| "Thus it is
written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise
from the dead the third day; and that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of
these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father
upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be
endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:46-49).
"But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye
shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth" (Acts 1:8).
"Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).
"Neither is there
salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts
4:12)
"As we said before, so say
I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you
than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Galatians
1:9).
"And are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20).
"As I besought thee to
abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that
thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine"
(I Timothy 1:3).
"All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness"
(II Timothy 3:16).
The Bible
The Bible is the inspired Word
of God, giving a true history of the creation of heaven,
earth, and humanity and containing a correct prophecy of the
ages to come regarding heaven, earth, and the destiny of
humanity. Moreover, there is no salvation outside of what is
taught in its pages.
God
There is only one God
(Deuteronomy 6:4). He is the creator of heaven and earth,
and of all living beings. He has revealed Himself to
humanity as the Father (Creator), in the son (Savior), and
as the Holy Ghost (indwelling Spirit).
Father
God is a Spirit (John 4:24).
He is the Eternal One, the Creator of all things, and the
Father of all humanity by creation.
He is the First and the Last, and beside Him there is no God
(Isaiah 44:6).
There was no God formed before Him; neither shall be there
any after Him (Isaiah 43:10).
Son
Jesus is the Son of God
according to the flesh (Romans 1:3) and the very God Himself
according to the Spirit (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is the Christ
(Matthew 16:16); the creator of all things (Colossians
1:16-17); God with us (Matthew 1:23); God made flesh (John
1:1-14); God manifested in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16);He
which was, which is, and which is to come, the Almighty
(Revelation 1:8);the mighty God, everlasting Father, and
Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus Himself testified of His identity as God when He said,
"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:7-11)
and "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30).
It took shedding of blood for the remission of the sins of
the world (Hebrews 9:22), but God the Father was a Spirit
and had no blood to shed. Thus He prepared a body of flesh
and blood (Hebrews 10:5)and came to earth as a man in order
to save us, for in Isaiah 43:11 He said, "Beside me there is
no Saviour." When He came in flesh the angels sang, "For
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).
Holy Ghost
The Holy Ghost is not a third
person in the Godhead, but rather the Spirit of God (the
Creator), the Spirit of the resurrected Christ. The Holy
Ghost comes to dwell in the hearts and lives of everyone who
believes and obeys the gospel, as the comforter, Sustainer,
and keeper (John 14:16-26; Romans 8:9-11).
Sin
Sin is the transgression of
the law, or commandments of God (I John 3:4). The guilt of
sin has fallen upon all humanity from Adam until now (Romans
3:23). The wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23;
Revelation 20:14) to all those who refuse to accept
salvation as set forth in the Word of God.
Salvation
Salvation consists of
deliverance from all sin and unrighteousness through the
blood of Jesus Christ. The New Testament experience of
salvation consists of repentance from sin, water baptism in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, after which the Christian
is to live a godly life (Acts 2:36-41).
Water Baptism
Water baptism is an essential
part of New Testament salvation and not merely a symbolic
ritual. It is part of entering into the kingdom of God
(God's church, the bride of Christ), and therefore, it is
not merely a part of local church membership. (See John 3:5;
Galatians 3:27).
Mode of
Baptism
Water baptism is to be
administered only by immersion. Paul said, "We are buried
with him [Jesus Christ] by baptism (Romans 6:4; see
Colossians 2:12), Jesus came up "out of the water" (Mark
1:10), and Philip and the eunuch went down "into the water"
and came up "out of the water" (Acts 8:38-39).
Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection are applied to our
lives when we experience New Testament salvation: "Repent
[death to sin], and be baptized [burial] every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [resurrection]."
(See Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-7; 8:2).
Sprinkling, pouring, or infant baptism of any kind cannot be
substantiated by the Word of God, but are only human
traditions.
Formula for
Baptism
The name in which baptism is
administered is vitally important, and this name is Jesus.
Jesus' last command to His disciples was, "Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew
28:19). We should notice that He said name (singular) not
names. As previously explained, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
are not names of separate persons, but titles of positions
held by God. An angelic announcement revealed God's saving
name in the New Testament: "She shall bring forth a son, and
thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people
from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
The apostles understood that Jesus was the name to use at
baptism, and from the day that the church of God was
established (the Day of Pentecost) until the end of their
ministry, they baptized all nations (Jews--Acts 8:16;
Gentiles--Acts 19:5) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, Jesus is the only name given for our salvation.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved" (Acts 4:12).
