The Church (The Assembly belonging to God)

The Church

The Church is made up of those who are in the body of Christ¹. The Church began on the Day of Pentecost². The Church is only for those who are of the Dispensation of Grace³. Christ is the Head and the saints are the Body⁴. Through the Church, God shows to the principalities and powers His manifold wisdom⁵.

The Purpose of the Local Church

A quality of the body of Christ is represented in the gathering together of the saints. The purpose of the assembling of the saints in a local church is to teach, and edify the saints⁶. Each local church body is autonomous in its daily affairs⁷.

Membership in the Local Church

Only those who base their salvation on Christ’s death for their sins and resurrection from the dead three days later and have been baptized (immersed) in water are eligible to become members of a local church

Leadership Positions in the Local Church:

Bishop

The Bishop or Pastor is a male who has been given the Spiritual gift of pastor even teacher gift and qualifies according to Scripture for the office⁸. This position is to guide, feed and guard the local assembly. The leadership of the Bishop is solely in the realm of teaching and therefore has no right to govern over the local church

The Bible (Holy Scriptures)

Origin

The original manuscripts of Scripture are God breathed; The Holy Spirit bore along and enabled men to write the Scriptures. Every word, thought and concept in the original text of Scripture is verbally and plenarily inspired ¹. The books that were written through men by the bearing along of the Holy Spirit, are the 66 books comprising of the Old and New Testament which books constitute the entire written revelation from God.

Dispensation and Ages

When the Scriptures are taken literally, they teach of ages and seven dispensations ².

An age is a period in which God shows something about Himself to intelligent beings.

A dispensation is a period of time in which God shows something to mankind about man.

Purpose

The Scriptures are profitable for doctrine to be learned but not practiced, reproof, correction, and instruction (child training) in righteousness for the man of God ³. (Scripture contains information for the man of God to learn from and doctrine to live by.)

The Nature of God

God is the Сreator and Sustainer of all things, seen and unseen¹. He is eternal and unchangeable in His nature³.

The Essence of God

His essence is Spirit. This essence is self-existing, one, and immense ²

Attributes (Seven attributes of God)

His attributes are omnipotent, omniscient, holy (set apart), righteous, goodness, love, and truth⁴ .

Three Persons, One God

God exists in a trinity of three distinct inseparable Persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit⁵ . All three Persons share the same essence and attributes. In the Godhead, all three Persons are equal⁶.

God the Father

This Person of the Godhead is revealed to us as the one that is the ultimate source of all things; all things are out from the Father.¹

God the Father’s Fatherhood Relationship

God the Father’s fatherhood relationship to God the Son shows that they are equal in nature while the Son can be voluntarily submissive to the Father in carrying out the decree². This Person of the Godhead displays the fatherhood type of relationship that He has to spirit beings as well as saved and unsaved mankind ³. The Fatherhood relationship shows that God is the source of all things.

His Past and Present Work

He sent the Son to be a propitiation (satisfaction) for the sins of the world

Our Purpose: About Word of Grace Studies

Word of Grace Studies exist to change the lives of believers through equipping them to live out who they are in Christ by edifying the body of the Christ (the Church) while coming to a oneness of faith through a full experiential knowledge of the Son of God unto a mature person according to the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we are no longer tossed around by every wind of teaching by the trickery of men who cunningly seek to deceive the saints.

Salvation is not only about believing that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. Believing is only the beginning. In salvation God provides us with possessions and a position that affect our every day life. We focus on teaching what it means to be a Christian and living a life that glorifies God while enjoying the freedom that He has so graciously provided for us.

About Word of Grace Studies Doctrine

The Scriptures