God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26, 27and 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19;
1 Peter 1:2 and 2 Corinthians 13:14
Matthew 1:22 and 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30;
Hebrews 4:14 and 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3 and 4; Romans 1:3 and 4;
Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14 andl5, and Titus 2:13
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16 and 17; Acts
1:8;
1 Corinthians 2:12 and 3:16;
Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25 and Ephesians 5:18
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20 and 21; 2 Timothy 1:13;
Psalm 119:105 and 160; 12:6, and Proverbs 30:5
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a;
Romans 3:23 and Isaiah 59:1 and 2
Salvation is God's free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self- improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8 and 9; John 14:6, 1:12,
Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26 and Romans 5:1
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18;
Revelation 20: 15 and I Corinthians 2:7-9
Our Lifestyle Statement: What We Practice Back to top
Since God's Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is "What does the Bible say?" We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believe. In the Church of God we occasionally say that we have "no creed but the Bible."
Christ--not any person, group or religious organization-is the recognized head of our church. While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local church should be self-governing and independent from any denominational control. In relating to our "daughter churches" that we sponsor, we encourage each congregation to determine its own strategy, structure and style.
"Christ loves us, and by His death He has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom of priests to serve God..." Revelations 1:6 (GN)
"You are...the King's priests... God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God. " 1 Peter 2:9 (GN)
The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to "full time" Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation. We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading.
At First Church we practice tithing for the support of Christ's body, the church, as God commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the Biblical standard of giving.
We practice baptism by immersion under water-the way Jesus was baptized, and the way the Bible commands. Baptism illustrates Christ's burial and resurrection. It also illustrates a believer's new life as a Christian.
We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God's power within us. So we seek to practice a daily dependence on God's Spirit to enable us to do what is right. Philippians 2:13 and Ephesians 5:18.
It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the "Good News" with those with whom God brings us into contact. We practice personal sharing about Christ and inviting friends to church