Fundamental (Primary) New Covenant Beliefs

Some of the most important fundamental beliefs of the New Covenant Church of God (B'rit Chadashah Assembly of Yahweh) have been excerpted from the Constitution of the New Covenant Church of God (1996 Draft Edition, Ammendments, 2001) and are as follows:

• 1. First and foremost, Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) is the Son of God (Mk.1:1; Lk.1:35; 22:70; Jn.1:34,49; 11:27; 20:31; Ac.9:20; Rom.1:4; Heb.4:14; 1 Jn.4:15; 5:5,12-13,20; Rev.2:18), the Only Begotten of the Father (Jn.1:14,18; 3:16,18; Heb.11:17; 1 Jn.4:9), the only Mediator between God and man (1 Tim.2:5; Heb.8:6; 9:15; 12:24); that through Him -- and Him alone -- is salvation possible (Ac.4:12; NC&C 86); that Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) is truly God (Jn.20:28; Mt.2:11; 14:33; 28:9,17; Lk.24:52; Jn.9:38; Tit.2:13) and truly man (Mt.9:6; 12:8,32,40; 13:37; 16:27; Jn.12:23; 13:31; Ac.7:56; Rev.1:13; 14:14; 1 Jn.4:2; 2 Jn.1:7), the perfect sinless sacrifice offered by the Father on behalf of mankind (Heb.4:15);
• 2. Salvation is solely through the grace of God (Ac.18:27; Rom.3:24; 1 Cor.15:10; Eph.2:5,8; Tit.3:7), accomplished by God and applied through the Holy Spirit; appropriated by God-given active (as opposed to passive) faith in the Master Yah'shua the Messiah (Jas.2:20-26; NC&C 256); including regeneration (Rom.12:2; 2 Cor.4:16; Col.3:10), justification (Rom.3:24; 5:1,9; 8:30; 10:10; Gal.2:16; Tit.3:7; Jas.2:24), sanctification (Ac.20:32; 26:18; Rom.15:16; 1 Cor.1:2; 6:11; 7:14; 1 Thes.4:3; Heb.10:29) and final glorification (Rom.8:30; 1 Pet.1:21; 1 Cor.2:7; Rom.2:7,10; 9:4); Salvation is a process consisting of many saving acts or spiritual rebirths -- the first of which (accepting Christ as personal Saviour) is the most important -- which must be worked through the whole of a Christian's life (Phil.2:12; Mk.13:13);
• 3. The unity of the Godhead of Father, Son, and Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) (Jn.17:11; Mt.28:19; NC&C 363); the sovereignty of God in Creation, providence and redemption;
• 4. The Deity of the Lord Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) (NC&C 321), His incarnation, Virgin Birth (Lk.2:22-24; NC&C 11), sinless life, atoning death and physical resurrection;
• 5. The work of Yah'shua haMashiach (Jesus Christ) in His life, death and resurrection as Representative (2 Cor.5:14; 1 Jn.2:1) and Substitute (Mk.10:45; Is.53:5ff; 2 Cor.5:21; Gal.3:13; Rom.3:21-16; 1 Tim.2:6); His atonement for sin thereby securing righteousness, forgiveness and eternal life for those who are united to Him by active faith;
• 6. The ascension (Ac.1:6-11) of the Lord Yah'shua haMashiach (Jesus Christ), His intercession (Rom.8:26-27,34; Heb.7:25) at the throne of God, His coming again personally and visibly in glory and power to reign for a thousand years upon the earth with the saints at the end of this age;
• 7. The Ruach haQodesh's (Holy Spirit's) Deity (Mk.3:29) and personality (Ac.13:2) and essential work in regeneration, conversion and sanctification (Eph.5:26);
• 8. The literal special creation of man in the physical and spiritual image of God (Gen.1:26ff; 2:7), his sin and fall (Gen.3), the consequences passing to all humanity (Mk.7:20-23), extending to every part of human nature and resulting in the universal guilt of mankind before God (Jn.16:8); the doctrine of so-called biological "evolution" is not accepted;
• 9. The personality of Satan (the "adversary"/"enemy" (1 Pet.5:8), the "devil" (Mt.25:41) or the "accuser" (Rev.12:10)), his opposition to God and His purposes (Job 1-2; Rev.2:10), his corruption and enslavement of man (Jas.4:7; 1 Jn.3:8,10; Zec.3:1; Rev.12:9), his imprisonment at the beginning of the Millennium (Rev.20:2) and his eventual destruction (Rev.20:10);
• 10. The Ten Commandments (Decalogue) as a comprehensive summary of the Torah or Law of Elohim (God) to the Church (Ex.20:1-17) and to mankind in general in all dispensations, and an integral element in the organic unfolding of the New Covenant Law of Christ (Gal.2:6; Mt.5:17-20; 19:17; 22:36-40; Mk.10:19; Lk.18:20; Rom.13:9-10; Rev.14:12);

