Statement of Faith
God the Father, Spirit Nature, Creator, Communicates
We worship Adonai Adonaiim, the Father Almighty, living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. He is the Maker and Preserver of all things visible and invisible. He communicates His will to us through His Holy Word, through His servants, directly through our spirits, through the action of the Holy Spirit, through our consciences and through the workings of His creation.
God the Son, Incarnation, Sinlessness
We worship Yeshua Mashiach', the only begotten Son of the everlasting Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father. He chose to take the form of Man, being born of a virgin, thus taking our nature yet without taking our sins. He is wholly God and wholly Man, equal to the Father yet in human flesh. Subject to our temptations, He remained sinless, being one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of Person. This same Yeshua lived a life of perfection, teaching of the kingdom to come.
God the Holy Spirit
We also worship the Ruach' ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, of one substance, majesty, and glory with Them, the very and eternal God. The Spirit is our Comforter and Teacher and indwells the child of God, our bodies being God's temple. The Spirit of Truth teaches us concerning Christ and His salvation and concerning our actions on earth. The Ruach' ha Kodesh is tasked with conforming us to the image of the Son and is therefore justified in disciplining us for our sins; and though God's Seal to the day of salvation will never leave us, the Ruach' can be grieved and may have to kill us if we continue thwarting God's will.
Trinity
We do not worship three Lords, however, but one God in Trinity. These three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal, sharing the same substance, uncreated, none before or after another, none greater, none lesser, of one action, will and purpose. We are neither to confound the Persons nor divide the Substance. This is an incomprehensible mystery, but clearly taught in the Scriptures and thus to be firmly believed and trusted.
Free Will, Foreknowledge, Predestination
Adonai has known those who would follow Him from the depths of the ages, and while allowing Man to exercise his free will, accomplishes His will through foreknowledge and infinite power.
Paradise, Heaven, Death, Burial and Physical Resurrection of Christ
Yeshua ben Adonai suffered and died on a Roman cross, was buried, descended into Paradise and took captivity captive so that the righteous dead no longer go there but directly to Heaven. He rose again in a glorified body, did eat and drink and teach before multitudes for forty days, then ascended into Heaven where He now sits, interceding on our behalf.
The Holy Word, Mosaic Law
We believe in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Scriptures; that they are without error in the original text and fully authoritative in our lives. They contain all things necessary to our salvation, and anything not contained in the Scriptures or taught by them cannot be demanded as an article of faith or practice. The Old Covenant does not contradict the New, for they both point toward Christ Who is the only Mediator between God and Man.
Though the Laws given by God through Moses as touching:
Man, Sin, Works for Salvation, Salvation, Sinless Perfection
Man was originally created in a perfect state, sinless and immortal, with full and immediate communication with God. Upon Adam and Eve's rebellion, sin and its result, death, came into the world and tainted Man's very nature. We are not sinners because we sin; we are born sinners, subject to struggling with the yetzer hara, the proclivity to sin. We are of our own nature inclined to evil, and our flesh's lusts are always contrary to the Spirit. Therefore, every man, upon being born, is deserving of God's wrath and damnation. Because it is in our nature to rebel against God, it is impossible for Man, on his own, to change or perform any work worthy of the glory and perfection of God. We are granted the grace of free-will so that we may turn from our wickedness toward God and accept His Son's sacrifice as our means of salvation, without merit of our own but wholly through the loving kindness of God.
At salvation, our spirits are freed of the bonds of sin by God; but being as yet encased in our earthly tabernacle, the predilection for sin remains, and the saint must continuously struggle against his own soul (the mind, will and emotions) and its lusts; we must continuously bring every thought into captivity to the Messiah. We will not be relieved of this battle except by death or when we receive our new, glorified bodies from the Lord.