Baptism of
the Holy Ghost
The baptism of the Holy Ghost
is the birth of the Spirit (John 3:5). This spiritual
baptism is necessary to put someone into the kingdom of God
(God's church, the bride of Christ) and is evidenced by
speaking in other tongues (other languages) as the Spirit of
God give utterance.
It was prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:28-29) and Isaiah (Isaiah
28:11), foretold by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11),
purchased by the blood of Jesus, and promised by Him to His
disciples (John 14:26; 15:16). The Holy Ghost was first
poured out on the Day of Pentecost upon the Jews (Acts
2:1-4), then upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:17), and later upon
the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-46; 19:6). "The promise is unto
you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39).
Tongues
- Speaking in other
tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance is the
manifestation God has given as the definite,
indisputable, supernatural witness or sign of the
baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6).
It was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as the rest and
the refreshing (Isaiah 28:11-12), foretold by Jesus as a
sign that would follow believers of the gospel (Mark
16:17), and experienced by Jews and Gentiles alike.
- The gift of "divers
kinds of tongues," mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians
12:1-12 and concerning which he gave regulations in I
Corinthians 14:1-40, is given by both for
self-edification (I Corinthians 14:4) and for the
edification of the church (I Corinthians 14:27-28).
In church meetings the gift of tongues is used to give a
public message, and it is to be interpreted. Since this
gift can be misused in public, it needs proper
regulation (I Corinthians 14:23-28). Not all believers
exercise the gift of tongues, which is different in
function from tongues given by God as the initial
witness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Paul said, "Forbid not to speak with tongues" (I
Corinthians 14:39) and "I thank my God, I speak with
tongues more than ye all" (I Corinthians 14:8). Who
dares to teach or preach to the contrary?
Speaking in tongues means
speaking miraculously in a language unknown to the speaker,
as the Spirit gives utterance. Tongues can be classified in
two ways, according to function: (1)speaking in other
tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy
Ghost and (2)the gift of tongues as mentioned in I
Corinthians.
Holiness
After we are saved from sin, we
are commanded, "Go, and sin no more" (John 8:11).
We are commanded to live soberly, righteously, and godly in
this present world (Titus 2:12) and warned that without
holiness no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
We must present ourselves as holy unto God (Romans 12:1),
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit (II Corinthians 7:1), and separate ourselves from all
worldliness (James 4:4).
If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly
and the sinner appear? (I Peter 4:18).
No one can live a holy life by his own power, but only
through the Holy Spirit. "Ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8).
Divine
Healing
God has made Himself known
through the ages by miraculous healings and has made special
provisions in the age of grace to heal all who will come to
Him in faith and obedience. Divine healing was purchased for
us by the blood of Jesus Christ, especially by His stripes
(Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; I Peter 2:24).
Jesus went everywhere healing those who were sick (Matthew
4:23-24), and He commanded His disciples to do the same
(Matthew 10:8). He said concerning those who believe the
gospel, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover" (Mark 16:18). Mighty healings and miracles followed
the disciples wherever the gospel was preached.
There is no sickness or disease too hard for God. Any of us,
our children, or our friends can be healed by the power of
God.
"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the
church; and let them pray over him , anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord shall raise him up: and if he have
committed sins they shall be forgiven him. Confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may
be healed" (James 5:14-16).
Second Coming of
Christ
Jesus Christ is coming back
to earth in bodily form, just as He went away (Acts 1:11).
He will catch away a holy people (His bride, His church) who
have accepted redemption through His blood, by birth of
water and of the Spirit, and who are found faithful when He
comes.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
"One shall be taken and the other left" (Luke 17:36). Will
we be ready?
The signs of His coming are everywhere. The days of peril
are here indeed, with forms of godliness void of the power
of God; society and politics corrupted; and people's hearts
filled with pride, blasphemies, unholiness, love of evil,
and love of pleasures (II Timothy 3:1-13). These things,
together with multitudes running to and fro, the increase of
knowledge (Daniel 12:4), the persecution of the Jews and
their return to Palestine (Luke 21:24), and scores of other
things are starting signs that Jesus' coming is drawing
near.
Wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, storms, floods,
distress of nations, perplexity, and people's hearts failing
them for fear are sounding the solemn alarm that Jesus'
coming is at hand (Matthew 24:6; Luke 21:25-28).
"Prepare to meet thy God" (Amos 4:12).
Resurrection
There will be a resurrection
of all the dead, both just and unjust.
"Marvel not this: for the hour is coming, in the which all
that are in graves shall hear his voice, and shall come
forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of
life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation" (John 5:28-29).
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God . . .
and the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and
hell delivered up the dead which were in them" (Revelation
20:12-13)> (See also Daniel 12:2; I Corinthians 15:13-23.)
