Articles of Faith

Article 1

The Triune God

Plain-language explanation

God has no beginning or end. The Creator who sustains all life is one God, revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God’s character and purposes are holy, and his love shapes our understanding of who he is.

Article 2

Jesus Christ

Plain-language explanation

Jesus, eternally united with the Father, became human through the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary. He is fully God and fully human. His death addresses our sin; his bodily resurrection, ascension, and continuing intercession ground our hope.

Article 3

The Holy Spirit

Plain-language explanation

The Holy Spirit is God at work among us. He awakens us to our sin, brings new spiritual life to those who repent and believe, makes believers holy, and leads the Church into the truth found in Jesus.

Article 4

The Holy Scriptures

Plain-language explanation

The whole Bible—its sixty-six Old and New Testament books—is inspired by God. It faithfully reveals God’s will in everything necessary for salvation. The Church must not require as essential belief a teaching that Scripture does not contain.

Article 5

Sin, Original and Personal

Plain-language explanation

Humanity inherits a fallen condition that bends us away from God. Personal sin involves knowingly and willingly disobeying God’s law of love. This differs from unavoidable limitations or honest mistakes. We need God’s forgiveness and cleansing, not simply greater self-discipline.

Article 6

Atonement

Plain-language explanation

Through his suffering and death, Jesus provided the only basis for salvation, sufficient for everyone. Those who can respond are called to repent and believe. His saving grace also embraces children in innocence and people who cannot bear moral responsibility.

Article 7

Prevenient Grace

Plain-language explanation

We cannot bring ourselves back to God by our own ability. God’s grace reaches us first, enabling a genuine response of repentance, faith, and obedience. That response remains free: believers must continue in faith and may turn away from grace, needing repentance and restoration.

Article 8

Repentance

Plain-language explanation

Repentance means facing our responsibility for sin and turning toward a different way of life. It goes beyond regret. The Spirit helps us leave sin behind and trust God’s mercy, opening our lives to forgiveness and renewed fellowship with him.

Article 9

Justification, Regeneration, and Adoption

Plain-language explanation

When we repent and trust Christ, God forgives and accepts us, gives us new spiritual life, and welcomes us as his children. These simultaneous gifts are called justification, regeneration, and adoption. The Spirit assures believers that this new relationship is real.

Article 10

Christian Holiness and Entire Sanctification

Plain-language explanation

God makes us holy through the Spirit, beginning with new birth. After conversion, entire sanctification is a distinct work of grace, received through faith as we fully surrender to God. Through Christ’s saving work, the Spirit cleanses inherited sin and fills us with wholehearted love for God and others.

This gift does not mean we have finished growing. A cleansed heart and mature character are not identical. Prayer, Scripture, Christian fellowship, and the sacraments nurture a lifelong growth in grace, completed in glorification.

Article 11

The Church

Plain-language explanation

The Spirit gathers a people who confess Jesus as Lord. Together we worship, hear Scripture, share the sacraments, and help one another live faithfully. Local congregations belong to Christ’s wider body and take part in his work of reconciliation through witness, discipleship, compassion, and justice.

Article 12

Baptism

Plain-language explanation

Baptism is a sacrament commanded by Jesus, expressing faith in his saving work and a commitment to follow him. Children may be baptized when parents or guardians commit to Christian nurture. The Church permits sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.

Article 13

The Lord’s Supper

Plain-language explanation

At the Lord’s Table, believers remember Jesus’ sacrificial death and share communion in the life he gives. We come with reverence, faith in Christ, and love for his people, proclaiming his death while looking forward to his return.

Article 14

Divine Healing

Plain-language explanation

We bring people who are ill before God in trusting prayer. We also recognize medical care as a means through which God heals. Prayer for healing and the use of medicine are both affirmed in Nazarene teaching.

Article 15

Second Coming of Christ

Plain-language explanation

Christian hope looks forward to Jesus’ return. Those who have died in Christ and believers who remain faithful at his coming will be united with the Lord. This promise calls us to live in faithful expectation, with our future held in him.

Article 16

Resurrection, Judgment, and Destiny

Plain-language explanation

All people will be raised and face God’s judgment. Everlasting life is promised to those who trust and obediently follow Jesus. Those who finally refuse repentance face eternal loss in hell. Our choices matter, and Christ offers the hope of salvation.