While the word “salvation” has several meanings, in this writing it is used to express the act of saving the human soul from sin and its effect. The Holy Bible in:
Ezek.18:4 says: “…the soul that sinnth, it shall die.” And in
Rom 6:23 says: “For the wages of sin is death.” In
Rom 3:12 it says: “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; …” and in verses 22-23 says: “… for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” In
Rom 5:12 also it says: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”. Thus we believe that all human beings need salvation.
The word of Lord Jesus Christ in Mat.16:26 says: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” What we can understand from this word is the primary and exceeding profit for man is the salvation of his/her soul.
We believe that the human soul shall be saved by knowing and believing in the only God of salvation, repenting from all sins, being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
By understanding from the Scriptures, we believe that the God of salvation is only one. We have the following Scriptural evidences:
Deut. 6:4; “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.”
Isa.43:10-11; “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no savior.”
Isa. 45:21-22; “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
Hos. 13:4; “Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no savior beside me.”
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is that only God of salvation manifest in the flesh to save us from our sins. We have the following Scriptural evidences:
1Tim. 3:16; “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in to glory.”
Mat. 1:18-23; “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost… for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
1Tim. 1:15-17; “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners … Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever and ever, Amen.”
Christ Jesus that came into the world to save sinners, we believe, died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. (1Cor. 15:3-4)
Therefore, in order to be saved, it is essential to know and believe this only God of salvation.
We believe that repenting from all sins is one of the essentials for salvation. Scriptural evidences for this are the following among many others.
Luk. 13:1-5; “… And Jesus answering unto them, …I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Ezek. 18:30-32; “…Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: where fore turn your selves, and live ye.”
For repentance is one of the essentials for remission of sins and salvation, in Luke 24: 47 it says, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
To those whose hearts be pricked and believe the gospel of salvation, in Acts 2:38 it says,…Repent…”
Therefore, we believe that repentance is one of the essentials for salvation.
The word spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ to his disciples when He Commissioned them to preach the gospel should get attention. In Mar. 16:15-16 it says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” From this message, we can understand that;
One gospel of salvation is sent to the whole world.
That same gospel is to be preached to every human creature.
The one who believes that gospel and be baptized shall be saved.
Those who do not believe that gospel shall be damned.
We believe that baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is also one of the essentials for salvation. We have got the following Scriptural evidences for this.
Mar. 16:16 says, “…He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Thus we believe that faith effects with baptism as well as when baptism is by faith. Faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and baptism in his name inseparably work together for salvation.
Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Again in
Acts 2:38 it says, “…be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,…”
1Pet. 3;20-21 says, “…when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, where in few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us…”
We believe baptism is essential for salvation for it is the way by which a man be born again from water according to John 3:3-6; it is the operation of God in which a man be circumcised by the circumcision of Christ according to Col. 2:11-12, and it is the way by which a man puts on Christ according to Gal. 3:27.
We believe that even those who were baptized in other baptisms must be baptized again in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of their sins, or to be saved.
According to Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 8:4-16; 10:1-3, vs. 43-48; 19:1-5 and 22:16, we believe that every human creature, without difference, must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls.
The word of the Lord Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3:3-6 says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, Verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.. Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
From this word we can clearly understand that being born again from water and the Spirit is essential for the salvation of a human being.
In John 3:6 it says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” That means he/she is Adamic. The body, soul and spirit of every Adamic being is sinful and lost. Thus the fallen nature of everyone needs regeneration in order to be saved.
The word of God in:
Tit. 3:4-5 says, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by work of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” We believe, according to this word, that regeneration by baptism in water (in the name of Jesus Christ) and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost are essentials for salvation.
We also believe that for that reason the word of God in Acts 2:38 says, “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,”
In Mathew 16:18-19, the Lord Jesus spoke to Peter, saying:
“…thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”.
Hence, Jesus told Peter that He himself would build His church upon the revelation given to him about the identity of Christ, being the son of God, and gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Accordingly, as clearly put in the Book of Acts chapter 2 in detail, Peter stood up and said the following (Verses 38 & 41):
“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost… they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls”
Peter thus revealed the mystery of the keys of the kingdom of heaven as led by the spirit of the Lord. The keys are “repentance”, “baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins”, and “receiving the holy ghost”. Jesus Christ confirmed this by pouring out His holy ghost. Hence, the church is established on earth on that day.
Apostolic Church of Ethiopia (ACE) is member of Jesus’ church, established by him on the day of Pentecost, and is currently operating throughout the whole world beginning from Ethiopia. Its faith and doctrine is also not of a recent origin to Ethiopia. As it is written in the book of Acts chapter 8, an Ethiopian eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, heard the message of the gospel preached by the Apostles from the evangelist Phillip and was baptized in Jesus name as was practiced on the day of Pentecost.
This gospel of salvation preached by the twelve apostles was fallen on the ground in the land of Ethiopia for the last many centuries, until it was revealed with the mercy of the Lord and taken up again, beginning from about the second half of the 20th century.
Apostolic Church of Ethiopia (ACE) was legally registered by the government of Ethiopia and started operation beginning from the year 1968 G.C. Its HQ is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and has got thousands of local churches, distributed all over the country and thousands of ministers serving in those churches. Its ministry is not only limited within Ethiopia; rather, it involves in evangelizing the whole world to the extent that the Lord Jesus opens the door and also in the edification of saints.
ACE’s Constituency is in millions and growing by 40 – 50 thousand every year. While most of the members are in Ethiopia, the number of saints is growing in Africa, North America, Asia and other parts of the world as well. Its international ministry is also spreading in almost all continents, viz. Africa, North America, Canada, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Australia.
The ACE’s fundamental doctrine is rooted and anchored firmly with the first New Testament Church that was born on the day of Pentecost. It preaches and practices the same message of repentance, baptism in Jesus name for the remission of sins and the infilling of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:37-38).
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