and warned that without holiness no one
shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
We must present ourselves as holy unto God (Romans 12:1), cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (II
Corinthians 7:1), and separate ourselves from all worldliness
(James 4:4).
If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and
the sinner appear? (I Peter 4:18).
No one can live a holy life by his own power, but only through the
Holy Spirit. "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you" (Acts 1:8).
Divine Healing
God has
made Himself known through the ages by miraculous healings and has
made special provisions in the age of grace to heal all who will
come to Him in faith and obedience. Divine healing was purchased
for us by the blood of Jesus Christ, especially by His stripes
(Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; I Peter 2:24).
Jesus went everywhere healing those who were sick (Matthew
4:23-24), and He commanded His disciples to do the same (Matthew
10:8). He said concerning those who believe the gospel, "They
shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18).
Mighty healings and miracles followed the disciples wherever the
gospel was preached.
There is no sickness or disease too hard for God. Any of us, our
children, or our friends can be healed by the power of God.
"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church;
and let them pray over him , anointing him with oil in the name of
the Lord shall raise him up: and if he have committed sins they
shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and
pray one for another, that ye may be healed" (James 5:14-16).
Second Coming
of Christ
Jesus
Christ is coming back to earth in bodily form, just as He went
away (Acts 1:11). He will catch away a holy people (His bride, His
church) who have accepted redemption through His blood, by birth
of water and of the Spirit, and who are found faithful when He
comes.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord"
(I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
"One shall be taken and the other left" (Luke 17:36). Will we be
ready?
The signs of His coming are everywhere. The days of peril are here
indeed, with forms of godliness void of the power of God; society
and politics corrupted; and people's hearts filled with pride,
blasphemies, un-holiness, love of evil, and love of pleasures (II
Timothy 3:1-13). These things, together with multitudes running to
and fro, the increase of knowledge (Daniel 12:4), the persecution
of the Jews and their return to Palestine (Luke 21:24), and scores
of other things are starting signs that Jesus' coming is drawing
near.
Wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, storms, floods,
distress of nations, perplexity, and people's hearts failing them
for fear are sounding the solemn alarm that Jesus' coming is at
hand (Matthew 24:6; Luke 21:25-28).
"Prepare to meet thy God" (Amos 4:12).
Resurrection
There will
be a resurrection of all the dead, both just and unjust.
"Marvel not this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that
are in graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that
have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John
5:28-29).
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God . . . and
the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them" (Revelation 20:12-13)>
(See also Daniel 12:2; I Corinthians 15:13-23.)
Judgment
"It is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"
(Hebrews 9:27). For this reason there will be a resurrection for
everyone. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (II
Corinthians 5:10).
The eternal destiny of every soul shall be determined by a just
God who knows the secrets of everyone's heart. "And before him
shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he
shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world. . . .Then shall he also say unto them
on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . And these shall
go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life
eternal" (Matthew 25:32-34, 41, 46).
