Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
—I Timothy 4:16
Bible
The Bible is the divinely, inspired word of God. The Church of God has no other creed or theology other than that which is taught in the Word of God in its entirety (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21).
Church of God
The body of Christ is composed of every blood-washed one. Salvation makes you a member of this divine institution of God that stands above the religious confusion of humanly-organized religion (Acts 2:47; 1 John 3:8–10). The roll book is kept in Heaven (Luke 10:20). Jesus Christ is the true, active head of the church on earth and in Heaven (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18). Christ is the foundation of the Church (1 Corinthians 3:11). The members in the body are not governed or placed by a board or committee but by God and His Son (Isaiah 9:6; 1 Corinthians 12:18,27–28).
Unity of God’s People
God has only one church (1 Corinthians 12:12–13,20) and He desires that there be unity and fellowship among His children (John 17:20–23, Galatians 3:28, Philippians 1:27). One must forsake the world and come out of Babylon (Revelation 18:2,4) to be in the unity of the Spirit and faith (Ephesians 4:4-6).
Relationship of Love
There is no greater doctrine of the Bible than that of love. Jesus confirmed that an individual is to love the Lord God with all of his heart, soul, mind, body, and strength. God created mankind for the purpose of having a relationship with him. Love is the foundation to the relationship with God that He seeks in humanity. Without a supreme love of God, all other doctrine and religious life will miss the mark. Love is the motivation and key to living acceptably to God. Love for God is manifested by obedience to God’s Word (John 14:23) and by loving others (Matthew 22:37–39, Mark 12:30–31).
Salvation from Sin
While all have sinned, Jesus Christ died on the cross that the power of sin might be broken in the hearts and lives of mankind. There is power through redemption to enable sin-free living on a daily basis. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). To live acceptably before God and to make Heaven, one must live without sin. There is a definite experience of salvation that all can have when they believe in Christ, repent of committed sin, and walk in newness of life. (Matthew 1:21; Romans 6; 1 John 3:3–10; 1 John 5:18a; John 5:14b; John 8:11b).
Infilling of the Holy Ghost
As it was on the day of Pentecost, there is a second work subsequent to justification (Acts 19:2) that every child of God must experience. The Holy Spirit wants to come into every justified individual and take up His abode. The Holy Ghost brings power to the lives of Christians to enable them to be the separate, called-out, holy people that God desires. The Holy Spirit is a sanctifier, comforter, purifier, and enabler. (Acts 2; Acts 15:8–9; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; John 14:16–20, 25-28). The witness of the Holy Spirit is the ability to live a consistent holy life (Romans 8:16; Galatians 5:22–24).
Gift of Tongues
The scriptural gift of tongues is the divine enablement to speak a foreign, human language to hearers of that native tongue (Acts 2:3–11). It is not the practice of speaking ecstatically without understanding.
Holiness
The Word of God teaches holiness in all manner of conversation—attitudes, meditations, motivations, actions, where one goes, how one dresses. Holiness must encompass the entire life — inward and outward. Without holiness, no man shall see God. This holiness does not come from man’s work but it is the work of God within man. Therefore, there is no place for ‘self-righteousness.’ Part of holiness is living humbly before God and man. (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Ephesians 4:24; Romans 6:22; Titus 2:11–12).
Modesty & Outward Adornment
A child of God must not be conformed to this world but rather be a reflection of humility, purity, and simplicity. The scripture teaches against the wearing of jewelry and worldly adornment. Children of God are to dress modestly, having their bodies covered. Holy women are to have long hair (1 Corinthians 11:14–15) and wear decent, gender appropriate clothing, i.e. dresses, skirts (1 Timothy 2:9–10, Deuteronomy 22:5).
Ordinances
Full Immersion Baptism (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 8:36–39); The Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26–30; 1 Corinthians 11:23–27); Feet Washing (John 13:14–17).
Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom but a spiritual kingdom that has been in existence since the coming of Jesus Christ. There will be no future kingdom on this earth. Children of God are experiencing the joy, blessings, and power in this life as kings and priests in the Kingdom of God (Luke 17:20–21; Romans 14:17; John 18:36).
End Times
At an unknown time, Christ will return to this earth as a thief in the night (Acts 1:9–11, 2 Peter 3:10–12). All people, the living and the dead, will stand before the judgment seat of God (2 Timothy 4:1,8; John 5:28–29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The righteous shall live in Heaven while the unrighteous shall live in Hell for eternity (Matt 25:31–46). The earth will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:7; Revelations 20:11–15).
Faith
The life and experience of a Christian should be based on faith and trust in God with regard to every aspect of living. Spiritual, financial, physical, and temporal dependency is to be on God and not man (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 5:1; John 20:31). Ministers are not salaried but rely on free-will offerings as the Lord provides (1 Peter 5:2–3; John 10:11,13).
Divine Physical Healing
Provision was made for divine physical healing when Christ shed his blood on the cross. Divine healing is not something of the past but it is still available for those who put their faith and trust in God. God still works miracles in the body as well as the soul (James 5:13–16; Isaiah 53:4–5).
Sanctity of Marriage
Marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24). A marriage union is binding for life in the eyes of God (1 Corinthians 7:10–11, 39). Whosoever divorces his wife and marries another commiteth adultery (Luke 16:18).
Sexuality and Gender
God created human beings as male and female (Genesis 1:27). A clear distinction between genders and their God given roles is to be honored. There are two Biblical options for sexual behavior: monogamous, marital relations between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-6; Hebrews 13:4), or sexual celibacy (1 Corinthians 7:2, 7-9; 1 Corinthians 6:18). Homosexual and transgender behavior is sin and an abomination to God (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Jude 1:7).
Worship
True worshipers will worship God in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23–24). Worship services of God’s people are not programmed but are led and ordered by the Spirit of the Lord. As was the practice of the early morning church and as the reformers also taught, musical instruments are not used in active worship service. Ministers are not formally trained but are called by God to preach the gospel under the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:7; 1 Corinthians 2:1–5).
Great Commission
The burden of Christ remains with His true children to ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel.’ (Mark 16:15) The purpose of the Church is not to settle down and enjoy the wealth of this world but to be the light of the world, to spread the good news of true salvation, and to show lost souls the love of God by good works (Matthew 5:14-16).