THE DOCTRINE

 Of

THE CHURCH OF GOD OF THE FIRSTBORN

LA IGLESIA DE DIOS DEL PRIMOGENITO

“What We Believe”

1.         Born-again Experience

We believe in a born-again experience as in St. John 3:5

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  No man can tell how to be born again, but we believe as the Bible teaches in 1^st John 1:9; “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Thus, we obtain the born-again experience, if we pray until we receive the witness as Romans 8:16.   “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

2.         Water-Baptism

The Bible commands us to be baptized in water as in St. Matthew 28:19.  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Bible form of baptism we use is as in Romans 6: 4-5.  “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his resurrection.”  We do believe and teach that water baptism is an obedience of Christ’s commandments and also a part of our righteousness as it is written in Matthew 3:15.  “And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.”

3.         Sanctification and Holiness

A commandment we teach is entire sanctification as in 1^st Thessalonians 4:3.

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification that ye abstain from fornication.”  We also believe as the Bible teaches, a saved person’s life must be one of holiness as in Hebrews 12:14.  “Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 

4.         Spirit-Filled Life

The next commandment is to be filled with the Spirit as in Ephesians 5:18.  “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”  So after we are saved from sin, and are sanctified, then we must seek for the Holy Ghost, until we receive it according to Acts 10:46.  “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.” 

 5.        Healing

The Bible also commands all Christian people when sick to obey James 5:14-15.  “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 and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”  Not praying for sinners healing, first praying for their soul salvation, and then for bodily healing.  Just as soon as the church comes in one accord and all believe the Bible, and become doers, just that soon can the mighty power of God, in Jesus’ name be manifest.  The Bible is also very plain on another subject which we teach very strong, in Psalms 91:10 we find these words, “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.”  Again in Proverbs 12:21, “There shall no evil happen to the just; but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.  Now if we live a life of holiness before God, obeying his word, etc., God will protect us against sickness, and evils of every kind.  If we are a doer, and not a hearer only, we can claim every promise in the Bible and receive them. 

6.         Tithing and Offerings

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”  Malachi 3:10   We find more commandments on tithing in St. Matthew 23:23, Hebrews 7:5 and 1^st Corinthians 16:2.   

Only the Minister or head of the Church may receive tithes as stated in Hebrews 7:5.

7.         Communion

We observe the Lord’s Supper as the Bible commands us in Acts 20:7.  “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.  We are builded on the foundation of the Apostles platform, therefore we take the Lord’s Supper every Sunday morning and only those that are saved are partakers.  As Jesus gives us an example, we must also wash the saint’s feet as in St. John 13:14-15.  In St. John 13:17, his word states, “If ye know these things; happy are ye if ye do them.” 

8.         The Coming of the Lord

We do believe and teach the second coming of Christ. As 1^st Thessalonians 4:16-17.  “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.”  We do not put anything to or take away.  But believe as in St. Matthew 24:37.  “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”  Referencing to 2^nd Peter 3:10, which states, “As the world was destroyed by water in those days, so will it be destroyed by fire when the Lord appears in the clouds.” 

9.         Church Membership and Name of Denomination

We believe that in order to become a member of the Church of God, we must follow as is stated in Acts 2:47.  “Praising God, and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added daily such as should be saved.”  The Hebrew reads such, as were saved, so it is plain that man has no part in adding to the church, no joining, no booking, we believe in letting God do his own work, and ministers do theirs, which is preaching the Word.  “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”  Ephesians 3:14-15  Furthermore, we find in 1^st Corinthians 1:2, 2^nd Corinthians 1:1, and Acts 20:28, more witnesses to the name God wants his people to go by. 

10.       Church Ministers

As stated in 1^st Timothy 3:5, “For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?  This verse gives us one of the many qualifications of a minister and also the name of the church.  “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”  James 2:10

11.        Prayer

We find another point in the law in Acts 3:1.  “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple to pray being the ninth hour.”  In Acts 10:3 and 10:30, we find further reference that the ninth hour is the Bible hour of prayer, which we observe, and teach, as one more point in this great law of God.