X. Water Baptism
Upon genuine, godly repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as
personal Savior, the believer must be baptized by complete
immersion in water for the remission of his or her sins.
Water baptism symbolizes the death and burial of each
repentant believer—a spiritual conjoining into the death of
Jesus Christ. Through this baptismal death, the believer
becomes a partaker of the crucifixion and death of Jesus
Christ, and His blood is applied as full payment for his or
her sins. Rising up out of the water is symbolic of being
conjoined into the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the
believer comes up out of the watery grave of baptism, he or
she rises to newness of life. In order to become a new
person, each baptized believer must be begotten with the
Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. The believer is
then led by the Holy Spirit to walk in loving obedience to
God the Father and faith in Jesus Christ.
|
Scriptural References
|
| Acts 2:38 |
Matt.
3:13-16 |
Matt.
28:19-20 |
|
Col. 2:12
|
Acts
8:12-17 |
Rom.
6:3-13 |
XI. Justification
Justification is freely granted to the called and repentant
believer by God the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ. Justification takes place when the believer's sins
are removed by the blood of Jesus Christ and he or she is
put into right standing with God the Father. In order to
receive God's gift of justification, a person must repent
toward God, believe in the sacrifice and blood of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and be baptized by
immersion. The believer is then cleansed from sin and is
without condemnation, placing him or her in right standing
with God the Father. This state of justification is called
the "gift of righteousness" because God the Father freely
imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the believer.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Rom. 2:13 |
Rom.
4:5-8, 24-25 |
Rom.
5:1-10, 17-21 |
|
Rom. 3:24-31 |
I Cor.
6:11 |
Rom.
8:28-30 |
XII. Righteousness
The Righteousness of the Law
God is both Creator and Lawgiver. When God created mankind, He also
established righteous laws that govern man's relationship
with Him and with his fellowman. The laws of God draw a
clear line between actions that are good and righteous in
God's eyes as opposed to acts that are evil and sinful.
Without God's laws, there would be no sin. The Scriptures
declare that "where there is no law there is no sin....for
by the law is the knowledge of sin." The Biblical record of
the sins of Adam and Eve, and the nations that descended
from them, makes it clear that God's laws have been
obligatory upon mankind from the beginning.
In Old Testament times, a man or woman who kept the commandments of
God, fulfilling His requirements in the letter of the law,
was counted righteous before God. This type of
righteousness, which was earned by doing the works of the
law, brought many physical and material blessings from
God—health and prosperity, deliverance from enemies, peace
and long life. When God covenanted with
Israel, He
proclaimed through Moses that those who kept His laws and
commandments "shall live in them" because they would be
spared
the punishment and curses that
were appointed for lawbreakers—including death by capital
punishment.
Although the righteousness of the law resulted in many blessings to
the obedient, fulfilling the letter of the law did not and
could not earn eternal salvation. The promise of salvation
and eternal life is God's free and undeserved gift and is
offered only through the righteousness of faith. The
required righteousness of the letter of the law was a
"schoolmaster" or tutor to reveal the sinfulness and
weakness of human nature and to point to the need for a
higher righteousness—the righteousness of faith.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Gen. 3:11-13; 4:7-11 |
Gen. 6:5-13; 15:16 |
Lev. 18:5 |
|
Jer. 18:7-10 |
Ez. 20:11, 13, 21 |
Prov. 4:4 |
|
Deut. 28:1-13 |
Deut. 4:1-13; 6:1-4 |
Gal. 3:11 |
|
Rom. 10:5 |
Rom. 3:9-22; 4:13-16 |
Rom. 2:11-13 |
The Righteousness of Faith
The righteousness of faith is the gift of righteousness, which the
believer receives through the abundance of the Father's
grace. It is called "the righteousness of faith" because
only through the faith of Jesus Christ is it possible to
partake of this righteousness. When a believer is justified
by faith in Jesus Christ and receives the gift of the Holy
Spirit as a beget-tal from God the Fattier, the Father
imputes to the believer the very righteousness of Jesus
Christ so that "grace might reign through righteousness into
eternal life, through Jesus Christ." This imputed
righteousness is the gift of God through faith in Jesus
Christ and cannot be earned by doing works of law. The
righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is imputed to the
believer by God the Father, far exceeds the righteousness
required by the letter of the law. In His perfect
righteousness, Jesus Christ not only observed the letter of
the law but also fulfilled every one of His Father's
commandments in the full spirit of the law. His spiritual
obedience was so perfect, pure and wholehearted that He
always did those things that pleased God the Father. This
perfect righteousness was accomplished through the power of
the Holy Spirit, which He received without measure from the
Father.
