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This We Believe: As a Christian constituency of New Testament believers, affiliated with the Pentecostal Church of God, we, the members of Lorain Full Gospel Church, subscribe to the following declaration of the things which are more surely believed among us. We pray that there be not harmful, nor divisive, difference of belief to the injury of any, nor disturbance of the peace and harmony of the church, and that we may be all of the same mind and same judgment, speaking the same things in love; and with one voice glorifying God, to the edification of His people, and to give a Christian witness to Lorain, Ohio and to the world. I. The Scriptures We believe that the Scriptures, of the Old and New Testament, are the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. We believe that they, and they alone, constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21) II. The Godhead We believe that there is only one true and living God, who is everlasting, infinite in power, wisdom and goodness; that He is the creator of all things, and preserver of all things. In the perfect unity of the Godhead, there are three persons, of one individual essence, who are co-equal, coexistent, and co-eternal; namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 3:16, Hebrews 9:14, John 10:33, 14:26, 15:26) III. Man's Fallen Condition Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God". "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10, 3:23, 5:12) IV. Salvation Salvation is made possible through the meritorious work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through Holy Ghost conviction. Godly sorrow works repentance and makes possible the experience of the new birth, and Christ, formed within us, is the gift of eternal life. Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God. Man is a free moral agent and can at any time, after the new birth experience, turn away from God and die in a state of sin; with the consequences of hell to look forward to. (Titus 2:11, Romans 10:13-15, Luke 24:47, Titus 3:5-7, Ephesians 2:8) V. The Church The true church is the body of Jesus Christ, He being the head. Its earthly constituents are all true believers, born- again by the Spirit and the Word. To it is delegated the various gifts and offices of the Holy Spirit necessary for the fulfillment of Christ's Great Commission. (Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 4:15, John 3:6, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 Corinthians 12, Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:9-20) VI. Ministry God, through the Holy Spirit, definitely calls such as He desires to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and specifically endues the one called with the talents and gifts peculiar to that office or offices. Under no circumstance should anyone be ordained or set apart to any office unless the calling is distinct and evident. (Ephesians 4:11-13) VII. Water Baptism Baptism in water is by immersion and a direct commandment of our Lord and is for believers only. (Matthew 28:19) The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:36-39) VIII. Baptism In The Holy Ghost The Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire (Matthew 3:11), is a gift from God, as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation, and is received subsequent to the new birth (John 14:16,17; Acts 1:8, 2:4,38,39;10: 44-48) The Baptism in the Holy Ghost is accompanied by the speaking in other tongues at the Holy Spirit Himself gives the utterance as the initial physical sign & evidence. (Acts 2:4) IX. Sanctification The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We believe in the doctrine of sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation. (Hebrews 13:2; 2 Thes. 2:13, 5:23; 1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Corinthians 6:11; John 17:17) X. The Lord's Supper The keeping of communion, the Lord's Supper, is a commandment of our Savior; and being a memorial to His death and resurrection, is strictly limited to Christian believers who are maintaining a life of holiness before the Lord. (1 Corinthians 11:27). XI. Divine Healing Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God, through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands. It is provided for in the atoning work of Jesus Christ upon the cross, and is available to all believers. (Mark 16:18; James 5:14,15) XII. The Imminent Return Of Christ We believe in the imminent, pre-millennial, pre-tribulation return of Christ. When He comes, “ 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.” (1 Thes. 4:16-17) This event, "the rapture" can occur at any time. Following the 7 year tribulation period, Christ shall return to earth, as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and together with His saints, who shall be as kings and priest, He shall reign a thousand years (Revelation 20:6). We believe the Bible teaches the pre-tribulational coming of Christ for His church. We also believe that this position alone admonishes watchfulness, incites holy living, prevents spiritual decline and provides maximum incentive and motive for urgency and zeal and evangelizing the lost. As demonic deception and Satanic darkness deepens we admonish all believers to cling to the "blessed hope" of the church. XIII. Hell & Eternal Retribution The one who physically dies in his sins, without Christ, is hopelessly and eternally lost in hell and the lake of fire, and therefore has no further opportunity of hearing the gospel, repentance or salvation (Hebrews 9:27). The lake of fire is literal (Revelation 19:20). The terms "eternal" and "everlasting" used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned (Matthew 25:41-46), in the lake of fire, are literal and carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence, as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of the saints in the presence of God. |