|
THE CHURCH
XIV. The Church
A/121. The church is created by God. It is the people of God.
Christ Jesus is its Lord and Head. The Holy Spirit is its life and
power. It is both divine and human, heavenly and earthly, ideal
and imperfect. It is an organism, not an unchanging institution.
It exists to fulfill the purposes of God in Christ. It redemptively
ministers to persons. Christ loved the church and gave himself for
it that it should be holy and without blemish. The church is a fellowship
of the redeemed and the redeeming, preaching the Word of God and
administering the sacraments according to Christ's instruction.
The Free Methodist Church purposes to be representative of what
the church of Jesus Christ should be on earth. It therefore requires
specific commitment regarding the faith and life of its members.
In its requirements it seeks to honor Christ and obey the written
Word of God.
XV. The Language of Worship
A/122. According to the Word of God and the custom of the early
church, public worship and prayer and the administration of the
sacraments should be in a language understood by the people. The
Reformation applied this principle to provide for the use of the
common language of the people. It is likewise clear that the Apostle
Paul places the strongest emphasis upon rational and intelligible
utterance in worship. We cannot endorse practices which plainly
violate these scriptural principles.
XVI. The Holy Sacraments
A/123. Water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the sacraments
of the church commanded by Christ. They are means of grace through
faith, tokens of our profession of Christian faith, and signs of
God's gracious ministry toward us. By them, He works within us to
quicken, strengthen, and confirm our faith.
Baptism
A/124. Water baptism is a sacrament of the church, commanded by
our Lord, signifying acceptance of the benefits of the atonement
of Jesus Christ to be administered to believers, as declaration
of their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
Baptism is a symbol of the new covenant of grace as circumcision
was the symbol of the old covenant; and, since infants are recognized
as being included in the atonement, they may be baptized upon the
request of parents or guardians who shall give assurance for them
of necessary Christian training. They shall be required to affirm
the vow for themselves before being accepted into church membership.
The Lord's Supper
A/125. The Lord's Supper is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's
death. To those who rightly, worthily, and with faith receive it,
the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and
likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ.
The supper is also a sign of the love and unity that Christians
have among themselves.
Christ, according to His promise, is really present in the sacrament.
But His body is given, taken, and eaten only after a heavenly and
spiritual manner. No change is effected in the element; the bread
and wine are not literally the body and blood of Christ. Nor is
the body and blood of Christ literally present with the elements.
The elements are never to be considered objects of worship. The
body of Christ is received and eaten in faith.
|
