AboutUs - Harbor City Church of the Nazarene

Biblical Beliefs that state who we are as Nazarenes:

1. We believe in one God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

2. We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that it contains all truth necessary to be saved.

3. We believe that all have sinned and need God's forgiveness and cleansing.

4. We believe that Christ died for our sins and that those that repent and believe on Him will be saved.

5. We believe those who refuse to repent will be eternally lost.

6. We believe that Christians are to be sanctified wholly by faith, through the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

7. We believe that our Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and the final judgment will take place.

8. We believe in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper.

In these days of theological experimentation and inquiry, it seems prudent to the Board of General Superintendents to lay special emphasis on some of these agreed beliefs.

We believe in God. Revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, He is holy love and light; eternally existent and infinite; Sovereign of the universe; holy in nature, attributes, and purpose; all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present.

We believe in the inspiration and authority of Scripture. We hold that the Word of God is the primary source of revelation for knowing God. Dr. H. Orton Wiley, who helped shape our theology in our formative years, wrote: "We conclude that the Scriptures were given by plenary inspiration ... in the manner that and to the degree that the Bible becomes the infallible word of God, the authoritative Rule of Faith and Practice in the Church" (Christian Theology, Vol. 1, p. 170).

We believe in the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6). We believe that "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

We believe that, subsequent to regeneration, believers are to be entirely sanctified through the work of the Holy Spirit. We further believe that in the work of entire sanctification the believer's heart is cleansed from all sin and that the believer filled with the Holy Spirit is enabled to love God with the whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love others as oneself. We believe that growth in grace and the disciplines of holy living are a lifelong necessity for a life wholly sanctified to the will and purposes of God.

We believe in the Church, "the covenant people of God made new in Christ" (Manual, paragraph 15), as the visible expression of God's presence and mission in our world.

This is our binding address!

Ephesians 4:12-13 makes it clear that every effort should be made for believers to be "built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." This, the Bible declares, will prevent us from being unsettled by every wind of doctrinal experimentation that blows across the religious landscape.

We call upon our churches, our institutions of higher learning, and our people at large to hold fast to these agreed beliefs. Let us set aside anything and everything that distracts from our mission to make Christlike disciples in the nations.

--Board of General Superintendents

Theology:

The Church of the Nazarene is the largest denomination in the Wesleyan-Arminian theological tradition.

The doctrine that distinguishes the Church of the Nazarene and other Wesleyan denominations from most other Christian denominations is that of entire sanctification.

Nazarenes believe that God calls Christians to a life of holy living that is marked by an act of God, cleansing the heart from original sin and filling the individual with love for God and humankind.

This experience is marked by entire consecration of the believer to do God's will and is followed by a life of seeking to serve God through service to others.

Like salvation, entire sanctification is an act of God's grace, not of works.

Our pursuant service to God is an act of love whereby we show our appreciation for the grace that has been extended to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was called a Nazarene; His boyhood home was in the town of Nazareth. (Matthew 2:23)

Later, the followers of Jesus were called Nazarenes. (Acts 24:5)

The Apostle Paul, on trial for his life, was accused of being the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarene. (Acts 24:5)

Of course, Jesus did not found any denomination, but because we bear His name it is held in deep respect by us who are members of the Church of the Nazarene. The supreme desire of all Christians should be to be like Jesus. His teachings form the basis of our doctrine, and His life, our example.