STATEMENT OF FAITH
What we believe
SOWERS Church of Christ embraces the following statements concerning the truth. The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice. This Statement of Fundamental Truths is intended as a basis of fellow ship among us (i.e., that we all speak the same thing; I Corinthians 1:10; Acts 2:42), the truth revealed to cover our need as to these fundamental doctrines. We believe that this Statement of Fundamental Truths is based on the inspired Bible truth (Luke 1:1).
The Scriptures (Word of God)
1. The 66 books compiled into one book called the ‘Bible’ (2Timothy 3:16-17)
2. Has two parts: The Old and the New Testaments
3. Necessary for all human living (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3)
4. Infallible, inspired Word of God (2Timothy 3:16; 2Peter 1:20-21)
5. The Bible is the ultimate source of all doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction for righteous living, godliness and daily Christian conduct (1Timothy 3:16-17)
6. Living, powerful, discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)
7. The words in the Bible should never be added to, subtracted from (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19)
The Holy Trinity
1. God
In the Old Testament Hebrew word Elohiym (El-o-heem’) the plural form of Eloahh (Genesis 1:1,26; 3:22; 11:7) God referred as singular in form but plural in meaning (John 1:1-3).
In the New Testament Greek word Theos singular in form and in meaning (John 3:16); as the Word who was God was made flesh (John 1:1, 14).
A. God Theos called ‘Father’ in the New Testament (John 10:30; John 17:1-3).
B. The only true God in the New Testament (1John 5:20; John 17:1-3).
2. Jesus Christ
A. The Word who was with God and was God (John 1:1,14; Philippians 2:5-11)
B. The Son of God (John 1:14, Matthew 3:17)
C. Born of a virgin birth: Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18-21)
D. The only savior of the world (Acts 4:12, John 14:6)
E. The only mediator between God and man (1Timothy 2:5)
F. The only founder and the foundation of the Church (Matthew 16:18; 1Corinthians 3:11)
G. The Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18)
3. Holy Spirit
A. Present in the Old Testament (Genesis 1:2)
B. The given promise: teacher, comforter, and guide from God when Jesus ascended to heaven (John 14:26; John 16:13-15; 1Corinthians 2:11-13; Romans 8:26)
C. The power and enabler of the believers/Church (Acts 1:8; 1Corinthians 12:4-12)
D. The believers’ seal unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)
The Man
1. Created in God’s image and likeness. God created them male and female (Genesis 1:26-27)
2. Three-part being (Genesis 2:7; 1Thessalonians 5:23; Matthew 10:28; Hebrew 4:12)
A. Spirit – the breath of life; returns to God who gave it (Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12:7)
B. Soul – Leaves body at death (Genesis 35:18; Luke 16:22-24; Revelation 6:9-11)
C. Body- Came from dust and will return to dust- (Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12:7)
3. Status of man
A. Natural man or carnal man (1Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:11-13)
B. Babes in Christ (1Corinthians 3:1-5; 1Peter 2:1-2)
C. Spiritual man (1Corinthians 2:11-12,16; 2Corinthians 5:17; 1John 3:6-10)
4. Fall of Man (Genesis 3:1-24; Romans 5:12)
5. Redemption of Man (Romans 5:8-21)
The Atonement
The death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world; which benefit only those who will receive the only begotten Son of God. His blood shed for our redemption and His wounds for the healing of our body, soul, and spirit. (1Peter 2:23-24; Romans 5:8-11; John 3:16)
The Grace of God
1. Manifested in God’s divine plan of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 3:16; Romans 10:8-13)
2. The true believer of Jesus Christ must endure to the end (Matthew 24:13; Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38-39)
3. For the believers who fall into sin, true repentance (turning away from the wicked ways) is the means to obtain the grace of God (1John 1:9; 2Corinthians 7:10-12)
The Assurance of Salvation
1. God saved man by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2. God saved man from the power and penalty of sin (Romans 6:23)
3. Man must be born again by believing in the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to see and enter into the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3-21)
4. Man should abide in Christ and resist sin (1John 3:5-9)
5. The eternal security promised to those who believed and do the will of the Father (Hebrews 10:38-39; Matthew 7:21-24; Philippians 2:12; Revelation 3:5)
The Sanctification Process
By the power of the Holy Spirit we strive to obey the command, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” Sanctification is the will of God for all believers, and should be earnestly pursued by walking in obedience to God’s Word (1Peter 1:15-16; Hebrews 12:14; Ephesians 4:17-32; 1Thessalonians 4:3-8; 5:23; Romans 12:1-2)
The Spiritual Purity: Holiness, Godliness, Righteousness, and Perfection
1. Holiness (1Peter 1:15-16; Hebrews 12:14; Ephesians 4:24; 1Thessalonians 4:7)
2. Godliness (1Timothy 2:2,10; 4:7,8; 6:3-11; 2Peter 1:3-10; 3:11)
3. Righteousness (Romans 1:16-17; Romans 10:4; 1John 2:29; Titus 2:12)
4. Perfection (Matthew 5:48; Philippians 3:15-16; Hebrews 6:1; Job 1:1-8)
The Church
1. Autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, having Christ as the Head and the Founder (Matthew 16:18-19; Romans 16:16; 1Corinthians 3:11; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:22-23)
2. Sanctified body of believers of Jesus Christ from all ages, from every tribe, tongue, people and nation; governed by the laws of God, called to observe the ordinances of Christ; exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges vested to the believers as declared by the Word of God (Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 2:19-20; Revelation 2-3)
3. The mission of the Church is to make disciples of all the nations, to baptize, and to teach to observe all the commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20)
The Christian Fellowship
(1 John 1:3-7)
1. Common belief (Acts 2:42; Titus 1:4)
2. Common sufferings (1Peter 4:12-16; 1Peter 1:6; 1Peter 5:10)
3. Common hope (Hebrews 6:11; Colossians 1:27)
Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:1-4; Acts 19:1-6; Mark 1:8)
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
(1 Corinthians 12:1-12; Romans 12:6-21; Acts 10:44-46)
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
(Galatians 5:22-23)
The Gifts of Ministry
(Ephesians 4:8-16; 1 Corinthians 12:28)
The Evangelism and Mission
1. Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) It is the duty of every child of God to seek every opportunity to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
2. Believers are ambassadors of Christ to the world (2 Corinthians 5:20)
3. Fulfilling the great commission- a duty and a privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). The new birth of man’s spirit by God’s Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations (Matthew 24:14).
