Associated Gospel Churches (AGC)

Articles of Faith And Doctrine

(1983; identical in use Sept 99)

Statement of Faith

National Conference June, 1996

To be interpreted as expressed in and according to the Natural and Literal meaning of the respective passages of the Word of God referred to under each Article.

(Contemporary Wording)

Note: This is for popular circulation only and is intended to be interpreted in light of the official Statement of Faith and Doctrine of the AGC.

I. The Divine Authority and Plenary Inspiration of the whole Canonical Scriptures.

We believe that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," by which we understand that the whole of the book called the Bible is inspired in the sense that the Holy Ghost gave the identical words of the sacred writings of the holy men of old, chosen by Him to be the channel of His revelation to man. 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:21; Acts 1:16; 2:4; Mark 12:26-36 1 Cor. 2:13

We believe that the Bible is God speaking in man's language, and in the original writings is exactly as He gave it, word for word without any error whatsoever. It has been preserved by God to be the authoritative standard for every age and every life.

II. The Trinity of the Godhead

We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence and obedience. Gen. 1:26; 3:22; 11:6-8; John 1:1-4; Isa. 63:8-10; Acts 5:3+4; Matt. 28:19-20; 2 Cor.13:14; Mark 12:29; Rev. 1:4-6; Heb. 1:1-3

We believe that God exists in three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that these three are eternal and are one. We also believe that God is the sole Creator of the universe.

III. The Deity and the Virgin Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ

We believe in the essential Deity and the Virgin Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and that all the Scriptures from first to last centre about Him, His Person and work, His sacrificial death upon the Cross and His coming again. Isa. 7:14 John 5:39 Matt. 1:18-23 Acts 1:11; 17:2+3; 18:28; Luke 1:35; Acts 26:22+23; 28:23

We believe that Jesus Christ in the flesh was both God and man, that He was born of a virgin and that He lived a sinless life, in which He taught and did mighty works and signs exactly as revealed in the four gospels. We believe that He was crucified, dying as a penalty for our sins and was bodily raised from the dead on the third day as the scriptures declare. Later, He ascended to heaven where He is Head of the Church and intercedes for believers. From there He will come again personally and bodily and visibly to this earth to set up an earthly kingdom, afterward to reign forever as King in His universe.

IV. The Personality, Deity and Present Mission of The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Personality-The third Person of the Trinity-who is now, throughout this age of Grace, here present in the true Church, having been sent for the express purpose of revealing Christ Jesus to the members of the Church, that they may be comforted, instructed, and built up in their most holy faith, and to the world that sinners may be convicted of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. John 7:38+39; 14:16+17; 15:26; 16:13-15; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4

We believe that God exists in three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that these three are eternal and are one. We also believe that God is the sole Creator of the universe.

V. The Fall of Man

We believe that man, originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, fell from his high and holy estate through disobedience, by eating the forbidden fruit, and in consequence, the threatened penalty of death was then and there inflicted, so that he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and subject to the power of the devil. Gen.1:26; 2:17 Eph.2:1-3; Isa.64:6; 1Tim.5:6; John 5:40; 6:53; 1 John 3:8

We believe that all are sinners and are guilty before God, and as such are worthy of both physical and spiritual death.

VI The Total Depravity of Man

We believe that this spiritual death, or total corruption of human nature, has been uansmitted to the entire race of man, the man Christ Jesus alone excepted; and hence that every child of Adam is born into the world with a sinful nature. Gen.6:5; Jer.17:9; Psa.14:1-3; 51:5; John 3:6; Rom.5:12-19

We believe that since in His death the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied all the demands of God's law, redeeming mankind by shedding His blood and assuming our curse, men and women can have a just standing before God. That is, they can become true Christians. The single basis for this standing is the death of Jesus Christ and an individual's personal faith in Him.