By His personal example and His teachings, Jesus magnified the laws
and commandments of God and revealed the fullness of their
intent and meaning. He showed that the spirit of the law
does not nullify the letter of the law but requires a
fuller, spiritual obedience. This spiritual obedience is
beyond the capability of the natural mind and human will and
can only be accomplished through Jesus Christ. The
Scriptures reveal that when the believer is begotten with
the Holy Spirit of God the Father, he or she begins to
receive the very mind of Christ. With Christ's mind, the
believer is strengthened to live by every word of God in the
full spirit of the law, not just in the letter. With "Christ
in you, the hope of glory," the believer begins to have the
laws and commandments of God written upon his or her mind.
Thus the laws and commandments of God are established with
their full, true spiritual meaning through grace and the
gift of the righteousness of faith. This gift of spiritual
righteousness, which God grants to the believer, gives him
or her the power to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit
unto eternal life. Through the righteousness of faith, the
believer is truly fulfilling the Scripture, "The just shall
live by faith."
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Rom. 4:3-8,13-24 |
Rom. 5:17-21 |
Rom. 3:20-31 |
|
Rom. 6:1-19 |
Gal. 2:20-21 |
Gal. 5:16,18, 22-25 |
|
Col. 1:27-28 |
Rom. 7:6 |
Heb. 8:10
|
|
Heb. 10:16 |
Phil.
2:5,13 |
|
XIII. Sanctification
Sanctification is the act of setting someone or something apart for
a holy purpose and use. Christians are in a continuing state
of sanctification after repentance, baptism by immersion,
and the receiving of the Holy Spirit as a begettal from God
the Father. In the Scriptures, Christians are referred to
as saints, meaning those who have been made holy by the
sanctification of God the Father.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
I Cor. 1:2 |
Eph. 5:25-27 |
II Thes. 2:13-14 |
|
I Cor. 6:11 |
Ex. 31:13; 40:9-13 |
Lev. 21:1, 8 |
|
Eph. 1:3-4 |
Jer. 1:5 |
John 17:15-19 |
XIV. The Baptism of the Spirit
The baptism of the Spirit is the act of receiving the Holy Spirit
as a begettal from God the Father. This spiritual begettal
is granted to each believer through the laying on of hands
after baptism by full immersion in water. Upon receiving the
gift of the Holy Spirit, the believer becomes a begotten
child of God the Father. The baptism of the Holy Spirit
places the believer into the spiritual
Church of
God, the Body
of Jesus Christ, of which all begotten children of God are
members.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Matt. 3:11 |
Acts
2:38 |
Acts 8:15 |
|
Acts 19:6 |
I Cor. 2:12 |
Rom. 8:9-16 |
|
I Pet. 1:3 |
I John 3:9, 24 |
|
XV. Faith
Faith is the knowledge of and active belief in the existence and
power of the living God and His only begotten Son Jesus
Christ. Faith is a gift from God and a fruit of the Holy
Spirit. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit as a begettal
from God the Father, true believers are granted the
indwelling presence of Jesus Christ and the very faith of
Jesus Christ. This faith is the actual spiritual substance
of God's Holy Spirit, which gives the believer the
assurance and the confidence that what God has promised, He
will perform. The fruits of righteousness in the believer's
life will continually manifest the true faith of Jesus
Christ that is imparted by God to each believer. Faith is
made perfect by doing the good works that God the Father has
ordained through Jesus Christ. This active and living faith
is absolutely essential for salvation through grace.
