This teaching on this subject is designed to help us understand the scriptural term “the flesh” - what it means to be led by the flesh and the consequences of doing so, and what it means to be led by the Spirit. We will also look into God’s way of gaining victory over the flesh.

In Romans Ch.7, Paul gives an account of the conflict between his desire to serve God and the opposing nature of the flesh. (The term “flesh” as we will use it here is referring to the sin nature which can affect the mind of the Believer but is not in the spirit of the Believer. Remember that the spirit is washed clean from all darkness at regeneration). Note that while the inner man delights to do God’s will, the flesh always seeks to oppose God’s laws.

Scripture reveals that since the creation of man it has been God’s desire to establish a physical Kingdom here on earth, governed by Himself. This Kingdom would thus have been a theocracy, a Kingdom over which God Himself ruled, in and through man. So although David wrote, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1), and He rules over the universe and all creation in a general sense, and always has done, God also desired to set up a more specific theocratic Kingdom.

Between the Fall of man and the time of Moses, various blood Covenants were established by God with different groups and individuals. These were instituted as a means of holding eternal death at bay for those who lived according to these Covenants. The blood of the sacrifices atoned for (or covered) the sins of the people. This was only a stopgap measure, however, for it could not release people from the power and the bondage of sin, namely the sin nature which gives the power to sin.

During this period, God called a man named Abram to be the founder of a people who would be His holy nation, His chosen possession of all the nations on the earth. God gave to Abram special promises which related to an everlasting Covenant and the promise of a Messiah Who would deal decisively with the terrible sin problem that afflicted all mankind.

It is only because we have a High Priest, seated at the right hand of the Father, that we can come boldly to “the throne of grace.”

It is only through Christ Jesus that we can obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our times of need.

As our High Priest, He functions as the Mediator between God and man. If this was not so, we would have no hope, and no assurance of salvation - but praise God we do have this hope, because Jesus has risen and conquered death and is now our eternal High Priest. Therefore it is obvious that the Priesthood has not passed away, but once again, has been fulfilled in Christ.

To be renewed in our minds is a commandment which applies to all Christians. When we accept Jesus Christ into our life, our spirit is regenerated and cleansed of sin, but our mind is not. Yes, positionally we are saved, but our condition does not always match our position. Ongoing daily sanctification is required if our condition is to progress towards our position - and the grace of the Divine Nature is needed for this process to take place. All this means is that when we are saved, and even after this immediate time, many of our attitudes, thoughts and beliefs will be at variance with the Word of God. Because of this, our unrenewed mind will often cause us, in the flesh, to oppose the desires of God. To change this situation, we must be committed to the renewing of our mind.

Unforgiveness can weigh heavy on our hearts, and can breed bitterness and destructive emotions. hindering our spiritual growth and robbing us of our peace. Holding onto unforgiveness will hinder our fellowship with God and prevent us from experiencing the fullness of God’s mercy and grace.

Scripture tells us that God is unable to respond to a man or woman who is walking in unforgiveness or pride - or harbouring blatant unconfessed sin

This document reflects commonly held beliefs based on scripture which have been endorsed by the church's Commission on Doctrinal Purity and the Executive Presbytery.

What is the Assemblies of God position on the security of the believer's salvation?

The Assemblies of God has taken a strong stand against the teaching that God’s sovereign will completely overrides man’s free will to accept and serve Him. In view of this we believe it is possible for a person once saved to turn from God and be lost again.

The Book of Genesis is a book of beginnings - for this is what the word means. The first four words, “In the beginning God,” give us the antecedent, the reason all creation came into being, for God, Who always was and always will be, created all that is. Evolution is a theory that denies the Creator and seeks to make sense of the created world from a natural human perspective. With no acknowledgement of the righteous and holy Judge, the Creator, the cause of all things, it is totally flawed and hopelessly deceptive in its analysis and its conclusions. From Genesis we learn the authentic story of creation.

