Statement of Beliefs
The Church of God
Flemington, New Jersey
(June 15, 2014)
1. God the Father: The eternal, glorious, supreme Creator of the heavens and the earth, the source of all life, and the divine Father of Jesus Christ. God is a personal Spirit being, the epitome of love, wisdom, justice, power, goodness, and mercy. God is the Sovereign Ruler and sustainer of all that exists.
2. Jesus Christ: Jesus of Nazareth is the Savior, the divine Son of God, begotten of Holy Spirit. Born in the flesh of the virgin Mary, Jesus became fully human, and died for all. God the Father created all things by and through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Messiah who will soon come again to establish His Father’s Kingdom over all the earth.
3. Holy Spirit: The Spirit of God the Father and Jesus Christ. It is the Life, Love, Wisdom, Mind, Holiness, Power, Mercy, and an entire multitude of the divine characteristics, of God. The Holy Spirit is not a person or a separate third member of the Godhead because there is no trinity. Christians become Children of God when God’s Spirit is first imparted to them.
4. Man: Created to be in the image and likeness of God. Man is mortal without the possibility of eternal life inherent in himself, except and until he receives the Holy Spirit of God with the laying on of hands at baptism. The very purpose of man’s existence is to ultimately be born into the Family of God. Man has a human spirit which has been imparted to the human intellect. The human spirit is not a conscious element of man; rather it enables man to reason, to think, thereby, separating man from the animals. With conversion, the human spirit is united with the Spirit of God, and becomes a Child of God.
5. Church: The Church is a spiritual entity – not a corporate organization. The Church consists of all the called out brethren – who are the Body of Jesus Christ. The inspired Scriptural name for this spiritual assembly is “The Church of God.
6. Ten Commandments: The Ten Commandments comprise the supreme points of God’s Law. Breaking any single point makes one guilty of all. Sin is the transgression of the Law of God. The Ten Commandments are spiritual, perfect, holy, just, good, and are, therefore, summed up in two words – Godly Love. The Law of God involves the two great principles of love towards God, and love towards neighbor.
7. Sabbath: The seventh day of the week, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is the Holy Sabbath of the Lord. On this day God directs us to rest from our physical labors and pursuits, and be spiritually rejuvenated. God rested on the seventh day after creation, picturing, not only the weekly Sabbath rest, but also the millennial rest at the end of the first six thousand years of God’s plan for man. Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, along with the first century New Testament Christians, kept the Sabbath.
8. Holy Days: The seven annual Holy Days listed in Leviticus 23 were ordained by God as “Feasts of the Lord.” They were observed by Jesus Christ, and His disciples. Each Feast has a special prophetic meaning depicting an important step in God’s Plan for man. The Feasts and Holy Days are the following: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and Last Great Day.
9. Gospel of the Kingdom: Jesus Christ announced the “good news” of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. It is necessary to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to receive salvation. Christ will establish the Kingdom of God over the entire earth at His soon coming return as King of kings.
10. Resurrections: Jesus was raised from the grave. In the same way, there will be a resurrection to spiritual life of all the faithful saints who have ever lived. Following the millennium, there will be a resurrection back to physical life for all who have ever lived –not having been called by God, and who have not had an opportunity for salvation. Finally, there will be a resurrection of the incorrigibly evil to the lake of fire, which is permanent death.
11. Tithing: Tithing is a private matter between the individual and God because it is an act of worship. It is not the job of the church to “enforce” or “police” tithing, but simply teaches the responsibility to tithe. Each individual has the responsibility to “honor the Lord with his substance and with the firstfruits of all his increase.” Tithing and free will offerings are the method by which the gospel is proclaimed to the world. Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 6:21; 23:23; II Corinthians 9:7
12. Divine Healing: “By His stripes we are healed.” It is through the entire ordeal of Jesus Christ’s anguish, torment, and suffering, that healing is available to us. When we go to God in faith through anointing, and accept the sacrifice of Christ to cover our sins, our prayer is heard.
13. Clean and Unclean: God did not create all animals as food for humans. The Bible, sets apart certain “clean” foods that may be eaten; and certain foods called “unclean,” that are not to be eaten. Unclean foods violate our bodies, which are the temple wherein God’s Holy Spirit dwells. God says, “Become ye holy, as I am holy.”
14. The Bible: The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God. The Bible reveals the divine authority of God over mankind, and makes known His Plan of salvation. The Bible reveals the purpose for man’s existence; which is to ultimately be made into the likeness of God in the eternal Family of God.
15. Angels and Satan: Angels are spirit beings. The holy angels faithfully serve God and minister to the children of God; whereas Satan and the evil demons rebelled against God. Satan the devil is an evil spirit being who is an enemy of God and an adversary of the children of God. He now has dominion over this world which God has allowed him to rule for 6000 years.
The Church of God
Piscataway, New Jersey
(August 19, 1705)
The faith of the Piscataway church reads as follows:
“I. We believe that unto us there is but one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ, who is the mediator between God and mankind, and that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God. I Corinthians 3:6, I Timothy 2:5, II Timothy 3:6, II Peter 1:21.
“II. We believe that all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, given by inspiration, are the Word of God — II Peter 1:19, 20, 21, II Timothy 3:16, Mark 7:13, I Thessalonians 2:13, Acts 4:29, 31 — and are the rule of faith and practice.
“III. We believe that the Ten Commandments, which were written on two tables of stone by the finger of God, continue to be the rule of righteousness unto all men. Matthew 5:17, 18, 19, Malachi 4:4, James 1:21, Romans 7:25, Romans 3:21, Romans 13:8, 9, 10, Ephesians 6:2.
“IV. We believe the six principles recorded in Hebrews 6:1, 2, to be the rule of faith and practice “V. We believe that the Lord’s Supper ought to be administered and received in all Christian churches. Luke 2:19, I Corinthians 11:23, 26.
“VI. We believe that all Christian churches ought to have church officers in them, as elders, and deacons. Titus 1:5, Acts 6:3.
“VII. We believe that all persons thus believing ought to be baptized in water by dipping or plunging, after confession is made by them of their faith in the above said things. Mark 1:4, 5, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:37, Romans 6:3, 4, Colossians 2:12.
“VIII. We believe that a company of sincere persons, being formed in the faith and practices of the above said things, may truly be said to be the Church of Christ. Acts 2:41, 42. “IX. We give up ourselves unto the Lord and one another, to be guided and governed by one another, according to the Word of God. I Corinthians 8:5, Colossians 2:19, Psalm 84:1, 2, 4 – 10, Psalm 133:1.” — Idem, pages 120,121, Vol. 2, No. 3.
(A True History of the True Religion by Dugger and Dodd pgs. 275-278)