Bible Doctrine Part 2

A STAND FOR TRUTH

MY BROTHER WROTE TO ME when I was living on a homestead in Montana, and told me about the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon, and also sent me one of their papers. At that time I was a brokenhearted young woman, condemned every day. I had married a man who had a living companion. That is wrong according to the Word of God and I knew it. I thought I would lose my mind in my misery, but I thank God that as I read that paper and compared the doctrines with the Bible, I knew their teachings were according to the Word of God. Such a hope sprang up in my soul! I wanted the same peace I read about in that paper.

In my kitchen, I knelt and asked God to open the way for me to get out of that life of adultery. I wanted to get saved and live a clean life. I wrote to the Apostolic Faith people and asked them to pray for me. I told them my problem. They answered my letter and said they would pray for me. I had talked to different ministers before this, and they would say that so long as I was the innocent party, it was all right for me to continue in my marital state. But in reading God’s Word, I found this was condemned.

About two years after receiving the paper, I left my home with my two little girls, who were just five and three years of age, and came to Portland to be in the meetings here and to seek God. My neighbors there in Montana told me I was foolish to leave my home, but I had to find God. The Lord showed me my responsibility to line my life up to His Word; and I have never been sorry that I took my stand for the Truth.

After arriving in Portland, I attended a church service. At the end of sermon I knelt and confessed my sins to God and asked His forgiveness. He saved my soul and delivered me from all my sins, and put the joy and peace of Heaven into my soul! I then sought the Lord for sanctification and He gave it to me—purity filled my soul. I prayed for the baptism of the Holy Ghost and He also gave me that blessing. I never knew a person could be so happy!

I found that Jesus never fails. He gave me a happy Christian home and strength to work and support my two daughters, providing for every need. — Sarah Schmick

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The Bible doctrines of Marriage, Water Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and Foot Washing were established in Scripture, and upheld in the preaching and publications of the Apostolic Faith organization from its inception.

A CLOSER LOOK

1. To what other relationship does Christ liken marriage? List at least five similarities.

2. According to Romans 6:3-4, what does water baptism symbolize?

3. How do we discern between accusations of the enemy concerning our worthiness, or the convicting hand of God?

4. What godly character attributes was Christ modeling when He washed His disciples’ feet? Why is this attribute so important in a Christian’s life?

An Early Ordinance Service

One of the pioneers of the Apostolic Faith work, who attended her first service on January 6, 1907, gave an account of the first ordinance service held in the Portland mission: “We had our first ordinance at this little mission [the renovated blacksmith shop at Second and Main.] It was just like one big family.

“I had never heard of the practice of Washing the Disciples’ Feet, which is one of the ordinances instituted by our Savior and which He commanded us to observe. Sister Crawford gathered the womenfolk around her, in a part of the hall set apart . . . for this portion of the service. The men had a place set apart for them in another part of the building.

“She took the basin and the towel and girded herself, meanwhile explaining the Scriptures to us who sat in a big circle around her. Then she started to wash our feet, and we took it up and began to wash the feet of others. Oh, how God met with us there as we observed His Word! . . .

“I have often thought of what a wonderful blessing would be denied us today if she had not patiently instructed us in those early days in those things that were new to us. She leaned hard on God for guidance and on the Word of God for instruction, and always showed us on those blessed pages the reasons for everything.”