What We Believe

What We Believe

SCRIPTURE
We believe Almighty God has revealed all that is necessary to life and salvation in the sixty-six books of the Holy Scriptures, which are the Word of God. All Scripture was given by inspiration of God, is infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts, and is the final arbiter in all disputes. Its authority is derived from its Author and not from the opinions of men (II Tim. 3:14-17; John 17:17; Isa. 55:11).

GOD
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each with distinct personal attributes, yet co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, without division of essence or being, and who is invisible, personal, omnipresent, eternal, dependent on none, unchanging, truthful, trustworthy, almighty, sovereign, omniscient, righteous, holy, good, loving, merciful, long-suffering, and gracious (Matt. 3:16-17; I Cor. 8:6).

CREATION
We believe the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—created the world in six consecutive 24-hour days (Gen. 1; Ex. 20:11).

PROVIDENCE
We believe God in His infinite power and wisdom upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all creatures and things by His most wise and holy providence according to His infallible foreknowledge and by His own will for the glorious praise of His wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:36; Col. 1:16-17).

THE FALL
We believe Adam fell from his original righteousness into sin and brought upon himself and all his offspring slavery to a sin nature, condemnation, and spiritual and physical death (Gen. 3:1-13; Rom. 5:12-21; John 8:34).

MAN’S INABILITY
We believe it is utterly beyond the power of fallen man to love God, to keep His laws, to understand the Gospel, to repent of sin, or to trust in Christ (Jer. 13:23; John 8:45-47; I Cor. 2:14).

CHRIST THE MEDIATOR
We believe God sent His Son into the world, conceived of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, unchangeably sinless, both God and man, born under the Law to live a perfect life of righteousness on behalf of His elect people (Luke 1:26-35; Heb. 4:15; Col. 2:9; Rom. 10:4).

CHRIST THE REDEEMER
We believe God’s Son died at Calvary to affect propitiation, reconciliation, redemption, and atonement for His elect people. God bore testimony to His acceptance of His Son’s work by raising Him from the dead (Luke 23:33-47; Heb. 2:17; Col. 1:21-22; Heb. 9:15; Matt. 28:1-10).

ELECTION
We believe God, before the foundation of the world and for His own glory, did elect an innumerable host of men and women to eternal life as an act of free and sovereign grace. This election was in no way dependent upon His foresight of human faith, decisions, or works of merit (John 6:37; Acts 13:48; Eph. 1:4-6; II Thess. 2:13).

EFFECTUAL CALLING
We believe God the Son has poured out the Holy Spirit to work alongside the preached Word. The Spirit of God regenerates the elect sinner and draws him irresistibly to faith in Christ the Savior (John 3:1-8; John 6:44; Rom. 8:29-30; I Cor. 1:22-24; I John 5:1).

JUSTIFICATION
We believe the elect, who are called by grace, are justified in the sight of God on account of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is received through faith alone (Rom. 3:21-26; II Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).

THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is truly God, the third person of the Trinity, and He inspired the authors of Scripture (II Pet. 1:21). He also convicts the world (John 16:8-11) and frees, indwells, seals, sanctifies, guides, empowers, and intercedes for the Christian (II Cor. 3:17; 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 1:13-14; Ez. 36:27; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:26), and He also gives spiritual gifts to every Christian (I Cor. 12:11; I Pet. 4:10-11).

SANCTIFICATION
We believe those who are united to Christ are also further sanctified by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them. The dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the fleshly lusts, which still exist within our members, are weakened and mortified, while at the same time we are quickened and strengthened to the practice of all true holiness (Eph. 5:18-19; Col. 3:16; Rom. 6:6).

PERSEVERANCE
We believe those who are regenerated, called, and justified shall persevere in holiness and never finally fall away (Matt. 10:22; I Cor. 15:1-2; Col. 1:21-23; Phil. 1:6; I John 2:19).

EVANGELISM
We believe it is the command of every member of the local church to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission by making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded us (Matt. 28:18-20).

