Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

What We Believe Part 4 What we believe: Resurrection, Judgement, Destiny

Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth

.I welcome you to our teaching series “What we believe”

We begin today with a question: Is this all there is?

Do you ever find yourself reflecting on the pain and challenges of life, or maybe scrolling, or watching the nightly news on television, asking a similar question?

At the risk of being too dramatic, your answer to this question is influencing your life decisions today and your outlook on tomorrow.

As we finish up our teaching series examining what we believe as Nazarenes, I think we will see that for the follower of Jesus, the answer to the question “is this all there is?” is a compassionate and hope-filled NO

Church of the Nazarene Article of Faith 1616. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, that the bodies both of the just and of the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits— “they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”16.1 We believe in future judgment in which every person shall appear before God to be judged according to his or her deeds in this life.16.2 We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the central point of the Christian Faith, we celebrate this every year at Easter. It’s like Superbowl Sunday in the Church.

We believe that part of the story of God is that all people will experience resurrection too. Both the just and the un-just.‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭16‬-‭23‬‬For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

We believe that those who have lived justly, lived for Christ, will be resurrected to eternal life, with a new and incorruptible body. Existentially more alive, more whole, more pure, free from the ailments and pains that we know now.

Judgement- everyone’s favorite topic… or maybe not…To begin, as we discuss judgement, we must not allow our human tendency towards vindictive judgement pass over onto God.

The reality is, if we believe that God is going to put all things right, that there is coming a new heaven and a new earth, we NEED God’s righteous and holy judgement to be true, for it to take place.

We believe that the results of judgement are eternal.

For those condemned- it will mean eternity separated from God’s presence.

And for those in Christ there awaits a great hope of eternity spent in the presence of God and all the saints.

We believe there is an eternal destiny for every person, and we also believe that how we live and what we believe now will affect our live forever.‭‭

John‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭29‬‬

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

For some when you hear about resurrection and judgement, you might wonder about Christ’s return.

We believe that Christ will return, and that his return fits into this narrative of resurrection and judgement as Christ returns.

Article of Faith 15 in the Church of the Nazarene.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again; that we who are alive at His coming shall not precede them that are asleep in Christ Jesus; but that, if we are abiding in Him, we shall be caught up with the risen saints to meet the Lord in the air, so that we shall ever be with the Lord.

This doctrine has picked up in intensity and diversity in recent years, but For the Church of the Nazarene, the key truth is that he will return. He will appear in the fullness of who he is and those in Christ shall be with Him forever.So, is this all there is? We don’t believe so!

We are called to live now as people of hope now! We are agents in this story!

That’s our mission! “Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ”

Let’s get busy living!

https://www.bible.com/events/48984274

What We Believe Part 3

What we believe: Entire Sanctification

Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church.

Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth.

Welcome to our teaching series “What we believe”.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭15‬-‭19

‬‬I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭24

‬‬What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

-Paul is describing a tension to which many of us can relate: we battle with sin even when we desire to do good.

-Many people stop reading after verse 24. They believe that living a daily battle with sin is inevitable.

-It’s not the end of Paul’s words and it’s not the final word on sin in our lives. Keep reading to verse 25.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬‬

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Through Jesus there is deliverance. Through Jesus there is hope. Sin does not have the final word.

The doctrine of Entire Sanctification is defined as “the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ” (Manual, Church of the Nazarene).

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭4‬‬

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭14

‬‬In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭4‬‬

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

What Paul describes throughout this letter is the power of God to overcome sin in our lives

Consider these reminders in Romans 6-8:

-“We have died to sin” (Romans 6:2)

-“Sin is no longer our master” (Romans 6:)

-“We are rescued from sin and death” (Romans 7:25)

-“We are set free from sin” (Romans 8:2)

-“We no longer live according to sin” (Romans 8:4)

1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24

‬‬May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

God’s Word describes sin in two different ways:

1. The acts of sin – the things that we have done, and choices we have made.

2. The nature of sin – our corrupted nature, which is bent towards selfishness.

Jesus came to be my Savior, and to forgive my acts of sin (the wrong things I have done).

But Jesus also came to be my Lord, to purify my heart and cleanse me from a nature bent towards sin. Jesus desires to be both Savior and Lord.

“We believe there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character.” (Manual, Church of the Nazarene)

God purifies our hearts, but we continue the lifelong journey to grow in grace and maturity.

Verses for further study/reflection:

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Ezekiel 36:25-27

Malachi 3:2–3

Matthew 3:11–12

Luke 3:16–17

John 7:37–39

John 14:15–23

John 17:6–20

Acts 1:5

Acts 2:1–4

Acts 15:8–9;

Romans 12:1–2

2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1

Galatians 2:20

Galatians 5:16–25

Ephesians 3:14–21

Ephesians 5:17–18, 25–27

Philippians 3:10–15

Colossians 3:1–17

Hebrews 4:9–11

Hebrews 10:10–17

Hebrews12:1–2

Hebrews 13:12

1 John 1:7-9

1 John 2:1-12

From our Articles of Faith

We believe that sanctification is the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ. It is wrought by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit in initial sanctification, or regeneration (simultaneous with justification), entire sanctification, and the continued perfecting work of the Holy Spirit culminating in glorification. In glorification we are fully conformed to the image of the Son.

