What do we believe?

Revolution Church intends to capture the theology of John Wesley that was central to the early Methodist movement. We also intend to capture the theology and missional spirit of the Early Church from the Book of Acts. As United Methodists, we believe in the importance of a real relationship with Jesus Christ that transforms every part of who we are to be the revolution of God in the life of the world. What you see below is not a complete list of what we believe, but only a start…

It may be helpful to attend a Sunday Worship Gathering, join a Renovation Home Group, or contact a pastor on staff to help with questions. If you have a specific question that you would like for us to answer, please contact us.

The Reality & Necessity of Salvation & Transformation

We believe that having a real experience and real relationship with a real God doesn’t have to be just a wish or a hope, but is a reality and necessity. We believe this real experience and real relationship with a real God transforms who we are – spiritually, cognitively, physically, emotionally – the entirety of who we are. We believe this real experience and real relationship is the core from which we live our lives and not just a compartment or piece of who we are.

Trinity

We believe God is Triune – Father, Son, and Spirit. As such, the Father, Son, and Spirit are a co-eternal divine community of eternal love in being and nature who desire real relationship with humanity who has been made in the image of God for love and relationship but has lost this through sin by turning from God.

Jesus Christ

We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God – fully God, and fully human – and that it is because of his death on the cross and bodily resurrection from the dead that people are forgiven of their sins, brought into relationship with the Triune God, are promised real life here and now, and eternal life to come.

This is not of our own doing or our own power, but because of the love and grace of God. We also believe that as part of the real life God gives here and now, people are called to be God’s servants in the world and fulfill the plan God has for them: to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

We believe in the bodily resurrection of people from death to eternal life just as Jesus revealed on Easter Sunday, and that this will happen in the appointed time for Jesus Christ to return when the resurrection of all creation shall occur and there shall be no more death, crying, mourning, or pain.

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God and is reaching out to all persons with the call to relationship with God through repentance and faith. While persons may reject the call of the Holy Spirit, they may also yield and allow the Holy Spirit to impart the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and in his resurrection to them personally that they may have the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

We also believe that the Holy Spirit continues the work of transformation after conversion, that people may become more like Jesus every day, growing in their love for God and neighbor. This work is not of human doing, but participation with the Holy Spirit who does the work in humanity.

Grace

Our theological heritage stems from John Wesley’s theology of grace. Grace is not what people do for God, but what God does for people – a free gift of love, without any need for people to earn it. We believe that grace is central to the Christian faith and life, and flows from the love of God for all humanity. This grace God gives occurs in three ways…prevenient grace, justifying grace and sanctifying grace.

Prevenient grace is the grace of God which goes before us – it is the grace of God which constantly reaches out to all people calling them to respond to the free offer of relationship with God, providing illumination of that which is good and that which is evil, and showing the way to respond to God. Justifying grace is the grace of God that brings a revolutionary conversion of people as God freely provides reconciliation, pardon, restoration, and imparts the righteousness of God to the one who responds to this offer of relationship.

Finally, sanctifying grace is the grace of God that continues in the life of the believer to lead them toward becoming complete in love toward God and neighbor. This grace is the continual process of personal and social holiness.

Spiritual Formation or The Means of Grace

We believe that Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, small group accountability, and the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion are gifts of grace that God gives to the Church to bring the real presence of Jesus Christ into human life.

A Longing for Personal & Social Holiness

We believe that personal holiness (salvation + spiritual growth) and social holiness (serving and loving our neighbor and sharing the reason for hope in Jesus Christ) are inextricably bound together, and that it is impossible to have one without the other.

We believe that the reason we serve is because of the grace of God through Jesus Christ and the salvation he freely gives, and we believe the reason God through Jesus Christ has given grace and salvation is not just for us to hoard but to share with the world. Holiness is not something we do, but something God does in us with our participation.

The Scriptures

We believe that the Scriptures are the inspired, authoritative, living, active, Word of God that share God’s mighty acts of salvation and plan for human beings and all of creation. We believe these Scriptures are God-breathed, useful for teaching, and shape us to be like Jesus Christ.

The Tradition of the Early Church

We believe that the early church developed creeds or statements of belief that form a central understanding of who God is. See the Apostle’s Creed, Nicene Creed, and Chalcedonian Creed.

The Gift of Reason

We believe that God gives us minds and the ability to reason. Because of this, we believe that reason also helps us understand who God is and what God is like.

The Power of Experience

We believe that a real experience of a real God is the gift of God. This experience is salvation, transformation, spiritual gifts, serving, and the promise of eternal life to come.