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In order that we may live out Jesus daily while preserving our faith for the next generation, the Church of the Nazarene has established our Articles of Faith. They are as follows:

1. The Triune God

We believe in one eternally existent, infinite God, Sovereign of the universe; that He only is God, creative and administrative, holy in nature, attributes, and purpose; that He, as God, is Triune in essential being, revealed as Father Son, and Holy Spirit.

2. Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Triune Godhead; that He was eternally one with the Father; that He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary, so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say the Godhead and manhood are thus united in One Person; very God and very man, the God-man.

We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and that He truly arose from the dead and took again His body, and after appearing to the twelve disciples and others, ascended into heaven and there engaged in intercession for us.

3. The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Triune Godhead, that He is ever present and active in and with the Church of Christ, convicting the world of
sin, regenerating those who repent and believe, sanctifying believers, and guiding into all truth as it is in Jesus.

4. The Holy Scriptures

We believe in the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, by which we under-stand the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, given by divine inspiration
reveal without error the will of God concerning us in all things necessary to our
salvation and sanctification.

5. Sin, Original and Personal

We believe sin came into the world through the disobedience of our first parents, and death by sin. We beli~ve that sin is of two kinds: original sin, or depravity,
is that corruption of nature of all the offspring of Adam by reason of which every¬one is very far gone from original righteousness or the pure state of our first parents at the time oftheir creation, is averse to God, is without spiritual life, and inclined to evil. We further believe that original sin continues to exist with the new life of the regenerate until the heart is fully cleansed by the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

We believe that actual or personal sin is a voluntary violation of a known law of God by a morally responsible person. We believe that personal sin is primarily and essentially a violation of the law of love; and that in relation to Christ sin may be defined as unbelief.

6. Atonement

We believe that Jesus Christ, by His sufferings, by the shedding of His own blood, and by His death on the Cross, made a full atonement for all human sin, and that this Atonement is the only ground of salvation, and that it is sufficient for every individual of Adam's race. We believe the Atonement is graciously efficient for the irresponsible and for children in innocency.

7. Prevenient Grace

We believe that the human race's creation in Godlikeness included the ability to choose between right and wrong, and that thus human beings were made morally responsible; that through the fall of Adam they became depraved so that they cannot now turn and prepare themselves by their own natural strength and works to faith and calling upon God. But we also believe that the grace of God through Jesus Christ is freely bestowed upon all people; enabling all who will to turn from sin to righteousness, to believe on Jesus Christ for pardon and cleansing from sin and follow good works pleasing and acceptable in His sight.

We believe that all persons, though in possession of the experience of regeneration and sanctification may fall from grace and unless they repent of their sins be hope¬lessly and eternally lost.

8. Repentance

We believe that repentance, which is a sincere and thorough change of mind in regard to sin, involving a sense of personal guilt and a voluntary turning away from sin, is demanded of all who have by act or purpose become sinners against God. The Spirit of God gives to all who will repent the gracious help of penitence of heart mad hope of mercy, that they may believe unto pardon and spiritual life.

9. Justification, Regeneration, and Adoption

We believe that justification is the gracious and judicial act of God by which He grants full pardon of all guilt and complete release from the penalty of sins committed, and acceptance as righteous, to all who believe on Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior.

We believe that regeneration, or the new birth, is that gracious work of God whereby the moral nature of the repentant believer is spiritually quickened and given a distinctly spiritual life, capable of faith, love and obedience.

We believe that adoption is that gracious act of God by which the justified and regenerated believer is constituted a son of God.

We believe that justification, regeneration, and adoption, are simultaneous in the experience of seekers after God and are obtained upon the condition of faith, preceded by repentance, and that to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness.

10. Entire Sanctification

We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, after regeneration, (salvation) by which believers are made free from original sin and brought
Into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love
made perfect. This state of entire devotement to God is experienced by
the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service. We believe there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained in an instant, the latter is the result of growth in grace.

11. The Church

We believe in the Church, the community that confesses Jesus Christ as Lord, the covenant people of God made new in Christ, the Body of Christ called together by the Holy Spirit through the Word. God calls the Church to express its life in the unity and fellowship of the Spirit, in worship through the preaching of the Word, the observance of the sacraments, and ministry in His name; by obedience to Christ and mutual accountability.

The mission of the Church in the world is to continue the redemptive work of Christ in the power of the Spirit through holy living, evangelism, discipleship, and service. The Church is a historical reality, which organizes itself in culturally conditioned forms, exists both as local congregations and as a universal body.

12. Baptism

We believe that Christian bapti$m, commanded by our Lord, is a sacrament signifying acceptance of the benefits of the atonement of Jesus Christ, to be administered to believers and declarative of their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and full purpose of obedience in holiness and righteousness. Baptism may be administered by sprinkling, pouring or immersion, according to the choice of the applicant.

13. The Lord's Supper

We believe that the Memorial and Communion Supper instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is essentially a New Testament sacrament, declarative of His sacrificial death, through the merits of which believers have life and salvation and promise of all spiritual blessings in Christ. It is distinctly for those who are prepared for reverent appreciation of its significance, and by it they show forth the Lord's death till He comes again. The Lord's Supper is for those who have faith in Christ and love for the saints and as Paul warns have examined their hearts before God.

14. Divine Healing

We believe in the Biblical doctrine of divine healing and urge our people to seek to offer the prayer of faith for the healing of the sick. We also believe God heals through the means of medical science.

15. Second Coming of Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again; that we who are alive at His coming shall not precede them that are asleep in Christ Jesus; but that, if we are abiding in Him, we shall be caught up with the risen saints to meet the Lord in the air, so that we shall ever be with the Lord.

16. Resurrection, Judgment, and Destiny

We believe in the resurrection of the dead and that the bodies both of the just and the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits.

We believe in future judgment in which every person shall appear before God to be judged according to his or her deeds in this life.

We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow Jesus Christ our Lord, and that the lost shall suffer eternally in hell.