VII. Salvation by Grace through Faith

We believe that sinners are saved by Grace through Faith alone and that not of themselves, it is the gift of God, not of works. We further believe that every saved person is justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. Acts 13:39 Rom.5:1; Eph.2:8+9; Titus 2:11-14

We believe that salvation with its forgiveness of sins, includes the receiving of a new nature and the assurance of eternal life. It is entirely apart from good works such as baptism or church membership, but is purely by God's grace.

VIII The Atonement by the Blood of Christ

We believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin, and made a curse for us, dying in our room and stead, a Sacrifice acceptable to God and effectual for every sinner who receives Him. Lev.17:11; Matt.26:28; John 1:12; Rom.5:6-9; Gal.3:13; Eph.1:7; 1 Pet.1:18-19; 2:24; 2 Cor.5:21

IX. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit

We believe that, owing to the universal depravity and death in sin, no one can see or enter the kingdom of God unless born of the Spirit whereby he becomes a new creation, sealed unto the day of Redemption. John 3:5-8; Gal.6:15; Eph.1:13; Tit.3:5; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet.1:23; 1 John 5:1

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, that He is God and has all the attributes of God. We also believe that He lives in all believers and that by His ministry every Christian is made to be part of God's eternal family, is marked off as truly God's possession, and is specifically and uniquely gifted for Christian service. The Holy Spirit also fills or empowers the believer, in response to confession of sin and yieldedness, then He teaches and guides the believer for effective Christian service.

X. The Believer's security and Assurance

We believe in the Eternal Security of all who are actually born again by the Spirit of God through faith in Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, and that it is the privilege of all such to be assured of their present salvation and eternal safety. John 10:28+29; 2 Tim.1:12; Rom.8:33-39; John 5:4; Phil.1:6

We believe that a true believer cannot ever forfeit his standing with God. However, sin may interrupt the joy of his fellowship with God and bring the discipline of a loving Heavenly Father.

XI. Sanctification

We believe that the members of the body of Christ are sanctified ones; are perfected as to their standing forever by the one offering of the blood of Christ, and are one with Christ in sanctification. As to their state, they may be sanctified with the constant washing of water by the Word by the blood of Christ, and by the inworking presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Gal.5:16-25; Eph.4:22-24; John 17:17-19; Rom.15:16; 1 Cor.6:11; Eph.5: 25-27; Heb.2:11; 10:10; 13:12; I John 1:7-9; Jude 1

We believe that all genuine believers are together part of the true Church, which in scripture is referred to as the body of Christ, and that a local church is intended to be a visible expression of this body.

Xll. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit

We believe that when the Holy Spirit came upon the whole company of believers on the Day of Pentecost as promised by Christ, they were collectively baptized into one body, which was the formation of the Church, the Body of Christ. Since that time this baptism occurs individually at the moment of salvation, at which time the believer is also indwelt by the Spirit. We believe that the New Testament distinguishes between being indwelt by the Spirit, which is true of all believers, and being filled with the Spirit, which is the believer's privilege and duty, producing power in Christian witness. There is one baptism with the Spirit, and it is into the Body of Christ, but there are many fillings. Pentecost is an historical event and is not repeated. John 14:15-18; 1 Cor. 3:16; Romans 8:9; Matt. 3:11; I Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:4, Acts 4:8-31; Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 5:18

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XIII The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to the Church to glorify Christ in the building of His body. We believe that God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of His gifts for the perfecting of the saints for the work of their ministry, and that it is not God's will that any one gift should be given to all believers, although all believers have at least one gift. We further believe that whenever spiritual gifts are exercised, they will always be within the limits expressly given in the scriptures. We believe that speaking in tongues and the working of miracles were sign gifts demonstrated in the early church to authenticate God's revelation through the apostles, and to authenticate the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but no such signs give evidence of the baptism today, nor do they appear as a mark of spiritual maturity or of the filling of the Spirit. We believe that special Divine revelation for authoritative Scripture ceased with the Apostolic age. I Cor.12:4-11; 2 Cor.3:18; Rom. 12:3-8; Acts 2:11; I Cor.12:4-11,13; I Cor. 12:18-21, 29, 30; I Cor.14:6-15, 22; Hebrews 2:3+4; 2 Cor.12:12; Acts 10:44-48; Rev. 22:18-29; Eph. 2:20; Gal. 1:8+9; John 14:26; Article 1.

