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CHRISTIAN
First and foremost, the Church of God is a determinedly Christian
church. It is built upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The
doctrines and practices of the church are based upon His teachings.
PROTESTANT
The Church of God is founded upon the principles of Protestantism,
although it is not a traditional follower of any specific leader of the
Protestant Reformation. The denomination stands firmly for justification
by faith, the priesthood of believers, the authority of the Bible,
religious freedom, and the separation of church and state. It stands
against abuses and extravagance of ecclesiastical ritualism and
dogmatism.
FOUNDATIONAL
The Church of God subscribes to the following five foundational
Christian doctrines:
The inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible.
The virgin birth and complete deity of Christ.
The atoning sacrifice of Christ's death for the sins of the world.
The literal resurrection of the body.
Christ's second coming in bodily form to earth.
EVANGELICAL
Evangelical is the term used to describe those who affirm the primary
doctrines revealed in the Scriptures. These doctrines include the
inspiration and authority of the Word of God; the Trinity; the deity and
virgin birth of Jesus Christ; salvation by faith in the atoning death of
Christ; His bodily resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the
Father; the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the second coming of Christ;
and the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ.
The Church of God has aligned itself with the basic statement of faith
of NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) the largest association of
Evangelicals in the USA. Members of NAE subscribe to a common statement
of faith. The Church of God can be described as positioned in the
mainstream of Evangelical Protestantism.
PENTECOSTAL
In 1896, many members of the Church of God experienced a spiritual
outpouring they identified as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because it
was so similar to the experience of the early Christians on the day of
Pentecost, it came to be called a Pentecostal experience, an enrichment
of the Christian life through the power of the Holy Spirit that
empowered believers to be effective witnesses of Christ. The principle
distinctive of the Church of God as a Pentecostal organization is its
belief in speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance
and that this is the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
CHARISMATIC
The charismata (Gk.) or gifts of the Spirit appeared early in the life
and ministry of the Church of God. The gifts can be divided into three
categories: the gifts of revelation, the gifts of power and the gifts of
utterance or inspiration. The gifts of revelation are the gifts of the
word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and the discerning of spirits. The
gifts of power are faith, miracles, and gifts of healing. The gifts of
utterance and inspiration are prophecy, tongues and interpretation. The
Holy Spirit bestows these gifts and those who accept the validity of
these gifts are called charismatic.
EVANGELISTIC
From its inception the Church of God has been a revival movement.
Evangelism has been in the forefront of all its activities. The church
has maintained an aggressive effort to take the message of Christ
throughout the world by all means and methods. Every program of the
church reflects an evangelistic attitude: revivalism, conferences,
worship services, teaching, preaching and its missionary efforts.
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