What Denomination are You? What is Your Doctrinal Statement?
A very natural question arises when people browse our website: they want to know what denomination we are and what our doctrinal statement is. These are common and almost expected ways religious groups have of identifying and categorizing themselves. Perhaps the following will serve as an answer to that type of question.
To quote from the “outgo” of our radio and television broadcasts: “We are not affiliated with any denomination but seek only, under the headship of Christ, to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Our hearts are open to all of God’s elect remnant who desire to be ready for the soon return of our Lord.”
You will find it difficult, if not impossible, to fit us into any religious category. Our “doctrinal statement” is the Bible. We actively acknowledge Christ as the Head of His Body, the Church and look to Him to feed the sheep from the Word as we have need.
Even Paul, with all the revelation he had, said, “We know in part, and we prophesy in part.” (I Cor. 13:9). Prov. 4:18 says, “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” The mistake men have made has been to establish rigid systems of doctrinal interpretation out of their partial understanding. Thus we have at least hundreds of doctrinal systems at serious variance with one another. Which shall we believe? Which set of “religious glasses” shall we use when we read the word?
Religion wants to fit us with glasses; the Lord wants to open our eyes. Religion, if it shows us the word at all, shows it to us through a filter of tradition. The Lord wants us to be free to preach and believe the word as it is.
What happens with doctrinal traditions is that they become a substitute for the word. Instead of preachers being called and taught of the Lord to minister as He reveals and anoints, they are trained to become defenders and promoters of their tradition. Even where they may believe some true things, all too often, the truth is dead and ineffective.
What happens when the Lord, in fulfilling His purpose for His elect, begins to reveal truth that crosses and corrects some of the error that has become embodied within the various traditions? Do the adherents jump for joy and say, “Oh, isn’t it wonderful that the Lord is revealing truth that corrects the things we didn’t understand?” What has really happened, unbeknownst to many sincere people is that spirits other than the Holy Spirit have used this process of turning belief and teaching into rigid tradition to ensnare people in religious prisons. They are not free to seek God and look into the word. If something is at variance with their tradition, it’s wrong, in their estimation. I am persuaded that the very religious traditions to which people have clung for security have been their jailor.
We have included a considerable body of writing and teaching on this website covering a great variety of subjects. Examine what you read by the word itself. Seek the Lord about it if you read something that seems different. The principle Jesus applied to His own earthly ministry of teaching applies today: “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:17. Incidentally, what was Jesus’ doctrinal statement? Had you ever thought about that?! What He did was to faithfully give out what the Father gave Him. That’s what true ministry is, and you will find that it squares with the Word!
We offer those things that the Lord has shared with us over many years, things that have helped to enlighten and set us free. Be a good “Berean.” Acts 17:11 says, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Return to Question & Answers