Statement of Beliefs
The God Family

We believe in God — the Hebrew word is Elohim, a plural noun inherently meaning more than one. God is a holy Family of intelligent Beings composed of holy spirit. The God Family is eternal and all-powerful. The God Family is perfect in love, purpose and character. The God Family is lawgiver, creator and sustainer of all life.

The Scriptures reveal that the God Family created mankind “after Our image and after Our likeness.” Man was created in Their image (Genesis 1:26-27). However, man is not composed of holy spirit — the essence and power of God (Luke 4:1-14). Man was formed from the dust of the ground, and became a living creature (Genesis 2:7). 

Christians are referred to as “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Yet as Hebrews 1 through 2 explains, mankind has not yet achieved its destiny of inheriting all things, but Jesus has, and God is in the process of “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). In this process, people become God’s children through receiving His holy spirit, which joins with each individual’s human spirit (Romans 8:16). We are thereby “begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible” (1 Peter 1:23, American Standard Version). And we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) — just as any child takes on the genetic traits of its parents.

​God The Father

We believe in God the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him and the Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him (Matthew 4:10; Acts 10:36; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 1:2-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6). God the Father accomplishes His will through the power of His holy spirit.

God the Father, Who has all power and all authority, is eternally existing who is a Spirit. God is love (1 John 4:8). He has perfect, holy character and is full of grace and mercy. God the Father is greater than His Son Jesus Christ (John 10:29; John 14:28) but shares all that He has with His Son.

The Father, through Jesus Christ, is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth (John 1:1-3). He is a just, loving, personal, kind, merciful Being of supreme intelligence and knowledge. God the Father wants to share His spiritual existence and vast creation with human beings who will be born again as spirit beings by the resurrection from death into the family of God. 

Jesus Christ

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who is the Word and who has eternally existed (John 1:1-4). We believe that He is the Anointed (Hebrew: Messiah, (Greek: Christ) One, the divine Son of the living God, conceived of the holy spirit, born in human flesh of the virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14). The Word was made flesh (John 1:14), being born of Mary and God the Father, becoming Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Luke 1:35). We believe that it is by Him that God created all things (Colossians 1:16), and that without Him was not anything made that was made.

The relationship between the Word and the Father is more clearly defined in the New Testament, where Jesus came in the flesh as the Son of God, acted as the Father’s Spokesman (John 8:28; 12:49-50; 14:10) and revealed the Father to His disciples (Matthew 11:25-27). Jesus Christ, besides being God the Son is also the living, active Head of the Church of God (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18), its Chief Apostle (Hebrews 3:1) and its Chief Shepherd or Pastor (1 Peter 5:4).

We believe God the Father resurrected Jesus after He lay dead in the tomb three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40) and that He thereafter ascended to heaven to be at the right hand of God the Father to be our King, Apostle and High Priest (Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 3:1).

Holy Spirit

We believe that the holy spirit is the power of God given through Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:7). We believe in the holy spirit as the Spirit of God and of Christ. The holy spirit is the power of God and the spirit of life eternal. The holy spirit is not referred by name in the Scriptures. Some of the functions of the holy spirit are helper, comforter, counselor and advocate (Isaiah 11:2; John 14:16; John 15:26; John 16:7). 

All four words above are translations of the Greek parakletos. When Jesus Christ went away, He promised to send the spirit to comfort, console and guide those who belong to Christ. The Spirit also “bears witness” with our spirits that we belong to Him and thereby assures us of salvation (1 John 1:2). 

God’s holy spirit is not identified as a third person in a trinity but is presented in Scripture as the power of God, the mind of God and the very essence and life force of God through which the Father begets human beings as His spiritual children. The holy spirit is given to individuals when they genuinely repent and are baptized (Acts 2:38). Therefore, God is not a trinity. In the Middle Ages a verse — 1 John 5:7 — was added to the Bible to provide scriptural support for this false doctrine. 

The Bible and the Scriptures

The Bible — both Old and New Covenants — was given by inspiration of God, providing wisdom for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:15-16). The doctrines of men must agree with the word of God (Matthew 15:8-9, Acts 17:10-11).

We believe that Scripture — both the Old and the New Testament — is God’s revelation and His complete expressed will to humanity. Scripture is inspired in thought and word, infallible in the original writings in the original languages. The Bible is the supreme and final authority in faith and in life and is the foundation of all truth (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 10:35; 17:17).

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments constitute the basic law of God for His people. These concepts were understood and obeyed by the godly before the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19-20; Genesis 26:5).

Jesus Christ taught that, in order to attain Eternal life, we must keep the Ten Commandments. (Matthew 19:16-19) as did His Apostles (1 John 3:4; 1 John 5:2-3; James 2:10-12). Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

Moses wrote down all the Words of God (Exodus 24:4). Moses was not given any oral law by God, thus there is no “oral law” binding on Jesus Christ’s disciples (Matthew 15:3-6). Jesus, the Messiah did not nail God’s Law to the cross or stake (Matthew 5:17-19). John the apostle wrote, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments” (1 John 5:2).

The Kingdom of God

We believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth to rule all nations as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16) to establish the everlasting, spiritual Kingdom of God (Revelation 11:15).

We believe that the ultimate purpose of men and women, accomplished at their resurrection to immortal life (Hebrews 2:9), is to reign forever with Christ as sons and daughters of God (spirit beings) in the Kingdom (or family) of God (Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 1:8; Revelation 14:1-3).

Heaven is not the reward of the saved (Proverbs 30:3; John 3:13; Acts 2:34). Our hope of Eternal Life lies in the resurrection of the dead at Christ’s return (1 Corinthians 15:12-23,51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).

