DOCTRINE TEACHED BY THE BIBLE
1. We believe that when a believer ceases to exist, their spirit returns to God that gave it and the body returns to the dust of the earth. The Holy Scriptures teach this Doctrine:
When Abraham gave up then ghost in a good old age, he was gathered to his people.
“Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre” Genesis 25: 8-9.
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried” Saint Luke 16:22.
When Stephen was stoned, he said: Lord Jesus receive my spirit.
“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” Acts 7:59.
We believe that the words written in Ecclesiastes are affirmative.
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” Ecclesiastes 12:7.
2. We believe that the soul is immortal. This is for the just and the unjust because it is the immaterial part in the creation of Man. We believe that life is spiritual (the soul) in Man because it is the breath of life given by God and cannot die being that it is a spirit created by God. The soul of the just returns to God, the creator and the soul of the unjust go to a waiting place until judgment day.
“And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?” Numbers 16:22.
“Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation” Numbers 27:16.
“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” Job 12:10.
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” Matthew 10:28.
“I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” Matthew 22:32.
“And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh” Isaiah 66:24.
“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Revelation 6: 9-10.
“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” Revelation 7:9.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” Relevation 20:4.
“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” Luke 16: 19-23.
3. We believe that there will be resurrection of the just and the unjust.
The just that have died believing in the Lord will be resurrected to enter into eternal life, to live forever. They will have a glorified body and mortal will be absorbed by the immortal.
“And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” John 5:29.
“And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust” Acts 24:15.
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead” Isaiah 26:19.
“After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight” Hosea 6:2.
“But some man will say, how are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?” 1 Corinthians 15:35.
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me” Job 19: 25-27.
“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” Psalm 17:15.
We also believe that there will be resurrection of the unjust but they will awake from the tomb only to be judged and hear the judgment when they receive eternal punishment.
“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” Matthew 25:46.
“And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” John 5:29.
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” Revelation 20: 5-15.
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” Daniel 12:2.26
4. We believe in the existence of a place of punishment, commonly referred to as Hell. Those who did evil and did not obey the Gospel to be saved will be confined here.
We believe in this eternal place where all evil ones will be cast together with Satan, the angels who rebelled in heaven, death and hell.
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” Psalms 9:17.
“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” Matthew 5:22.
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment” 2 Peter 2:4.
We believe that while the redeemed shall enter with Christ in glory:
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6.
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” Colossians 3:4.
Satan and all wicked will be cast into the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:7-15).
5. We believe in divine intervention manifested in human actions, be it for blessings or for punishment. We believe that in the interventions, which God has done, He has taken part in his earthly Kingdom. Being that He is sovereign above all things and knowing all, He has intervened in Mankind’s actions to bless or punish. Among His actions for blessing, he has opened the hearts of persons so that they can believe in the Gospel of Christ.
“And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us” Acts 16: 14-15.
He has guided His servants so that they may announce His gospel. (Acts 8: 29-38) Also, as a corrective from God, counsel has been defeated.
“And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, the counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom” 2 Samuel 17:14.
He has hardened the hearts of Man.
“Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen. And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom” 1 Kings 11: 11-14.
“And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat” 1 Kings 12: 14-15.
He has cut off the existence of those who have left Him.
“Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them” 2 Samuel 2: 30-34.