The Tithes and Offering
1. Tithes existed both in the Old and New Testament (Genesis 14:20; Numbers 18:21-24, Matthew 23:23)
2. Tithes belong to God (Leviticus 27:30-33)
3. Tithing is God’s commandment with promise (Malachi 3:8-10)
4. Give according to the purpose of your heart; not grudgingly or of necessity or under compulsion but cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Mark 12:41-44)
The Ministering for the Saints
1. Relief and service for physical or material needs and other needs (1Corinthians 16:1; Romans 15:26-27)
2. Faith at work (James 2:14-16; 1 John 3:16-18; 2Corinthians 8:1-2)
3. Without partiality (Acts 6:1-2; Acts 4:32-37)
The Commandments of Praise and Worship
1. Audible praise and worship (Psalms 47:1; Psalms 63:5; Psalms 66:1-2; Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:16)
2. Praise and worship that involves bodily gestures: Lifting up of hands, bowing of heads, with dance (Psalms 63:4, 2Chronicles 29:30, 1Chronicles 15:29; Psalms 150:4, Psalms 103:1)
3. Praise and worship with musical instruments (Psalm 150:3-5)
The Establishment of a Godly Family
1. Family as ordained by God
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. (Genesis 1:27-28)
2. Marriage and Sexuality
A. Marriage is instituted and sanctioned by God (Genesis 2:18-24)
B. Biblical model of marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant of commitment and exclusive union for a lifetime. (Matthew 19:4-8)
C. Marriage covenant is dissolved by physical death (Romans 7:2-3)
D. God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race (Matthew 19:4-6; Hebrews 13:4)
E. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation (1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
F. Any form of sexual immorality, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexual conduct, incest, bestiality, pornography, any attempt to change one’s gender or disagreement with one’s biological gender is sin and offensive to God. (Exodus 20:14; Hebrews 13:4; Galatians 5:19, James 4:4, Romans 1:24-32; Leviticus 18:4-24)
3. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:14-15)
4. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Children are to honor and obey their parents (Psalms 127:3-5; Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3; Proverbs 23:22)
The Church Elders/Bishops
(1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9)
The Church Deacons
(1 Timothy 3:8-13)
The Women as God’s Ministers
Matthew 28:1-7; Romans 16:3,6,12; Philippians 4:3; Romans 16:1-2; Judge 4:4-14; Luke 2:36-38 Titus 2:3)
The Submission to Authority
1. To God’s Sovereign rule (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 10:12-14; Micah 6:8; 1Peter 3:15; Hebrews 12:9; James 4:7; Philippians 2:9-11)
2. To the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-18; Titus 3:1; Matthew 17:23-27)
3. Wife submits to her husband (Ephesians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1-5)
4. Children to parents (Deuteronomy 5:16; Proverbs 6:20; Proverbs 23:22; Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 19:26; Proverbs 20:20; Luke 2:51-52; Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20)
5. Church members to church leaders (Ezekiel 3:17; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1Thessalonians 5:12-13)
6. Submit to each other (Ephesians 5:21)
The Pursuit of Peace
“Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9,38-48; Isaiah 2:3-4; Matthew 26:52; Romans 12:17-21; 13:1-8; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14)
The Divine Healing
Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement of Christ and is the privilege of all believers. As it is written, “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:4,5; Matt. 8:16,17; Mark 16:18; John 5:14).
The Angels as created beings (Psalms 148:2,5)
1. Good angels (Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 12:22; Matthew 4:11; Luke 20:36; 1Thessalonians 4:16; Isaiah 6:2; Psalms 18:10; 1 Kings 6:27; 2 Chronicles 3:11-12; Ezekiel 10:19; 2 Chronicles 5:7)
2. Bad angels (fallen angels) (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:9; 2Peter 2:4)
The Eternal Destiny
1. Heaven (Genesis 1:1-17; Genesis 28:12; Psalms 11:4; Matthew 6:9; 2Corinthians12:2-5)
2. Sheol (Hebrew), Hades (Greek) and Hell (English)- A temporary torment and/or stockage of sinners’ soul (Luke 16:23-25)
3. Lake of Fire- The final torment where Sheol, Hades, Hell and Death will be translated to (Revelation 20:13-14)
The Great Tribulation
(Matthew 24:21-22)
The Second Coming of Christ
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
The Judgements
1. Judgement Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10)
2. White Great Throne Judgement (Revelation 20:11-15)
The New Heaven and New Earth
(2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21,22)
The New Jerusalem
(Revelation 21:2-5,9-27)