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God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
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The Bible
The Bible is God’s Word to us. Human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, wrote it. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160; 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
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Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13
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The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18
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Human Beings
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and destroys the life God planned for us.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2
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Salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Gal. 3:26; Romans 5:1
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Continuing Faith
Because God created us with a free will, a believer may choose to rebel against God and forfeit the saving relationship with Christ. This is not an accidental event. It is the result of an ongoing pattern of deliberate rebellion. Even so, God continues to reach out to us and draw us back to Himself.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; Hebrews 10:26-29
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Sanctification
God wants every believer to love and obey Him completely. Sanctification is the process God uses to deal with that part of the human will which resists Him and tends toward deliberate sin. When we surrender completely to God, He cleanses us and fills us with His Holy Spirit. This enables us to desire God’s will above our own and to experience greater power over temptation than we have ever known.
Ezekiel 36:26-27; Matthew 5:8,48; Ephesians 4:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
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Spiritual Gifts
Every person who accepts Jesus Christ as Savior receives the Holy Spirit and is given special abilities to be used in service for the Lord. There are as wide a variety of these gifts as there are needs and personalities. God chooses which gift each individual believer receives. While we do not seek to limit any personal and private expression of faith, we believe that only a language readily understood by the entire group is appropriate to use in any gathering of the church.
Luke 11:13; Acts 2:38; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11
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Women in Ministry
The Wesleyan Church affirms its long-standing commitment to full opportunity for women to be ordained to the ministry and to serve in any and all ministerial and leadership capacities. Although this vision has yet to be fully realized within The Wesleyan Church, the Church and its precedent bodies have experienced the benefits of such a commitment for over 140 years.
Genesis 1:26-30; Genesis 3:15; Exodus 15:20; Micah 6:4; Acts 1:13-15; Acts 2:17-18; Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:1-3