What We Believe

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Welcome to the Smithville Church of God website. We are grateful for the opportunity to share with you the foundational principles of our faith. These truths are what we endeavor to embrace and live out in our daily lives.

In this brief narrative we want to share what we believe about: God; the relationship between God and man; God’s word regarding the plan of salvation and regarding God’s Church.

What we believe about God

We believe God is Holy, God is a Spirit, and God is love. We believe in the divine trinity, that the Godhead consists of: God the Father; God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We believe in the “beginning” God created everything seen and unseen through his son Jesus Christ. We believe God is omnipotent (all powerful); omnipresent (present everywhere) and omniscient (all knowing).

What we believe about the relationship between God and man

We believe God created mankind, male and female, in his own image. We believe God and man lived in harmonious, loving relationship until man’s willful disobedience of God’s command. Through this disobedience, sin entered the world and brought separation between God and mankind. (Genesis chapter 3)

What we believe about God’s word

We believe the bible is the divinely inspired word of God. We believe in the preeminence, immutability, and moral authority of the word of God. We believe God’s word reveals his love and faithful commitment to mankind. We believe hearing and heeding God’s word is the only path to experiencing fulness of life and right relationship with both God and others (Isaiah 40:8; Psalms 119:89; II Peter 1:19-21; Romans 13: 8-10)

What we believe about God’s plan of salvation: Justification (being made right with God) and Sanctification (Being set apart as God’s very own)

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”- Romans 3:23. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”- Romans 6:23.

We believe our sins separate us from God and that the penalty for sin is death.

Jesus Christ, by his crucifixion, paid the penalty for our sins. Through his sacrifice, God made possible the redemption of all mankind whereas the blood of Christ atones for the sins of everyone who accepts Christ as Lord and Savior. We call this “justification” which means being made right with God (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:6-7).

We believe in a second work of grace, sanctification. In sanctification, one is set apart as God’s very own to do the work and will of God. The indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit empowers the Spirit-filled individual to be recreated and transformed into a person possessing and exemplifying the character of God in righteousness, true holiness, and love for all. Being empowered and set apart, now we can know, understand, and perform God’s will for our lives. (Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:20-24)

What we believe about the Church

We believe all the saved form the true Church of God and find ultimate purpose in serving God and his church in a disposition of obedience, love, and humility. We believe every member of God’s church is uniquely gifted to serve and build up the church. Additionally, we believe these joyfully obey the Great commission of Christ to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded. (Matthew 28:18-20)

What we believe about the end time

We believe in the final judgment where every soul will appear before the judgment seat of God and receive an eternal fate according to their works and, their relationship with God through Christ. (Matthew 7: 21-23; Matthew 25: 31-46)

Thank you for allowing us to share!

In the Love of Christ

Smithville Church of God