Without good works, faith is dead. Without faith, good works
are of no value in God's sight. Good works alone cannot
bring salvation and eternal life. While true faith will
produce good works in the believer's life, these good works
do not earn salvation. The good works that are done through
faith are not the cause but the result of God's gift of
salvation to the believer.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Heb. 11:1-6 |
Gal. 5:22 |
Gal. 2:20; 3:1-14 |
|
Eph. 2:4-10 |
Rom. 4:20-21 |
Jas. 2:14-22 |
|
I Pet. 1:1-9 |
Rom. 1:17 |
Phil. 1:6; 3:3-19 |
|
I Cor. 13:2 |
Tit. 1:16 |
Rev. 14:12 |
|
Luke 7:50 |
Matt. 8:1-13 |
Jas. 5:14-15 |
XVI. Salvation
Salvation is the gift of God the Father by His grace and is granted
to the believer through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation
cannot be earned by works of law, for there are conditions
that must be met in order to receive the gift of salvation.
God requires that one repent of sin, which is the
transgression of His laws and commandments, and believe in
His Son Jesus Christ, Whose blood paid the penalty for the
sins of all mankind. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the
Author and Finisher of eternal salvation for all who believe
on Him. Through the blood of Jesus Christ and the acceptance
of His sacrifice, the believer is reconciled to God the
Father, having his or her sins completely forgiven and
forgotten. By the grace of God, the believer is saved from
the penalty of sin, which is eternal death, and is granted
the gift of eternal life through the begettal of the Holy
Spirit from God the Father.
Salvation begins when God the Father opens a person's mind to
spiritual understanding, which leads to repentance toward
God and faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior. After
being baptized by full immersion in water, the believer is
granted the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of
hands. The believer then begins a new life of obedience to
God through faith, working out his or her own salvation by
the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and in harmony with
God's Word. It is a lifelong process of spiritual growth.
The Scriptures reveal that there are three distinct stages
in the process of salvation: 1) The believer has been saved
from past sins and from Satan the devil (Eph. 2:1-10). 2)
The believer is then being saved as he or she continues in
the Word of God—the gospel—in loving obedience by faith (I
Cor. 1:18; 15:2). 3) The believer will ultimately be saved at the
resurrection (Rom.
7:24-25; I Cor.
15:12-57; I Tim. 3:14-16). The believer's salvation will not
be completed until he or she is resurrected from the dead
through the power of God and is born again as a spirit being
into the Family of God. In God's time and plan, everyone
will have an opportunity for salvation.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Eph. 2:4-10 |
Rom. 6:23 |
II Cor. 7:10 |
|
John 6:44-45 |
Rom. 2:4 |
Rom. 6:4-6 |
|
I Thes. 4:14-17 |
Heb. 11:6 |
I Cor. 15:42, 52 |
|
Acts 8:12, 15-17 |
Acts 11:18 |
I Tim. 2:4 |
|
Mark 16:16 |
Rom. 5:6-10 |
Rom. 4:21-25 |
|
Acts 19:5-6 |
Heb. 12:1-4 |
Rev. 20:6 |
XVII. Laying On of Hands
The laying on of hands is a special act performed by ordained
elders in the churches of God while asking God the Father in
prayer to confer a spiritual gift or blessing upon someone.
