16 Fundamental Truths

From the beginning, the leaders of the Assemblies of God saw the need to determine some fundamental norms. The sixteen doctrinal norms that we have today are essentially the same Fundamental Truths that were established in 1916.

16 FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS

The Bible is our sufficient rule of faith and conduct. This Statement of fundamental truths is meant simply to be a basis for fellowship among us (eg, let us all speak the same thing, 1 Corinthians 1:10, Acts 2:42). The phraseology used in this statement is neither inspired nor disputed, but the truth that is presented is considered essential for a full gospel ministry. It is not claimed that this statement contains all the biblical truth, only that it encompasses our need for these fundamental doctrines.

  1. The inspiration of the Scriptures

The Scriptures, both the Old and the New Testaments, are verbally inspired by God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible and authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3: 15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).

  1. The only true God

The only true God has revealed himself as the eternal existent in himself “I AM”, the Creator of heaven and earth and Redeemer of humanity. It has also revealed itself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6: 4, Isaiah 43: 10,11, Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:22).

THE ADORABLE DEITY

(a) Definition of words

The words trinity and people, as they relate to Deity, although not found in the Bible, are words that are in harmony with it, therefore we can communicate to others our immediate understanding of the doctrine of Christ regarding the Being of God, as distinguished from “many gods and many lords.” Therefore we can speak properly of the Lord our God, who is one Lord, as a Trinity or as a Being of three persons, without departing from the biblical teachings (as an example, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14: 16,17).

(b) Distinction and relationship in the Deity

Christ taught a distinction of persons in the Godhead that He expressed in specific terms of relationship, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but that this distinction and relationship, as far as its form is concerned, is inscrutable and incomprehensible, for the Bible does not explains (Luke 1:35, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Matthew 11: 25-27, 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 John 1: 3, 4).

(c) Unity of the Only Being of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

Therefore, in the same way, there is that in the Father who constitutes him Father and not Son; there is that in the Son who constitutes him Son and not Father; and there is that in the Holy Spirit who constitutes it Holy Spirit and not Father or Son. So the Father is the Begetter; the Son is the Begotten; and the Holy Spirit is the one that comes from the Father and the Son. So, because these three people of the Godhead are in a state of oneness, there is one Lord Almighty God and has only one name (John 1:18, 15:26, 17:11, 21, Zechariah 14: 9) .

(d) Identity and cooperation in the Deity

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not identical as far as a person is concerned; nor are they confused as to relationship; nor are they divided as to the Deity; neither opposite in terms of cooperation. The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son in relationship. The Son is with the Father and the Father is with the Son, as to fellowship. The Father does not come from the Son, but the Son comes from the Father, as far as authority is concerned. The Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son, in terms of nature, relationship, cooperation and authority. Therefore, none of the persons of the Deity exists or operates separately or independently of the others (John 5: 17-30,32,37; 8: 17,18).

(e) The title Lord Jesus Christ

The title Lord Jesus Christ is a proper name. In the New Testament it never applies to the Father or the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it belongs exclusively to the Son of God (Romans 1: 1-3,7; 2 John 3).

(f) The Lord Jesus Christ, God with us

The Lord Jesus Christ, in regard to his divine and eternal nature, is the true and only begotten Son of the Father, but as far as his human nature is concerned, he is the true Son of Man. Therefore, he is recognized as God and man; who, being God and man, is “Emmanuel”, God with us (Matthew 1:23, 1 John 4: 2,10,14, Revelation 1: 13,17).

(g) The title Son of God

Being that the name Immanuel embraces the divine and the human, in one person, our Lord Jesus Christ, the title Son of God describes his due deity, and the title Son of Man his due humanity. So the title Son of God belongs to the order of eternity, and the title Son of Man to the order of time (Matthew 1: 21-23, 2 John 3, 1 John 3: 8, Hebrews 7: 3, 1: 1-13)

(h) Transgression of the doctrine of Christ

Therefore, it is a transgression of the doctrine of Christ to say that the Lord Jesus derived the title of Son of God only from the fact of the incarnation, or by its relation to the economy of redemption. So to deny that the Father is a true and eternal Father and that the Son is a true and eternal Son is to deny the distinction and relationship in the Being of God; a denial of the Father and the Son; and a substitution of the truth that Jesus Christ was made flesh (2 John 9; John 1: 1,2,14,18,29,49; 1 John 2: 22,23; 4: 1-5; Hebrews 12: 2 ).