Heaven, Hades, Hell, Purgatory, Sleep State
Upon death, the saint is immediately in the presence of the Lord, fully conscious of his surroundings, able to speak, hear, and enjoy the presence of his God. Upon the death of the unsaved, he finds himself instantly in the compartment of Sheol, known as Hades, where he is fully conscious, able to speak, hear, and remembers his life on earth. There he will remain until Death, Satan, his angels and all those in Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire, or Hell. Hell is a literal place, where those who have rejected God will experience continuous, unconsumed torment forever. There is nothing in the Word to substantiate an intermediate state, or Purgatory, a dreamless state or the final annihilation of the wicked.
Rapture, Bimah Seat, Millennial Kingdom
Yeshua will return again to the skies to rapture Adonai's children to Him and will judge us according to the works done after our salvation. He will then return to the earth, will conquer the Antichrist's armies, bind Satan, and will establish His millennial kingdom on earth. At the end of that millennial period, Satan will be finally loosed and humanity will be given one last opportunity to choose. Satan will then be cast into the same lake of fire in which the Antichrist and the false prophet will be. Death will be abolished and our tears finally wiped away.
Salvation, Eternal Salvation, Freedom From Sin
Our gracious Heavenly Father, not willing that any should perish, provided for Man's only means of being saved. That is by approaching God, convicted of his sin by the Holy Spirit, and filled with repentance, and by faith accepting the vicarious and atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ already done on his behalf, any person will be saved. His spirit will be quickened to new life by the now indwelling Holy Spirit and he will receive a new nature and can be rightly called a new creature. He will be brought out from helpless darkness into the hope of Heaven, a unity with the Christ and his enmity against God will cease. He need no longer fear death for nothing can take him from the sheltering hand of God. This decision is made once and for all, just as Christ's death was once for all, is irrevocable even by himself and he is destined to be in the presence of the Lord forever. Though not yet perfect, he is freed from the bondage of sin and its crippling habits and will immediately begin showing the fruit of the Spirit. We, who have made this decision, view our lives as a living sacrifice to God, every action, thought and desire brought into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Post-Salvation Works, Second Grace, Rebellious Believers
At salvation, we are completely indwelled by the Holy Spirit and can thus lean on God's guidance in our daily living. Our good works, which are fruit of faith and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, yet they are pleasing and acceptable to God and do spring out necessarily of a true and living faith. Continuously growing more and more like Christ, there is no "second grace" or work necessary. An Adonaist may possibly sin and as a child rebelling to his father's instructions, may harden his neck against the Holy Spirit, but there will be immediate chastisement and the joy of salvation will depart from this person. He will be unable to continue in his wicked way and it will not become a pattern of living. If the believer insists on his rebellion, Hashem may choose to sicken that stubborn child and, if necessary, even remove him from this life, thus limiting the damage to the Body of Christ from the yeast of sin.
Baptism, Infant Baptism
The first step of obedience and evidence of salvation is the desire shown by the convert to be baptized as a public testimony of this inner commitment. Baptism, being an outward sign of an inward decision based on an understanding and acceptance of God's salvation, is only for believers. Because it is not proven in the Holy Word, we reject the idolatrous practice of infant baptism.
Church Traditions
Every particular church has the authority to ordain, change, or abolish any ceremony or rite ordained by man's authority, so that all things may be done to edify. It is not necessary that traditions be the same in all places, for they may be changed according to times, the diversity of countries, and men's manners as long as none are against God's Word.
Any man, through his private judgment, who willingly, purposefully and openly breaks with these traditions or ceremonies of the church so that it brings disorder or disunity ought to be rebuked openly that others may fear to do the like. This is done for it offends the common order of the church, damages the authority of those in office, and can come to be a stumbling block for weaker brethren.
Church Attendance, Definition of a Church
We are commanded as Adonaists, and indeed it is a pleasant ordinance to our new natures, to gather together with other saints and to worship God in spirit and in truth. Though the Lord, through the Ruach' ha Kodesh, is present in the midst of two or three of His own, the church is to be an organized body of believers with elders and deacons and with at least one elder with pastoral gifts teaching the Holy Word. All who attend should be ministering to and exhorting one another to a greater love of God and a renewed dedication to His work.
