Prepared by Jim Carmichael
The Gold Cord Fellowship exists to help people examine themselves honestly, lay aside human traditions and preconceived ideas, and return to the truth revealed in God’s Word.
We do not believe that God’s Word or the church established by Jesus Christ needs to be reformed. People must remove human additions, abandon false teachings, and return to the original pattern revealed in Scripture.
Our purpose is not to defend a denomination, creed, theologian, or religious movement. Our purpose is to know God through Jesus Christ, receive His saving grace through a living and obedient faith, and faithfully follow His Word toward eternal life.
Scripture Is Our Authority
We believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God. It is sufficient to teach us what we must believe, how we receive salvation, and how God expects us to live.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Every doctrine, teacher, tradition, and personal conclusion must be tested against Scripture. We must allow Scripture to explain Scripture, consider every passage in its proper context, and refuse to go beyond what God has revealed.
Salvation Begins With God’s Grace
Salvation originates in the grace of God. We cannot earn it through human works, personal goodness, religious status, or intellectual achievement.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
Grace is what God provides. Faith is the means through which we receive and enter that grace:
“Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2).
Grace and faith must not be separated. Grace is God’s saving gift; faith is our trusting response to what God has offered through Jesus Christ.
Faith Begins With Hearing God’s Word
Faith does not originate in human emotion, imagination, tradition, or personal wisdom. Paul writes:
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
Romans 10:14–15 explains that people must hear the gospel before they can believe it. God sends His message through those who proclaim His Word. The preacher does not create faith and is not the source of truth. The preacher carries the message, and faith becomes possible when people hear God’s Word.
However, hearing a message presented as Scripture is not the same as knowing that we have heard Scripture correctly. Before accepting any teaching, we must understand how God expects us to approach His Word.
How We Must Approach Scripture
We must approach Scripture for the purpose of discovering what God has said—not to find support for what we have already decided to believe.
God warns:
“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it” (Deuteronomy 4:2).
“Every word of God is pure.… Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5–6).
We must neither remove teachings that challenge us nor add conclusions that God has not revealed. We must not isolate verses from their context, force Scripture to support a human doctrine, or make God’s Word conform to our emotions, traditions, experiences, or personal preferences.
Although every reader must understand the meaning of the words being read, we do not have the authority to give Scripture whatever meaning we prefer. Our purpose is not to create a private interpretation but to discover the meaning God placed within the text.
We do this by:
- Reading each passage in its immediate context.
- Determining who is speaking and to whom.
- Considering the historical circumstances.
- Examining the meaning of the words used.
- Comparing the passage with other Scripture.
- Allowing clear passages to help explain difficult ones.
- Refusing to build doctrine upon assumptions or isolated verses.
- Remaining willing to change our beliefs when Scripture corrects us.
We must handle “the word of truth” accurately and without shame (2 Timothy 2:15). Scripture must be allowed to explain Scripture so that our conclusions reflect God’s revealed meaning rather than our own imagination.
We Must Come With the Heart of a Child
Jesus said:
“Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (Mark 10:15).
We must approach God’s Word with the humility, innocence, trust, and willingness to obey that characterize a dependent child. A child who trusts a loving father does not begin by assuming that the father is wrong. The child listens, believes, and follows because he trusts the one who is speaking.
In the same way, we must come before Scripture willing to lay aside pride, prejudice, denominational traditions, preconceived doctrines, and personal desires. We must allow God to teach us rather than attempting to instruct God.
Childlike trust does not mean accepting every religious claim without examination. Our trust belongs completely to God, not to the person teaching us. We listen respectfully to the teacher, but we test the teaching against the Father’s Word.
Our proper attitude is:
God has spoken.
God is truthful.
God is wiser than we are.
We are here to listen, understand, trust, and obey.
We Must Personally Verify What We Hear
Not everything presented as biblical teaching is the truth of Scripture. False teachers also quote the Bible, and human doctrines are frequently presented as though they came directly from God.
Therefore, hearing must be followed by personal examination. The Bereans:
“Received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
The Bereans demonstrate both sides of proper Bible study. They possessed childlike willingness because they received the message eagerly, but they also possessed spiritual discernment because they personally compared the message with Scripture.