We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect.

It is wrought by the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service. Entire sanctification is provided by the blood of Jesus, is wrought instantaneously by grace through faith, preceded by entire consecration; and to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness.

This experience is also known by various terms representing its different phases, such as “Christian perfection,” “perfect love,” “heart unity,” “the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit,” “the fullness of the blessing,” and “Christian holiness.”

We believe that there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained in an instant, the result of entire sanctification; the latter is the result of growth in grace.

We believe that the grace of entire sanctification includes the divine impulse to grow in grace as a Christlike disciple. However, this impulse must be consciously nurtured, and careful attention given to the requisites and processes of spiritual development and improvement in Christlikeness of character and personality. Without such purposeful endeavor, one’s witness may be impaired and the grace itself frustrated and ultimately lost.

Participating in the means of grace, especially the fellowship, disciplines, and sacraments of the Church, believers grow in grace and in wholehearted love to God and neighbor.

What We Believe Part 3What we believe: Entire Sanctification

Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church.

Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth.

I welcome you to our new teaching series “What we believe”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭10

‬‬If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬‬My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Can I just say emphatically today that we believe this?

And not only do we believe it’s true, we believe we are called to experience it as a part of our walk with Christ.Today in part 3 of our series we will see that we believe in the power of God’s grace to enable us to live lives free from the power of sin.

Or put more simply, we believe in what’s known as Entire Sanctification.

From our Articles of Faith

We believe that sanctification is the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ. It is wrought by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit in initial sanctification, or regeneration (simultaneous with justification), entire sanctification, and the continued perfecting work of the Holy Spirit culminating in glorification. In glorification we are fully conformed to the image of the Son.

We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect.

It is wrought by the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service. Entire sanctification is provided by the blood of Jesus, is wrought instantaneously by grace through faith, preceded by entire consecration; and to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness.This experience is also known by various terms representing its different phases, such as “Christian perfection,” “perfect love,” “heart unity,” “the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit,” “the fullness of the blessing,” and “Christian holiness.”We believe that there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained in an instant, the result of entire sanctification; the latter is the result of growth in grace.We believe that the grace of entire sanctification includes the divine impulse to grow in grace as a Christlike disciple. However, this impulse must be consciously nurtured, and careful attention given to the requisites and processes of spiritual development and improvement in Christlikeness of character and personality. Without such purposeful endeavor, one’s witness may be impaired and the grace itself frustrated and ultimately lost.Participating in the means of grace, especially the fellowship, disciplines, and sacraments of the Church, believers grow in grace and in wholehearted love to God and neighbor.let’s pause to clarify some terms.First, what on earth is that thing in our hearts, those desires that sabotage our walk with the Lord?That friends, is our sinful or carnal nature, inherited from our first parents in the garden. It’s always opposed to God’s will, it’s always focused on fulfilling our own desires. It’s the motivator or the source of all the sins we commit.Next, what is mean by Sanctification?By definition it is the action of making or declaring something holy. The action or process of being freed from sin or purified.So, for entire sanctification, we believe that by grace, we are purified, and entirely freed from sin.It is in entire sanctification that the carnal nature in our hearts is dealt with by Christ’s atoning work on the Cross.We believe that Entire Sanctification is the work of God’s grace in our lives that deals with the deep heart condition.In purifying our hearts, we are freed from the power of that nature we have struggled with for so long.‭‭

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭14‬‬

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

God’s grace is leading us to offer all of ourselves to Him, to allow him to purify our hearts, and full us with his holy spirit.

In our surrender and his infilling and cleansing presence, we are free from the power of sin.

When we finally get to the end of ourselves, tired of the struggle, and we throw our arms up in surrender- That’s when God’s grace can do his deep work, his filling us to overflowing…Our life, our relationship with Christ will never be the same.

You are free from those inward heart desires pulling you away. Free to obey God fully…To be free from there power does not mean we will never make a mistake again.It doesn’t mean we live in some state of constant joy or ecstasy, we will still face suffering and challenges.It doesn’t eliminate our personality or who we are- in fact, I would argue that fully devoted to God is when we can TRULY be who we are.This experience doesn’t automatically make you a mature Christian.- There is a difference between a pure heart and a mature character.- God gives us purity, in an instant- we still have to learn how to live it out.Entire sanctification is a continuing journey.Our surrender is a definite moment in time, but it’s also lifestyle of YES to Jesus.The bottom line is this: Yes, you can sin if you want to. But why not choose freedom?