Does this Affect How We Live?

This past week, May 26 – 30, 2025, was the General Council of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (The Alliance). During this time, we had discussions during the afternoon business sessions about the Alliance’s Statement of Faith. Whenever you tell someone that there is debate about a denomination’s statement of faith, people usually get nervous thinking that the denomination is drifting into liberalism and/or rejecting the teachings of the Bible. This is far from the truth, regarding the Alliance. Instead, the discussions that we had and what was proposed to the delegates was an update of the language and to clarify what the Alliance believes, especially when we say, “Jesus is our Sanctifier.” At the end of the week, during our final business session on Friday, May 30, 2025, the Statement of Faith was read in it’s entirely reminding us of what we stand for as the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

As I sat there, following along on the screen as it was being read, I realized something important; these 11 statements are not just to be seen as something academic or theological, but instead, these statements are truths from God’s Word that make us who we are. Yes, this statement of faith declares some basic tenants of the Christian faith (i.e. there is only one God, the Bible is inerrant, Jesus is fully God and fully Human, the Holy Spirit is a person, etc.). This statement of faith also tells us about human beings. How we are created in the image of God, but because of disobedience we are now separated from God. This statement also declares that the only way to be right with God is through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  Most Christians would agree with that statement, but do we really believe that practically? If, the only way to be in a right relationship with God the Father is through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, then apart from Jesus a person has no hope.  And if Jesus is the only way to the Father, does it break our hearts that there are people all around us who are not in a right relationship with God? Which means that they will be eternally separated from God the moment they pass from this world. Do we even care? Does it even affect our lives knowing that people around us everyday do not know Jesus and are headed to a Christ-less eternity? Does this break our hearts?

That is why I said these statements should motivate us. They need to motivate us to tell the people around us in our community and to the ends of the earth the Gospel of Jesus. We cannot do this in our own strength, which is why God gives us His Spirit to dwell in us and to empower us to be bold witnesses for Him.

I would encourage you to read through the Statement of Faith of the Alliance and allow God’s Spirit to use these truths to motivate us to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to our unbelieving friends, family members, neighbors and strangers. Without Jesus people have no hope. Do we really believe that?

The Christian and Missionary Alliance

Statement of Faith

Section 1.1. There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), Creator of all things (Revelation 4:11), who is infinitely perfect (Matthew 5:48), existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

Section 1.2. Jesus Christ is the true God and true man (Philippians 2:6–11). He was sent by the Father (John 20:21), conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin, Mary (Luke 1:34–38). He died on the cross, the Just for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18), as a substitutionary sacrifice (Hebrews 2:9), and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (Romans 5:9). He rose from the dead according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high as our great High Priest (Hebrews 8:1). He will come again to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and peace (Isaiah 9:6–7).

Section 1.3. The Holy Spirit is a divine person (John 14:16–18), sent to indwell, guide, teach, gift, empower, and bear His fruit in every believer (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 11; Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22–23). He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:7–11).

Section 1.4. The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for our salvation. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice (2 Peter 1:20–21; 2 Timothy 3:15–17).

Section 1.5. Man and women, created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27), fell through disobedience, incurring both physical and spiritual death (Romans 6:23). Therfore, everyone is born with a sinful nature (Romans 5:12), is separated from the life of God (Ephesians 4:18), and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25).

Section 1.6. Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all people (1 John 2:2). Those who repent and believe in Him are justified by grace through faith (Romans 3:21–24), born again of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4–7), delivered from the dominion of darkness, transferred into the Kingdom of God’s Son (Colossians 1:13), granted the gift of eternal life, and adopted as the children of God (Romans 8:14–16; John 1:12).

Section 1.7[1]. It is the will of God that through Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit who indwells us (Colossians 1:27, John 14:17), each believer should be sanctified wholly (1 Thessalonians 5:23), filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), separated from sin and fully dedicated to God (Romans 6:13), thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service (Acts 1:8). This is both a decisive point of complete surrender (Romans 12:1) and a progressive experience (Galatians 5:16, 25) through which Christ is formed in the life of the believer (Galatians 4:19) by the Holy Spirit following conversion (Romans 6:1-14).

Section 1.8. Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the whole person (Isaiah 53:4–5; Matthew 8:16–17). Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures (James 5:13–16) as privileges for the Church in this present age (Acts 4:30).

Section 1.9. The Church consists of all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of His Body (Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:18), the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world making disciples of all peoples (Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20).

The local church is a body of believers in Christ (Ephesians 5:30) who are called to love (1 Thessalonians 3:12) and joined together for the worship of God, edification through the Word of God, prayer, fellowship, proclamation of the gospel through word and deed (Luke 4:18-19), and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:41–47).

Section 1.10. There will be a bodily resurrection of all people (Acts 24:15). Our Lord Jesus Christ will judge with perfect justice (Acts 17:31, John 5:28-30) as the unrepentant and unbelieving are raised to the conscious anguish of eternal separation from God (Revelation 20:15, 21:8, 2 Thessalonians 1:9), and repentant believers are raised (John 6:40) to the unending joy of eternal life with God (Psalm 16:11, Revelation 21:1-4).

Section 1.11. The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent (Hebrews 10:37) and will be personal, visible, and premillennial (Luke 21:27). This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service (Titus 2:11–14).

[1] Section 1.7 was adopted at General Council 2025, but needs to be ratified at General Council 2027