What we Believe

A distinguishing mark of the Church of God is that we have never issued a formal belief statement and the church holds no formal creed. There is a great diversity of convictions and practices within the Church of God. Each church as well as each church member has differences, but we share a common story of faith, growing together into the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). We worship and serve as citizens of God’s Kingdom.

We celebrate our life in Christ and accept our call to be His body in His world that we now live in-all to bring glory to God. We can never put into a short document all that we are taught in the Bible, the inspired and authoritative Word of God, but these beliefs and principles reflect the heart of the church:

Beliefs

Salvation makes us members of God’s church. We believe the church is composed of every person who has accepted Jesus as Savior. We enter into the life of the church, not by joining a denomination or human organization, but by committing our lives to Christ and participating in the local church. (John 3:1-7)

Christians are called to be one. We believe that God calls all followers of Christ to live in unity and peace, regardless of who they are or the church they attend (Galatians 3:28). While we may not agree on everything, we can rally around our subject, Jesus.

We must be holy. We believe that followers of Christ have been called to live a life of love, purity, and godliness. We are called to live like Christ, taking on a new nature. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Principles

Jesus is Lord. There is one Lord, who is God’s Son Jesus Christ, over the church. Christ is the church’s ultimate authority on all matters (Acts 2:36)

Making disciples. Each of us is called to fulfill Matthew 28:18-20, making fully devoted followers of Christ-disciples-who will then teach others to follow Christ.

Loving God and neighbor. We are called to fulfill Matthew 22:37-39, not only loving God with our entire being, but also loving all that He loves.

The work of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit equips believers with unique gifts that enable us to carry out the mission of Christ in the world. At the same time, the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in every believer (Galatians 5:22-23), which demonstrates the Spirit’s presence within us.

Stewardship. Since God is the source of life, all of life is to be used to honor, glorify, and serve Him (Psalm 24:1).

If you want a more thorough treatment of some of these beliefs and principles, or even if you’re just curious about the Church of God, check out: jesusisthesubject.org/our-beliefs