Church Separation, Independence of the Local Church
Though commanded by God to love our fellow man, as much as is possible, to live at peace with all men, we are also commanded to separate ourselves from iniquity and from teachers of false doctrines. We, therefore, reject any religion's or denomination's attempts to dilute the Truth of God in the vain hope of being accepted by a sinful world. Similarly, we recognize no spiritual authority of any council, bishops, organization, or fellowship of churches, over the local body of believers. Each child of God is a priest, and is responsible for his home's spiritual welfare; these voluntarily placing themselves under the authority and teaching of their local eldership. Christ is the head of the church and the church's pastor is His undershepherd. For any other man or men to usurp that chain of command would be contrary to the teaching of God.
Civil Authorities
The power of civil authorities extends to all men, clergy as well as laity, in all things temporal. They have no authority in things purely spiritual. We hold it the duty of all Adonaists to pay respectful obedience to civil authority, regularly and legitimately constituted as long as they do not require disobedience to the Word or unethical behavior.
The Pastor, Pastoral Qualifications
It is also not lawful for anyone to take upon himself the mantle of the office of public preaching before he be lawfully called and sent to execute it. Those who may be considered for this work have been gifted by God, their calling seen and recognized by a body of the faithful, and chosen by those under the direction of the Holy Spirit to go out and perform the will of God.
Briefly, the elder who serves as pastor must be married, of good reputation, faithful in the work, have his house in order, given to hospitality, apt to teach, full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit. He may not be a novice, but must be well grounded in life's experiences and in the Word.
Orderly Services, Tongues
It is not lawful for the church to ordain anything contrary to God's written Word, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture as to render it repugnant to another. The services are to be orderly, no more than one speaking at a time, and no unknown tongue is to be spoken without another believer translating it for the benefit of those attending. If used at all, it must be for the purpose of communicating Truth that does not contradict the Revealed Word of God and no more than two or three may speak on any given service. Indeed, tongues, as a gift of the Spirit, is one of the lesser gifts, and is not granted universally. Though not impossible today, Adonaists hold that tongues are not for the common use of the church and should certainly not be required as evidence of salvation.
Lord's Supper, Passover, Transubstantiation, Wrongful Partaking
The church is commanded by the Lord to regularly have what is commonly called Communion. Adonaists hold that this is to be done once a year at Passover. Passover was instituted by Yahweh as a perpetual ordinance. Our Master confirmed that the Passover was to be held in remembrance of Him. The apostle Paul affirmed that the feast was to be held but that it should be done in decency and order and without the yeast of sin.
This Supper is not only a sign of the love that the saints ought to have among themselves one to another, but is also a symbol of our redemption by Christ's death. To such as rightly, worthily, and with faith, receive the same, the bread that we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ, and so also, the cup of blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ.
Transubstantiation (the change of the bread and fruit of the vine into the literal body and blood of Christ) cannot be proven in the Scriptures, but is a superstition repugnant to the plain words of the Holy Writ. The symbols in the Lord's Supper are not to be received, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped. The wicked, when they partake of Communion, do not partake of Christ for this is done by faith. They and those believers who partake with unconfessed sin and unrepentant attitudes, do so to their condemnation.
Excommunication, Reconciliation
The church body has the God-given authority to excommunicate or expel those who have been found unrepentant of long-standing sin from its communion and its membership. By delivering their bodies to Satan to be punished we hope that they may come to repent and be re-established in their relationship with God and His church. That person which by open denunciation of the church is rightly cut off from the unity of the church ought to be considered by the whole multitude of the faithful as a heathen until he is openly reconciled through confession, repentance, and restitution.
Tithe and Offerings
The giving of tithes and offerings on a regular, disciplined manner by giving of one's own property and income is more than fully substantiated in both the Old and New Covenant, and we are taught that the servant of God is to be provided for.
Oath Taking
The Scriptures teach that men are not to swear by anything but to let their "yes" be "yes" and their "no" mean "no". Let the Adonaist's life then be so exemplary and his word be held so true that any oath taking becomes unnecessary.
Note: This complete text with supporting Scripture is available to all who request it.
