SALVATION
ARMY
ARTICLES OF
WAR
A SOLDIER'S
COVENANT
1. 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 practice.
2. 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.
3. We believe
that
there
are three persons in the Godhead--the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost
who are undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6.
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.
7. We believe
that
repentance
toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and regeneration by the
Holy
Spirit, are necessary to salvation.
8. 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.
9. We believe
that
continuance
in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
10. 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.
11. We
believe in
the immortality
of the soul, in the resurrection of the body, in the general judgment
at
the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in
the endless punishment of the wicked.
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.
I will make the
values
of
the Kingdom of God and not the values of the world the standard for my
life.
I will uphold
Christian
integrity in every area in all my relationships with others, my family
and neighbors, my colleagues and fellow Salvationists, those to whom
and
for whom I am responsible, and the wider community.
I will maintain
Christian
ideals in all my relationships with others, my family and neighbors, my
colleagues and fellow Salvationists, those to whom and for whom I am
responsible,
and the wider community.
I will uphold
the
sanctity
of marriage and of family life.
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.
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.
I will be
faithful to
the
purposes for which God raised up The Salvation Army, sharing the good
news
of Jesus Christ, endeavoring to win others to Him, and in His name
caring
for the needy and disadvantaged.
I will be
actively
involved,
as I am able, in the life and work, worship, and witness of the corps,
giving as large a portion of my income as possible to support its
ministries
and the worldwide work of the Army.
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.