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XIV. The Unity of the True Church in the Mystical Body of Christ

We believe that the Church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit to the risen and ascended Son of God, and that by the same Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, thus being members one of another and knit together in love. Rom.12:5; Eph.4:3-10; 1 Cor.12:12-27; Col. 2:19

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XV. The Pre-Millennial Coming of our Lord

We believe this present age will end with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, first to receive His church unto Himself, and then to establish the throne of David upon the earth and to reign in righteousness over it for a thousand years. 2 Sam. 7:16; Ps.72:7+8; Isa.9:6-7; Micah 5:2; Luke 1:32-33; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:10-11; 1 Thess.4:13-18; Heb.9:28; Titus 2:13

We believe that Christians who die, depart to be with Christ in conscious blessedness. Someday Jesus will come again and take away His living people from the earth. Then, all Christians will have glorified bodies similar to His resurrected body and share in His glory. They will reign with Him forever.

XVI. The Resurrection of the Body

We believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, according to the Scriptures, in bodily form, and thus became the firstfruits of them that sleep; that upon His return He will raise out from among the dead those that have died in Christ, this being the first resurrection; and that, after the thousand years, He will raise them that have died in unbelief from their graves to receive their sentence. Ps.90:3+4; Isa.26:19; Dan.12:2; Rev.20:5-6; John 5:28-29; 1 Cor.15 Rom.1:4; 8:23

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XVII. The Eternal Blessedness of the Saved, and the Eternal Punishment of the Lost

We believe that the attitude either of reconciliation or enmity toward God is fixed eternally at death, and that the saints of all the ages will be forever with the Lord and will become joint heirs with Him as their Redeemer in His inheritance. We further believe that there is an appointed day for the judgment of the Wicked when they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, there to remain for ever and ever, in varying degrees of torment according to their works. Dan.12:3; 7:22-27; 1 Thess.4:17; Rom. 8:17; 2 Peter 2:9; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:8; 22:11

We believe that those who refuse the offer of God's gracious gift of salvation are doomed to suffer eternal conscious separation from Him.

XVIII. The Personality of Satan

We believe that Satan is a person, the Father of lies, a murderer from the beginning and the great deceiver of all the nations; that he will be overcome by the Lord Jesus Christ as the seed of the woman and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, and finally committed to the Lake of Fire with all his angels to be tormented forever and ever. Job 1:6-12; John 8:44; Rev.20:1-3,7-10; 2 Cor.11:13-15; Eph.6:12-16; Gen.3:15

We believe that Satan is a personality, the arch enemy of God and our defeated foe.

XIX. Divine Healing of the Body

We believe that Divine healing of the body is not in the Atonement in the sense that Salvation and forgiveness of sins are in the atonement. The suffering and death of Christ according to the New Testament was substitutionary, penal and vicarious. It is nowhere taught in Scripture that Christ died for the effects of sin but for sin, and sickness is directly or indirectly the effect of sin. Romans 4:25; I Cor.15:3; 2 Cor.5:21; I Peter 2:24; 3:18.

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XX. Baptism

We believe that our Lord and Saviour clearly prescribed for His believing disciples the simple rite of Baptism by immersion as a symbol and proclamation of the sinner's death to sin and his resurrection in newness of life in Christ Jesus. Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12

We believe that salvation with its forgiveness of sins, includes the receiving of a new nature and the assurance of eternal life. It is entirely apart from good works such as baptism or church membership, but is purely by God's grace.

XXI. The Lord's Supper

We believe that our Lord and Saviour clearly prescribed for His believing disciples the solemn rite of the Lord's Supper as a memorial of the Lord's death to be kept by His disciples until He comes again, according to His promise and the Father's revealed plan. Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-27.

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