Doctrine
United Pentecostal Church International (ARTICLES OF FAITH).The Abundant Life Tabernacle.
We believe the Bible to be inspired of God, the infallible Word of God.
"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 ONE TRUE GOD
We beleive in the one ever-living, eternal God: infinite in power, holy in nature, attributes and purpose; and possessing absolute, indivisible deity. Thisone ture God has revealed Himself as Father; through His Son, in redemption, and as the Holy Spirit, by emanation.
THE SON OF GOD
The one true God, the Jehovah of the Old TEstament, took upon Himslf the form of man, and as the Son of man, was born of the virgin Mary.
We believe in him(JESUS) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Therefore, Jesus in His Humanity was man; in His deity was and is God. His flesh was the lamb, or the sacrifice of God. He is the only mediator between God and man.
Jesus on His Father's side was divine, on His mother's side human; thus, He was known as the Son of God and also the Son of man, or the God-man.
THE NAME
God used different titles, such as "God Elohim," "God Almighty," "El Shaddai," "Jehovah," and especially"Jehovah Lord," the redemptive name in the Old Testament.
"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:... and his name shall be called Wondeful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace"(Isaiah 9:6) This prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled when the son of God was named. "And 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):Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
CREATION OF MAN AND HIS FALL
In the beginning God created man innocent, pure and holy; but through sin of disobedience, Adam and Eve, the first of the human race, fell from their holy state, and God banished them from Eden. Hence by onee man's disobedience, sin entered into the world.
REPENTANCE
Pardon and forgiveness of sins is obtained by genuine repentance, a confessing and forsaking of sins. We are justified by fath in the Lord Jesus Christ
(Romans 5:1)
WATER BAPTISM
The scriptural mode of baptism is immersion, and is only for those who have fully repented, having turned from their sins and a love for the world. It should be administered by a duly authorized minister of the gospel, in obedience to the Word of God, and in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, according to Acts of the Apostles 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5; thus obeying and fulfilling Matthew 28:19.
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:11, said "He shall baptize you with Holy Ghost, and with Fire.
Jesus, in Acts 1:5, said, "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
Luke tells us in Acts 2:4 "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the Spirit gave them the utterance."
It is scriptural to expect all who receive the gift, filling, or baptism of the Holy Spirit to receive the same physical, initial sign of speaking with other tongues.
The speaking with other tongues as recorded in Acts2:4, 10:46, & 19:6, and the gift of tongues, as explained in I Corinthians, chapters 12 and 14, are the same in essence, but different in use and purpose.
The Lord, through the Prophet Joel, said "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh" (Joel 2:28).
Peter, in explaining this phenomenal experience, said, "Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he [Jesus] hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear"
(Acts 2:33).
Further, "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).
FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE
The basic and fundamental doctrine of the organization "UPCI" shall be the Bible standard of full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.
We shall endeavor to keep the Spirit until we all come into the unity of the faith, at the same time admonishing all brethren that they shall not contend for their different views to the disunity of the body.
DIVINE HEALING
The first covenant that the Lord (Jehovah) made with the children of Israel after they were brought out of Egypt was a covenant of healing. The Lord said, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD [Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord that healeth] thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26)
Our Lord Jesus Christ went about Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people.(Mathew 4:23-24).
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day,and for ever"(Hebrews 13:8).
The vacarious suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ paid not only for the salvation of our souls but also for our bodies."With his stipes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Matthew 8:17 reads, "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknessess." We see from this that divine healing for the body is in the atonement.
Jesus said of believers, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Later James wrote in his epistle to all the churches: "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: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (james 5:14-16).
SACRAMENT OR COMMUNION
On the night of our Lord's betrayal, He ate the Passover supper with His apostles, after which He instituted the sacrament. "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it unto the them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do ye in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cuo after supper, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:19-20)
Paul instructed the church how to observe it (I Corinthians 11:23-34).
Thus was instituted the use of literal bread and the fruit of the vine, which are partaken of literally, as emblems of His broken body and shed blood. There is also a spiritual significance and blessing in partaking of the sacrament.
FOOT WASHING
When the Passover super was ended, we read in John 13:4-5, " he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garment; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and begun to wash the disciple's feet, and to wipe themwith the towel wherewith he was girded."
Jesus said"If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you"
(John 13:14-15).
HOLINESS
Godly living should characterize the life of every child of the Lord, and we should live according to the pattern and example given in the Word of God. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we, should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Titus 2:11-12). "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously"(I Peter 2:21-23).
"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respectof persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the preciuos blood of Christ, as the lamb without blemish and without spot"(I Peter 1:15-19).
