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Christian
Fundamentals
Garden City Confession of Faith, 1921
This state of Christian
doctrine and discipline has been prepared in the fear of God with a
deep burden for the proper
application of the unchanging principles of the Word of God.
We believe that God’s
children will grow in their appreciation for a Biblically discipline
church with a statement of Christian doctrine and application that will
assist them in more fully conforming
to God’s ways and be a safeguard against the constant pressures and
temptations toward worldly accommodations. To this end the following
document has been prepared and is presented for acceptance by the
membership and for the benefit of interested persons. A discipline reviewing committee reviewed and
prepared this document for consideration and adoption by the Body of
Christ.
ARTICLES OF FAITH
Article 1
OF THE WORD OF GOD
We believe in the plenary and verbal inspiration of the Bible as the
Word of God; that it is authentic in its matter, authoritative in it’s
counsels, inerrant in the original writings, and the only
infallible rule of faith and practice. Ex. 4:12; II Sam. 23:2; Ps.
12:6; 119:160; Jer. 1:9l Mt. 5:18; 24:35; II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:20,
21.
Article II
OF THE EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF GOD
We believe that there is but one God, eternal, infinite, perfect, and
unchangeable, who exists and reveals Himself in three persons - Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Duet.6:4; Ps. 90:2; Gen. 17:1;
Ps 147:5; 139:7-12; Isa 40:28; 57:15; Mal. 3:6; Gen 1:2; Heb. 1:8.
Article III
OF THE CREATION
We believe that the Genesis account of the Creation is a historic fact
and literally true. Gen. 1:1,21,27; Ex. 20:11; Mk.
10:6-9; Heb. 1:10; 4:4; Heb. 11:3.
Article IV
OF THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man was created by an immediate act of God: In His own
image and after His likeness; that by one act of disobedience he became
sinful in his nature, spiritually dead, subject
to physical death and to the power of the devil, from which fallen
condition he was unable to save himself. Gen.1:26, 27, 16,
17; 3:1-7; Eph. 2:1-3, 12; Jno 6:44; Rom. 5:6
Article V
OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, that He was
conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin-the
perfect Godman; that He was without sin... Making the only adequate
atonement for sine by the shedding of His blood, thus reconciling man
to God; that He was raised from the dead, ascended to
glory and “ever liveth to make intercession for us.” Jno. 1:1, 14, 18;
Heb. 1:8; 13:8; Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:15; Lk. 1:35; Mt.
1:20-25; Isa. 53:5, 6; II Cor. 5:14, 21; Gal. 3:13; I Pet. 2:22, 24;
3:18; Rom. 5:8-10; Mt. 28:6; Acts 2:24; 10:39-41; 17:31; I
Cor. 15:20; Acts 1:11; Eph. 1:19, 20; Rev. 1:18; Col. 3:1; Heb. 6:20; I
Jno. 2:1, 2; Heb. 7:25.
Article VI
OF SALVATION
We believe that man is saved alone by grace through faith in the
finished work of Christ that he is justified from all things on the
ground of His shed blood; that through the new birth he becomes a
child of God, partaker of eternal life, and blessed with all spiritual
blessings in Christ. Eph. 2:8 Rom. 3:20-26; Acts 13:38,
39; Jno. 1:12, 13; 3:4, 8, 16; 5:24; Eph. 1:3.
Article VII
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit; that He
convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment; that He
indwells and comforts the believer, guides him into all truth,
empowers for service and enables him to live a life of righteousness.
Acts 5:3,4; II Cor. 3:3, 17; Jno 16:7, 8, 13; I Cor.
3:16; Gal. 4:6; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:1-4.
Article VIII
OF ASSURANCE
We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to know that they
have passed from death unto life; that God is able to keep them from
falling, but that the obedience of faith is essential to the
maintenance of one's salvation and growth in grace. I Jno. 3:14; 5:13;
Rom. 8:16; II Cor. 12:9; Jude 24, 25; Rom. 16:25, 26; 1:5;
Gal. 3:11; Jno. 8:31; II Pet. 1:5-11.
Article IX
OF THE CHURCH
We believe that the Church is the body of Christ, composed of all those
who through repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
have been born again and were baptized by one Spirit
into one Body, and that it is her divinely appointed mission to preach
the gospel to every creature, teaching obedience to
all His commandments. Mt. 15:18; Eph. 1:23; Col 1:18; Acts 20:21; Lk.
24:47; Acts 17:30; 16:31; Gal. 3:26; I Cor. 12:13; Mt.
28:19, 20; Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8.
Article X
OF SEPARATION
We believe that we are called with a holy calling to a life of
separation from the world and its follies, sinful practices, and
methods; further that it is the duty of the Church to keep herself
aloof from all movements which seek the reformation of
society independent of the merits of the death of Christ and the
experiences of the new birth. I Pet. 2:9; Tit. 2:11-14;2:15; Mt. 28:19,
20; 18:15-18; Eph. 4:11-16; Heb. 13:17; Acts 14:21-23; 1:15-26.
