First United Methodist Church of Texas City
Core Beliefs
In an attempt to provide written statements of
Christian belief that can be used both for the instruction of new believers, and
for strengthening the beliefs of the established congregation, and with the
guidance of our pastor and a group drawn from our membership, the following
statements were adopted and accepted by the church. The Apostles Creed was used
as an outline.
I Believe In God
"I Believe in God" is more than
acknowledgement of a supreme being. It also describes a state of heart and mind
resulting from the free choice to accept the loving invitation of God to enter
his grace and salvation. This results in faith that changes the way I live my
life and see myself as related to God, humanity and the universe.
God Is Our Sovereign Father
Father in this sense means a kind, caring,
compassionate individual. Those feelings you have when you hope for the best for
your children, the pride you have when someone you love does something
wonderful, or when you see something you truly care about, are only a fraction
of the caring encompassed in the use of the word Father. God offers each of his
children unconditional love, unlimited forgiveness, impartial justice and the
opportunity to be a part of His great family.
God is our sovereign Father. Perfect, always
right, and always wanting us to make the right decisions. God is not to be
questioned, but we as imperfect humans will always question. As we do question
we need to remember, God knows what we should do.
As God the Father Creator we affirm God's
freedom. God has chosen to limit His own authority and give humans free will.
God may not be in control of every detail of life. He has made a greater far
reaching plan which insures His victory and ours in Him.
I Believe In Jesus Christ
Jesus shares the sovereignty of God the
Father. The Bible teaches that if we know Jesus then we know the Father. Jesus
embodies the mystery that God and Humanity can become one. Jesus was fully God
and fully human. God chose to glorify Himself in love's perfect service. God
chose to suffer, to be crucified, and to be buried. It is not that Jesus desired
to suffer or inflicted suffering upon himself, but Jesus would not deny
righteousness to avoid suffering. Jesus Christ changed the way we perceive life
and death through the resurrection. Jesus demonstrated that there is victory in
the Beatitude lifestyle. Jesus is the standard for righteousness and the pathway
to God's salvation.
I Believe In The Holy
Spirit
"The Holy Spirit, preceding from the
Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and
the Son, very and eternal God." (The Book of Discipline of the United
Methodist Church, Article IV, Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church.)
The God initiated miracle of faith becomes
reality as we accept the presence of the Holy Spirit who witnesses the person of
Jesus Christ (John 14:26). Another name of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of
Truth (John 14:16-17). Jesus is the Truth. The words Holy Spirit are translated
as the Breath of God, or the Unseen Mover (John 14:17), who moves us toward God.
Jesus Christ is the intermediary between us and God the Father. The Holt Spirit
guides us to and along the path of salvation. In Jesus Christ humans know the
unity of God's righteousness. Another way of saying this would be atonement. We
are to open ourselves to God's grace delivered by the Counselor, Helper, Holy
Spirit. When we enter the offered state of grace we will witness the truth and
power of Jesus Christ.
I Believe In The Holy
Catholic Church
At Pentecost, God established the church as
the holy body of Christ until Christ comes again. Our faith is enhanced and
perfected through our participation in the church. The idea of catholic (Latin
word translated 'universal') raises the level of our awareness that there is
only one true church unified in Jesus Christ which cuts across denominational
lines. We must always strive to connect ourselves to the larger church in all
matters of our Christian life; our prayers, presence, gifts and service. The
more we embrace our universal nature the closer we come to God.
I Believe In The Communion
Of Saints
This idea refers to our spiritual connection
with sanctified Christians past, present, and future. We are called to accept
the church, the body of Christ, as it transcends history. The Revelation of John
gives many glimpses of our connection to saints who are already in heaven. Jesus
on the Mount of Transfiguration demonstrated His connection with Moses and
Elijah. This affirmation demonstrates the humility of our faith. We are
important but only one part of God's plan. We need to honor the memory of
history and realize that we have an obligation to the future. Like Jesus we are
connected directly with the Hebrew people. It follows that we are called to be
tolerant of all peoples and not engage in acts or thoughts of oppression.
I Believe In The
Forgiveness Of Sins
Confession and renewal should be a part of
everyday life. The United Methodist tradition adequately describes the process
of ever drawing closer to God's holiness in our doctrine of Christian
Perfection. This process is possible only when enveloped in the grace of
forgiveness. We are forgiven by God and, as a holy priesthood, we have the
strength to forgive. Only by this grace are we capable of reaching the goal of
loving God and neighbor with perfect intent of our hearts. We are constantly
growing in faith. As we practice forgiveness, every day should be looked upon as
new opportunity for discovery. We are at peace but we are never complacent.
I Believe In The
Resurrection Of The Body
I believe in the resurrection of the body.
The resurrected body of Jesus Christ is the central issue. The Bible teaches
that God has the power to restore life to us after death. We believe that we
will be resurrected.
I Believe In The Life
Everlasting
Those who die in Jesus Christ shall never
taste the second death. The soul has a beginning but it does not know an end.
Life after death is a continuation of this life. Heaven stands in sharp contrast
to hell. Hell is the absence of God's presence, whereas heaven is living in the
absolute presence of God. Although there is much mystery about heaven, we know
that our eternal life begins the moment we give our lives to Jesus and continue
in God's sanctifying grace.
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