Repentance

Following the repentance of sins, (Sin is the transgression of the Law — 1 John 3:4), at baptism — burying our past sinful life (Romans 6:1-6), a portion of God’s holy spirit is given to us freely (Acts 2:38; Luke 11:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; Psalm 51:11-12). God gives His spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32).

We believe that when a person is called, is led to repentance by God, places his faith in God, repents of sin, is baptized (immersed) and has hands laid on him, he receives the holy spirit as an earnest of eternal life (Acts 2:38). A person in whom God’s Spirit dwells can look forward to either his change or resurrection at Christ’s second coming (Acts 19:6; Romans 1:4-6; Romans 8:9-10).

Salvation

We also believe that salvation comes through the sacrifice and life of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was the Word made flesh (John 1:14), who was conceived by the holy spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20); who lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) and demonstrated His love by suffering and dying for the sins of the world (John 3:16). The Son of God “learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

Baptism

Baptizing or “Christening” babies and young children, who are unable to understand the meaning of spiritual repentance by sprinkling them with water, is a meaningless ritual. The Greek word ‘baptizo’ means to immerse, or submerge (Acts 2:38).

Examples For Us

Jesus and the apostles set us an example, as recorded in the Bible, that includes, among many other practices, obedience to God’s law (Exodus 23:22;), the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 31:16; Deuteronomy 5:12) and the feasts of the Lord (including footwashing and the partaking of symbols of the New Covenant in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice — Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25), the practice of “pure and undefiled religion before God” (James 1:27) and the avoidance of unclean meats (Leviticus 11:43-47).

Although sacrifices are not required of us (Hebrews 10:4-6; 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6, Psalm 51:16-17; Matthew 9:13), we are still to observe “the appointed times of God, which you shall proclaim, holy gatherings” (Leviticus 23:2), such as:

    ■  the Seventh day Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3);
    ■  Passover (Leviticus 23:5); 
    ■  Feast of Unleavened Bread for 7 days (Leviticus 23:6-8); 
    ■  Feast of Firstfruits {Pentecost} (Leviticus 23:15-16,21); 
    ■  Day of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24); 
    ■  Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27-32);
    ■  Feast of Tabernacles for 7 days; and 
    ■  the Last Great Day {eighth day} (Leviticus 23:34-36). 

These 'appointed times' picture God’s plan for salvation of mankind. They were observed by the Messiah/Christ (Luke 2:41-43, 22:7-20; John 4:45; John 7:2-10 and by the first-century Church (Acts 2:1; Acts 18:21; Acts 20:16; 1 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Corinthians 16:8).

Sabbath Day

The Seventh-Day Sabbath was instituted at Creation (Genesis 2:2-30), and reaffirmed at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20:8-11). The seventh day of the week is the Sabbath of the Lord our God.

Jesus Christ kept the Seventh-Day Sabbath (Luke 4:16,31; Mark 6:2), and is Lord and Master of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). The Apostles followed Christ’s custom, teaching both Jews and Gentiles on the Sabbath day (Acts 13:14,16; Acts 13:42-44; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:4).

On this day we are commanded to rest from our labors and worship God, following the teachings and example of Jesus, the apostles and the New Testament Church (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Exodus 31:13-17; Leviticus 23:3; Isaiah 58:13; Hebrews 4:4-10; Mark 1:21; Mark 6:2; Acts 13:42-44; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:4; Luke 4:31).

The Church

The Church of God is a spiritual organism — the ekklesía — composed of those people, Christians or saints of God, called by the Father and led by, and in whom dwells, the spirit of God. Its biblical name is “the Church of God.” The mission of the Church is to preach the gospel (good news) of the coming Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness and to help reconcile to God such people as are now being called. 

The Church of God also has the mission to teach the truth, strengthen, nurture and edify the children of God in the love and admonition of our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38-39, 47; 20:28; Romans 8:14; 14:19; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:14; 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 10:32; 1 Corinthians 11:16, 22; 1 Corinthians 12:27; 1 Corinthians 14:26; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:1-2; 5:18-20; Galatians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 3:5, 15; Mark 16:15; Matthew 24:14; 28:18-20; John 6:44, 65; John 17:11, 16).

Satan The Devil

Satan is a spirit being who is the adversary of God and the children of God. Satan has been given dominion over the world for a specific time (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan has deceived humanity into rejecting God and His law (Revelation 12:9). Satan has ruled by deception with the aid of a host of demons who are rebellious angels, spirit beings who followed Satan in his rebellion (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 8:12; 2 Timothy 2:26; John 12:31; 16:11; Revelation 12:4, 9; Revelation 20:1-3, 7, 10; Leviticus 16:21-22; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Ephesians 2:2).

Clean and Unclean Meats

We believe that those meats that are designated “unclean” by God in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are not to be eaten. We are instructed as follows: “For I am the LORD your God . . . you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. . . to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten” (Leviticus 11:44-47).

The Resurrections of the Dead

We believe that the only hope of eternal life for mortal humans lies in the resurrection through the indwelling of the holy spirit (Romans 6:23; Romans 8:10-11). At the return of Jesus Christ a resurrection to spirit life will take place for all who have been God’s faithful servants (Revelation 14:1-5). Jesus Christ will be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:6 and Revelation 19:16).

After Jesus Christ has ruled on earth for 1,000 years there will be a resurrection to physical life of the vast majority of all people who have ever lived (Ezekiel 37:1-14). We believe that, after these people have had an opportunity to live a physical life if they become converted they, too, will receive eternal life. Sadly, those who reject God’s offer of salvation will reap eternal death (1 Corinthians 15:19, 42-52; Acts 23:6; John 5:21-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:4-5, 11-15; John 3:16; Matthew 25:46).

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