The Discipleship Church of God exists as an independent Sabbatarian Christian Church. The church observes and promotes the faith, Sabbath, Holy Days, and practices as witnessed by Christ and the early Christians documented in the New Testament. The church upholds both the Old and New Testaments for its doctrinal foundation. As such the Discipleship Church of God holds the following as a statement of its fundamental beliefs.
The Bible
We believe that the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired word of God. The Bible contains all scripture that is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). They alone contain the revelation of God essential for salvation (Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6).
God The Father
There is one God and Father of all, who is above all (Ephesians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6). He is immortal and eternal (1 Timothy 1:17). He is love (1 John 4:16). He is all-powerful (Matthew 19:26) and all-knowing (1 John 3:20). He is the Judge of all (Hebrews 12:22-24) and created all things by His Word (John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:16-17; Genesis 1:1-2:7).
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, in the beginning, was the Word as God and was with God (John 1:1-4). He shared the Father's glory (John 17:5) and He voluntarily gave up that glory (Philippians 2:5-8). God so loved this world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16), who, though in all points tempted as we are, lived without sin in the human flesh (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus Christ died as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity (1 John 2:1-2).
The Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead after His body lay three days and three nights in the grave (Matthew 12:40). After Jesus Christ was resurrected (Matthew 28:6), He ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father where He makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34). He acts as our High Priest (Hebrews 4:15, 9:11), Lord, and Savior (Philippians 3:20). Jesus Christ will return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:13-16; Revelation 1:5-8). He will restore the government of God to the earth and establish the Kingdom of God, which will last forever (Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 2:44).
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter Jesus promised to his disciples (John 14:16). It is the gift of God (Acts 2:38), power of God (Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:7) and presence of God in those who obey Him (2 Corinthians 1:22; Acts 5:32). The Holy Spirit, in us, reveals truth (John 16:13), convicts of sin (John 16:8), produces fruits of righteousness (Galatians 5:22-23) and provides gifts for service (Romans 12:4-11).
Salvation and Grace
Repentance is a response to the conviction of the Holy Spirit of one’s spiriual condition that includes remorse for past sins (trangressions of the law, 1 John 3:4), combined with a resolution to forsake sin and to return to the presence of God. This process is known as conversion (Acts 3:19; 2 Corinthians 7:9-11).
Salvation is the deliverance from sin and the penalty of sin which is death (Romans 6:18,23). Salvation is the free gift of God, made possible by grace through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This gift we receive through faith which brings peace into one’s life. (Ephesians 2:4-9; Galatians 1:3).
Baptism by immersion, the laying on of hands, and prayer is the outward response of the new believer following repentance, through which the believer is welcomed into the spiritual body of Christ (Matthew 3:13-16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12-17; Acts 19:5-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
God’s Law and Way of Life
The Ten Commandments summarize the eternal law of God, and therefore are applicable today (Exodus 20:1-17; John 15:10; James 2:10-12; Matthew 5:17-20). Under the new covenant, they are written in the hearts of believers (Hebrews 8:8-12), and they define, in principle, how to love God and love fellow man (Matthew 22:35-40). Jesus magnified the law by instructing his disciples about its spiritual intent (Matthew 5:17-48; Matthew 12:9-13). Keeping the law cannot justify the Christian (Galatians 3:21). However, those that practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21). When we sin, we are called on to confess our sin, and God is faithful to forgive our sin (1 John 1:8-10).
The Church
The spiritual body of all believers in whom the Holy Spirit dwells is called the church, or assembly (Ephesians 4:4-8; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13, 27; Colossians 1:18). The church is commissioned to make disciples, to baptize them, and to teach them all that Jesus taught (Matthew 28:19-20), which includes serving others, both in and out of the body according to the gift of God (Matthew 25:31-40; Galatians 6:10). Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, and so it is to him that the church looks for leadership (Colossians 1:18). Biblical precedent defines roles for elders, deacons and deaconesses in local congregations, as well as describing various other responsibilities (such as evangelizing, teaching, etc.) to be fulfilled by those so gifted by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-7,11; Romans 12:1-8; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 3:1-12).
Sabbath and Holy Days
The Sabbath is a weekly holy day to be observed on the seventh day of the week and is a gift from God (Exodus 20:8-11; Mark 2:27-28). It is a day of rest from work, and participation in collective worship and fellowship (Leviticus 23:3; Acts 17:1-4, 18:4, 13:14). The biblical pattern for Sabbath observance is from sunset to sunset (Leviticus 23:32). The Sabbath reminds Christians of creation (Genesis 2:1-3), the Creator (Exodus 31:13), of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Luke 6:5), deliverance from bondage (Deuteronomy 5:15), and the Kingdom yet to come (Hebrews 4:9-11).
The annual festivals given by God (Leviticus 23), were kept by Jesus (Matthew 26:17; John 7:2,10-14, 37), the apostles (Acts 2:1, 18:21, 20:16), and the early church (1 Corinthians 5:7-8; 1 Corinthians 16:8). They will also be kept in the future (Zechariah 14:16-18), so it follows that they should be kept today. The festivals illustrate God's plan of salvation; past, present and future; serving as annual reminders of God's purpose with man (Colossians 2:16-17).