What sets apart the COG from other churches?

What is the distinctive mark of the Church of God that separates it from other Christian churches?  One of the more legalistic web sites is claiming that it is the Bible that sets apart COG's.  The blog is under the belief that the Bible alone sets the beliefs and practices of the COG and not man's interpretations.

I don't know what planet the author is living on but every single COG group, starting with Herbert Armstrong, relies heavily on personal interpretation by the spiritual leader.  All of the hundreds and hundreds of "doctrines" that these men have come up with are directly from their own lips and thinking and NOT from the Bible.  Just look at the insane things coming out of Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry and Bob Thiel lately. Can there possibly be a bigger quagmire of nonsense ever uttered in the church? Not one thing these men utter have anything to do with the "bible" they claim to follow.

There is one thing that separates the Church of God and its doctrines from the false religions of this world. That is the Bible. The Church of God bases its beliefs, doctrines, and practices on the word of God, the Bible. Many or most members have proved what they believe in the Bible, and most who have not proved them have learned them from traditions passed down to us from Mr. Armstrong, and he proved them from the Bible.

We should all follow the example of Mr. Armstrong and prove our beliefs in the Bible. We do this, not by accepting the interpretation of the Bible by men, but by letting the Bible interpret the Bible, getting all the scriptures on a subject and letting clear scriptures interpret difficult ones.

That is basic.

That is what Mr. Armstrong did, and that is what separates us from the false religions of the world. from Preaching the Gospel

Being Disfellowshipped Is a Blessing

On Exit and Support the following letter was posted.  It shows how sick the various splinter groups are in making demands on their members to the point they will willingly divorce spouses in order to remain in the "church."

Those who have been disfellowshipped and marked over the decades will all most agree that being put out was the greatest blessing imaginable.  Freed from the shackles of despotic church leaders people finally experience what true freedom is.  Whether one is led to leave organized religion to those who revel in grace, being free is a tremendous feeling.

My Disfellowshipment Was a Great Blessing in Disguise:

March 20, 2017

I was disfellowshipped from PCG 4 years ago; when I told my wife to leave also, she told me, "Where will I go, what other church shall I go to?" In her mind she had to find another church to go to before she left PCG, or she wouldn't leave. This is what high demand churches do. They instill in the member's mind that without their "church"--in this case PCG--the member is doomed, and will not have God’s favor. My wife was willing to end a 23 year marriage, with two children, so she could remain in PCG.  

At the time I was disfellowshipped, I thought I was lost forever, but I did not know it was a great blessing in disguise, even though my marriage ended (she is still in PCG). I have never regretted how God pulled my out of that cult, and opened my eyes up to the truth of the scriptures, that we are saved by Christ alone, by grace, through faith. 

I guess it is true what people say, you only get rid of poison in your system, when you stop receiving the needles. At first it will be hard to let go, but as time goes on, the truth will come into focus, and you will see all the lies you were led to believe. To those who are thinking about leaving, don’t be afraid, it is God who is guiding you. --S. A., former PCG member