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The Doctrine of

The Church Of God Of The Firstborn

or The Bible Doctrine

by A.G. Etterman

 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 can not enter into the kingdom of God."

 

 

No man can tell how to be born again, but we believe as the Bible teaches in 1 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 in Romans 8:16

"The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."

 

 

Then the Bible commands 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 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 also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection"    

 

 

We do believe and teach that water baptism is an obedience of Christ's commandments 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."

 

 

The next commandment we teach is entire Sanctification as in 1 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."    

 

 

The next commandment is to be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18

"And be drunk not 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."


 

The Bible also commands that Christian people when sick to obey James 5:14-16

"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 we have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."    

 

 

Not praying for sinners for healing, first praying for their soul salvation, and then for bodily healing.

 

 

Another commandment is in Malachi 3:10

"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."

 

 

We find more commandments on tithing in St. Matthew 23:23, Hebrews 7:5, and 1 Corinthians 16:2    

 

 

Next, The Lord's Supper we do observe 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 built on the foundation of the apostle's platform, therefore we take the Lord's supper every Sunday morning and only those that are saved are partakers

 

 

So as Jesus gives us example so must we wash feet, as in St. John 13:14-15

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." St. John 13:17

 

 

We do believe and teach the second coming of Christ, as in 1 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 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 we believe as St. Matthew 24:37

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be"

 

 

As the world was destroyed by water in those days, so will it be destroyed by fire when the Lord appears in the clouds, as in 2 Peter 3:10

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up"

 

 

How does one become a member in The Church Of God Of The Firstborn?   Acts 2:47 says

"Praising God, and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to the Church 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.

 

 

We see in Ephesians 3:14-15 that to be called by any other name than God the Father's name is not Biblical

"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"

 

 

We find in 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 2 Corinthians 1:1, and Acts 20:28, more witnesses to the name God wants His people to go by. We find in 1 Timothy 3:5 one of the many qualifications of a minister and also the name of the Church:

"For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?"

James 2:10 

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend on one point, he is guilty of all."

 

 

We find a point in the law regarding the Hour of Prayer in Acts 3:1

"Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, 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.  Just as there were great things done in the Apostles' time so will there be in the last days.  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 very plain on another subject which we teach very strong, because we believe God's word in every way.  In Psalms 91:10 we find these words:

"There shall be 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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