ARTICLE 2 - STATEMENT OF FAITH AND BELIEFS (Excerpt taken from the Amended and Restated Bylaws of First Church of God of Vero Beach adopted 1.17.2017) 2.01 What We Believe. The following comprise the Scriptural beliefs of this church and its members. (a) The Bible 1) We believe that the Bible is God s written revelation to man, and all 66 books are inspired equally by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21). 2) We believe that the Word of God is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), infallible and is absolutely inerrant in the original text. 3) We believe the literal, grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture which affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal days (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 31:17). 4) We believe that the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and practice (Matthew 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 16:12-13; 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21). 5) We believe that although there could be several applications of any given passage of Scripture, there is but one interpretation. The meaning of Scripture can only be found as the Holy Spirit reveals the text through the literal grammatical-historical method of interpretation (John 7:17; 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-15; 1 John 2:20). (b) God 1) We believe that there is only one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4). 2) We believe that God is an infinite, all-knowing Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence and eternally existing in three Persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14) each equally deserving worship and obedience. (c) God the Father 1) We believe God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Psalm 145:8-9; 1 Corinthians 8:6).
Ephesians 3:9). 2) We believe that He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31; 3) We believe that He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36). 4) We believe that He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ, His Son (John 6:37, John 14:6). 5) We believe that He adopts as His own all those who come to Him; and He becomes, upon adoption, their Heavenly Father (John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 12:5-9). (d) God the Son 1) We believe Jesus Christ is the second Person of the Trinity and is coequal and coeternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9). 2) We believe Jesus Christ created all things in heaven and earth and they are held together by Him (John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2). 3) We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ was virgin born (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23, 25; Luke 1:26-35); He is God incarnate (John 1:1, 14); and the purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God, and redeem men (John 3:16-17). 4) We believe in the incarnation (God becoming man) Jesus surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind. In His incarnation, the eternally existing second Person of the Trinity accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became God-Man (Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9). 5) We believe that, in the incarnation, the second Person of the Trinity laid aside His right to the full prerogatives of coexistence with God and took on an existence appropriate to a servant while never divesting Himself of His divine attributes (Philippians 2:5-8). 6) We believe our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross and His death was voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive (John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25; 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24). 7) We believe on the basis of the efficacy of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the believing sinner is freed from punishment, penalty; from the power of sin; and he is declared righteous, given eternal life, and adopted into the family of God (Romans 3:25; 5:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18). Page 2 of 9
8) We believe our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead and He is now ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now mediates as our Advocate and High Priest (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; Acts 2:30-31; Romans 4:25; 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1). 9) We believe that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, God confirmed the deity of His Son and gave proof God has accepted the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Jesus bodily resurrection is also the guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers (John 5:26-29; 14:19; Romans 1:4; 4:25; 6:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). 10) We believe Jesus Christ will return again to receive all believers to Himself while judging the world of sin. (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20). 11) We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is the One through whom God will judge all mankind (John 5:22-23): 12) We believe as the Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), the Head of His Body the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18), and the coming universal King, who will reign on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:31-33), He is the final Judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as Lord and Savior (Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 17:30-31). (e) God the Holy Spirit 1) We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, eternal, possessing all attributes of personality and deity, including intellect (1 Corinthians 2:10-13), emotions (Ephesians 4:30), will (1 Corinthians 12:11), eternality (Hebrews 9:14), omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-10), omniscience (Isaiah 40:13-14), omnipotence (Romans 15:13), and truthfulness (John 16:13). In all the divine attributes He is coequal with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 28:25-26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Jeremiah 31:31-34 with Hebrews 10:15-17). 2) We believe it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to all mankind. We recognize His sovereign activity in creation (Genesis 1:2), the incarnation (Matthew 1:18), the written revelation (2 Peter 1:20-21), and the work of salvation (John 3:5-7). 3) We believe the work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost, when He came from the Father as promised by Christ (John 14:16-17; 15:26) to initiate and complete the building of the Body of Christ, which is His church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ and transforming believers into the image of Christ (John 16:7-9; Acts 1:5; 2:4; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:22). Page 3 of 9
4) We believe the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers them for service, and seals them unto the day of redemption (Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13). 5) We believe the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher, who guided the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God s revelation, the Bible (2 Peter 1:19-21). Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation, and it is the duty of all those born of the Spirit to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit (John 16:13; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27). 6) We believe the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to the church. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ by implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the most holy faith (John 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18). 7) We believe the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints and edifying the body of Christ, today (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12; Hebrews 2:1-4). (f) Man 1) We believe man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). 2) We believe man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9). 3) We believe God s intention in the creation of man was man should glorify God, enjoy God s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God s purpose for man in the world (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11). 4) We believe in Adam s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, became subject to the wrath of God, and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost. Man s salvation is thereby wholly of God s grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; 1 John 1:8). 5) We believe, because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam s sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12). Page 4 of 9
