Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church
(Revised, Expanded, Enhanced)
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The Doctrine of God 1. God is. It is a doctrinal fact that God is the eternal and everlasting existing Spirit that holds all things in His hands: The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath (are) the everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27 NKJV). 2. It is not a fact that God exists simply because the Bible says so. The Bible exists because God exists. It is God who breathed His word into existence for man’s benefit (2 Timothy 3:16). The incorruptible Word is, therefore, eternal as is the One who uttered it into existence is eternal: Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89 NKJV). 3. The very existence of God is not a fantasy; it is a fact. God is Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8) which literally means “without beginning and without end.” Likewise, it is also accepted as meaning “before the beginning and after the ending.” 4. God is Spirit. Norman Geisler in his book Systematic Theology (Volume Two), quotes declaring, Stephen Charnock’s “God is a pure Spirit, He has nothing, of the nature and tincture of a body . . . whoever conceives Him as having a bodily form . . . instead of owning His dignity, detracts from the super-eminent excellency of His nature and blessedness.” 5. The Word declares God’s understanding is infinite (Psalm 147:5). It is immeasurable, endless, and unlimited. Referring to His entirety as being unified in all His essence and nature, it is correct to state that God is One. The Scriptures declare that The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). Because He is infinite in His understanding, all His absolutes and attributes are, therefore, infinite. They are identical because whatever God possesses, that is what He is. All His absolutes and attributes refer to the oneness of His essence. Stating this fact declares that, if God is infinite in one absolute and attribute, He must be infinite in all His absolutes and attributes since He is an indivisible Spiritual Being. 6. When focusing on God as a Spiritual Being, there should be a clear understanding that He is an essence and a substance and not a mere idea or a personification of an idea. God is Spirit, and as such He transcends human comprehension known in man’s puny mind as only substance. In essence, God’s nature is Who He is, and substance is the product of His divine handiwork. Apostle Paul explains the authoritative power God has over all things when he says, For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1: 16 NKJV). 7. While the Word declares God is Spirit (John 4:24), He is also a substance, namely a spiritual substance, which is invisible and untouchable. Apostle Paul explains that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15). God’s ability to show Himself physically and visibly is apparent when He appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai and demonstrated His glory to him (Exodus 33:18-23). Furthermore, Jesus is the physical and bodily representation of the Godhead, for Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), and in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). 8. Unlike kings and rulers today who inherit their rulership, God is the ruler over all things and has not inherited His kingship and rulership. He has the supreme ownership and rulership of everything He has created because He was before all things He created (John 17:5). 9. To begin this explanation, the Bible is clear that God is “before” “previous” “prior” to all things. Before anything existed, God is (exists). The Psalmist makes this very clear when he says, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (Psalm 90:2 NKJV). Jesus prays to the Father stating that He was loved by His Father before the foundation of the world (John 17:24). God’s announcement that He is I AM (Exodus 3:4) expresses the fact that He is always ever present; He is not “I was” or “I will be” but I AM. 10. Spirit-filled believers never question God’s eternal existence. Neither do they need an explanation as to God’s sovereignty and rulership throughout His eternal reign. Their acceptance and spiritual application of who God is, is rooted in the premise that God the Holy Spirit, who dwells in them, reveals to them all truths pertaining to God as the Scripture says, he [the Holy Spirit] He will guide you into all truth (John 16:13). This personal witness in their spirits comes from God’s revelation to them that He is the great I AM. 11. All the attributes pertaining to God are identical. His power, everlasting existence, knowledge, wisdom, and His glory are identical to His Being because whatever God has, that He is (Revelation 5:12). God’s servant James states that with God there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17 NKJV). Third-century theologian Novatian of Rome (AD 235-258) gives more clarity on this Scripture saying, “God never changes or transforms Himself into other forms, lest by changing He should somehow appear to be mortal. Therefore, there is never any addition of parts or of glory in Him, lest anything should seem to have been wanting to the perfect One in the first place.” 12. God Himself declares For I am the LORD, I change not (Malachi 3:6). Gregory the Great states that “Because God is unchanging, no shadow can cut off His light.” Severus of Antioch summarily declares, “He [God] remains firm and unchanging in His being.” All of God’s absolutes and attributes are steadfast and are constantly the same; there are no changes in Him from generation to generation. He is eternally the same. 13. The doctrine of God is rooted in the four “absolutes” that encompass God. He is Eternal, Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent. These four absolutes are all orchestrated from their nucleus, Love, which is who God is (1 John 4:8).
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About the Book
This exhaustive doctrinal book contains all the teachings of Jesus Christ. It draws the reader to conform to the Bible’s message which says about the early apostolic church: and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42). Every tenet of the original apostles’ doctrine detailed in the New Testament is thoroughly explained. The teachings of Jesus and the ministry gifts He gave to the church found in Ephesians 4:11 are covered in depth to help establish the church of Jesus Christ which Jesus said He will build and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). This book gives deep insight into doctrinal issues and is a great guide for ministers, elders and all lay person who are ardent biblical students and desire a deeper walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
About the Author
Francis Vlok was born in South Africa in 1947 and educated at Cambridge School, East London. After graduating from high school, he continued his studies attending night classes and graduated from the East London College obtaining an associates banking degree. It was during 1972 that he was called into the ministry. He continued with his ministerial studies and graduated from the Methodist Church of South Africa in 1977. While studying for the ministry, he was baptized with the Holy Spirit on January 5, 1975. He requested a release from his obligations to the Methodist church; and for the next six months, the Spirit revealed the perfect will of God. He joined The Christian Fellowship in 1978 that functions in God’s perfect will. In 1982 God sent him to Port Elizabeth, where the Holy Spirit led him to start an assembly. This was the fulfillment of his ministry as an apostle. From 1984 to 1993, he lectured at the Christian Fellowship’s School of Ministry. His continuous studying and teaching of the Word paved the way for him to assist the president in the re-writing of the fellowship’s constitution, the establishment of the biblical tenets, beliefs, and principles. In 1987, he was appointed Vice President of The Christian Fellowship. The Holy Spirit continued to use Francis until he was called by the Holy Spirit to relocate to the United States, MS which he did in 1995. Francis was led to start another fellowship in MS and today there is a small assembly in MS fulfilling the perfect will of God. For more than forty years God has instructed him to look after himself not receiving any remuneration from the church. He holds a secular job and has been able to support his family and work for the Lord.