The Church of God
in Miami
in Miami
In today’s age, churches rarely dedicate space or time to lay out their beliefs. It seems more customary nowadays to showcase events or focus on the church’s worship band, without really ever diving into what they actually teach, preach, or believe.
We believe doctrine is important, and that what a church actually believes should play a large role in whether you want to attend. With that in mind, we’ve noted down some of our core beliefs below:
Jesus Christ
First and foremost, we are a Christian church and believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and that salvation can only be attained through faith in His sacrifice for our sins. We also believe that He has always existed and was the God of the Old Testament, through which God the Father created the universe, and with which the various patriarchs of the Old Testament interacted.
First and foremost, we are a Christian church and believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and that salvation can only be attained through faith in His sacrifice for our sins. We also believe that He has always existed and was the God of the Old Testament, through which God the Father created the universe, and with which the various patriarchs of the Old Testament interacted.
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and that every believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit has the ability to interpret scripture. Scripture is our ultimate authority when it comes to doctrine and beliefs, and the obligation of the believer is to follow scripture rather than an organization, church, or man.
We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and that every believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit has the ability to interpret scripture. Scripture is our ultimate authority when it comes to doctrine and beliefs, and the obligation of the believer is to follow scripture rather than an organization, church, or man.
Old Testament and New Testament
We believe that both the Old Testament and the New Testament are the inspired Word of God, and that an understanding of the Old Testament is pivotal to properly interpreting and understanding the New Testament. We believe that the Old Testament still has bearing on the New Testament church and was not simply 'done away with'. While there are cases where an Old Testament practice foreshadowed a role that is now fulfilled through a different avenue (e.g., the sacrificial system and Jesus Christ), we believe that this principle is usually applied too broadly or taken too far, causing the Old Testament to be unjustly cast aside.
We believe that both the Old Testament and the New Testament are the inspired Word of God, and that an understanding of the Old Testament is pivotal to properly interpreting and understanding the New Testament. We believe that the Old Testament still has bearing on the New Testament church and was not simply 'done away with'. While there are cases where an Old Testament practice foreshadowed a role that is now fulfilled through a different avenue (e.g., the sacrificial system and Jesus Christ), we believe that this principle is usually applied too broadly or taken too far, causing the Old Testament to be unjustly cast aside.
Salvation by Faith
We believe that we are saved by faith alone in Jesus, and that there is nothing that a sinner can do to save themselves were it not for His sacrifice on our behalf. However, we do believe that the Bible makes clear that a sinner must understand that they are a sinner and must repent in order to be saved, thus beginning a process whereby they turn their lives around and begin to follow God and obey his commandments.
We believe that we are saved by faith alone in Jesus, and that there is nothing that a sinner can do to save themselves were it not for His sacrifice on our behalf. However, we do believe that the Bible makes clear that a sinner must understand that they are a sinner and must repent in order to be saved, thus beginning a process whereby they turn their lives around and begin to follow God and obey his commandments.
Legalism
Though we believe the Old Testament, along with the laws and commandments contained within it, have application for believers today, we don’t condone the legalistic approach to the law that was practiced by the Pharisees and that is still practiced within modern rabbinical Judaism, which Jesus clearly condemned. We believe in a balanced approach to applying the law to our lives that attempts to respect the original commands while, at the same time, not losing sight of the deeper spiritual meaning behind them. Ultimately, we understand that we are saved by grace and not through the law.
Though we believe the Old Testament, along with the laws and commandments contained within it, have application for believers today, we don’t condone the legalistic approach to the law that was practiced by the Pharisees and that is still practiced within modern rabbinical Judaism, which Jesus clearly condemned. We believe in a balanced approach to applying the law to our lives that attempts to respect the original commands while, at the same time, not losing sight of the deeper spiritual meaning behind them. Ultimately, we understand that we are saved by grace and not through the law.
The Sabbath
We believe that the seventh day of the week (Saturday) was sanctified by God as a day of rest for mankind at creation. We believe this is an incredibly special day that God set apart for us to rest and worship Him. We don’t believe there is any evidence in either the New Testament or Old Testament that this day was ever changed to the first day of the week, and that the first disciples and apostles of the New Testament church continued to observe the Sabbath just as Jesus had done.
We believe that the seventh day of the week (Saturday) was sanctified by God as a day of rest for mankind at creation. We believe this is an incredibly special day that God set apart for us to rest and worship Him. We don’t believe there is any evidence in either the New Testament or Old Testament that this day was ever changed to the first day of the week, and that the first disciples and apostles of the New Testament church continued to observe the Sabbath just as Jesus had done.
The Feast Days
Just as God sanctified the seventh day of the week, we also believe that there are special holy days or annual Sabbaths, throughout the year that God has sanctified. These include the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Atonement, the Feast of Trumpets, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These are days that we believe God has commanded us to rest and appear before Him. We also believe that these special holy days have incredible significance and meaning to the New Testament Christian, as they lay out God’s plan of salvation for mankind and ultimately point to Christ.
Just as God sanctified the seventh day of the week, we also believe that there are special holy days or annual Sabbaths, throughout the year that God has sanctified. These include the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Atonement, the Feast of Trumpets, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These are days that we believe God has commanded us to rest and appear before Him. We also believe that these special holy days have incredible significance and meaning to the New Testament Christian, as they lay out God’s plan of salvation for mankind and ultimately point to Christ.
Resurrection
We believe that just as Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, those that have passed away will also one day be resurrected from the dead, but each in their order: first, those who belong to Christ when He returns to the earth, then the rest of the dead after the 1,000-year reign of Christ on Earth has ended. We believe everyone that dies is asleep, waiting for their appointed time to be resurrected and is not consciously passing their time in heaven or hell.
We believe that just as Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, those that have passed away will also one day be resurrected from the dead, but each in their order: first, those who belong to Christ when He returns to the earth, then the rest of the dead after the 1,000-year reign of Christ on Earth has ended. We believe everyone that dies is asleep, waiting for their appointed time to be resurrected and is not consciously passing their time in heaven or hell.
Accountability to God
In the above we have attempted to summarize some of the core doctrines or beliefs that we as a church believe and teach; however, we feel that each believer is ultimately accountable directly to God -not us- for what they do and say, and as such, should be fully convinced in their own mind. Decisions on what you should or shouldn’t do are between you and God and you should proceed based on your understanding as led by the Spirit after careful study of the Scripture. You should never follow a pastor or church if you don’t feel that their teachings align with what you find in the Bible.
In the above we have attempted to summarize some of the core doctrines or beliefs that we as a church believe and teach; however, we feel that each believer is ultimately accountable directly to God -not us- for what they do and say, and as such, should be fully convinced in their own mind. Decisions on what you should or shouldn’t do are between you and God and you should proceed based on your understanding as led by the Spirit after careful study of the Scripture. You should never follow a pastor or church if you don’t feel that their teachings align with what you find in the Bible.
© The Church of God in Miami