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FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS
of the United Church of God, an International Association
PREAMBLE
The following are statements regarding the fundamental beliefs of the
United Church of God, an International Association. This is not intended
to be a comprehensive statement of the beliefs of the Church. Questions
about doctrine and belief will be addressed by a process adopted by the
Council of Elders (Council) and approved by the General Conference of
Elders (General Conference).
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS
- We believe in one God, the Father, eternally existing, who is a
Spirit, a personal Being of supreme intelligence, knowledge, love,
justice, power and authority. He, through Jesus Christ, is the Creator
of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He is the Source
of life and the One for whom human life exists. We believe in one
Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who is the Word and has eternally
existed. We believe that He is the Messiah, the Christ, the divine Son
of the living God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born in the human
flesh of the virgin Mary. We believe that it is by Him that God
created all things and that without Him was not anything made that was
made. We believe in the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of God and of
Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the power of God and the Spirit of
life eternal.
- 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, is the supreme and final authority in faith and in life, and
is the foundation of all truth.
- We believe that 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 period of time. Satan has deceived humanity into
rejecting God and His law. 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.
- We believe that humanity was created in the image of God with the
potential to become children of God, partakers of the divine nature.
God formed humanity of flesh, which is material substance. Human
beings live by the breath of life, are mortal, subject to corruption
and decay, without eternal life, except as the gift of God under God's
terms and conditions as expressed in the Bible. We believe that God
placed before Adam and Eve the choice of eternal life through
obedience to God, or death through sin. Adam and Eve yielded to
temptation and disobeyed God. As a result, sin entered the world, and
through sin, death. Death now reigns over all humanity because all
have sinned.
- We believe that sin is the transgression of the law. The law is
spiritual, perfect, holy, just and good. The law defines God's love
and is based upon the two great principles of love toward God and love
toward neighbor, and is immutable and binding. The Ten Commandments
are the ten points of God's law of love. We believe that breaking any
one point of the law brings upon a person the penalty of sin. We
believe that this fundamental spiritual law reveals the only way to
true life and the only possible way of happiness, peace and joy. All
unhappiness, misery, anguish and woe have come from transgressing
God's law.
- We believe God so loved this world of helpless sinners that He gave
His only begotten Son, who, though in all points tempted as we are,
lived without sin in the human flesh. That Son, Jesus Christ, died as
a sacrifice for the sins of humanity. His life, because He is the
Creator of all humanity, is of greater value than the sum total of all
human life. His death is, therefore, sufficient to pay the penalty for
every human being's sins. In paying this penalty He has made it
possible, according to God's plan, for each person and humanity as a
whole to have their sins forgiven and to be released from the death
penalty.
- We believe that the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead after
His body lay three days and three nights in the grave, thus making
immortality possible for mortal man. He thereafter ascended into
heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father as our
High Priest and Advocate.
- We believe that all who truly repent of their sins in full surrender
and willing obedience to God, and who by faith accept Jesus Christ as
their personal Savior, have their sins forgiven by an act of divine
grace. Such individuals are justified, pardoned from the penalty of
sin, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which literally abides
within them and supplies the divine love that alone can fulfill the
law and produce righteousness. They are baptized by the Spirit into
the body of Christ, which is the true Church of God. We believe in a
true change in life and attitude. Only those who have the indwelling
presence of and are being led by the Holy Spirit are Christ's.
- We believe in the ordinance of water baptism by immersion following
repentance. Through the laying on of hands, with prayer, the believer
receives the Holy Spirit and becomes a part of the spiritual body of
Jesus Christ.
- We believe that the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath of the
Lord our God. 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.
- We believe in observing the New Testament Passover on the night of
the 14th of Abib, the anniversary of the death of our Savior.
- We believe in the commanded observance of the seven annual Holy Days
given to ancient Israel by God and kept by Jesus Christ, the apostles
and the New Testament Church. These Holy Days reveal God's plan of
salvation.
- We believe that those meats that are designated "unclean"
by God in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are not to be eaten.
- We believe that Christians are forbidden by the commandments of God
from taking human life, directly or indirectly, and that bearing arms
is contrary to this fundamental belief. Therefore, we believe that
Christians should not voluntarily become engaged in military service.
If they are involuntarily engaged in military service, we believe they
should refuse conscientiously to bear arms and, to the extent
possible, to refuse to come under military authority.
- We believe in God's enduring righteousness. That righteousness is
demonstrated by God's faithfulness in fulfilling all of the promises
He made to the father of the faithful, Abraham. As promised, God
multiplied Abraham's lineal descendants so that Abraham literally
became the "father" of many nations. We believe that God, as
promised, materially prospered Abraham's lineal descendants Isaac and
Jacob (whose name He later changed to Israel). We believe that God,
through Abraham's Seed, Jesus Christ, is making salvation available to
all humanity regardless of their physical lineage. Salvation is not
therefore a right of birth. It is freely open to all whom God calls,
and those who are regarded as descendants of Abraham are those of the
faith, heirs according to the promises. We believe that the knowledge
that God has fulfilled and continues to fulfill the physical promises
made to Abraham and his children, and is fulfilling the spiritual
promise through Jesus Christ, is critical to understanding the message
of the prophets and its application to the world in which we live.
- We believe God's purpose for mankind is to prepare those whom He
calls, and who elect through a life of overcoming sin, developing
righteous character, and growing in grace and knowledge, to possess
the Kingdom and to become kings and priests reigning with Christ on
this earth after His return. We believe that the reason for mankind's
existence is literally to be born as spirit beings into the family of
God.
- We believe that the Church is that body of believers who have
received, and are being led by, the Holy Spirit. The true Church of
God is a spiritual organism. Its biblical name is "The Church of
God." We believe that 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. We believe that it is also the mission of the Church of God to
strengthen, edify and nurture the children of God in the love and
admonition of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe in tithing as a way of honoring God with our substance
and as a means of serving Him in the preaching of the gospel, the care
of the Church, attending the festivals and helping the needy.
- We believe that the only hope of eternal life for mortal humans lies
in the resurrection through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We
believe that at the return of Jesus Christ a resurrection to spirit
life will take place for all who have been God's faithful servants. We
believe that after Jesus Christ has ruled on this earth for 1,000
years, there will be a resurrection to physical life of the vast
majority of all people who have ever lived. 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. We also believe
that those who reject God's offer of salvation will reap eternal
death.
- We believe in the personal, visible, premillennial return of the
Lord Jesus Christ to rule the nations on earth as King of kings and to
continue His priestly office as Lord of lords. At that time, He will
sit upon the throne of David. During His thousand-year reign upon the
earth, He will restore all things and establish the Kingdom of God
forever.
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