The laying on of hands is required for the receiving of
God's Holy Spirit following water baptism, for anointing
the sick with oil for healing, for ordination of those
selected for spiritual or physical service to the church,
for blessing little children, for a special blessing during
a marriage ceremony, and for other special blessings.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Acts 8:15-17
|
Acts 19:5-6 |
Jas. 5:14-15 |
|
Matt. 19:13-15 |
Mark 16:17-18 |
Acts 6:6; 13:3 |
XVIII. Healing
The Scriptures reveal that God sometimes allows sickness to afflict
individuals for a special purpose. With this exception, the
sickness that we suffer is the result of physical or
spiritual sins. Divine healing is
God's forgiveness of those sins. God the Father personally
intervenes when He extends healing to those who call upon
Him in times of sickness or injury. This divine
intervention can be directed toward anyone at any time, as
God wills, because Jesus Christ paid the price for healing
from every sickness with the stripes of scourging that He
received before His crucifixion. When God heals us, our sins
are forgiven through the stripes of the sufferings of Jesus
Christ. Miracles of healing are often granted. The
Scriptures teach that one who desires to be healed by God
should call for the elders of the church to anoint him or
her with oil in the name of Jesus Christ and to pray for
God's healing and intervention. Trusting God in faith for
healing is a personal matter between each individual and
God.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Ex. 15:26
|
Psa. 103:2-3 |
Matt. 9:27-30 |
|
I Pet. 2:24
|
I Cor. 11:23-30 |
Matt. 8:1-17 |
|
Jas. 5:14-16
|
Is. 53:4-5
|
Mark 16:15-18 |
|
II Cor. 12:7-10
|
John 9:1-11 |
|
XIX. The Church
of God
The Spiritual Body of Christ
The Church of
God is
portrayed in the Bible as the spiritual Body of Jesus
Christ. God the Father has appointed Jesus Christ as the
Head of the Church in all things. The true Church of God is
made up of all who have been called by God the Father, who
have accepted His Son Jesus Christ as personal Savior, who
have repented of their sins, who have been baptized by
immersion, and who have received the Holy Spirit of God as a
begettal from God the Father. These individuals are
spiritual brethren and members of one Church— the spiritual
Body of Jesus Christ—although they may be widely scattered
throughout the world. It is by one and the same Spirit—the
Holy Spirit of God the Father—that each one has been
baptized into the Body of Jesus Christ. This spiritual
relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father is the
basis of all true Christian fellowship. Jesus described
Himself to His disciples as "the true vine" and the Father
as "the husbandman." All true Christians are branches of the
true Vine and must remain attached to the Vine in order to
grow spiritually.
While there is only one spiritual Body of Christ, its members are
scattered in numerous local fellowships and individual
ministries around the world. Since all members of the Body
of Christ have the Spirit of God, God does not limit Himself
to work through any single organization. Every group or
ministry that is part of the Body of Christ will manifest
the fruit of God's Holy Spirit, bear the name of God, and
will be keeping His commandments as magnified by Jesus
Christ. The primary function of the Church is to nurture the
brethren of Jesus Christ with spiritual food from God's Word
so that they may grow up into the fullness of the stature of
Jesus Christ. The Church also has a commission from God to
preach repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ in all
the world and to preach the good news of the coming kingdom
and government of God in preparation for the return of Jesus
Christ to rule on the earth.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
Eph. 1:22-23 |
John 21:15-17 |
Eph. 4:4-6, 11-16 |
|
Matt. 28:18-20 |
I Cor. 12:6-13 |
Acts 2:47 |
|
Matt. 24:14 |
Rom. 8:9, 28-29 |
John 15:1-8 |
|
Heb. 2:9-18 |
Rev. 1:12-20 |
|
The Ministry of the New Testament
Church of God
The New Testament Church of God has a ministry patterned after the
instructions of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New
Testament. Those who serve in this ministry do not exalt
themselves over their brethren by exercising authority or
rank but strive to serve their brethren in humility and
love. The ordained elders of the New Testament Church of God
understand that they have been called by God to spiritual
service to fulfill the needs of their brethren. An elder may
serve as a minister, teacher, pastor, evangelist, or in
other needed capacities. The function that each elder
fulfills varies according to the measure of the gift of
Jesus Christ. The qualifications for elders are found in I
Timothy 3 and Titus 1. His love of the brethren and of God
the Father and Jesus Christ is evidence that God has called
a man to be an elder. An ordained elder must maintain an
attitude of true conversion and dedication to God the Father
and Jesus Christ. He must have a deep desire to serve the
brethren of God and the ability to teach the gospel of Jesus
Christ. The purpose of the ministry is to edify or build up
the body of Christ. It is the responsibility of the ministry
to teach and preserve the true doctrines of the Bible, to
serve the spiritual needs of the brethren, and to provide
leadership within the local congregations. Those who are
ordained to evangelize also have a responsibility to
proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers, to teach
all who will listen, and to baptize in all nations.
