The beliefs & promises of our Corps
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Every full member
of The Salvation
Army has agreed to sign what is called the 'Soldier's Covenant', which
consists
of a promise that the member has made to The Salvation Army, and to
him/herself,
but foremost it is a promise to God. In addition it lays out specific
beliefs
of The Salvation Army, the doctrines, and it is upon the basis of these
that the following promise is made.
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Having accepted Jesus Christ as
my Saviour
and Lord, and desiring to fulfil
my
membership of His Church on earth as a
soldier of The Salvation Army, I now by God's grace enter into
a sacred covenant. I believe
and will live by the truths of the word of God expressed
in The Salvation Army's eleven articles of faith:
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We believe that the
Scriptures of the
Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God; and that they
only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practise.
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We believe that there is only
one God,
who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all
things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
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We believe that there are
three persons
in the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost - undivided in
essence and co-equal in power and glory.
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We believe that in the
person of Jesus
Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and
properly God and truly and properly man.
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We believe that our first
parents were
created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience they lost
their
purity and happiness; and that in consequence of their fall all men
have
become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the
wrath of God.
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We believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ
has, by His suffering and death, made an atonement for the whole world
so that whosoever will may be saved.
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We believe that repentance
towards
God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit
are necessary to salvation.
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We believe that we are
justified by
grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; and that he that
believeth
hath the witness in himself.
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We believe that continuance
in a state
of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
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We believe that it is the
privilege
of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit
and
soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus
Christ.
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We believe in the immortality
of the
soul; in the resurrection of the body; in the general judgement at the
end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the
endless punishment of the wicked.
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Therefore |
I will be responsive to the
Holy Spirit's
work and obedient to His leading in my life, growing in grace through
worship,
prayer, service and the reading of the Bible.
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I will make the values of the
Kingdom
of God and not the values of the world the standard for my life.
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I will uphold Christian
integrity in
every area of my life, allowing nothing in thought, word or deed that
is
unworthy, unclean, untrue, profane, dishonest or immoral.
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I will maintain Christian
ideals in
all my relationships with others; my family and neighbours, my
colleagues
and fellow salvationists, those to whom and for whom I am responsible,
and the wider community.
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I will uphold the sanctity of
marriage
and of family life.
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I will be a faithful steward
of my
time and gifts, my money and possessions, my body, my mind, and my
spirit,
knowing that I am accountable to God.
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I will abstain from alcoholic
drink,
tobacco, the non-medical use of addictive drugs, gambling, pornography,
the occult, and all else that could enslave the body or spirit.
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I will be faithful to the
purposes
for which God raised up The Salvation Army, sharing the good news of
Jesus
Christ, endeavouring to win others to Him, and in His name caring for
the
needy and the disadvantaged.
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I will be actively involved,
as I am
able, in the life, work, worship, and witness of the corps, giving as
large
a proportion of my income as possible to support its ministries and the
worldwide work of the Army.
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I will be true to the
principles and
practices of The Salvation Army, loyal to its leaders, and I will show
the spirit of salvationism whether in times of popularity or
persecution.
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I now call upon all present
to witness
that I enter into this covenant and sign these articles of war of my
own
free will, convinced that the love of Christ, who died and now lives to
save me, requires from me this devotion of my life to His service for
the
salvation of the whole world; and therefore do here declare my full
determination,
by God's help, to be a true soldier of The
Salvation Army.
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