We worship Adonai Adonaiim, the Father Almighty, living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. He is the Maker and Preserver of all things visible and invisible. He communicates His will to us through His Holy Word, through His servants, directly through our spirits, through the action of the Holy Spirit, through our consciences and through the workings of His creation.
God the Son, Incarnation, Sinlessness
We worship Yeshua Mashiach', the only begotten Son of the everlasting Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father. He chose to take the form of Man, being born of a virgin, thus taking our nature yet without taking our sins. He is wholly God and wholly Man, equal to the Father yet in human flesh. Subject to our temptations, He remained sinless, being one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of Person. This same Yeshua lived a life of perfection, teaching of the kingdom to come.
God the Holy Spirit
We also worship the Ruach' ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, of one substance, majesty, and glory with Them, the very and eternal God. The Spirit is our Comforter and Teacher and indwells the child of God, our bodies being God's temple. The Spirit of Truth teaches us concerning Christ and His salvation and concerning our actions on earth. The Ruach' ha Kodesh is tasked with conforming us to the image of the Son and is therefore justified in disciplining us for our sins; and though God's Seal to the day of salvation will never leave us, the Ruach' can be grieved and may have to kill us if we continue thwarting God's will.
Trinity
We do not worship three Lords, however, but one God in Trinity. These three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal, sharing the same substance, uncreated, none before or after another, none greater, none lesser, of one action, will and purpose. We are neither to confound the Persons nor divide the Substance. This is an incomprehensible mystery, but clearly taught in the Scriptures and thus to be firmly believed and trusted.
Free Will, Foreknowledge, Predestination
Adonai has known those who would follow Him from the depths of the ages, and while allowing Man to exercise his free will, accomplishes His will through foreknowledge and infinite power.
Paradise, Heaven, Death, Burial and Physical Resurrection of Christ
Yeshua ben Adonai suffered and died on a Roman cross, was buried, descended into Paradise and took captivity captive so that the righteous dead no longer go there but directly to Heaven. He rose again in a glorified body, did eat and drink and teach before multitudes for forty days, then ascended into Heaven where He now sits, interceding on our behalf.
The Holy Word, Mosaic Law
We believe in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Scriptures; that they are without error in the original text and fully authoritative in our lives. They contain all things necessary to our salvation, and anything not contained in the Scriptures or taught by them cannot be demanded as an article of faith or practice. The Old Covenant does not contradict the New, for they both point toward Christ Who is the only Mediator between God and Man.
Though the Laws given by God through Moses as touching:
- temple rites,
- sacrifices for salvation,
- those rites (like circumcision) that were designed specifically to separate the Jewish people from the
- Gentiles, that were directly cancelled by the Apostle's teaching,
- or civil precepts that are cancelled by the principle of dinah d'malkuta dinah,
Man, Sin, Works for Salvation, Salvation, Sinless Perfection
Man was originally created in a perfect state, sinless and immortal, with full and immediate communication with God. Upon Adam and Eve's rebellion, sin and its result, death, came into the world and tainted Man's very nature. We are not sinners because we sin; we are born sinners, subject to struggling with the yetzer hara, the proclivity to sin. We are of our own nature inclined to evil, and our flesh's lusts are always contrary to the Spirit. Therefore, every man, upon being born, is deserving of God's wrath and damnation. Because it is in our nature to rebel against God, it is impossible for Man, on his own, to change or perform any work worthy of the glory and perfection of God. We are granted the grace of free-will so that we may turn from our wickedness toward God and accept His Son's sacrifice as our means of salvation, without merit of our own but wholly through the loving kindness of God.
At salvation, our spirits are freed of the bonds of sin by God; but being as yet encased in our earthly tabernacle, the predilection for sin remains, and the saint must continuously struggle against his own soul (the mind, will and emotions) and its lusts; we must continuously bring every thought into captivity to the Messiah. We will not be relieved of this battle except by death or when we receive our new, glorified bodies from the Lord.