They did not reject Paul’s teaching merely because it challenged their previous understanding. Neither did they accept it merely because Paul was knowledgeable and persuasive. They listened, examined the evidence, and allowed God’s Word to determine whether the message was true.
The following verse gives the result:
“Therefore many of them believed” (Acts 17:12).
They heard the message, approached Scripture with willing hearts, examined what had been taught, recognized the truth, and then believed.
This establishes the proper sequence:
God reveals His Word → the Word is proclaimed → we hear the message → we approach Scripture with childlike humility and trust → we lay aside our preconceived ideas → we examine the message in its proper context → we compare Scripture with Scripture → we recognize and understand God’s intended meaning → we believe what God has said.
Preachers and teachers can help us understand Scripture, but they cannot study in our place. Every person remains responsible for testing what is taught. Our faith must rest upon God’s Word—not upon the reputation, education, personality, or confidence of the person speaking.
What Faith Is
Faith is more than believing that God exists or mentally agreeing that a statement is true. James tells us that even the demons believe that God exists and tremble (James 2:19). Their belief does not produce loving trust or obedient submission.
Biblical faith includes belief, trust, reliance, submission, and the willingness to act upon what God has said.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith takes God at His Word and responds to His promises even when their fulfillment cannot yet be seen.
A living faith may therefore be defined as:
An informed belief in God and His Word that trusts Him enough to submit and obey.
Belief and Obedience Form a Living Faith
James explains the relationship between belief and obedient action:
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).
This comparison reminds us of the creation of humanity:
“The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).
God first formed Adam’s body from the earth, but that body did not become a living person until God breathed life into it.
Using this creation pattern as an illustration of James’s teaching, belief may be compared to the body formed from the earth. Belief gives faith shape and substance, but belief by itself remains lifeless. Obedient action may be compared to the spirit or breath that gives the body life. When belief trusts God enough to respond through obedience, it becomes a living faith.
James does not literally call belief “clay” or works “breath.” This is an illustration based upon the relationship he establishes between the body and spirit and between faith and works.
Therefore:
Belief without obedience is a dead faith.
Obedience without belief is merely an outward human work.
Belief that trusts God enough to obey is a living faith.
Works do not replace faith, earn grace, or place God in our debt. Obedience works together with belief and demonstrates that our trust is genuine.
Obedience Brings Faith Toward Maturity
Abraham’s faith was not merely something he claimed. It was revealed through what he did:
“Faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect” (James 2:22).
The word “perfect” communicates completion or maturity. Abraham’s obedience did not replace his faith; it brought his faith to its intended expression.
This produces continuing spiritual growth:
We hear God’s Word → we verify its truth → we believe God → belief produces obedience → obedience confirms God’s faithfulness → our trust grows → stronger faith produces deeper obedience.
This is the continuing spiral of faith. Each act of trust and obedience supplies further evidence of God’s faithfulness, causing faith to grow stronger.
God’s Commands Become Our Road Map
Through proper study, we learn the commands of Christ. Those commands become the road map for our continuing growth in faith.
Jesus said:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
John explains:
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3).
God’s commands do not merely provide a list of religious duties. They teach us who Christ is, reveal His character, direct our steps, and show us how to walk as He walked.
As we learn Christ’s commands, trust their truth, and obey them, we experience the faithfulness of the One who gave them. That experience strengthens our trust. Strengthened trust produces deeper obedience, and deeper obedience brings faith toward maturity.
The road map of spiritual growth is therefore:
Study reveals Christ’s commands → belief accepts them as true → trust submits to them → obedience puts them into action → experience confirms God’s faithfulness → confirmed faithfulness strengthens belief → stronger belief produces deeper obedience → living faith grows toward maturity.
We do not study merely to collect information. We study to know Christ, obey Him, become like Him, and follow the road He has marked toward eternal life.
We Know God Through Jesus Christ
Jesus defined eternal life this way:
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
Eternal life is more than continuing to exist forever. It is reconciliation and fellowship with God through Jesus Christ.
We cannot know the Father while rejecting or ignoring the Son. Jesus said:
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.… He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:7–9).
Jesus reveals the character, holiness, mercy, love, and will of the Father. To know Christ is to know the One who sent Him.