|
Scriptural References
|
|
John 15:16
|
Matt. 20:20-28 |
Matt. 28:19-20 |
|
Tit. 1:5-9
|
I Tim. 3:1-7 |
I Pet. 5:1-10 |
|
John 21:15-17
|
Matt. 24:14 |
Eph. 4:11-13 |
|
John 13:14-16
|
Heb. 13:7, 17 |
Luke 22:24-26 |
|
Acts 13:3,14:23
|
I Tim. 5:22 |
II Tim. 1:6-14 |
|
II Tim. 2:1-4,14-26
|
II Tim. 3:14-4:4 |
Jer. 23:28 |
XX. Christian Financial Responsibility
Responsibility to Family
The Scriptures teach that Christians should be diligent to provide
for their families. Any Christian who is able to work but
makes no effort to support his or her family "is worse than
an infidel". Jesus Christ Himself taught that a Christian
should first provide for his or her family before using
personal income for other purposes, including offerings to
God. Jesus condemned the Jews who gave offerings, or "corban,"
to the temple treasury while neglecting their needy
parents. God does not want Christians to neglect the basic
needs of their families in order to give tithes and
offerings. Those Christians who have a limited income and
are able only to meet their basic needs have no actual
increase from which to tithe. God desires mercy and not
sacrifice.
Scriptural References
I Tim. 5:4, 8,16
Mark 7:10-13
Prov. 31:10-28
Prov. 27:23-27
Prov. 28:19
Responsibility to the Needy
Christians are commanded by Jesus Christ to support the poor and
needy among them with compassion and understanding. A
Christian attitude of true love and service should be the
basis for all giving. God desires each one whom He has
prospered to give cheerfully and willingly from the heart as
he or she is able. Those who have an abundance but do not
give because of a selfish attitude are guilty of
covetousness and are sinning before God.
Scriptural References
Acts 2:44-45
Acts 4:34-45
Psa. 41:1-3
Prov. 28:27
Prov. 19:17
Matt. 26:11
II Cor. 9:1-9
Gal. 2:10
Jas. 2:14-17
Responsibility to the Church
In today's world, money is required to fulfill the commands of
Jesus Christ to preach the gospel, to feed the flock of God
and to care for the needs of the church. Therefore,
Christians are directed by the Lord Jesus Christ to share
their financial resources with those who serve in the
ministry of God. Paul wrote, "Don't you know that those who
are laboring in the sacred things of the temple live
of the things of the temple, and those who are
ministering at the altar are partakers with the altar? In
the same way also [Greek houtoos, likewise, in the
same manner] the Lord did command [Greek diatassoo,
to order, to direct, to command] that those who preach
the gospel are to live of the gospel" (I Cor.
9:13-14).
Those who receive support from their brethren are accountable to
God and to the brethren as to how these tithes and offerings
are used. Any minister who merchandises the brethren by
using intimidation, compulsion or fear in order to extract
tithes and offerings from them will receive stern judgment
from God.
God warns His servants against exploiting the poor of His flock and
taking from the meager provisions of the needy. However, God
honors and blesses the poor who give as they are able, no
matter how small the amount, even as Jesus commended the
poor and needy widow who gave her mite.
Scriptural References
I Cor. 9:1-14
Luke 21:1-4
Luke 19:12-17
Luke 16:10-13
Zech. 7:7-13
I Tim. 5:17-18
Luke 10:17
Matt. 24:45-51
Matt. 6:19-21
The Scriptural Principle of Tithing
God created the earth and all the resources of the earth from which
physical wealth is derived. Although God owns all the
resources of land and sea, He has given all these things to
mankind to use and to enjoy. By using what God has created,
mankind is able to grow food, raise animals, harvest the
forests, mine the earth and fish the seas. Because God has
given all these things to mankind, He requires that men
acknowledge Him as the Almighty Provider and Sustainer. The
Scriptures reveal that God instituted the principle of
tithing in addition to freewill offerings as a perpetual way
for mankind to honor Him. The Old Testament declares that
tithes and offerings belong to God and are "holy unto the
Lord." Jesus reaffirmed this truth when He said, "Render ...
unto God the things that are God's." The account of Abel's
offering in the book of Genesis makes it clear that this
practice existed from the beginning of mankind and was not
restricted to God's covenant with
Israel at Sinai.