In the first booklet, “The Story Of Creation,” we discovered, through scripture, that God created the heavens and the earth in a dateless past. The key to understanding this aspect of creation comes from a thorough examination of Genesis 1:2:

God would not have created the earth to have been “a desolation and an indistinguishable ruin” (from the Hebrew words “tohu” and “bohu”). His creation of the heavens and the earth would have been a masterpiece, not a chaotic ruin. Thus we find there must be a vast untold story between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, a story which can be pieced together in a general sense from a careful examination of scripture.

When God said that man would die the day he ate (partook) of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” God was referring not to physical death “in the day that you shall eat,” but to “spiritual death.” This meant that man would become separated from Him, and no longer linked to Him spiritually - for the relationship between God and man would be broken. As we shall see, physical death also resulted though not immediately, the ageing process being a consequence of the Fall.

The term “Trinity” is generally acknowledged to have first been used by the church father Tertullian (A.D.145-220), and is derived from the Latin “trinitas.” It is a term that denotes “the specifically Christian doctrine that God is a unity of three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word itself does not occur in the Bible.” 

There is one true triune God, as we have learned, eternally co-existent in three persons Who constitute the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Word and God the Holy Spirit. These three dwell together in perfect unity forming one heavenly government called God, and each of the three Divine persons we recognize to be God.

The wrath of God is a much misunderstood subject. It is a function of God’s holy character and expresses itself through judgement.

One subject within scripture which is often neglected today is “the wrath of God.” This phrase generally refers to the punishment of God - God’s righteous judgement upon sinners. As we know, God is not only a God of great mercy, He is also a God of justice, and He will always fulfill His Word. Therefore those who engage in sin, remaining in a state of sin, will fall under God’s judgement, His righteous wrath.

As we enter into our new life in Christ, God becomes our eternal provider and we can look to Him to supply all our needs, spiritual and physical, as we live according to His Word. One aspect of the Christian walk which is often overlooked is that of the giving of tithes and offerings. Christians therefore tend to give as they feel, rather than as God has instructed in His Word, and as a consequence they block God from blessing them fully in this area.

In giving tithes and offerings, primarily we are acknowledging that all we have belongs to God and that our reliance is on God and His Word.

Unfortunately today many Christians organize God around their lives instead of organizing their lives around God. The way tithes and offerings are given is a prime example of this.

The subject of alcohol and whether, as Christians, we should or should not drink, has long been a topic of debate in many Christian circles. Let us look at the Word of God for our answers.

The Bible tells us not to be drunk, not to be in “excess” but to be filled with the Spirit. This means to be controlled by the Spirit of God and not to be controlled by anybody else or anything else, including alcohol and mind-altering drugs. Of course for medical purposes and the benefit of a patient, a doctor may use drugs. Obviously this is not to use drugs in an improper way.

For the Christian, water baptism is like a wedding ceremony in which one pronounces one’s vows, speaking them forth before a public gathering which is present to witness the event. Water baptism performs the same function before God, and represents a vow presented to the world, to oneself, to the enemy and to the sin nature - a vow of commitment. It is also a symbolic demonstration of death to the old man (the old unregenerate self) and life to the new man, raised in “newness of life” (Romans 6:4). All this is symbolized as we go down into the water and are then brought up out of it.

Congratulations on beginning your new life in Christ. You are now a child of God (John 1:12), your sins are forgiven and you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within: 1 Corinthians 6:19. You have already taken the most important step in life, but it is important that you follow up on this step with a commitment to seek the Word of God diligently and to obey all that it commands in the power of His grace. One of the commands which is necessary to our obedience to Christ is that of water baptism. Let’s explore this intriguing subject, even if only briefly at this point, so that we may know and understand its purpose in the life of the Christian.

Now we will return to the subject of the lease given by God to man concerning the earth. Within the time-frame of this lease, man can generally do as he wills, and be punished or rewarded accordingly - for man is a free-willed agent and not a programmed robot. If mankind had chosen to stay within the boundaries of God’s laws, he would have been blessed with success and prosperity. However the violation of God’s principles brings a curse upon man, this curse being the natural result of continual sin. On a national or collective level, due to nations worshipping false gods and forsaking God’s principles (Leviticus 18:25-30), the curse may become manifest in the form of wars, famines, drought, etc. God may allow this, for it is He Who has set spiritual laws in place by which people reap what they sow.