We Know That We Know Christ Through Obedience
Knowing Christ means more than knowing facts about Him or experiencing religious emotions. John gives us a clear test:
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3).
Jesus likewise said:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Obedience does not cause Jesus to become Lord. It recognizes and submits to the Lord He already is. As we hear, trust, and obey Him, we learn His character and increasingly reflect Him in our lives.
The Gospel Response
We believe the gospel calls every person to:
- Hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
- Personally examine the Scriptures to verify the truth (Acts 17:11).
- Believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; 20:30–31).
- Repent of sin and turn toward God (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38).
- Confess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord (Matthew 10:32–33; Romans 10:9–10).
- Be immersed in water in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 8:35–39; 22:16).
- Rise from baptism to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3–4).
- Continue faithfully in Christ (Matthew 10:22; Romans 11:22; Revelation 2:10).
Baptism is not a human work through which we earn salvation. It is an obedient response of faith in which we submit to the working of God, are united with Christ’s death and resurrection, and appeal to God for a good conscience (Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21).
The Lord adds those who respond to the gospel to His church (Acts 2:41, 47). They receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and begin a new life of spiritual growth and faithful obedience (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:12–14).
Salvation Is a Continuing Walk
Salvation is not permission to return to sin. Those who enter Christ must continue walking in faith, obedience, repentance, prayer, worship, study, love, service, and perseverance.
Believers may still stumble and sin. When we walk in the light, confess our sins, and repent, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us (1 John 1:7–9).
Scripture also warns Christians against hardening their hearts, deliberately turning away, or failing to continue in God’s goodness (Hebrews 3:12–14; Romans 11:20–22).
We therefore reject both the belief that human works earn salvation and the belief that obedience is unnecessary. We are saved by grace through a living faith, and living faith continues to trust and follow Christ.
We Must Defend Truth With Love
We believe Christians must recognize false teaching, proclaim biblical truth, and defend the faith. However, truth must be defended with humility, patience, courage, gentleness, and love.
We must “always be ready to give a defense” for our hope, but we must do so “with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).
“The servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,” correcting others with humility (2 Timothy 2:24–25).
Insults tear people down. Constructive Bible study helps everyone grow. We must explain why we disagree, present scriptural evidence, remain willing to examine our own conclusions, and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Our Foundational Conclusion
The Gold Cord Fellowship believes that salvation is God’s gift of grace, made possible through Jesus Christ and accessed through a living, trusting, obedient faith.
Faith begins when we hear God’s Word. Before accepting what we hear, we must approach Scripture with childlike humility, innocence, trust, and willingness to obey. We must refuse to add to God’s Word, take away from it, or force it to agree with our preconceived beliefs.
We must personally examine the message as the Bereans did, reading every passage in context and allowing Scripture to explain Scripture. When we recognize and understand God’s intended meaning, belief becomes possible. When that belief trusts God enough to obey, it becomes a living faith.
Living faith gives us access to grace. Continued obedience brings faith toward maturity. Through this growing faith, we learn to know and follow Jesus Christ. Through Christ, we come to know the Father, and knowing the Father and the Son is eternal life.
Our foundational sequence is:
God’s grace provides salvation.
God’s Word reveals the truth.
The truth is proclaimed.
We hear the message.
We approach Scripture with the trusting and obedient heart of a child.
We refuse to add, subtract, or impose our own meaning.
We personally verify the message through careful study.
We read in context and compare Scripture with Scripture.
We recognize and understand God’s intended meaning.
We believe what God has said.
Belief responds through obedience.
Belief and obedience together form a living faith.
Living faith gives us access to grace.
God’s commands become the road map for our lives.
Obedience brings faith toward maturity.
Mature faith enables us to know and follow Christ more fully.
Through Christ, we know the Father.
Knowing the Father and the Son is eternal life.
We do not claim that our understanding is beyond correction. We are committed to examining every belief in the light of Scripture, accepting correction when biblical evidence requires it, and holding firmly to what God has established.
Our allegiance is not to a denomination, theologian, political movement, religious tradition, or human creed. Our allegiance is to Jesus Christ. We seek to speak where Scripture speaks, remain silent where Scripture is silent, and follow Christ wherever His Word leads.
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