What We Believe

The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, which is the verbally inspired Word of God and without error.

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—each possessing all the attributes of Deity.

God created humans to have fellowship with Him, but they defied God by sinfully going their own way. As a result, we need God’s saving grace to end our alienation from Him. Salvation comes only through God’s saving grace, not human effort, and must be received personally by repentance and faith.

Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus lived a sinless life on earth and voluntarily paid for our sin by dying on the Cross as our substitute. This accomplishes salvation for all who receive grace by trusting in Him alone. He was buried and He rose from the dead. Jesus ascended to heaven and is at the right hand of the Father as our Intercessor. He is the only mediator between us and God. We believe in the second-coming of Christ and the rapture of those whose believe in Him.

Scripture teaches us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Repentance is a necessary step in receiving the forgiveness and salvation that Christ provides. The work of salvation—being justified before God, becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus—is accomplished through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

Becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ is accomplished in the life of the believer through the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit draws sinners to Christ. He equips believers for personal spiritual growth and service. He empowers believers to share the message of God’s love with the unchurched.

We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, with the initial evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance. This baptism of the Spirit is also evidenced by the production of the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit in the believer.

We observe the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) and water baptism by immersion. All who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is an important step in the life of the believer and is a public proclamation of the believer’s new life in Christ.

The church’s role is to glorify God and serve those in need. At the end, everyone will experience bodily resurrection and the judgment. Those forgiven through Jesus Christ will enjoy eternal fellowship with God. Those who have not received the free gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ will be eternally separated from God.

Lane Avenue Church of God is a local congregation of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN), which has the following formal statement of faith.

The Church of God Declaration of Faith

We believe:

  • In the verbal inspiration of the Bible.
  • In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.​
  • That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.
  • That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.
  • That justification, regeneration and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
  • In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word and by the Holy Ghost.
  • Holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people.
  • In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.
  • In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
  • In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
  • Divine healing is provided for all in the Atonement.
  • In the Lord’s Supper and washing of the saint’s feet.​
  • In the pre-millennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.
  • In the bodily resurrection, eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the wicked.