• 11. The three bodily resurrections of the righteous (zadokim) to eternal life (1 Cor.15:40-42) and the bodily resurrection of the wicked to eternal punishment (Ac.24:15);
• 12. The spiritual gifts -- prophecy, visions, inspired dreams, tongues (speaking and interpreting modern foreign languages supernaturally by the power of the Holy Spirit -- NC&C 304; 311), divine healing, angel ministry, theophanies, and modern revelation (1 Cor.7:7; 12-14);
• 13. Baptism into Christ (Gal.3:27; Rom.6:3; Ac.19:5) and the New Covenant (previously one and the same but now divided owing to division in the churches) by complete immersion in water for any who have been truly born again in Christ who request, and who desire, to be spiritually and temporally united with the fellowship of the saints of the New Covenant Church of God (Ac.2:38; 22:16; 1 Cor.12:13, etc.);
• 14. The importance of personal and congregational covenants or vows (agreements or contracts between the saints and God) to a vital, invigorating and sanctifying relationship with Yah'shua haMashiach (Jesus Christ) and the fellowship of the saints (Ac.18:18; NC&C 171; 187; Mt.18:19; 20:13);
• 15. The importance of the doctrine of pre-mortal existence (Jer.1:5-8; Lk.2:13) to a full understanding of the purpose of life, namely, that the children of men had a spiritual existence before their incarnation as mortals on earth, and are here on probation (2 Cor.13:7; Jas.1:2; Rev.2:10; 3:10; 14:12);
• 16. The Law of Tithing (Mal.3:6-12) as the fundamental economic law of the Local and Central Colonies, with the Law of all Things in Common the highest ideal and law of Firstborn Colonies (Ac.2:44);
• 17. The authority of the Bible (insofar as it is translated correctly from the best Hebrew and Aramaic texts, the textus receptus being regarded as the best Greek New Testament text) as the written Word of God. Though the theoretical and literal existence of other Scriptures is acknowledged (such as the Olive Branch and the epistles of the sub-apostolic fathers), no other scriptures are accepted or used as primary canonical works by the New Covenant Church of God in its public ministry.
• 18. Obedience to all the commandments and moral laws of Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) (Matt.28:20), by enforcing strict chastity and sexual purity before and during marriage (Mt.5:27-28; Tit.2:5; 1 Pet.3:2; 2 Cor.11:2; NC&C 183; 201).
• 19. A total forsaking of the spirit of the world ("Babylon") in all its numerous manifestations (Gal.6:14; Jas.4:4; 1 Pet.2:11; 1 Jn.2:15-17; NC&C 343), its traditions, mannerisms, customs, and habits -- including its love of conflict, the sordid, the scandalous, the shallow and the superficial; abstinence from addictive drugs, smoking, the drinking of alcohol (Ez.44:21; Num.6:3; Jud.13:4,7,14; Prov.20:1; Isa.5:11; Isa.28:7; Dan.10:3; Eph.5:18; NC&C 9;), listening to rock, pop, "avante garde" classical, New Age (NC&C 262; 263), animist, and other kinds of worldly music (NC&C 5), attending discos, bars and clubs; its fashions, materialism, false worship of sport, careers, success, power, gambling (Jn.4:22; NC&C 165), fame, vanity (Ps.2:4; Eccl.1:2; Eph.4:17), the taking up of arms save as a last resort, and all that is carnal (1 Cor.3:3; Rom.8:7); a rejection of the murderous practice of abortion of the unborn (Ex.21:22-23; NC&C 178; 215; 232).
• 20. The celebration of Israel's Holy Days and the forsaking of all pagan festivals and traditions (such as Christmas, St.Valentine's Day, Halloween, Easter, Lent, etc.) which are expressly avoided (NC&C 28; 198). The seven major festivals of Israel are: (1) The Festival of the Passover of Yahweh (Pesach - Nisan 14) ; (2) The Festival of Unleavened Bread (Chag haMatzah - Nisan 15); (3) The Festival of Firstfruits (Yom haBikkurim - Nisan 16); (4) The Festival of Pentecost/Weeks (Shavu'ot - 50 days after Firstfruits - Sivan 6); (5) The Festival of Trumpets (Yom Teruah - Tishri 1); (6) The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur - Tishri 10); and (7) The Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot - Tishri 15).