Before the establishment of the Old Covenant, tithes and offerings
to God were given to Melchizedek, the priest of the Most
High God. The book of Genesis records that Abraham gave
tithes to Melchizedek. Isaac and Jacob undoubtedly gave
tithes and offerings to Melchizedek as well. When God
established His covenant with
Israel, the
tithes and offerings were transferred to the Levitical
priesthood. God said, "And behold, I have given the children
of Levi all the tenth in
Israel." Under
the Old Covenant, God required His people to give Him the
firstfruits of their harvest and the firstborn of their
livestock as well as a tenth of the increase they derived
from their crops, livestock, mining precious minerals from
the earth, and profit from merchandising.
God said through the prophet Malachi that the priests were
violating God's commands by offering polluted offerings and
robbing God. Likewise, those who did not give the
tithes and offerings to the
Levites as God had commanded were robbing God.
Under the New Covenant, the priesthood of Melchizedek has replaced
the Levitical priesthood, and the scriptural authority to
receive the tithes and offerings of God has been transferred
back to the order of Melchizedek. Jesus Christ, sitting at
the right hand of God the Father, now holds the eternal
office of High Priest of the order of Melchizedek.
Christians today give their tithes and freewill offerings
to support the work of Jesus Christ through His church, or
they are robbing God.
In following the scriptural principle of tithing, each Christian is
individually responsible to determine his or her true
increase. Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar the things which
are Caesar's," thus revealing that taxes should be paid to
"Caesar" (civil governments). Taxes are excluded in
determining one's increase. Also excluded are expenses
related to one's business or employment, which reduce actual
net income. Christians whose incomes are so limited that
their entire net income is required to meet basic living
expenses have no true increase in God's eyes on which to
tithe. The giving of money is not required for salvation.
However, if God has financially blessed a Christian, he or
she should willingly give as led by the Holy Spirit. Each
Christian should give from the heart in a willing attitude
of love and service, according to the blessings that God
has bestowed—both spiritually and physically. God has
promised to bless those who tithe and give offerings with
all sufficiency in all things.
Scriptural References
Gen. 1:26-28
Deut.
8:1-18
Gen. 4:3-7
Num. 18:1-29
Mal. 3:7-11
Heb. 7:1-10
I Sam. 2:12-17
Mal. 1:6-14
Mal. 2:1-10
Matt. 22:21
Matt. 5:17-20
Matt. 6:19-21
XXI. The Gospel
The word gospel means "good news." The gospel is the wonderful
message of God's plan of salvation for all mankind through
the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His only
begotten Son. The New Testament calls this message the
gospel of grace. The gospel of grace is the good news that
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that through His
blood all who repent and believe in Him may have their sins
forgiven and may enter into the Family of God. The gospel is
also a message about the coming
Kingdom of God
on earth. It is the good news that when Jesus Christ returns
to the earth, He will set up the Kingdom of God
and the Government of God. He will rule all nations as King
of Kings and Lord of Lords. The saints who are given
immortality at the first resurrection will inherit the
kingdom with Jesus Christ and will rule and reign with Him
as kings and priests. The gospel must be preached to all
nations as a witness before Jesus Christ returns to set up
His kingdom. Through the preaching of the gospel, God is
preparing saints for His kingdom by calling those whom He
chooses to repentance and conversion.
Scriptural References
Acts 20:24
John 3:16
I John 2:1-2
Mark 1:14-15
Matt. 24:14
Rom. 10:8-18
Mark 16:15-16
Matt. 28:19-20
Is. 9:6-7
Acts 11:19-21
Rom. 8:16-17
I Cor. 15
XXII. The Kingdom
of God
The Kingdom of
God is the
Government of the Family of God. The
Kingdom of God currently rules the universe. Although the Kingdom of God is not
now ruling the earth, all those who have the Spirit of God
are under the rule of God the Father through the lordship of
Jesus Christ. The
Kingdom of God
will be reinstituted on the earth at the return of Jesus
Christ
as King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. At that time, the Millennium will begin and the
immortal saints, as the sons of God, will rule as kings and
priests with Jesus Christ in the
Kingdom of God.
After God the Father brings the New Jerusalem from heaven to
the new earth, the
Kingdom of God will rule the entire universe from the new Jerusalem for all
eternity.