Heaven, Hades, Hell, Purgatory, Sleep State
Upon death, the saint is immediately in the presence of the Lord, fully conscious of his surroundings, able to speak, hear, and enjoy the presence of his God. Upon the death of the unsaved, he finds himself instantly in the compartment of Sheol, known as Hades, where he is fully conscious, able to speak, hear, and remembers his life on earth. There he will remain until Death, Satan, his angels and all those in Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire, or Hell. Hell is a literal place, where those who have rejected God will experience continuous, unconsumed torment forever. There is nothing in the Word to substantiate an intermediate state, or Purgatory, a dreamless state or the final annihilation of the wicked.
Rapture, Bimah Seat, Millennial Kingdom
Yeshua will return again to the skies to rapture Adonai's children to Him and will judge us according to the works done after our salvation. He will then return to the earth, will conquer the Antichrist's armies, bind Satan, and will establish His millennial kingdom on earth. At the end of that millennial period, Satan will be finally loosed and humanity will be given one last opportunity to choose. Satan will then be cast into the same lake of fire in which the Antichrist and the false prophet will be. Death will be abolished and our tears finally wiped away.
Salvation, Eternal Salvation, Freedom From Sin
Our gracious Heavenly Father, not willing that any should perish, provided for Man's only means of being saved. That is by approaching God, convicted of his sin by the Holy Spirit, and filled with repentance, and by faith accepting the vicarious and atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ already done on his behalf, any person will be saved. His spirit will be quickened to new life by the now indwelling Holy Spirit and he will receive a new nature and can be rightly called a new creature. He will be brought out from helpless darkness into the hope of Heaven, a unity with the Christ and his enmity against God will cease. He need no longer fear death for nothing can take him from the sheltering hand of God. This decision is made once and for all, just as Christ's death was once for all, is irrevocable even by himself and he is destined to be in the presence of the Lord forever. Though not yet perfect, he is freed from the bondage of sin and its crippling habits and will immediately begin showing the fruit of the Spirit. We, who have made this decision, view our lives as a living sacrifice to God, every action, thought and desire brought into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Post-Salvation Works, Second Grace, Rebellious Believers
At salvation, we are completely indwelled by the Holy Spirit and can thus lean on God's guidance in our daily living. Our good works, which are fruit of faith and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, yet they are pleasing and acceptable to God and do spring out necessarily of a true and living faith. Continuously growing more and more like Christ, there is no "second grace" or work necessary. An Adonaist may possibly sin and as a child rebelling to his father's instructions, may harden his neck against the Holy Spirit, but there will be immediate chastisement and the joy of salvation will depart from this person. He will be unable to continue in his wicked way and it will not become a pattern of living. If the believer insists on his rebellion, Hashem may choose to sicken that stubborn child and, if necessary, even remove him from this life, thus limiting the damage to the Body of Christ from the yeast of sin.
Baptism, Infant Baptism
The first step of obedience and evidence of salvation is the desire shown by the convert to be baptized as a public testimony of this inner commitment. Baptism, being an outward sign of an inward decision based on an understanding and acceptance of God's salvation, is only for believers. Because it is not proven in the Holy Word, we reject the idolatrous practice of infant baptism.
Church Traditions
Every particular church has the authority to ordain, change, or abolish any ceremony or rite ordained by man's authority, so that all things may be done to edify. It is not necessary that traditions be the same in all places, for they may be changed according to times, the diversity of countries, and men's manners as long as none are against God's Word.
Any man, through his private judgment, who willingly, purposefully and openly breaks with these traditions or ceremonies of the church so that it brings disorder or disunity ought to be rebuked openly that others may fear to do the like. This is done for it offends the common order of the church, damages the authority of those in office, and can come to be a stumbling block for weaker brethren.
Church Attendance, Definition of a Church
We are commanded as Adonaists, and indeed it is a pleasant ordinance to our new natures, to gather together with other saints and to worship God in spirit and in truth. Though the Lord, through the Ruach' ha Kodesh, is present in the midst of two or three of His own, the church is to be an organized body of believers with elders and deacons and with at least one elder with pastoral gifts teaching the Holy Word. All who attend should be ministering to and exhorting one another to a greater love of God and a renewed dedication to His work.
