WHAT WE BELIEVE AND WHY

Basic Teachings of The Bible Upheld By The Iglesia ni Cristo

“WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?” Is the usual remark we hear from some people when the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) is introduced to them. It is perfectly sound and legitimate question to ask considering that there are many religions today vying against one another, and making claims and counterclaims that theirs is the best church to affiliate one’s self with.

About the Bible

“We believe that the Bible is the word of God and the sole basis of our faith and service to God”

The Alimighty God committed His words in writing (cf. Jer. 30:2). The collections of inspired books where the words of God are written is called the “Holy Scriptures” by the apostles (cf. II Tim. 3:15). All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living (cf. II Tim. 3:16-17 TEV), and also, the Holy Scriptures are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation (cf. II Tim. 3:17, TEV). Thus, according to the apostles:

“Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written…” (I Corinthians 4:6 NIV, emphasis mine)

Because the Bible is the sole basis of our faith, we reject teachings not written in the Bible (e.g. Chrismas, Purgatory, Trinity, etc.) and other basis of faith (cf. Catechism, Book of Mormons, Apocrypha, etc.).

About God

“We believe that there is only one true God, the Father, and no one else besides Him”

Because the Bible is the sole basis of the teachings of Iglesia ni Cristo, thus we uphold the teachings of the prophets, the apostles and the Lord Jesus Christ that THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD, THE FATHER” (cf. Mal. 2:10; Is. 64:8; I Cor. 8:6; John 17:1, 4). The Lord God Himself said:

“Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." (Isaiah 44:8 NIV)

Thus, because we firmly uphold the biblical teaching that there is only one true God, the Father, and no one else besides Him, we reject the unbiblical teaching that there are three person in one God – that aside from God the father, there is God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

About the Lord Jesus Christ

“We believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as the Son of God, Lord, Savior, and the Mediator between God and Man”

We accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God:

“And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39, NIV, emphasis mine).

We accept Jesus Christ as our Lord:

“So, all the people of Israel should know this truly: God has made Jesus — the man you nailed to the cross — both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36, New Century Version, emphasis mine)

We accept Jesus Christ as our Savior:

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:30-31, Holman Christian Standard Bible, emphasis mine)

We accept Jesus Christ as the Mediator between man and the one true God:

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5, NIV, emphasis mine)

Because we believe that there is only one true God, the Father, thus, Jesus is not the true God, but the Son of the one true God. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself attests that He is indeed a man in nature:

“As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.” (John 8:40 NIV, emphasis mine).

Thus, we reject the christ-is-God theology.

About the Holy Spirit

“We believe that the Holy Spirit is the power that sent by the Father in the name of Christ”

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the power (cf. Acts 1:8, TEV) sent by the Father in the name of Christ, to teach and remind His messengers of all things that Christ said (cf. Jn. 14:26), to help us in our weaknesses and imfirmities (cf. Jn. 15:26; Rom. 8:26).The Holy Spirit strenghthens, edifies, and comforts the Church of Christ (cf. Eph. 3:16-17; Jn. 14:26)And though the Holy Spirit is a spirit never does the Scriptures refer to it as “god the Holky Spirit” because the Holy Spirit is not Godbut one of the spirits being sent by God (cf. Rev. 5:6).

About the Messengers of God

“We believe that God sent His Messengers to preach His words”

We believe that the Bible is the word of God, however, the Bible is not an “open book.” God has purposely hidden His words in mystery (cf. Rom. 16:25), that’s why man who strive to understand the Scripture through their own worldly knowledge can never know the truth (cf. II Tim. 3:7). How then man will be able to understand the truth written in the Bible? Through God’s messengers according to the Bible:

“It is the duty of priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to them to learn my will, because they are the messengers of the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 2:7, TEV)

People must go to those sent by God (the messengers of the Lord) to learn His will. According to Apostle Paul: “And how can they preach unless they are sent…” (Rom. 10:15, NIV). According to the Lord Jesus Christ: “I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me” (John 13:20, NIV).

We believe that the late Brother Felix Y. Manalo is God’s last messenger, the fulfillment of the biblical prophecies regarding the “Angel” (“messenger”) from the east (cf. Rev. 7:2-3) who would preached to God’s sons and daughters from the “ends of the earth” (cf. Is. 43:5-6; 41:9-10; 46:11).

About God’s Standing Policy of Election

“We believe that God elects and set apart His people to serve Him”

The Iglesia ni Cristo believe that since the ancient times, God has set apart his people to serve Him (cf. Ps. 4:3).

“Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him.” (Psalms 4:3 NIV)

People outside this election are not God’s people (I Pet. 2:9-10, TEV), not of Christ, and without hope and without God (cf. Eph. 2:12).

