The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, (Genesis 1:26) the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 19; John 14:13; 14; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:16)

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. (John 1:1-14; Acts 1:11; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 1:1-10; 4:14)

Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation (Romans 3:10-18, 23; Romans 6:23; Titus 3:5) he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. (Matthew 24:1- 51; 25:41; John 14:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. (John 3:3-7; 16:8-14; Romans 8:26; Acts 2:28-29; Ephesians 5:18) With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21)

We believe in one holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church. (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 4:1-15) We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

In addition, we believe Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the church that are to be observed until His return. These ordinances include baptism by immersion (Romans 6:3; Acts 22:16) and the Lord's Supper. (1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:23-24)

We hold that all our beliefs must result in each member living for the glory of God and the well being of their fellow person. (Romans 12:1-12; Titus 2:11-13)

Becoming a Follower of Jesus

What is a "Christian"?

"Christian" is a term that means a whole lot of things to a whole lot of people. Some think going to church makes you a Christian. Others think doing more good than bad over the course of your life earns you a place in heaven. Still others think working hard to follow the moral teachings of Jesus makes you a Christian. The truth is none of these things make someone a Christian.

The Bible tells us in Romans 10:9 "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." In the simplest of terms a Christian is a person who has put their full trust in Jesus who has purchased them the assurance of heaven and the promise of abundant life right now.

This means a Christian is not someone who does good works in an attempt to earn salvation; rather a Christian is someone who believes only Jesus can earn their salvation through his sacrificial work on their behalf. After believing in Jesus, a Christian does not "have to" do good works, but now "wants to" do good works as an expression of their love for Jesus.

How do I become a follower of Jesus?

To answer the question, "How do I become a follower of Jesus?" it is best to look to Scripture.

:: Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I need to understand that I am a sinner. This means I have to be really honest with myself and admit that I am really good at seeking my own self-interests rather than the interests of others, and I generally think my way of living life is best even when it becomes very clear that my way isn't all that effective.

:: Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were sinners Christ died for us." God did not abandon me even though I had turned my back on Him and even though it was impossible for me to earn His love. God did not ask me to take a step toward Him. Instead God loved me so much that He took the first step towards me and acted sacrificially to meet my deepest need by sending His Son to die on a cross in my place.

:: Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." God did the work of making it possible for me to have eternal and abundant life by sending His son Jesus to pay the price for me. Now God offers me the gift of salvation as a free gift that requires nothing from me to earn that gift except the humility to accept it.

:: Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." I can accept God's free gift of salvation by trusting in the work of Jesus on my behalf and by telling others in my life about the commitment I have made.

:: Romans 10:13 says, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." God welcomes anyone and everyone into His eternal family if we are willing to surrender our lives into His loving hands.

We want to be very clear, surrendering your life to Jesus won't automatically take away all of your problems. It's true you are assured of being with Jesus in heaven when you die and it's true you can have abundant life now, but following Jesus does not assure you that the rest of this life will be problem-free as you follow Jesus. In fact, Scripture speaks to the fact that life as a Christian is difficult at times. In fact, Jesus even taught that following him means dying to yourself (Luke 9:23).

While this commitment to Jesus is a serious one, it is also a wonderful one. When we commit our lives to Jesus we can be assured we have faithful friend, a counselor, who will teach us, encourage us, and grow us up to look more like Him as we go through the ups and downs of life.

For more info about following Jesus write info@santacruzfaith.org.