Article XI
OF DISCIPLINE
We believe that the Lord has vested the Church with authority in
accordance with Scriptural teaching: (1) to choose officials, (2) to
regulate the observance of ordinances, (3) to exercise wholesome
discipline, and (4) to organize and conduct her work in a manner
consistent with her high calling and essential to her
highest efficiency. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; II Tim. 2:2; Tit. 1:5-9; 2:15;
Mt. 28:19-20; 18:15-18; Eph. 4:11-16; Heb. 13:17; Acts 14:21-23;
1:15-26.
Article XII
OF ORDINANCES
We believe that Christian baptism should be administered upon
confession of faith; that the Lord's Supper should be observed as a
memorial of His death by those of like precious faith who have
peace with god; that feet washing as an ordinance should be literally
observed by all believers; that Christian women praying or
prophesying should have their heads covered; that the salutation of the
holy kiss should be duly and appropriately observed
by all believers; that anointing with oil should be administered to the
sick who call for it in faith; that marriage
between one man and woman is a divine institution dissoluble only by
death, that on the part of a Christian it should be “only in the Lord”
and that consistency requires that the marriage relation be entered
only by those of like precious faith. Lk. 22:19-20. 1 Cor. 11:23-28;
Acts 2:39; 8:12; 18:8; Jno. 13:1-7; 1 Cor. 11:2-16; 16:20; Jas.
5:14-16; Mk. 10:6-12; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:39; Amos
3:3
Article XIII
OF RESTRICTIONS
We believe that all Christians should honor, pray for, and pay tribute
to, and obey in all things those who are in authority in state and
nation, provided however, that should instances arise in
which such obedience would violate the higher law of god “we ought to
obey God, rather than mane,” that Church and State are
separate, and while believers are to be subject o, they are not a part
of the civil, administrative powers; that it is contrary
to the teachings of Christ and the apostles to engage in carnal
warfare; that Christians should “adorn themselves in modest
apparel ... not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly
array”; that the swearing of oaths is forbidden in the New
Testament Scriptures; that secret orders are antagonistic to the tenor
and spirit of the Gospel; and that life insurance is
inconsistent with the filial trust in the he providence and care of our
heavenly Father. 1 Pet. 2:13, 14, 17; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1, 2; Acts
5:29; Mt. 22:21; Mk. 10:42-44; Jno. 18:36; 2 Cor. 10:4; 1 Tim 2:9, 10;
1 Pet 3:3-5; Mt. 5:34-37; Jas. 5:12; Jno. 18:20;
Eph. 5:11, 12; ! Jno 3:17; Gal. 6:10; Jer. 49:11; Eph.1:22, 23.
Article XIV
OF APOSTASY
We believe that the later days will be characterized by general
lawlessness and departure from the faith; that on the part of the world
“iniquity shall abound; and “evil men shall wax worse and worse”;
that on the part of the Church there will be a falling away and “the
love of many shall wax cold”; that false teachers shall
abound, both deceiving and being deceived and further, that present
conditions indicate that we are now living in these
perilous times. I Tim. 4:1, 2; Rom. 16:17,18; II Tim. 2:1-5, 13; II
Peter 2:1, 2, 10; Mt. 24:11, 12; II Thes. 2:3.
Article XV
OF THE RESURRECTION
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the bodily
resurrection of all men, both of the just and the unjust-of the just to
the resurrection of life, and of the unjust to the
resurrection of condemnation. Jno. 20:20, 24-29; Lk. 24:30, 31; I Cor.
15:42-44; Acts 24; Jno. 5:28, 29; I Cor. 15:20-23.
Article XVI
OF THE COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the personal, imminent coming of our Lord as the blessed
hope of the believer; that we who are alive and
remain, together with the dead in Christ who will be raised, shall be
caught up to meet the Lord in the he air and thus ever be with the
Lord, Jno. 14:2, 3 Acts 1:11; Mt. 24-44; Heb. 10:37; Tit.
2:11-13; I Thes. 4:13-18.
Article XVII
OF THE INTERMEDIATE STATE
We believe that in the interval between death and resurrection, the
righteous will be with Christ in a state of conscious bliss and
comfort, but that the wicked will be in a place of torment, in a
state of conscious suffering and despair. Lk. 16:19-31; 23:43; Phil.
1:23; II Cor. 5:1-8; I Thes. 5:10; II Pet. 2:9
Prepared by the Committee on
Fundamentals. Adopted by the Twelfth Mennonite General Conference,
meeting near Garden City, Missouri, August 24-26, 1921, Proceedings,
pp. 25-27.
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