Scriptural References
Rev. 2:26
Dan. 2:44
Mic. 4:1-4
Rev. 3:12, 21
Heb. 11:13-16
I Cor. 15:50-54
Rev. 5:10
Is. 11:1-10
Col. 1:13
Rev. 21
Is. 66:22-23
John 3:3-7
XXIII. The Resurrections
The Bible reveals two distinct types of resurrection from the dead:
1) restoration to physical life as a fleshly human being,
and 2) transformation to eternal life as an immortal spirit
being.
The Scriptures record the resurrection of individual persons to
physical life at various times by the will of God. In Old
Testament times, a widow's son was restored to life through
the prayer of Elijah the prophet. Jesus' raising of Lazarus
from the dead is a well-known example from New Testament
times. These were special acts of mercy by God which
extended the physical life of the individuals. Those whom
God resurrected in this manner were not given immortality,
and all died again.
Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected to immortality by the
power of God the Father. To become a human being, Jesus
divested Himself of His glory and power as the Lord God of
the Old Testament. When He was resurrected, He was restored
to His full glory, power and honor as God. Jesus Christ is
called the Firstborn from among the dead because He is the
first of multiple millions who will be resurrected to
immortality. When Jesus Christ returns to the earth, all
true Christians who have died will be raised to eternal life
as immortal spirit beings. Those Christians who are alive at
the return of Jesus Christ will be changed instantaneously
from flesh to spirit. This transformation to spirit is the
new birth, when the saints of God—both dead and living—are
truly "born again" into the Family of God. All the saints
will be composed of spirit, as God is composed of spirit,
and will be full members of God's divine Family. They will
rule with Jesus Christ as kings and priests on the earth.
This resurrection is described in the Bible as the first
resurrection.
After the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ and His saints, there
will be a resurrection to physical life of all who have died
without having received the opportunity for salvation.
During this second physical life, each person will have his
or her first and only opportunity for salvation through
Jesus Christ. Those who fully accept the salvation of God
will enter into the Family of God as spirit beings. Those
who reject salvation through Jesus Christ will be condemned
to eternal death. They will be joined by all the
incorrigible wicked who have died throughout history, who
will also be resurrected to physical life. All who have
refused to accept salvation and have knowingly and willfully
committed the unpardonable sin— blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit of God the Father—will be resurrected to receive the
final judgment of God. Their sentence will be to die in the
lake of fire. This death is the second and final death, from
which there is no resurrection.
Scriptural References
I Ki. 17:17-24
John 11:20-44
Mark 5:35-42
I Cor. 15:3-4,20-23
Rom. 1:4
Heb. 2:9-10
John 5:28-29
I Cor. 15:23, 35-55
Rev. 20:4-6
Matt. 27:52-53
Rev. 20:11-12
Ez. 37:1-14
Rev. 20:11-15
II Pet. 3:10-12
Matt. 25:41-46
XXIV. Eternal Judgment
God is now judging every believer who has been called at this time.
God's judgment of each individual begins when God opens his
or her mind to understand God's way of life. With His love,
grace and mercy, God gives each one who yields to His Holy
Spirit the strength and the power to grow in love, faith and
grace and to overcome human nature, the world and Satan the
devil. God the Father holds each believer personally
responsible to grow in the knowledge of His Word and in the
spiritual stature and fullness of His Son Jesus Christ. If
the believer loves God with all the heart and is living in
faithful obedience to His Word, he or she will have the
righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to him or her as the
gift of God. The believer will then be judged as wholly
righteous and blameless before God the Father. All who
remain in this imputed righteousness of faith will be in the
first resurrection and will receive eternal life at the
return of Jesus Christ.
Those individuals through the ages who have had no opportunity for
salvation during their lifetime will be restored to physical
life in the second resurrection, which will take place after
the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ and the saints.
Everyone who is raised in the second resurrection will have
the same opportunity for salvation as those who were in the
first resurrection. Each one will be taught the way of
salvation and will have the opportunity to repent and to
accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the remission of
his or her sins. Each will be granted the same period of
time to choose God's way of salvation. This period, called
the Great White Throne Judgment, will apparently last for
100 years. During this time, all who learn to live in
accordance with God's will, growing in grace and in the
knowledge and character of Jesus Christ, will receive
eternal life.