(i) Exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord

The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, after cleansing us of sin with his blood, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, holding fast to angels, principalities, and powers. After being made Lord and Christ, he sent the Holy Spirit so that in the name of Jesus he would bend over and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Lord for the glory of God the Father until the end, when the Son is subject to the Father so that God be all in all (Hebrews 1: 3, 1 Peter 3:22, Acts 2: 32-36, Romans 14:11, 1 Corinthians 15: 24-28).

(j) Equal honor for the Father and the Son

Being that the Father has given the Son all judgment, it is not only a duty of all in heaven and on earth to bow down before Him, but it is an unspeakable joy in the Holy Spirit to ascribe to the Son all the attributes of the deity and render Him all the honor and glory contained in all the names and titles of the Deity except those that denote relationship (see paragraphs b, c and d), thus honoring the Son as the Father is honored (John 5: 22,23, 1 Peter 1 : 8, Revelation 5: 6-14, Philippians 2: 8,9, Revelation 7: 9,10, 4: 8-11).

  1. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Bible declares:

(a) His virgin birth (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1: 31,35).

(b) His life without sin (Hebrews 7:26, 1 Peter 2:22).

(c) His miracles (Acts 2:22, 10:38).

(d) His vicarious work on the cross (1 Corinthians 15: 3, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

(e) His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28: 6, Luke 24:39, 1 Corinthians 15: 4).

(f) His exaltation at the right hand of God (Acts 1: 9, 11, 2:33, Philippians 2: 9-11, Hebrews 1: 3).

  1. The fall of man

Man was created good and just; because God said: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.” However, the human being by his own will fell into transgression, incurring not only physical but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3: 6; Romans 5 : 12-19).

  1. The salvation of man

The only hope of redemption for man is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

(a) Conditions for salvation. Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Man becomes the son and heir of God according to the hope of eternal life through the washing of regeneration, the renewal of the Holy Spirit and justification by grace through faith (Luke 24:47, John 3: 3; Romans 10: 13-15, Ephesians 2: 8, Titus 2:11, 3: 5-7).

(b) Evidence of salvation. The internal evidence of salvation is the direct testimony of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The external evidence before all men is a life of justice and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24, Titus 2:12).

  1. The ordinances of the church

(a) Water baptism. The Scriptures establish the ordinance of water baptism by immersion. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord must be baptized. In this way they declare before the world that they have died with Christ and that they have been resurrected with Him to walk in new life (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 10:47, 48, Romans 6: 4).

(b) Holy communion. The Lord’s Supper, which consists of the participation of the Eucharistic species-the bread and the fruit of the vine-is the symbol that expresses our participation in the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1: 4); a reminder of his sufferings and death (1 Corinthians 11:26); and a prophecy of his second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26); and a mandate for all believers “until he comes!”

  1. The baptism in the Holy Spirit

All believers have the right to receive and must fervently seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal and common experience of the entire first Christian church. With baptism comes an endowment of power for life and service and the granting of spiritual gifts and their use in ministry (Luke 24:49, Acts 1: 4, 8, 1 Corinthians 12: 1-31). This experience is different from that of the new birth and subsequent to it (Acts 8: 12-17; 10: 44-46; 11: 14-16; 15: 7-9). With baptism in

Holy Spirit the believer receives experiences such as being filled with the Spirit (John 7: 37-39, Acts 4: 8), a deeper reverence for God (Acts 2:43, Hebrews 12:28), a more intense consecration to God and dedication to his work (Acts 2:42) and a more active love for Christ, for his Word and for the lost (Mark 16:20).

