The IPCC is the first
Pentecostal denomination in the world to add a "racism" clause to
its Statement of Faith.
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STATEMENT OF FAITH
1. The Scriptures Inspired. The Bible is the revealed Word of
God to man: The New Testament is our sole rule for discipline and
government (II Timothy 3:15-17; II Peter 1:21).
2. The One True God. The triune Godhead consists of one true
God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Ghost the third
person of the Godhead (John 10:36; 14:26; 20:21-22).
3. Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in the deity of our Lord
Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His
miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood,
in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of
the Father, and in His personal returning in power and glory (Isaiah
7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23; Luke 1:34-35).
4. Special Creation. We believe the triune God created the
universe apart from pre-existing materials and without any
evolutionary process. We believe in the historicity of the first
eleven chapters of Genesis (Genesis 1:1; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalms
102:25; Acts14:15).
5. Satan. We believe that Satan was originally created a
perfect being. He rebelled against God. As a result he became
depraved, the devil and adversary of God and His people, the leader
of a host of angels who fell with him. Satan has been judged and
defeated at the cross and awaits his ultimate doom at the conclusion
of the Millennial Reign which takes place after the Second Advent of
Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:2; I Thessalonians 3:5; I Peter 5:8;
Revelation 12:9; 20:1-3; 7-10).
6. The Fall of Man. Man was created good and upright; for God
said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness!" However,
man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only
physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from
God (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans 5:12-19).
7. The Salvation of Man. Man's only hope of redemption is
through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
a. Conditions to Salvation. Salvation is received through repentance
toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, being justified by
grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the
hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15;
Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11, 3:5-7).
b. The Evidences of Salvation. The inward evidence of salvation is
the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence
to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians
4:24; Titus 2:12).
8. Sanctification.
a. Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil
and of dedication unto God (Romans 12:1-2; I Thessalonians 5:23;
Hebrews 13:12).
b Sanctification is obtainable as a second definite work of grace,
received by faith in the blood of Christ.
c. Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his
identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by
faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering
every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Romans
6:1-11,13; 8:1-2,13; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:12-13; I Peter
1:5).
9. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost. All believers are entitled
to, should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the
Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the
command of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible evidence of the baptism
in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the physical sign of speaking with
other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance. (Acts 2:4;
10:46; 19:6). This was the normal experience of all in the early
Christian church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and
service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of
the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; I Corinthians 12:1-31). With the
baptism in the Holy Ghost comes such experiences as an overflowing
fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened
reverence for God (Acts 2:42-43), and a more active love for Christ,
for His Word, and for the lost (Mark 16:20).
10. The Ordinances and Practices of the Church.
a. Baptism in Water. The ordinance of baptism by immersion in the
name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is
commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as
Saviour and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world
that they died with Christ and that they also have been raised with
Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts
10:47-48; Romans 6:4).
b. Holy Communion. The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements -
bread and fruit of the vine - is the symbol expressing our sharing
the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:4); a
memorial of His suffering and death (I Corinthians 11:26); and a
prophecy of His second coming (I Corinthians 11:26); and is enjoined
on all believers "until He comes!"
c. Footwashing. Washing the saints' feet is scripturally sound, but
its practice in the local assembly is left
optional (John 13:4-17).
d. Child Dedication. Since water baptism is an outward expression of
an inward work of grace, we do not practice infant baptism. However,
we do encourage presenting our children to the Lord in child
dedication and blessing until they are old enough to make their own
choice and decision (Luke 2:27; Mark 10:13-16).
11. The Church and Its Mission.
a. The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through
the Spirit, with divine appointment for the fulfillment of her great
commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part
of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are
written in heaven (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:23).
b. Since God's purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that
which is lost, to be worshipped by man, and to build a body of
believers in the image of His Son, the priority reason-for-being of
the International Pentecostal Church of Christ is:
(1) To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8;
Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).
(2) To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (I
Corinthians 12:13).
