What We Believe

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." - A.W. Tozer

Core Beliefs

The following are the core beliefs of Sacramento First Church of the Nazarene based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

The Triune God

One God revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Genesis 1; Leviticus 19:2; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 5:16; 6:1-7; 40:18-31; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19-20; John 14:6-27; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:4-6;
Ephesians 2:13-18; 1 John 1:5; 4:8

Jesus Christ

The second person of the Triune Godhead, eternally one with the Father; incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; fully God and fully man. We believe Jesus willingly died for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven.

Matthew 1:20-25; 16:15-16; Luke 1:2-35; John 1:1-18; Acts 2:22-36; Romans 8:3; 32-34; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:12-22; 1 Timothy 6:14-16 Hebrews 1:1-5; 7:22-28; 9:24-28; 1 John 1:1-3; 4:2-3, 15

The Holy Spirit

The third person of the Triune Godhead; He is ever present and active in and with the Church, convicting the world of sin, giving life to those who repent and believe, purifying believers, and guiding into all truth through Jesus.

John 7:39; 14:15-18, 26; 16:7-15; Acts 2:33; 15:8-9; Romans 8:1-27; Galatians 3:1-14; 4:6; Ephesians 3:14-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 3:24; 4:13

The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures were written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to include the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, in errantly revealing the will of God concerning us in all things necessary to our salvation.

Luke 24:44-47; John 10:35; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:20-21

Sin, Original and Personal

Original sin came into the world through the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve; being defined as that corruption, deliberate choice to disobey God, inclined to evil which passes to all generations.
Personal sin being defined as a voluntary violation of a known law of God…essentially a violation of the law of love; and that in relation to Christ sin may be defined as unbelief.

Original Sin: Genesis 3; 6:5; Job 15:14; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9-10; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 1:18-25; 5:12-14; 7:1-8-9; 1 Corinthians 3:1-4; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 John 1:7-8

Personal Sin: Matthew 22:36-40 (with 1 John 3:4); John 8:34-36; 16:8-9; Romans 3:23; 6:15-23; 8:18-24; 14:23; 1 John 1:9-2:4; 3:7-10

Atonement

We believe that Jesus Christ, by His sufferings, by the shedding of His own blood, and by His death on the Cross, made a full atonement for all human sin. This atonement is the only ground of salvation, and that it is sufficient for every individual of Adam’s race.

Isaiah 53:5-6; 11; Mark 10:45; Luke 24:46-48; John 1:29; 3:14-17; Acts 4:10-12; Romans 3:21-26; 4:17-25; 5:6-21; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Galatians 1:3-4; 3:13-14; Colossians 1:19-23; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:9; 9:11-14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:18-21; 2:19-25; 1 John 2:1-2

Prevenient Grace

We believe that the grace of God through Jesus Christ is freely offered to all people; that God initiates and extends this invitation to all people for pardon and cleansing from their sin.

Ezekiel 18:25-26; John 1:12-13; 3:6b; Acts 5:31; Romans 5:6-8, 18; 6:15-16, 23; 10:6-8; 11:22; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14; 10:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 4:10a; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:12-15; 6:4-6; 10:26-31; James 2:18-22; 2 Peter 1:10-11; 2:20-22

Repentance

Repentance is a sincere and thorough change of the mind and action in regard to sin, involving a sense of personal guilt and a voluntary turning away from sin, is demanded of all who have by act or purpose become sinners against God.

2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalms 32:5-6; 51:1-17; Isaiah 55:6-7; Jeremiah 3:12-14; Ezekiel 18:30-32; 33:14-16; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 3:1-14; 13:1-5; 18:9-14; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 7:30-31; 26:16-18; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:8-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Peter 3:9

Justification, Regeneration, and Adoption

Justification is the gracious and judicial act of God by which He grants full pardon of all guilt and complete release from the penalty of sins committed.

Regeneration (new birth) is that gracious work of God whereby the moral nature of the repentant believer is spiritually quickened and given a distinctively spiritual life, capable of faith, love, and obedience.

Adoption is that gracious act of God by which the justified and regenerated believer is constituted a son of God.
We believe that these three are simultaneous by faith preceded by repentance.

Luke 18:14; John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; 5:24; Acts 13:39; Romans 1:17; 3:21-26, 28; 4:5-9, 17-25; 5:1, 16-19; 6:4; 7:6; 8:1, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 2:16-21; 3:1-14; 26; 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:1, 4-5; Philippians 3:3-9; Colossians 2:13; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 1:9; 3:1-2, 9; 4:7; 5:1, 9-13, 18


Want to learn more?

We'd love to hear from you. Fill out the form below to get started.