We wholeheartedly disapprove of our people indulging in any activities which are not conducive to good Christianity and godly living, such as theater, dances, mixed bathing or swimming, women cutting their hair, make-up, any apparel that immosdestly exposes the body, all worldly sports and amusements, and unwholesome radio programs and music. Furthermore, because of the display of all these evils on television, we disapprove of any of our people having television sets in their homes. We admonish all of our people to refrain from any of these practices in the interest of spiritual progress and the soon coming of the Lord for His church.
THE GRACE OF GOD
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world"(Titus 2:11-12).
"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ"(John 1:17).
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
A Christian must walk with God and keep himself in the love of God. (Jude 21) and in teh grace of God. When a person transgresses and sins against God and does not repent, he will evetually be lost and be cast into the lake of fire. (SEE John 15:2,6; II Peter 2:20-21). Jude speaks of the backsliders of his day, and their reward. (SEE also Hebrews 6:4-6).
RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS
We understand the Scripturew to teach the "restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began"(Acts 3:21). But we cannot find where the devils, his angels, and all sinners are included.(See Revelation 20:10).
CONSCIENTIOUS SCRUPLES
We recognize the institution of human goivernment as being of divine ordination, and, in so doing, affirm unswerving loyalty to our Government; however we take a definite position regarding the bearing of arms or the taking of human life.
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of PEace, we believe in implicitobedience to His commandments and precepts which instruct as follows: "That ye resist not evil" (MATT.5:39); "Follow peace with all men" (Hebrews 12:14).(See also Matthew 26:52; Romans 12:19; James 5:6; Revelation 13:10.) These we believe and interpret to mean Christians Shall not shed blood nor take human life.
Therefore, we propose to fulfill all the obligations of loyal citizins, but are cinstrained to declare against participating in combatant service in war, armed insurrection, property destruction, aiding or abetting in or the actual destruction of human life.
Furthermore, we cannot conscientiously affiliate with any union, boycott, or organiztion which will force or bind any of its members to belong to any organiztion, perform any duties contrary to our conscience, or receive any mark, without our right to affirm or reject the same.
However, we regret the false impression created by some groups of so-called conscientious objectors that to obey the Bible is to have a contempt for law or magistrates, to be disloyal to our Gonvernment and in sympathy with our enemies, or to be unwilling to sacrifice for the preservation of our common wealth. This attitude would be as contemptible to us as to any patriot. The word of God commands us to do violence to no man. It also commands us that first of all we are to pray for rulers of our country. We, therefore, exhort our members to freely and willingly respond to the call of our Govenrment except in the matter of bearing arms. When we say service, we mean service-no matter how hard or dangerous. The true church has no more place for cowards than has the nation. Firstof all, however, let us earnestly pray that we will with honor be kept out of war.
We believe that we can be consistent in serving our Government in certain noncombatant capacities, but not in the bearing of arms.
We further believe that our military personnel must live in a manner consistent with Articles of Faith.
SECRET SOCIETIS, ETC.
According to the Word of God, we firmly believe and hold that the people of God should have no connection whatever with secresocieties or any other organiztion or body wherein there is fellowship with unbeleivers, bound by an oath(James 5:12; II Corinthians 6:14-18).
TRANSLATION OF SAINTS
We believe that the time is drawing near when our Lord shall appear; then the dead in Christ shall arise, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up with them to meet them in the air (I Thessalonians 4:13-17; I Corinthians 15:51-54; Philippians 3:20-21).
MARRAIGE AND DIVORCE
"Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, comitteh adultery"(Matthew19:9). (See also Matthew 5:32). When this sin is committed, the innocent party may be free to remarry only in the Lord. Our desire being to raise a higher standard for the ministry, we recommend that ministers do not marry again.
Judgement begins in the House of God.
TITHING
We belive tithing is God's financial plan to provide for His work, and has been since the days of Abraham. Tithing came with faith under Abraham; Moses' law enjoined it, and Israel practiced it when she was right with God; Jesus indorsed it(Matthew 23:23); Paul said to lay by in store as God has prospered you. Do not rob God of His portion, viz., tithes and offerings. (Read Malachi 3).
SECOND COMING OF JESUS
That Jesus is coming again the second time in person, just as H e went away, is clearly set forth by the Lord Jesus Himself, and was preached and taught in the early Christian church by the apostles; hence, the children of God today are earnestly, hopfully, looking to the glorious event (Maththew 24; Acts1:11; 3:19-21; I Corintians 11:26; Phillipians 3:20-21; I thessalonians 4:14-17; Titus 2:13-14).
THE MILLENIUM
We believe that the distress upon the earth is the "beginning of sorrows" and will become more intense until there"shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time" (Matthew 24:3-8; Daniel 12:1), and that period of "tribulation" will be followed by the dawn of a better day on earth and that for a thousand years there shall be "peace on earth and good will toward men." (See revelation 20:1-5;Isaiah65:17-25; Daniel 7:27; Micah 4:1-2; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 11:25-27).
FINAL JUDGEMENT
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