Church Separation, Independence of the Local Church
Though commanded by God to love our fellow man, as much as is possible, to live at peace with all men, we are also commanded to separate ourselves from iniquity and from teachers of false doctrines. We, therefore, reject any religion's or denomination's attempts to dilute the Truth of God in the vain hope of being accepted by a sinful world. Similarly, we recognize no spiritual authority of any council, bishops, organization, or fellowship of churches, over the local body of believers. Each child of God is a priest, and is responsible for his home's spiritual welfare; these voluntarily placing themselves under the authority and teaching of their local eldership. Christ is the head of the church and the church's pastor is His undershepherd. For any other man or men to usurp that chain of command would be contrary to the teaching of God.
Civil Authorities
The power of civil authorities extends to all men, clergy as well as laity, in all things temporal. They have no authority in things purely spiritual. We hold it the duty of all Adonaists to pay respectful obedience to civil authority, regularly and legitimately constituted as long as they do not require disobedience to the Word or unethical behavior.
The Pastor, Pastoral Qualifications
It is also not lawful for anyone to take upon himself the mantle of the office of public preaching before he be lawfully called and sent to execute it. Those who may be considered for this work have been gifted by God, their calling seen and recognized by a body of the faithful, and chosen by those under the direction of the Holy Spirit to go out and perform the will of God.
Briefly, the elder who serves as pastor must be married, of good reputation, faithful in the work, have his house in order, given to hospitality, apt to teach, full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit. He may not be a novice, but must be well grounded in life's experiences and in the Word.
Orderly Services, Tongues
It is not lawful for the church to ordain anything contrary to God's written Word, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture as to render it repugnant to another. The services are to be orderly, no more than one speaking at a time, and no unknown tongue is to be spoken without another believer translating it for the benefit of those attending. If used at all, it must be for the purpose of communicating Truth that does not contradict the Revealed Word of God and no more than two or three may speak on any given service. Indeed, tongues, as a gift of the Spirit, is one of the lesser gifts, and is not granted universally. Though not impossible today, Adonaists hold that tongues are not for the common use of the church and should certainly not be required as evidence of salvation.
Lord's Supper, Passover, Transubstantiation, Wrongful Partaking
The church is commanded by the Lord to regularly have what is commonly called Communion. Adonaists hold that this is to be done once a year at Passover. Passover was instituted by Yahweh as a perpetual ordinance. Our Master confirmed that the Passover was to be held in remembrance of Him. The apostle Paul affirmed that the feast was to be held but that it should be done in decency and order and without the yeast of sin.
This Supper is not only a sign of the love that the saints ought to have among themselves one to another, but is also a symbol of our redemption by Christ's death. To such as rightly, worthily, and with faith, receive the same, the bread that we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ, and so also, the cup of blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ.
Transubstantiation (the change of the bread and fruit of the vine into the literal body and blood of Christ) cannot be proven in the Scriptures, but is a superstition repugnant to the plain words of the Holy Writ. The symbols in the Lord's Supper are not to be received, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped. The wicked, when they partake of Communion, do not partake of Christ for this is done by faith. They and those believers who partake with unconfessed sin and unrepentant attitudes, do so to their condemnation.
Excommunication, Reconciliation
The church body has the God-given authority to excommunicate or expel those who have been found unrepentant of long-standing sin from its communion and its membership. By delivering their bodies to Satan to be punished we hope that they may come to repent and be re-established in their relationship with God and His church. That person which by open denunciation of the church is rightly cut off from the unity of the church ought to be considered by the whole multitude of the faithful as a heathen until he is openly reconciled through confession, repentance, and restitution.
Tithe and Offerings
The giving of tithes and offerings on a regular, disciplined manner by giving of one's own property and income is more than fully substantiated in both the Old and New Covenant, and we are taught that the servant of God is to be provided for.
Oath Taking
The Scriptures teach that men are not to swear by anything but to let their "yes" be "yes" and their "no" mean "no". Let the Adonaist's life then be so exemplary and his word be held so true that any oath taking becomes unnecessary.
Note: This complete text with supporting Scripture is available to all who request it.
