The Articles of Faith
Article One
We believe there is but one living and true God everlasting, of infinite
power, wisdom and goodness; Maker and Preserver of all things, both
visible and invisible. And in the unity of this Godhead there are three
Persons of one substance of eternal being, and equal in holiness, justice,
wisdom, power, and dignity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Article Two
We believe that the Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and
eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man's nature in
the womb of the blessed virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures,
that is to say, the Godhead and the manhood were joined together in
one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and
perfect man, who actually suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried,
to reconcile the Father to us, and to make atonement, not only for our
actual guilt, but also for original sin.
Article Three
We believe that Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took
again His body, with all things appertaining to the perfections of man's
nature, and ascended into heaven and there sits until He shall return
to judge all men at the last day.
Article Four
We believe the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is
of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and the Son, very
and eternal God.
Article Five
We believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures,
known as the Bible, composed of sixty-six books and divided into two
departments, Old and New Testaments. We believe the Bible is the Word
of God, the full and complete revelation of the plan and history of
redemption.
Article Six
We believe that eternal life with God in heaven is a portion of the
reward of the finally righteous; and that everlasting banishment from
the presence of the Lord and unending torture in hell are the wages
of the persistently wicked (Matthew 25:46; Psalm 9:17; Revelation 21:7-8).
Article Seven
We believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood for the remission of sins
that are past, for the regeneration of penitent sinners, and for salvation
from sin and from sinning (Romans 3:25; 1John 3:5-10; Ephesians 2:1-10).
Article Eight
We believe, teach, and firmly maintain the scriptural doctrine of justification
by faith alone (Romans 5:1).
Article Nine
We believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood for the complete cleansing
of the justified believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution,
subsequent to regeneration (1John 1:7-9).
Article Ten
We believe in sanctification. While sanctification is initiated in regeneration
and consummated in glorification, we believe that it includes a definite,
instantaneous work of grace achieved by faith subsequent to regeneration
(Acts 26:18; 1 John 1:9). Sanctification delivers from the power and
dominion of sin. It is followed by life-long growth in grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2Corinthians 4:16; 2 Peter 3:18).
Article Eleven
We believe that the pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is
obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the
fully cleansed believer, and the initial evidence of the reception of
this experience is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance
(Luke 11:13; Acts 1:5; 2:14, 8-17; 10:44-46; 19:6).
Article Twelve
We believe in divine healing as in the atonement (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew
8:16-17; Mark 16:14-18; James 5:14-16; Exodus 15:26).
Article Thirteen
We believe in the imminent, personal, premillennial second coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter
3:1-4; Matthew 24:29-44), and love and wait for His appearing (2 Timothy
4:8).
Article Fourteen
We believe it is the responsibility of every believer to dedicate his
life to carrying out the work of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20;
Mark 16:15-20; Acts 1:8).
The Covenant of Commitment
The Pentecostal Holiness Church is committed to Jesus Christ and His
kingdom. This commitment involves a biblical lifestyle. We believe that
the Bible is God's infallible Word and the believer's guide and final
authority for both faith and conduct (2Timothy 3:16-17). We are totally
committed to the Bible as God's written Word to man. We believe that
a top priority of Christians in this world is to multiply believers
and multiply churches as a means of extending the kingdom of God. We
must, therefore, follow a lifestyle that gives impetus to this purpose.
As members of the army of God we are involved in spiritual warfare,
and thus under military discipline (2Timothy 2:3-4). Other considerations
must take second place to our primary purpose in life. We are mobilized
on a wartime basis. Every facet of our lives must come under divine
authority (1Corinthians 10:31).
OUR BODIES
Since our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit and instruments
of righteousness (1 Corinthians 6:19; Romans 6:13), we must keep our
bodies clean and consecrated for the Master's use. From the beginning
of our existence as a denomination we have expected our members to abstain
from the use of tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and addictive drugs. We
have also maintained a strong position against premarital, extramarital,
and deviant sex, including homosexual and lesbian relationships, refusing
to accept the loose moral standards of our society. We commit ourselves
to maintaining this disciplined lifestyle with regard to our bodies
(Romans 12:1-2).
OUR MINDS
The mind is also the dwelling place of God. We believe that our minds
should be kept pure and positive in the midst of an impure and negative
world (Philippians 4:7-8). It is for this reason that our members are
to govern their "mental" diet. The profanity and pornography
that pervade our modern media- both print and video-make it imperative
that Christians discipline their minds by refusing to feed upon that
which is profane, vulgar, or hedonistic. Thus Pentecostal Holiness members
are to avoid material that panders to the profane and pornographic,
while consciously replacing it with wholesome material that nurtures
and strengthens the spiritual man. We hold a deep commitment to the
study of the Bible.
OUR SPIRITS
Our commitment includes our spirits. The spirit of this world is hostile
to the spirit of the Christian (Galatians 5:17; 1Corinthians 2:12-14).