(g) Salvation 1) We believe salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19). (h) The Church 1) We believe the local church, the body and espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons. (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27) 2) We are voluntarily affiliated with the Church of God Anderson, IN. which teaches the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4) 3) We recognize water baptism and the Lord s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 11:23-26) (i) The Resurrection 1) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men; the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13) (j) Creation 1) We believe God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11) (k) Civil Government 1) We believe God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14) Page 5 of 9
(l) Family Relationships 1) We believe marriage has been ordained by God. This church defines marriage as the exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman in which such union is a lifetime commitment. A civil government s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of marriage found in these Articles (Genesis 1:23-24, 1Timothy 3:2). 2) We believe marriage is exclusively the legal union of one genetic male and one genetic female and that this union is evidenced by a marriage ceremony. We also believe legitimate, biblical sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, pre-marital sex, incest, polygamy, homosexuality, transgenderism, bisexuality, cross-dressing, pedophilia and bestiality are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious behavior, the creation, viewing and/or distribution of pornography and efforts to alter one s physical gender or gender related appearance are incompatible with a true biblical witness. (Genesis 2:24; I Corinthians 5:11; 6:9; 6:18-20; 7:1-3; 7:8-9; Romans 1:18-32) 3) We believe men and women are spiritually equal in their position before God. However, we believe according to both the Old and New Testament, the role of headship belongs to men. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to serve as spiritual leaders (overseers) of His church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12) 4) We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a gift of the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7) 5) We believe that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). Divorce in the Scripture is permitted as an accommodation to man's sin for the protection of the innocent party. Since divorce is only a concession to man's sin and is not a part of God's original plan for marriage, all believers considering divorce should have the same attitude toward divorce as does God. (Matthew 19:5-9) 6) The only biblical grounds for divorce are (1) fornication (any sinful sexual activity, including adultery - unfaithfulness of a marriage partner) (Matt. 5:32; I Cor. 5:1), or (2) a nonbelieving partner who initiates the divorce due to incompatibility with a Christian (1 Cor. 7:12-15). In this case, the nonbelieving mate refuses to live with his or her believing spouse, especially because of his or her Christian testimony (1 Cor. 7:12-15). NOTE: It is essential to keep in mind that the Bible merely permits divorce in these limited circumstances but never commands divorce. Page 6 of 9
(m) Abortion 1) We believe human life begins at conception and the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental wellbeing of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psalms 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; Luke 1:44) (n) Love 1) We believe we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18) (o) Giving 1) We believe one of the privileges we share as Christians is to be faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. This includes the area of our personal finances. (Proverbs 3:9-10; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Matthew 25:14-30) 2) We believe giving to God in the Old Testament, was an obligation under Mosaic Law as a national tax. This was to provide for the priests, the many festivals, the Temple ministry, and caring for the poor. When you consider the whole tax that God required of Israel it was upwards of 26% annually. God required this for their benefit and blessing. (Leviticus 27:30-33; Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Leviticus 19:9-10; Exodus 23:10-11) 3) We believe Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of God and bring us into a New Covenant. This changes how we approach giving to God and His church. Under the Law of the Old Testament the people would give an obligatory amount through a mathematical formula. In the New Testament the church is not commanded to tithe. Now the Christian is free to give offerings to the Lord! Now our giving reflects a heart of gratitude as an act of worship. Now, our giving knows no bounds and is only driven by our supreme love for Christ. (Matthew 22:15-22; Romans 13:1-7) 4) We believe giving an offering to God should be a regular part of every believer s life. We believe the Apostle Paul taught the church to practice gracious, generous giving as a regular part of life. Our giving is now an act of worship and not viewed as an obligation to God. This is because through Christ, everything is better in the New Covenant Page 7 of 9
through His blood. (Romans 8:3-4; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Hebrews 7:19, 22; 8:6; 9:23-24; 10:34; 11:35) 5) We believe our giving should reflect the better way that Christ has provided for us. If Christ has made all things better, then how could our giving today reflect less than what was required of Israel, under the Law? Our giving should be in line with what the Apostle Paul taught the church in the New Testament. First, our giving should be with joy in our hearts because God loves a cheerful giver. Secondly, our giving should reflect our liberty in Christ because we are not to give reluctantly or under compulsion. Thirdly, there should be times of sacrificial giving where we give beyond our means as the Spirit of God leads us. Fourthly, our giving should be a regular part of our worship of God, and not an infrequent experience. Paul taught that on the first day of the week, each one should give to God as He had prospered them. (1 Corinthians 9:6-8; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5) 2.02 Statement of Marriage. We believe God our Creator established marriage as a sacred institution between one man and one woman, and marriage is a covenant between only one man and one woman and has been the traditional definition of marriage for all of human history ( Traditional Definition of Marriage ). Because of the longstanding importance of the Traditional Definition of Marriage to humans and their relationships and communities, and, most importantly, the fact that God has ordained that marriage be between one man and one woman, as clearly conveyed in God s inerrant Scriptures, including for example in Matthew 19:4-6 where in speaking about marriage Jesus referred to the fact that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, the Church hereby creates this policy, which shall be known as the Marriage Policy. Under this Church s Marriage Policy, the Traditional Definition of Marriage is the only definition of marriage that is recognized or accepted. No elder, officer, employee, servant, agent, or any person, corporation, organization, or entity under the direction or control of this Church shall commit any act or omission, or make any decision whatsoever, that is inconsistent with, or could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with, the Church s Marriage Policy and strict adherence to the Traditional Definition of Marriage rather than any alternative. This Church s Marriage Policy specifically prohibits acts or omissions including but not limited to permitting any Church assets or property, whether real property, personal property, intangible property, or any property or asset of any kind that is subject to the direction or control of the Church, to be used in any manner that would be or could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with this Church s Marriage Policy or the Traditional Definition of Marriage. Including but not limited to permitting any church facilities to be used by any person, organization, corporation, or group that would or might use such facilities to convey, intentionally or by implication, what might be perceived as a favorable impression about any definition of marriage other than the Traditional Definition of Marriage. We believe our Church s Marriage Policy is based upon God s will for human life as conveyed Page 8 of 9
through Holy Scriptures, upon which this Church has been founded and anchored. Our Marriage Policy shall not be subject to change through popular vote, referendum, prevailing opinion of members or the general public or interpretation by any government authority, agency, official action, or legal developments on the local, state, or federal level. 2.03 Authority of Statement of Faith The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and is binding upon all attendees. All literature used in First Church of God shall be in complete agreement with the Statement of Faith. Page 9 of 9