  1. The initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit

The baptism of the believers in the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the initial physical sign of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit directs them (Acts 2: 4). Speaking in tongues in this case is essentially the same as the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12: 4-10, 28), but it is different in purpose and use.

  1. Sanctification

Sanctification is an act of separation from all evil, and dedication to God (Romans 12: 1, 2, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 13:12). The Bible prescribes a life of “holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit we can obey the command that says: “Be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15, 16).

Sanctification takes place in the believer when he recognizes his identity with Christ in his death and resurrection, and by faith intends to live each day in this union with Christ, and submits all his faculties to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6: 1). -11, 13; 8: 1, 2, 13; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:12, 13; 1 Peter 1: 5).

  1. The Church and its mission

The Church is the body of Christ, the dwelling place of God by the Holy Spirit, with the divine commission to carry out his great commission. Every believer, born of the Holy Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the firstborn, who are inscribed in heaven (Ephesians 1:22, 23, 2:22, Hebrews 12:23).

Being that the purpose of God in relation to man is to seek and save what was lost, to be adored by the human being and to build a body of believers in the image of his Son, the main reason for being of the Assemblies of God as part of the Church is:

(a) Be an agency of God for the evangelization of the world (Acts 1: 8, Matthew 28:19, 20, Mark 16:15, 16).

(b) To be a corporate body in which man can worship God (1 Corinthians 12:13).

(c) To be a channel for God’s purpose to edify a body of saints being perfected in the image of his Son (Ephesians 4: 11-16, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 14:12).

(d) Being a people that shows God’s love and compassion to the whole world (Psalm 112: 9, Galatians 2:10, 6:10, James 1:27).

The Assemblies of God exists expressly to give continuous emphasis to this reason of being according to the apostolic model of the New Testament teaching believers and encouraging them to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience:

(a) It enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with signs and miracles (Mark 16: 15-20, Acts 4: 29-31, Hebrews 2: 3, 4).

(b) Add a necessary dimension to worship and relationship with God (1 Corinthians 2: 10-16, 1 Corinthians 12-14)

(c) It enables them to respond to the full manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the expression of fruits, gifts and ministries as in the New Testament times for the edification of the body of Christ (Galatians 5: 22-26, 1 Corinthians 14:12, Ephesians 4 : 11, 12, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Colossians 1:29).

  1. The ministry

Our Lord has provided a ministry that constitutes a divine and ordained calling with the fourfold purpose of leading the church in: (1) the evangelization of the world (Mark 16: 15-20), (2) the worship of God (John 4) : 23, 24) and (3) the building of a body of saints to perfect them in the image of their Son (Ephesians 4:11, 16), and (4) to meet human needs with ministries of love and compassion (Psalm 112 : 9; Galatians 2:10; 6:10; James 1:27).

  1. Divine healing

Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. The liberation of the disease has been provided in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Isaiah 53: 4, 5, Matthew 8:16, 17, James 5: 14-16).

  1. The Blessed Hope

The resurrection of those who have died in Christ and his rapture along with those who are alive when the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17, Romans 8:23, Titus 2: 13; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52).

  1. The millennial reign of Christ

The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with his saints to reign on earth for a thousand years (Zechariah 14: 5, Matthew 24: 27-30, Revelation 1: 7; 19: 11-14; 20: 1-6). This millennial reign will bring Israel’s salvation as a nation (Ezekiel 37:21, 22, Zephaniah 3: 19,20, Romans 11: 26,27) and the establishment of a universal peace (Isaiah 11: 6-9, Psalm 72: 3-8; Micah 4: 3, 4).

  1. The final judgment

There will be a final judgment in which dead sinners will be resurrected and judged according to their works. Anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life will be confined to suffer eternal punishment in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, along with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet (Matthew 25:46, Mark 9: 43-48, Revelation 19:20, 20: 11-15, 21: 8).

  1. The new heavens and the new earth

“But we are waiting, according to his promises, new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21; 22).

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