By the end of this period of judgment, all those who have chosen
salvation will have entered into the
Kingdom of God as spirit sons of God. At that time, all who have rejected their
opportunity for salvation will be sentenced to the second
death—their eternal judgment. All the incorrigible wicked
from past ages who have committed the unpardonable sin,
willfully rejecting the salvation of God, will be
resurrected to physical life to join the living wicked in
receiving the sentence of the second death as their eternal
judgment. God will destroy all the incorrigible wicked at
the same time in the lake of fire. This is the second death
from which there is no resurrection.
Scriptural References
I Pet. 4:17
Mic. 4:1-4
Heb. 10:26-27
Rom. 2:16
Acts 10:42
Rev. 20:11-14
Rom. 14:10-12
II Pet. 2:9
Rev. 20:5-6
I Sam. 16:7
II Tim. 4:8
Ez. 37:12-14
XXV. Baptism of Fire
The baptism of fire is not a baptism to be sought by spiritually
begotten believers, as some teach, but a baptism that is
reserved for the incorrigible wicked. The Scriptures reveal
that the baptism of fire is the eternal destruction of the
wicked by immersion into the lake of fire and brimstone.
Those who are cast into the lake of fire will not be
tormented forever but will be burned up. This is the second
and permanent death and God's final judgment for the
unrepentant, who have committed the unpardonable sin by
willfully rejecting His way of salvation through Jesus
Christ. All who have hardened their hearts in their
iniquities and their rebellion against God and who have
committed the unpardonable sin by knowingly resisting and
blaspheming the Holy Spirit, making it impossible for them
to be led to repentance, are incorrigibly wicked and will be
destroyed together in the lake of fire.
Scriptural References
Matt. 3:11-12
Rev. 20:14-15
Mal. 4:1-3
Matt. 12:31-32
Rev. 21:8
XXVI. Clean and Unclean Meats
As Creator, God has provided not only plants but also animals to be
food for mankind. However, God did not create all animal
flesh to be eaten by human beings. Because God desires
mankind to sustain good health, He has revealed to mankind
which animal flesh He has specifically created for food.
This knowledge was made known from creation as shown in the
account of Noah and the Flood. In Leviticus 11 and
Deuteronomy 14, God clearly specified which meats are fit
for human consumption and which are not. The classification
of clean or unclean is easily identifiable by the
characteristics that God created in the animals. Any
warm-blooded mammal that has split hooves and chews the cud
is clean to eat. All other warm-blooded animals are unclean.
Of the creatures that live in the waters, only fish with
fins and scales are clean to eat; all others are unclean. Of
the fowl, God forbids eating the flesh of fowl that are
scavengers. All reptiles are unclean, as are all insects
except locusts, grasshoppers and certain beetles.
Contrary to the belief of many professing Christians, the New
Testament does not nullify God's laws of clean and unclean
meats. The dispute between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees in
Mark 7 was not about the eating of clean or unclean meats.
Rather, it concerned His disciples eating food with unwashed
hands. The vision that Peter saw which is recorded in Acts
10, was given to reveal that no human is to be called
"common or unclean". It was not a divine authorization to
change God's laws of clean and unclean meats.
The apostle Paul upheld the laws of clean and unclean meats as a
requirement for Christians. He described the meats that
Christians are permitted to eat as those "meats, which God
created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful,
even by those who know the truth [the Word of God is
Truth—John
17:17]" (I Tim.
4:3). Paul was clearly showing that some meats were created
to be eaten, and others were not created to be eaten. Paul
continued, "For every creature of God that He designated
for human consumption is good, and nothing to be
refused, if it is received with thanksgiving, because
it is sanctified [set apart] by the Word of God [as revealed
in the Scriptures] and prayer" (verse 4).
Scriptural References
Lev. 11:1-31
Deut. 14:3-20
Mark 7:1-16
Acts 10:1-28
I Tim. 4:3-5
Is. 66:17
Gen. 7:2; 8:20
