Since the founding of The Alliance in 1887 by Dr. A. B. Simpson, the message of what God has done through Jesus in the lives of Alliance believers has been proclaimed around the world.
The Fourfold Gospel, at the heart of Alliance DNA, lifts up the good news of Jesus, our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King.
The following stories provided by Alliance workers vividly illustrate the “Deeper Life” that is foundational to The Fourfold Gospel that Simpson preached.
The Savior Calls
Célestin, a Congolese man, was terrified of the violence surrounding him, feeding his fear through the use of amulets he thought would protect him. Through various circumstances, he eventually visited an Alliance church trying to find a beautiful girl he had met in the village. Watch his testimony of transformation when he found Jesus as his Savior instead.
The Believer Responds
In 2010, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer, lead pastor of Grace Church (Cleveland, Ohio) and corporate vice president of The Alliance, challenged his church members to repeat—often—the phrase “Lord Jesus, You are with me right now” as an acknowledgement of the presence of Christ in every situation believers found themselves.
In the article article entitled You Are with Me Now Jonathan shares part of the journey that contributed to the baptisms, three years later, of 250 new Christians at Grace Church over a nine-month period.
“I just felt like ‘something’ was missing. My entire identity had been wrapped up in my career and my quest for independence,” a newly baptized man said. “I have now surrendered my life to the Lord.”
Surrender to Joy
The Alliance Statement of Faith explains that sanctification “is both a crisis and a progressive experience.” “We cannot experience the life He has for us on earth—His Kingdom come, His will be done in our lives now—without His intervening power. This is a crisis of surrender and submission,” Dr. John Stumbo, president of the U.S. C&MA, wrote in “Sanctification 101.”
“This beginning point, this crisis, leads us to a daily experience of yielding to Him that we refer to as the ‘progressive experience’ of sanctification. What can begin in a moment takes a lifetime to fully enjoy,” continues John.
Walking in Healing Grace
As part of this process of surrender, He tells us that we are to come to Him with every aspect of our lives, trusting in His love and care as our Good Shepherd. He often answers the petitions of His people to restore their health and well-being. In the article His Healing Touch an Alliance worker regained movement in her arms and shoulders after her coworkers prayed for her in Jesus’ name.
The King is Coming
Only the Father knows the day and hour when Jesus will return as our reigning King. Read John Soper’s thoughts on the imminent return of Jesus in Jesus Christ, Our Coming King.
As we await Jesus coming, Alliance churches continue to bring His Kingdom a bit closer through prayer, proclamation, and a deep commitment to community engagement. Dave Beidel shares about the work of New Hope Community Church and the impact Jesus is having on the inner-city through their work.
Learn more about the Fourfold Gospel in the C&MA|DNA study series. The English version of “The Fourfold Gospel” and “Alliance Core Values” is on sale until December 31 at TheAllianceStore.com.