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
We believe Christ has purchased for all believers a liberty inherent in the Gospel. It comprises freedom from the guilt of sin, from the condemnation that follows upon guilt, from the wrath of God, and from the severity and curse of God’s Law. God alone is Lord of the conscience. He has set it free from all obligations to receive or obey any such doctrines or demands of men as are in any respect in opposition to His Word or not contained in it. Indeed, to believe and obey such doctrines and demands is tantamount to a betrayal of true liberty of conscience. It is against all reason and nothing less than the destruction of liberty of conscience when men demand of their fellows an implicit faith, in other words, an absolute and blind obedience (John 8:36; Rom. 7:4; Gal. 5:1; Rom. 14; I Pet. 2:16).

Providence Christian Church acknowledges that neither the Church nor the Government have authority to bind the Christian’s conscience in the realm of the Family. Examples of a Christian’s liberty of conscience in the realm of the Family include, but are not limited to:

  • A Christian parent’s educational liberty to educate his/her children in the way his/her conscience deems best, including homeschooling, even if homeschooling is banned by the state government or the federal government,
  • A Christian woman’s occupational liberty to fulfill the role her conscience deems best, including staying at home to raise her children if she has any, even if she is drafted by the military, and
  • A Christian individual’s bodily liberty to refuse medical mandates that would contradict the Christian individual’s conscience if he/she was to comply, including refusing medical mandates for a Christian’s child/children, even if mandated by an employer, the state government, or the federal government.

WORSHIP
We believe the light of nature shows there is a God who has dominion and sovereignty over all. He is just and good, and He does good to all. Therefore, He is to be feared, loved, praised, invoked, trusted, and served by men with all their heart and soul and mind and strength and worshiped in spirit and in truth as supported by Scripture (Psalm 19:1-6; Rom. 1:19-21; Matt. 12:30; John 4:24).

THE LORD’S DAY
We believe all Christians should keep a day holy to the Lord, setting it apart as a day to rest from normal workday activities and focus on worshiping God. We set Sunday apart as the Lord’s Day to celebrate Christ’s victory over death, hell, and the grave (Ex. 20:8-11; Luke 24:1-9; Acts 20:7).

THE CHURCH
We believe the local church is under the authority of Christ alone. Nevertheless, He has appointed men to be elders (under-shepherds) to represent Him as they care for His body. Deacons also serve Christ as His ministers of mercy. Furthermore, the communion of the saints requires the recognition of and fellowship with other local evangelical churches (Eph. 5:23; Eph. 4:11-12; Acts 6:1-6; Acts 15:1-6).

CHURCH ORDINANCES
We believe Baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper are Gospel ordinances belonging only to regenerated believers. We believe Baptism should be administered by all who are qualified, that is, all believers in Christ as the Great Commission commands (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 22:16; I Cor. 11:27-29).

CHRIST’S ASCENSION
We believe God’s Son ascended to the right hand of His Father and is enthroned in glory, where He intercedes on behalf of His people and rules over all things for their sakes (Acts 1:9; Phil. 2:9-11; I Cor. 15:25-27; Col. 3:1; Rom. 8:34).

RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT
We believe God has appointed a day when He will judge the world in righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ shall come again to raise the dead bodily, both righteous and unrighteous. At His return, believers who are alive to witness the event will be caught up to meet Christ in the air. In that day of judgment, Christ shall judge all. The righteous shall enjoy everlasting life, and the wicked shall endure everlasting punishment. After these events, God will dwell with His saints forever (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:14-15; I Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 24:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15; Rev. 21:1-8).

SEXUALITY
We believe God has commanded that no sexual activity is to be engaged in outside of the marriage of a man and a woman. Any form of fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, bisexuality, incest, child molestation, pedophilia, or pornography is a sinful perversion of God’s gift of sex. We believe God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance (Gen. 2:22-24; 19:5, 13; Lev. 18:1-30; Matt. 19:4-6; Rom. 1:26-29; 7:2; I Cor. 5:1; 6:9; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 5:22-23; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).

MARRIAGE
We believe God ordained marriage and the family as the foundational institution of human society, and that the only legitimate marriage is a sacred and permanent covenant relationship between one man and one woman, symbolizing the union of Christ and His Church (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-6).

BIBLICAL ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN
We believe men and women have equality in Christ, meaning that they are equal in God’s eyes as co-heirs of salvation and eternal life (Gal. 3:28). There is equality in personhood and importance, but there are differences in roles and authority. We affirm that God has created men and women with complementary roles in respect to marriage and family life.