God set apart Set and his race. When Seth’s race fall away from God, Then Noah and his family were set apart by God. However, Noah’s race disobeyed God’s commandment. Because God’s policy of election continues, He set apart Abraham and made covenant with him. God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham continues with Isaac, Jacob and the nation of Israel. But, Israel did not remained faithful to God (cf. Dan. 9:11). Thus, the church of Christ became God’s nation replacing Israel (cf. I Pet. 2:9-10). However, the first century Church of ChrIst also departed from the faith or was apostatized (cf. I Tim. 4:1, 3). But, the Lord Jesus declares that He has “other sheeps” (cf. Jn 10:16), that He will gather them in the future and there will be one fold or one flock (cf. Jn. 10:16, Easy to Read Bible). Thus, this was Christ promise of the re-establishemnt or re-mergence of His church although the first century Church of Christ was apostatized. Thus, even up to this day, God’s policy of election remains through His chosen people from the ends of theearth”:

“I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:9-10 NIV)

About Salvation and the Church

“We believe that man must enter the Church of Christ in order to be save come Judgment Day”

We believe that the salvation mentioned in the Bible is the salvation from the eternal damnation come Judgment Day. The Bible clearly teaches that all men committed sin (cf. Rom. 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (cf. Rom. 6:23), and the full wages of sin is the second death, the eternal damnation in the lake of fire (cf. Rev. 20:14; 21:8; 14:9-10).

The Savior, Christ Jesus, clearly states that:

“I am the door; if any one enters by me., he will be saved…” (John 10:9 RSV).

Those who “enters through Christ” became members of His body, the Church of Christ (cf. Rom. 12:4-5; Col. 1:18; Rom. 16:16). God testified that membership in the true Church of Christ is needed in order to be saved come Judgment Day through adding to the Church such as should be saved:

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:47, KJV)

Apostle Paul points out that Christ is indeed the Savior and not the Church, however, he also points out that the Church is the one that Christ will save:

“For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.” (Eph. 5:23, TEV, emphasis mine)

Thus, faith alone is not enough:

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?...Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:14 and 24, KJV)

Christ will not save anyone outside the Church ofChrist because it would be against the law of Godgod’s law requires that sinners should pay for their own sin (cf. Dt. 24:16; Jn. 8:24;I Cor. 5:13).

About Baptism

“We believe that man needs to receive baptism to be saved and the baptism commanded by Christ and preached by His apostles is done through immersion”

Man needs to receive the baptism commanded by Christ and preached by the apostles to be saved (cf. Mark 16:15-16), to become Christ’s disciple (cf. Mt. 28:19), and to receive the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:38). The baptism commanded by Christ and preached by the apostles is through immersion (Rom. 6:4; Jn. 3:23; Acts 8:36-38).

About the Church Administration

“We believe that the Church Administration is from God and we are duty bound to submit ourselves ”

The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that every member is duty-bound to submit himself to the Church Adminsitration because it is God’s commandment:

“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17 NIV)

The Church Administration is from God (cf. Col. 1:25 NKJV) who He entrusted the message and the ministry of reconcilliation (cf. II Cor. 5:18-20).

About the Christian Way of Life

“We believe that man must enter the Church of Christ in order to be save come Judgment Day”

The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that all those baptized in Christ should put on Christ (cf. Gal. 3:27).It is Christ who should live in them and no longer they themselves (cf. Gal. 2:20).

Those who are truly in Christ should lead a righteous life based on moral teachings of the Bible (cf. II Cor. 5:17; II Tim. 3:15-17). The Bible explains that “the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God”:

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders  nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Cor. 6:9-10 NIV)

We also believe that God prohibits the eating of blood (cf. Lev. 17:10; Acts 15:28).

“But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.” (Deuteronomy 12:23 NIV)

The Bible also strictly prohibits mixed marriage with unbelievers:

“Do not unite in marriagewith unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with iniquity? Or what mingling has light with darkness?” (II Corinthians 6:14 Lamsa)

About Worship of God

“We believe that it is the whole duty of man to worship God and keep His commandments”

The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that it is the duty of man to worship and serve our Lord God:

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalms 100:2-3 NIV)

The Lord Jesus Christ taught to His servants that we must woship God in spirit and in truth:

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Juan 4:23-24 NIV

Thus, the Bible strictly prihibits the use of graven images:

“Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth.

“Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them: I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” (Ex 20:4-5 Douay-Rheims)

Because we must not think that God is like gold or silver or stone

    

“And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.” (Acts 17:29 New Living Translation)

The Christians are admonish by the apostles not to neglect their “church meetings”:

“Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. If anyone sins deliberately by rejecting the Savior after knowing the truth of forgiveness, this sin is not covered by Christ's death; there is no way to get rid of it. There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible punishment of God's awful anger, which will consume all his enemies.” (Hebrews 10:25-27 LB)

They are referring to the congregational worship services (cf. I Cor. 14:26 and 15). Thus, the members of the Church of Christ value our congregational worship services.

About Brotherhood

“We believe that members of the Church of Chrsit must love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ”

The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that members of the Church of Christ should observe the brotherhood Christ Himself established the brotherhood inside the Church of Christ (cf. Mt. 23:8; John 13:34-35).

That is why members of the Church of Christ address one another as brother and sister.

About Christian Unity

“We believe that it is God’s commandment that we must subscribe to sacred unity”

The Iglesia ni Cristo believe that we must subscribe to sacred unity, a complete and perfect unity for in this unity, God, Christ and the Christare joined together or united:

"I'm not praying only for them. I'm also praying for those who will believe in me through their message. I pray that all of these people continue to have unity in the way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united with us so that the world will believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I did this so that they are united in the same way we are. I am in them, and you are in me. So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me and that you have loved them in the same way you have loved me.” (John 17:20-23 God’s Word)