A Christian is a follower of Christ, Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 11:26).  Those who follow Jesus not only believe He spoke the truth in His earthly ministry, they also believe to the point of committing their entire lives to Him (John 3:16).  Christians seek to become Christlike disciples and share their faith with others, seeking to make more disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).

There are two answers to this question.  First, God invites us to experience a personal relationship with Him.  That invitation is offered to every human on earth.  Secondly, God wants each of us to use our abilities and opportunities to help others.  These purposes are different for each of us.  As part of traditional Christianity, Nazarenes understand that God created all people with the same intention:  Each one should have a loving relationship with God that will last for eternity (John 3:16).  When we have such a relationship, God intends for us to become more loving, patient, and self-disciplined; in short, we are on a journey toward a God-shaped life (Galatians 5:22-23).  In addition, God gives each person special abilities and gifts designed to help others.  For example, some are able to teach others, some are able to help with physical needs, and some are effective in leadership (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

As part of the Christian community, Nazarenes understand there is one God, who has always existed and will always exist (Deuteronomy 6:4).  We believe that He is creative (Genesis 1:1), holy (Leviticus 19:2), and that His purposes are carried out in this world (Acts 1:6-7).

We also understand that God's nature is "three-fold": Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).  This concept, known as the Trinity, was understood by the early Christian Church as the best way to explain what they had experienced.  They knew from their Jewish roots that there is only one God, but they also knew Jesus acted as  God.  In addition, the Holy Spirit, empowering the church as promised by Jesus and the Old Testament, seemed to have all of God's power as well.  Nazarenes embrace this belief born out by God's Word.

The New Testament states Jesus of Nazareth was born to a Jewish family during the early days of the Roman Empire.  He was killed by the Roman occupation forces and truly rose from the dead.  Then He ascended to join God the Father in heaven.

While those of different faiths consider Him a great religious teacher, the followers of Jesus understood  He was more than just a teacher.  He forgave sins (Mark 2:1-12), He spoke as having always existed (John 8:58), and He was addressed as God (John 20:28).  His death on the cross was more than just an execution - His death and resurrection make it possible for humans to have a restored relationship with God (Colossians 1:21-23).  In His continued life with the Father, Jesus still cares for us (1 John 2:1-2).

The Church of the Nazarene agrees with other Christians that Jesus is God.  He is distinct from God the Father, known to the Jewish nation at the time of Moses.  He is also distinct from the Holy Spirit, who has empowered Christians since the earliest days of the Church (Acts 2:4).  The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus through His followers today (John 16:13-15).  While He is God, He is also human.  Jesus was born to the virgin Mary, when the power of the Holy Spirit came upon her (Luke 1:26-35).  In Him, the nature of God and the nature of humanity are united in one person (Colossians 1:19-20).

Before Jesus died, He told His followers He would leave them, but also promised they would receive "another advocate" who would be with them forever (John 7:37-39).  After His death and resurrection, Jesus told His followers they would receive power through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).  After Jesus ascended to Heaven, believers in Jesus received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).  The Church immediately recognized the presence of the Holy Spirit as being equivalent to God's presence (Acts 15:8-9).  The Holy Spirit indwells all Christians when they trust in Jesus as Savior, and He empowers us to live the Christian life.

Nazarenes, like other Christians, use the term "salvation" to mean turning from wrong actions, trusting in Jesus as Savior, receiving God's forgiveness, committing ourselves to God, and living as God directs.  Salvation comes from the word "save."  Jesus declared He came to "save the lost" (Luke 19:10).

The word "saved" is used in several ways in the Bible.  It could mean salvation from other people and their evil intentions (Psalm 18:3), salvation from the evil  widespread throughout the world (Acts 4:12), or when God offers to save us when this world is destroyed (1 Peter 4:18).  However, the most common use of the word means to save us from the punishment that our sins deserve (Romans 5:9).

Baptism has been a Christian symbol since the time of Jesus (Matthew 3:1-6).  It involves applying water to Christians to symbolize their death to the old way of life (Romans 6:3-4) and new life in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).  Baptism, a sacramental "means of grace," seals one's intentions to follow God (Acts 2:37-41).  The Bible never defines how much water was applied or how.  Therefore, the Church of the Nazarene considers immersion, sprinkling, and pouring all to be acceptable methods of baptism.

Nazarenes also understand baptism to be a symbol of the new relationship God establishes with His people.  Because of this, some Nazarenes choose to have their young baptized as a symbol of their intention to raise their children in God's Church and their hope to see their children choose God's ways when they are older.

On the last night Jesus spent with His disciples before His death and resurrection, He shared bread and wine with them as part of the Passover meal.  This sharing of the bread and wine is known as Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper.  When Jesus shared the bread and wine with His disciples, the bread symbolized His body and the wine symbolized His blood (Matthew 26:26-29).  The disciples understood this to mean He was giving up His life for their benefit.  The earliest records of the Church show that His followers regularly shared bread and wine together, reminding themselves Jesus had died for them and will come again (1 Corinthians 10:14-16).  When Nazarene churches offer the Lord's Supper today, all believers are invited to participate regardless of membership in the Church.  The Lord's Supper is not appropriate for those who have not yet accepted the new life God offers (1 Corinthians 11:28-29).

Nazarenes are part of the Wesleyan tradition, which believes in Christian holiness.  Nazarenes believe in entire sanctification, when God's transforming work is complete and God's divine love cleanses all sin from the heart (Romans 6:6, 1 Thess 5:23).  After we are born again, we need the fullness of God's Holy Spirit in our hearts (Romans 8:6-8).  When we make a complete commitment to Him, He cleanses our spirit, fills us with His perfect love, and gives us the power to live a holy life in obedience to Him (Romans 8:5, 9-11).

Sanctification is God's will for all believers (1 Peter 1:15-16).  Through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, God enables believers to live a holy life and empowers them for life and service (Acts 1:8).  Nazarenes distinguish between a pure heart that is obtained in an instant through the infilling of the Holy Spirit and a mature character that is the result of growth in grace.