Man’s Roles:

  • To love, cherish and nurture his wife, laying down his life for her (Eph. 5:25-28; Col. 3:19)
  • To teach his wife, shepherding her and washing her in the water of the Word (Eph. 5:26)
  • To dwell with his wife in understanding (I Pet. 3:7)
  • To be the spiritual leader and covering for his wife (I Cor. 11:3)
  • To teach his children without provoking them (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; Deut. 6:7; Prov. 22:6; Is. 38:19)
  • To be the leader of and provider for his family (I Tim. 5:8)
  • To be a spiritual leader within the church by leading in corporate prayer, teaching, and worship (I Cor. 14:23-40)

Woman’s Roles:

  • To be a helpmate to her husband in his roles (Gen. 2:18)
  • To respect and honor her husband (Eph. 5:33)
  • To submit to her husband as her head (Eph. 5:23-24; Col. 3:18)
  • To teach the younger women (Titus 2:3-5)

DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
We believe marriage is designed to be a covenant of permanency (Matt. 19:5-6). To divorce and then remarry generally constitutes an adulterous union (Matt. 19:9). However, certain allowances are made in Scripture for which a believer can legitimately divorce and remarry without incurring the guilt of sin. These allowances are:

  • If the divorce occurred while an unbeliever, all actions, including marriage and divorce, are considered “passed away.” We believe all things, including remarriage after salvation have, “become new” (II Cor. 5:17).
  • If one partner commits adultery, the wronged party may divorce and remarry without creating an adulterous partnership (Matt. 5:32). However, we believe God’s highest design is for reconciliation and that divorce should be considered only after all avenues of reconciliation have been exhausted.
  • Desertion by an unbelieving spouse (I Cor. 7:13-15).

SANCTITY OF LIFE
We believe in the sanctity of life to the spectrums of human existence. We believe life begins at conception, that abortion is a direct violation of scriptural commandments, and that any means of birth control that might result in abortion should be avoided. We grieve for the babies whose lives have been ended by abortion, but seek to show grace to their families, knowing that God fully forgives all who turn to Him in repentance. We stand firmly against the practice of euthanasia or assisted suicide for anybody, including the young, the old, the disabled, and the terminally ill (Ex. 20:13; 21:22-23; Lev. 18:21; Psalm 139:13; Jer. 32:25; Mark 10:19).

If you would like a more in-depth understanding of what we believe at PCC, we subscribe to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith* and the Declaration of the Complementary Roles of Church and Family. While we do not hold these or any other confessional documents to be equal in authority to the Holy Scriptures, we do regard the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith and the Declaration of the Complementary Roles of Church and Family as reasonable expressions of our beliefs and edifying assists for studying God’s Word, settling matters of controversy, and giving ready reasons for the hope within us as Christians. You can also see how we apply what we believe by reading our constitution.

* In review of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, three items need clarification:

  1. In chap. 22: section 1, we recognize that there are a wide range of views about what constitutes “mere human contrivance” and “forms of worship not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.” At PCC, we believe as “holy priests” before God and desiring to worship Him “in spirit and truth,” the use of musical instruments and the offering of praise through “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” from all church ages is in accordance with God’s will, both within and outside of congregational worship. We believe worship done to exalt self over God is “expressly forbidden” in all and that worship is to be given to God and God alone (Isa. 14:12-14; John 4:23-24; Col. 3:16; I Pet. 2:9; Col. 2:16; Gal. 5:13).
  2. We affirm that the Fourth Commandment of the Ten Commandments, pertaining to the Sabbath rest, is included in God’s moral Law and is morally obligatory in the present to all people of all nations. However, while the local church is called to gather and worship on the first day of the week (commonly known as the Lord’s Day or Sunday), the day of rest required by the Fourth Commandment does not require rest on Sunday [chap. 22: section 7], seeing as all days are equally esteemed and alike in this age. Consequently, the specific day on which someone rests is not the focus, but rather, that a day of rest is observed with the purpose of honoring the Lord. What is restful for one person might be different than another person, but as long as the person is resting from work, especially from their occupation that provides their livelihood, and worshiping the Lord, then the Sabbath is obeyed (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; Acts 20:7; Rom. 14:5-6).
  3. Although we hold that Romanism and the Papacy have doctrinal errors, we do not adopt the assertion [chap. 26: section 4] that the Pope of Rome “is the Antichrist, and man of sin,” described in II Thessalonians 2:4f.