OUR BIBLICAL FOUNDATION
What We Believe

"Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue
in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself
and those who hear you." (1 Timothy 4:16)


16 Articles of Faith

1. God

We believe in one infinite God, that He only is God, creator of all things, who is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19-20, John 14:6-27)

2. Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, that He is fully God and fully man at the same time. We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and that He truly rose again from the dead so that we may have salvation. (John 1:1-18, Acts 2:22-36, Philippians 2:5-11)

3. Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is active in the world, bringing us to Jesus. (John 14:15-18, Acts 2:33; 15:8-9, Ephesians 3:14-21)

4. The Word

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, giving us all we need to know about Jesus and how to be saved. (John 1:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 2 Timothy 3:15-17)

5. Sin

We believe that sin came into the world through the disobedience of the first man. We believe that all have sinned because of this and need an act of forgiveness and cleansing by God. (Genesis 3, Romans 3:23, 5:12-14, Galatians 5:16-25)

6. Atonement

We believe that through Jesus Christ, by His sufferings and death on the Cross and by trusting in His death, we can be restored to a right relationship with God. (Isaiah 53:5-6, John 1:29, Acts 4:10-12)

7. Man's Free Choice

We believe that man cannot turn to God through their own natural strength. We also believe that the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, is freely given to all people and has empowered us by His grace to turn from our sin to His salvation; but He does not force us to do so. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:16-17, John 1:12-13, Galatians 5:6, Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 2:12-13)

8. Repentance

We believe that each person must repent and ask Christ into his or her heart and then turn away from their sins. (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 2 Corinthians 7:8-11, 2 Peter 3:9)

9. Justification, Regeneration, & Adoption

We believe that when we turn form sin and ask Christ in our lives, that sin is wiped out of our lives. We then become a new creation and are adopted into the family of God. (Acts. 13:39, Romans 3:21-26, Galatians 4:4-7)

10. Holiness

We believe that after being born again, God calls us and moves us to a higher level of maturity, which necessitates holy living. When He calls us to be holy, He also makes it possible for us to live in such a way with victory over sin. This holy calling involves the cleansing of our spirit, filling us with His Holy Spirit and His power, giving us the power to live victoriously. (Matthew 5:43-48, Acts 15:8-9, Ephesians 4:17-5:20, 1 Peter 1:15-16)

11. The Church

We believe that the church is the Body of Christ in the world today. It is called together by the Holy Spirit, through the Word, for the purpose of fulfilling God’s Plan for the world until the return of Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:5-9, 14:26-40, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12)

12. Baptism

We believe in baptism and that it is the outward symbol of the new life we have in Christ. We urge people to be baptized as Christians. (Matthew 3:1-7, Acts 2:37-41, Colossians 2:12, 1 Peter 3:18-22)

13. The Lord's Supper

We believe in the Lord’s Supper as a symbol of what Christ did for us on the Cross. It is intended as a sacrament for believers to remember the sacrificial death of Jesus and how He took away our sins. (Matthew 26:26-29, John 6:28-58)

14. Divine Healing

We believe that God is still in the business of divine healing. As we pray for healing, we believe that God heals through divine intervention and also through medical science. (2 Corinthian 12:7-10, James 5:13-16)

15. Second Coming of Christ

We believe that Jesus will return again for His bride, the Church. (John 14:1-3, Revelation 1:7-8, 22:7-20)

16. Resurrection, Judgment, & Destiny

We believe in the resurrection of the dead and that everyone will face judgment and appear before the living God to be judged according to his or her deeds. Each will either receive his/her just rewards or punishments. (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Revelation 20:11-15, 22:1-15)

 
Real Life Church of the Nazarene • 531 Devonshire Lane • Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014 • (815) 459-7578
© 2008 Real Life Church of the Nazarene