• 21. A rejection and condemnation of the occult, the "New Age Movement" in all its many forms and guises (NC&C 262), the doctrine of reincarnation (Heb.9:27; NC&C 155), yoga and related meditational practices (NC&C 221), sorcery, divining, spiritualism or necromancy (NC&C 169; 220), and astrology (NC&C 290) as being fundamentally injurious to the saints and opposed to the Gospel of Christ; a belief that whatever forces that may have acted upon, or controlled, a man or woman before his conversion, whether psychological, occultic, demonic, or elemental, real or imagined, are totally overcome and transcended by true faith in the atoning blood of Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) (Lev.19:26; Dt.18:9-14);
• 22. The importance of Christian temple ministry, especially for those living in firstborn colonies (Ac.2:46), where committed believers can congregate in sacred space that is completely cut off from the world to worship, pray, meditate, receive instruction, enter covenants, be ordained to Priesthood, hold solemn assemblies, and fellowship together in the Lord;
• 23. A proper understanding of suffering (NC&C 94), the causes of disease and sickness (NC&C 108; 281), and sorrow (NC&C 112) which is both the harvest of sin (Hos.8:7; Lk.13:1-5; Gal.6:8), a chastisement administered by God to correct the sinner (Prov.3:12; Judg.2:22-3:6), a means by which men are tested or purified (Ps.67:10; Jas.1:3,12; 1 Pet.1:7; Rom.5:3), or a way by which God brings believers into a new relationship of dependence on, and fellowship with, Him (Ps.99:67; Rom.8:35-37). Thus suffering can be for good (Rom.8:28ff) or for evil (Mt.13:21);
• 24. A rejection of all forms of usury, it being forbidden by God for the saints to lend money to one another with interest (Dt.23:19-20; Ex.22:25; Neh.5:3,6-7,10-11; Ps.15:1,5; Jer.15:10; Ez.18:8-13; Mt.25:14-30; Lk.19: 12-27; NC&C 97);
• 25. A belief in a literal Millennium on the earth at the end of the current dispensation when Jesus Christ shall return personally and physically to rule as King of Kings together with His saints for 1,000 years (Rev.20:2-7; NC&C 102; 109) and establish a theocratic government whose headquarters will be in Jerusalem (Zec.8:3);
• 26. A belief in the supreme virtue and excellence of truth for "I [Yah'shua/Jesus] am truth, love, peace, intelligence and life...All truth reduceth to love, saith the Lord, and what is love? Honour, integrity, steadfastness, faithfulness, obedience, purity and sacrifice, yea, all that cometh forth out of the most noble nature of man -- and this is the seed of Christ" (NC&C 137:6,20-21 cp. Ps.15:1-2; Isa.65:16; Zec.8:16,19; Jn.8:31-32; Rom.1:18; 2:8; 1 Cor.13:6; 2 Cor.13:8; Eph.6:14; 2 Thes.2:13);
• 27. A belief in a literal hell, a place in the world of spirits, sometimes known as spirit prison (Mt.10:28; 23:30; Mk.9:43; Lk.12:5; 16:23; Jas.3:6; 2 Pet.2:4) also an inner condition of being, the soul living in guilt, fear and a sense of condemnation, which is a type of the literal hell (NC&C 245);
• 28. A belief in the virtue of beauty (Ps.50:2; Is.61:3; 1 Pet.3:3-4), sensitivity, gentleness, (1 Ki.19:12; Jer.11:19; Zec.9:9; Mt.11:29; 21:5; Eph.4:2,19; 1 Thes.2:7; 2 Cor.10:1; Gal.5:22-23; Phil.4:5; Col.3:12; 1 Tim.3:3; 6:11; 1 Pet.3:4,15) and discipiline (Job 5:17; Ps.39:11; 94:12; Prov.1:7; 3:11; 5:22-23; 6:23; 10:17; 12:1; 13:18; 15:5,32; 19:18; 23:23; 29:17; Jer.17:23; 32:33; Heb.12:5,7-8,11; Rev.3:19) and their sanctifying influence on souls in Christ (NC&C 138), and the cultivation of righteousness (NC&C 352);
• 29. A belief in sustaining and obeying legally constituted governments and their laws "until they persecute the saints or cause the saints to disobey the heavenly ordinances and commandments" (NC&C 247:3; 55 cp 1 Pet.2:13-17; Tit.3:1);
• 30. A belief in treating the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit by avoiding the consumption or use of harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeinated substances like tea and coffee, abstaining from blood, and eating a healthy diet (1 Cor.6:19; Ac.15:29; NC&C 236; 252:27-28);
• 31. A belief in forsaking party political involvement (NC&C 181; 280).