Judgment
"It is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
For this reason there will be a resurrection for everyone.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad"
(II Corinthians 5:10).
The eternal destiny of every soul shall be determined by a
just God who knows the secrets of everyone's heart. "And
before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his
sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his
right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King
say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world. . . .Then shall he also say unto
them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. . .
. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but
the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:32-34, 41, 46).
* * *
The law-the Word of God
The judge-the righteous God
To be judged-our souls
What will the sentence be?
* * *
Life's opportunities past!
Reaping day at last!
Two verdicts pend:
Life or death!
The following
references show plainly that speaking in tongues as the
evidence of the Holy Ghost has been given by God to earnest,
God-fearing people down through the years.
Scaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of
Religious Knowledge, vol. 3, page 2369, "Tongues, Gift of":
"A phenomenon of the Apostolic age, technically known as the
'glossolalia.' In later time analogies have been found for
it in the 'speaking in tongues' of the Camisards, Prophets
of the Cevennes, Early Quakers and Methodists, 'Lasare' in
Sweden (1841-1843), converts in the Irish revival of 1859,
and particularly in the Catholic Apostolic (Irvingite)
Church."
Scaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of
Religious Knowledge, vol. 2, page 1119, "Irving, Edward":
"In 1830 the news was spread abroad of the strange speaking
with tongues which occurred in widely separated parts of
Scotland. In 1831 prophecy and tongues appeared in Irving's
church and Irving fell in with the movement, heartily
convinced of its spiritual basis and divine authority."
Scaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of
Religious Knowledge, vol. 1, page 422, "Catholic Apostolic
Church": "Pious Presbyterian men and women believed that
their organs of speech were used by the Holy Spirit for the
utterance of His thoughts and attentions."
Encyclopaedia Britannica, New
Werner Edition, vol. 4, page 749, "Camisards": "Speaking in
tongues, accompanied by all kinds of miracles, was common
among the Camisards and Cevennes of Southern France in the
18th century. Children, under the influence of supernatural
power, spoke and prophesied in languages unknown to them."
Encyclopaedia of Religion and
Ethics, edited by James Hastings, vol. 7, page 424: "In 1831
the gift of tongues and prophecy appeared, it was believed
in answer to fervent prayer, among the members of Irving's
congregation."
Butler, Christian
Denominations of the World, "Edward Irving (1792-1834)": "He
proclaimed his conviction that the gifts of the Holy Ghost,
such as tongues, healing, etc., were withheld only because
of the want of faith, and ere long there were several
persons in his church who claimed the gift of tongues."
Abingdon Bible Commentary,
page 1190: "Scottish peasants spoke in tongues."
Webster's New International
Dictionary, 2nd edition, page 1056, "Gift of Tongues": "A
phenomenon experienced by some of the Christian of New
Testament times, the nature of which seems to have been a
kind of ecstatic utterance usually unintelligible to the
hearers and even to the speakers, therefore requiring
interpretation; glossolalia. Similar phenomena have in
modern times been experienced by some of the early Friends,
Jansenists, Methodists, etc."
*Taken from the Word Aflame
Press Tract "The Apostles' Doctrine" #6103
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Biblical
Expressions of Worship
The Way
We Worship
- We pray together
aloud because in the Bible we read, "They lifted
up their voice to God with one accord" (Acts
4:24).
- We lift our
hands in praise because in the Bible we read,
"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless
the Lord" (Psalm 134:2).
- We sing with all
our hearts because in the Bible we read, "Make a
joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make
a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise"
(Psalm 98:4).
- We play musical
instruments because in the Bible we read, "And
all the house of Israel played before the LORD
on all manner of instruments" (2 Samuel 6:5).
- We clap and
shout unto God because in the Bible we read, "O
clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God
with the voice of triumph" (Psalm 47:1).
- We dance before
the LORD because in the Bible we read, "Praise
Him with the timbrel and dance: praise Him with
stringed instruments and organs" (Psalm 150:4).
- We testify
publicly because in the Bible we read, "I will
declare thy name unto my brethren; in the midst
of the congregation will I praise thee" (Psalm
22:22).
- We anoint with
oil for divine healing because in the Bible we
read, "Is any sick among you? Let him call for
the elders of the church; and let them pray over
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord" (James 5:14).
- We allow the
operation of the spiritual gifts because in the
Bible we read, "When ye come together, every one
of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a
tongue, hath a revelation, hath an
interpretation" (1 Corinthians 14:26).
Taken
from the Word Aflame Press tract "The Way We
Worship" - #6602
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