(3) To be a channel of God's purpose to build a body of saints being
perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:11-16; I Corinthians
12:28; 14:12).
c. The International Pentecostal Church of Christ exists expressly
to give continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New
Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to
be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience:
(1) Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with
accompanying supernatural signs (Mark 16:15-20; Acts 4:29-31;
Hebrews 2:3-4).
(2) Adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God
(I Corinthians 2:10-16; 12; 13; and 14).
(3) Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit
in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament
times for the edifying of the body of Christ (Galatians 5:22-26; I
Corinthians 12:28; 14:12; Ephesians 4:11-12; Colossians 1:29).
12. The Ministry. A divinely called and scripturally ordained
ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of
leading the Church in: (1) Evangelization of the world (Mark
16:15-20); (2) Worship of God (John 4:23-24); (3) Building a body of
saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:11-16).
13. Divine Healing. Divine healing is an integral part of the
gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement
and is the privilege of all believers (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew
8:16-17; James 5:14-16).
14. The Blessed Hope. The resurrection of those who have
fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those
who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent
and blessed hope of the church (I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Romans
8:23; Titus 2:13; I Corinthians 15:51-52).
15. The Millennial Reign of Christ. The Word of God promises
the catching away of the prepared and waiting saints, followed by
the great tribulation, and then the return of our Lord with His
saints and holy angels in power and great glory to reign on earth a
thousand years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of
national Israel (Ezekiel 37:21-22; Zephaniah 3:19-20; Romans
11:26-27) and the establishment of universal peace (Isaiah 11:6-9;
Psalms 72:3-8; Micah 4:3-4).
16. The Final Judgment. There will be a final judgment in
which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their
works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together
with the devil and his angels, and the beast and false prophet, will
be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matthew 25:46;
Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15, 21:8).
17. The New Heaven and the New Earth. "We, according to His
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness" (II Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).
18. Racism. God created all men equal in value and imputed
upon them dignity and the Imago Dei. One is never partially in the
Image of God any more than one may be partially alive. Attempts to
identify, treat, or view certain people or groups as lesser members
of humankind are a blasphemous affront to our Creator. Racism in all
its forms is sin, for it grounds the identity and security of human
life in self rather than God, in creature rather than the Creator,
apart from whom a human being has no identity or value.
Self-indulgent pride in “race,” therefore, must be regarded as
idolatry in one of its most ugly forms, an attempt to be like God.
We believe prejudice to be an attempt to reverse the creative act of
God and what God has valued, let no man devalue. Secondly, racism is
an attempt to reverse the redemptive act of Christ. In Jesus Christ,
God became a Man and so identified Himself fully with every member
of the human family in whatever nation or culture they may be found.
Jesus Christ has removed all barriers that stand between human
beings, giving reconciliation through His cross. Thirdly, through
the means of grace, God empowers and commands all Christians “to
abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against the
soul,” including the sin of racism. (Gen. 1:26-27; 9:6; Jn. 13:35,
15:12-13; Acts 17:24-26; 1 Cor. 1:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 2:13-16; 1
Tim. 2:3-6; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 2:9-10)
19. Tithes and Offerings. The needs of the New Testament
Church, its varied ministries along with its God ordained leadership
are to be met by the tithes and offerings of the believers (Matthew
23:23; I Corinthians 16:1; II Corinthians 9:6-7).
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| "Faith is
the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things
not seen." Hebrews 11:1 |
"No educated man can afford to be ignorant of
the Bible."
Theodore Roosevelt
"To be a Christian without prayer is no more
possible than to be alive without breathing."
Martin Luther
"I know men and I tell you Jesus Christ is
no mere man."
Napoleon Bonaparte
"What comes into our minds when we think about
God is the most important thing about us."
A.W. Tozer
"I see earth receding; heaven is opening.
God is calling me."
D.L.
Moody's last words
"Trust in God and you shall have nothing to
fear."
Jonathan Edwards last words
"I'm looking for a loophole."
W.C. Field's last words
"The New Testament is the very best book that
ever was or ever will be known in the world."
Charles Dickens
"The Bible is the best book in the world.
It contains more than all the libraries I have seen."
John Adams
"Only by imitating the spirit and manner of the
Lord Jesus shall we become wise to win souls."
Charles Spurgeon
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