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God. We believe in one true
God who is infinite in wisdom, power, and love.
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Jesus Christ. We believe in
Jesus, the Christ, the Promised Messiah and the Deliverer,
Our Savior and the Savior of the world, the world's true
light. We believe the living Christ is present with us
and that through faith in Christ we experience the joy of
salvation.
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Holy Spirit. We believe in
the Holy Spirit as God present with us for guidance,
comfort, and strength. We affirm the Holy Spirit's
presence in our lives, inspiring those qualities known in
the new testament as the "Fruit of the Spirit" -
"Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control. The
Manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the
common good ICOR. 12:4-7
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Forgiveness. We believe in the
reality of sin and in the forgiveness of sin. Since God
forgives us, we are expected to forgive others.
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Scripture. We believe the word of
God contained in the old and new testaments is the
sufficient rule in both of faith and practice. We
believe the Bible was written by persons who were inspired
and challenged by the Spirit of God. We believe God speaks to us through the scripture when we interpret the
ancient witness in light of both its original meaning and
its message for us today.
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Church. We believe in the church
as a community of faith and love, and as a fellowship for
worship, study, and service of all who are united to the
living Lord. The church is present when we come
together as a gathered community, as well as when we express
our faith in witness and service in the world about us.
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Kingdom of God. We believe
in the Kingdom of God as the divine rule in human
society. Jesus spoke of the kingdom in various ways:
within us, around us, among us, beyond us. The kingdom
is already here; it is yet to come. It is a present
reality; it is a future hope.
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Eternal Life. We believe in
the final triumph of righteousness and in the life
everlasting. We believe that eternal life is not simply an
extension of life beyond death, but also a quality of life
in Christ lived here and now. To live "In
Christ" is to know eternal life.
The foregoing statements of faith and the guidelines
and essential beliefs are of great value to all United
Methodists. In addition there are other emphases that have
special significance.
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Human Dignity
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Grace
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Conversion
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Faith and Works
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Inclusive Church
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Connectional Church
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Sacraments
The United Methodist Church has a long tradition of
viewing Christian belief and doctrine as a vital, living expression of
faith. Yet we believe the essence of Christian truth cannot be precisely
defined in statements about it. For that reason, our Church is
called upon to heed the word and the will of God supremely revealed in
Christ and to give expression to the faith that claims it. There
may be many times when we shall be unable to live up to our profession,
we shall often fail, even in our best efforts. But there is grace
to redeem us and to sustain us on our way. Thanks be to God!
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