The spirit rulers of this present darkness are ever at work to establish
strongholds in the minds of unsuspecting believers, to impose upon them
the mind-set of the world. We must guard against the hatred and hostility
that breed so easily in the human spirit. The greed and selfishness
that motivate much of our modern culture is contrary to our Christian
faith and testimony. We therefore urge all our members to exhibit the
"mind of Christ" in all their attitudes (Philippians 2:5-11).
OUR SPEECH
Our speech reveals much about us (Matthew 12:34-37). The Christian should
be known by his wholesome conversation. Our members are to refrain from
speaking anything that is unclean, untrue, unkind, or unprofitable.
We must make sure that our talk affirms, rather than hinders, our testimony.
OUR RELATIONSHIPS
Our relationships reveal our preferences and positions. Thus our people
are not to align themselves with organizations or movements that stand
in contradiction to Christian principles (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). The
believer's commitment to Jesus Christ stands above his commitment to
any political party or economic structure or social institution. Any
time there is a conflict between the Christian's commitment to Christ
and his commitment to any other relationship, he must recognize that
all other commitments are governed by this highest commitment (Luke
14:26-27). All our members are to be honest and ethical in all their
relationships (Romans 12:17).
OUR FAMILIES
The family is the basic unit of society. The divine origin of the family
makes it of vital concern both to the church and to society. Our commitment
to a biblical lifestyle profoundly impacts the family. We give priority
to the sanctity of marriage and to the biblical pattern of relationships
in the home. While the husband is recognized as the head of the home,
he is also commanded to love and cherish his wife as his own body (Ephesians
5:25, 28). Wives are to respect and honor their husbands (Ephesians
5:22-23). Parents are to teach and correct their children, but at the
same time refrain from provoking them to anger and resentment (Ephesians
6:1-4). Children are to respect and obey their parents. Christian families
should worship together, play together, and work together. The relationships
in the Christian family should reflect the healing that Christ brings
to all human relationships.
OUR STEWARDSHIP
Our commitment to Jesus Christ includes stewardship. According to the
Bible everything belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). We are stewards of His
resources. Our stewardship of possessions begins with the tithe (Malachi
3:8-10). All our members are expected to return a tenth of all their
income to the Lord. This tithe is to be paid into the "storehouse."
This storehouse is the treasury of the local church or conference to
which this member belongs. In addition to the tithe, all our members
are expected to give offerings out of the ninety percent of God's wealth
which He allows them to use (1 Corinthians 16:2). Stewardship also includes
our time, talent, and spiritual gifts, as well as our money (Ephesians
5:16; Romans 12:3-8; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27).
OUR LOYALTY
Loyalty to Christ and His church are basic to the success of the Pentecostal
Holiness Church. The faithful participation of every member, both lay
and clergy, and every local church and quadrennial conference in the
various ministries of the church is necessary if the Pentecostal Holiness
Church is to fulfill its mission. Loyalty involves commitment to all
the ministries of the denomination. Since leaders should be role models,
all those in leadership in the local church, the quadrennial conference,
and the general church should set an example by their faithfulness in
supporting the ministries of the church. Loyalty involves attendance
at the gatherings of the church. This is vital at local church, quadrennial
conference, and denominational gatherings (Hebrews 10:25). Loyalty involves
financial support. Faithfulness in tithes and offerings is essential
to the prosperity of God's people (Malachi 3:8-12). This applies to
local church members, quadrennial conferences, and all other individuals
and entities of the church. Loyalty involves affirmation. The morale
of the church requires the positive affirmation of the leadership and
ministries of the denomination. While negative criticism tears the church
apart (Galatians 5:12-26), positive affirmation builds it up (Ephesians
4:16).
CONCLUSION
This Covenant of Commitment is intended as a guideline for all our members,
not a system for monitoring and judging one another. Neither is this
Covenant of Commitment to be considered an exhaustive statement concerning
a biblical lifestyle. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is our
complete and final authority. A careful, conscientious, and continual
study of God's Word will reveal to the believer a growing understanding
of what it means to live worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus. Any
member having difficulty in following a biblical lifestyle or this Covenant
of Commitment should be given loving nurture and patient instruction
in order to lead him to maturity and restoration, if needed (Galatians
6:1). There are times when, in spite of every effort to nurture and
restore a member, no alternative but excommunication can be found. When
a member refuses to heed the loving admonitions of the church to follow
a Christian lifestyle, he or she must be excommunicated from the fellowship
of the church. However, excommunication is a last resort, and is administered
only in flagrant cases of heresy, divisiveness, or immorality (Matthew
18:15-17; Titus 3:10; Romans 16:17-18; 1Corinthians 5:1-5). The primary
purpose for this commitment to a disciplined lifestyle is to strengthen
the position of our members as Great Commission Christians, and thus
to firmly establish our denomination as a Great Commission movement.
We feel that the Pentecostal Holiness Church has a vital part to play
in world evangelism. Our aim is to make the multiplying of believers
and the multiplying of churches a top priority of the denomination.
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