Our Beliefs

June 22, 2012 No Comments

Basic Beliefs of a United Methodist Christian

Taken from the Articles of Religion of the United Methodist Church

Worship

Only God – Father/Creator, Son/Savior, Spirit/Power – is the source of all creation and life, and is worthy of our worship and devotion, which is the first obligation of all Christians. (Article I*) Genesis 1:1-31, John 1:1-14; Exodus 20:1-11

Evangelism

The precious gift of Jesus Christ, God’s Word, is the only way to forgiveness of sin, salvation and eternal life. The proclamation of this grace and reaching out to the lost of the world through evangelism is primary to the Church’s purpose. (Article II) John 3:16-17, John 14:6-7, Matthew 28:18-20.

Power

The power to live and serve in god’s grace is given through god’s Holy Spirit, who gives to every Christian gifts for ministry. (Article IV) Romans 8:1-17, 1 Corinthians 12.

Hope

Resurrection into eternal life in the presence of God is the hope of all those who live and die in the Christian faith. (Article III) John 14, 1 Corinthians 15

Study

The Bible – the 66 books of the Old and New Testament — is God’s primary way of revealing Himself to humanity. It is god’s Word and must e studied by every faithful Christian. (Article V, VI) 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Ephesians 6:14-17 Psalm 19:7-10

Responsibility

Sin and evil are very real i the world and in the life of every individual. we are responsible for this sin and evil by the free choices we have made. (Articles VIII) Genesis 3:1-13, Luke 13:1-5, Romans 2:1-16, Psalm 143:1-2

Repentance

True sorrow for our sins and turning away from them through repentance is the first step toward reconciliation with God. (Article VII, XII) Psalm 51, Acts 2:37-39

Faith

We are reconciled with God through faith and justified not by our own work but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. (Article IX) John 3:16-17, Romans 3:21, Ephesians 2:8-9

Obedience

It is the will of God that every Christian expresses his or her faith through acts of love, mercy, faithfulness, and joy. The Holy Spirit equips every Christian with gifts for this ministry. These works do not earn us God’s favor but are a joyful response to God’s brace in our lives. (Article X, XI) Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2:14-17, Micah 6:8, John 15:1-8

Accountability

Every Christian is part of the Body of Christ, the Church. The Church exists on many different levels: small groups, the local Church, denomination, and the Church universal. Each Christian is accountable to the Church at every level to support and be supported by the Body of Christ and to place his or her life under its leadership. (Article XIII) 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, John 13:34-35, Acts 2:42-47

Commitment

Baptism is the sacramental mark of God’s grace in our lives, and the sign of our commitment to God through Jesus Christ. Baptism is the initiation of the individual into the Body of Christ, and the calling upon the life of every believer into the ministry of the Church. (Article XVI, XVII) Acts 2:37-42, Galatians 3:25-29, Ephesians 4:4-6

Renewal

The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is the sacramental sign of God’s sacrificial love for us through Jesus Christ and a regular, sacramental renewal of our Baptismal commitment to Jesus Christ and the Church. The blessed elements of bread and wine are the sacramental sign of Jesus Christ’s real presence in our midst. Communion is not to be denied anyone who comes in faith. (Article XVI, XVIII, XIX) Mark 14:22-25, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Marriage and Family

Every Christian is called to live out their faith in their most intimate relationships. The family, in a variety of shapes and sizes, is a model of the Church in miniature and is a haven of love, faith, forgiveness, security, and moral structure. Marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman, reflective of the relationship between Christ and the Church, and is a relationship of love, trust, fidelity, mutual submission and forgiveness. Anything that works to destroy the family or marriage is not condoned. (Article XXI) Genesis 2:18-25, Exodus 20:12&14, Matthew 5:27-32, Ephesians 5:21-6:4, Hebrews 13:4

Innovation

Worship, ministry, mission, evangelism, fellowship, and education are some of the ways the Church reaches out to the lost, and ministers to the redeemed. We are called to seek out innovative ways to reach the whole community. (Article XXII) Colossians 3:14-17, 1 Corinthians 16:23-31, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Stewardship

God gives to us abundantly and we are called to be good stewards of these gifts. We commit our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness to the Church as good stewards. Tithing is the standard to which we aspire. (Article XXIV) Matthew 25:14-30, Malachi 3:8-10, 1 Peter 4:7-11

Growth

The Christian Life is not static but is either growing toward God or falling away from God. Every Christian is called to grow toward sanctification in love through study, prayer, worship, and acts of mercy and love. (Article XXVI) Matthew 5:3-12, Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:11-16

*The Articles of Religion are found in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2008, pp. 59-66.