Statement of Faith
The Southlawn Church of God General Conference advocates:
- there is ONE God, the Creator of all things, the Father of Jesus and all mankind (1 Cor. 8:6)
- that the Holy Spirit is God’s power (Acts 1:8)
- Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son (Matt. 16:16), and is our Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5)
- the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16)
- the mortality of man (Job 4:17; Psa. 146:4)
- the near return of Christ (Acts 1:11), and life only through Him (Col. 3:3)
- the literal resurrection of the dead (John 5:28, 29)
- the immortality of those resurrected in Christ (1 Cor. 15:53, 54)
- the destruction of the wicked (Rev. 21:8)
- the final restoration of Israel as the Kingdom of God under the kingship of Christ (Luke 1:32)
- the church to be joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17), and Israel to be made head over Gentile nations (Isa. 60:13)
- the “restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21)
- it also firmly advocates repentance and immersion in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), and a consecrated life as essential to salvation (Heb. 12:14)
Think about it!
A CONSTANT DANGER: It would be entirely possible to read our statement of faith and assume it's the same as every other church. Most people - many Christians included - have no idea that Christian doctrine is changing all the time. For instance, before the New Testament was even completed the Apostle Paul told the believers at Galatia he was "astonished they had so quickly turned to another gospel - which was really no gospel at all." He warned the young pastor Timothy that preachers would "tickle people's ears" and people would not "hold" to the truth.
The SOLUTION: The Apostle told Timothy to "Preach the Word" - stick to the scriptures. He mentioned the believers at Thessalonica "studied the scriptures daily" to see whether the things they were being taught were truly in accord with the Word of God. He told the believers at Corinth to hold to the word he had preached or else their belief was in vain! He told the believers at Galatia that if anyone - even if an ANGEL - appeared and preached a different Gospel let them be cursed by God!
BE SURE! We can BE SURE we are saved, and not being deceived, by judging every teaching we hear by the Word of God. The Bible is the most precious, valuable and important possession of mankind, for it reveals God's wonderful plan of salvation. We can be sure of what teachings the Prophets, the Apostles and Jesus Himself taught - because they are carefully and accurately presented to us in the Bible.
I made the point that doctrine is always changing. Each person who comes into the church (any church) brings his or her own ideas, notions, opinions and interpretations. We all do, including every teacher and pastor. If preachers and teachers don't vigilantly and continually subject their own ideas to the Word, and if listeners don't do the same - the teachings of that church stray from the teachings of God's Word. The strongest case I can make for this is this billboard on 131 near 44th street at Easter time this past year (2017). Even if the pastor at GRFIRST has begun preaching that God died, every member of that church should have rose in opposition and corrected him by God's holy and unchanging Word. But they didn't probably because this has become the POPULAR message of Christianity in the past few years.
The SOLUTION: The Apostle told Timothy to "Preach the Word" - stick to the scriptures. He mentioned the believers at Thessalonica "studied the scriptures daily" to see whether the things they were being taught were truly in accord with the Word of God. He told the believers at Corinth to hold to the word he had preached or else their belief was in vain! He told the believers at Galatia that if anyone - even if an ANGEL - appeared and preached a different Gospel let them be cursed by God!
BE SURE! We can BE SURE we are saved, and not being deceived, by judging every teaching we hear by the Word of God. The Bible is the most precious, valuable and important possession of mankind, for it reveals God's wonderful plan of salvation. We can be sure of what teachings the Prophets, the Apostles and Jesus Himself taught - because they are carefully and accurately presented to us in the Bible.
I made the point that doctrine is always changing. Each person who comes into the church (any church) brings his or her own ideas, notions, opinions and interpretations. We all do, including every teacher and pastor. If preachers and teachers don't vigilantly and continually subject their own ideas to the Word, and if listeners don't do the same - the teachings of that church stray from the teachings of God's Word. The strongest case I can make for this is this billboard on 131 near 44th street at Easter time this past year (2017). Even if the pastor at GRFIRST has begun preaching that God died, every member of that church should have rose in opposition and corrected him by God's holy and unchanging Word. But they didn't probably because this has become the POPULAR message of Christianity in the past few years.
This idea that GOD DIED - or could die, would be abominable to any Old Testament Jew or any New Testament Christian. This is, in fact, a different Gospel than that presented in the Bible. Remember when Jesus rose from the dead? He said to Mary, (John 20:17)
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."
You see, on Good Friday we solemnly remember the death of Jesus Christ - the Son of God. But HIS Father, and HIS God did not die!!! The Father of Jesus - and OUR Father - CANNOT die! HE IS ETERNAL. 1 Timothy 1:17 states:
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
There is a God who cannot die! He is the Father and God of Jesus Christ. This is the teaching of the entire Bible, the teaching of Jesus Christ, and the teaching of the early Church...before it strayed from God's holy, inspired Word and began teaching a different gospel.
There are literally hundreds of scriptures that clearly back up the point I am making. Even in the chapter just cited God's Word says (1 Tim. 1:5):
"There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus."
These are the most important facts of the Gospel of Salvation, and of the entire Bible:
• There is ONE God (this belief separated the Jews from all other nations, and Christianity from all other religions)
• "God so LOVED the world that He gave His SON that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!"
• Jesus DIED on a cross for our sins, but GOD raised him from the dead!
• Jesus is at the 'right hand' of God, interceding for those who are being saved through him!
• Jesus will one day return to bring salvation for all those who are looking for His return!
No one can "EXPERIENCE THE DAY GOD DIED"! It didn't happen. It couldn't happen. It is a "different gospel, and in fact no gospel at all." The very idea of the death of God is abhorrent beyond any other teaching we could hold.
So take a closer look at our "Statement of Faith." You will see that the truths we hold are simply direct quotations of the Bible - not our interpretations or explanations of scripture. Here's a great text (Hebrews 9:27):
"Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many, and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Are you ready?
-- Pastor Richard
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."
You see, on Good Friday we solemnly remember the death of Jesus Christ - the Son of God. But HIS Father, and HIS God did not die!!! The Father of Jesus - and OUR Father - CANNOT die! HE IS ETERNAL. 1 Timothy 1:17 states:
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
There is a God who cannot die! He is the Father and God of Jesus Christ. This is the teaching of the entire Bible, the teaching of Jesus Christ, and the teaching of the early Church...before it strayed from God's holy, inspired Word and began teaching a different gospel.
There are literally hundreds of scriptures that clearly back up the point I am making. Even in the chapter just cited God's Word says (1 Tim. 1:5):
"There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus."
These are the most important facts of the Gospel of Salvation, and of the entire Bible:
• There is ONE God (this belief separated the Jews from all other nations, and Christianity from all other religions)
• "God so LOVED the world that He gave His SON that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!"
• Jesus DIED on a cross for our sins, but GOD raised him from the dead!
• Jesus is at the 'right hand' of God, interceding for those who are being saved through him!
• Jesus will one day return to bring salvation for all those who are looking for His return!
No one can "EXPERIENCE THE DAY GOD DIED"! It didn't happen. It couldn't happen. It is a "different gospel, and in fact no gospel at all." The very idea of the death of God is abhorrent beyond any other teaching we could hold.
So take a closer look at our "Statement of Faith." You will see that the truths we hold are simply direct quotations of the Bible - not our interpretations or explanations of scripture. Here's a great text (Hebrews 9:27):
"Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many, and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Are you ready?
-- Pastor Richard