What We Believe

ABOUT

At Providence, we hold to the historic foundations of Christian theology, including the Deity of Christ, the authority of Scripture, and a gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

I. The Word of God

We believe that the Bible (composed of Old and New Testaments) is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31-32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32

II. The Triune God

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, uncreated and of one substance; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.

Genesis 1:1-26; John 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:5-6; II Corinthians 13:14

1. God the Father

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, sovereignty, power, and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Luke 10:21-22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; I Timothy 1:1-2; 2:5-6; I Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6

2. God the Son

We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son, truly God and truly man. We believe in His virgin conception by the Holy Spirit, His sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

Isaiah 7:14; 9:6 Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 14; 3:16-17; 20:28; Romans 9:5; 8:4-6; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30-31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 2:5; 3:16

3. God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds eternally from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide whose fruit and gifts are available to all believers.

John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; John 16:9-14; Romans 8:9, 12:3-8; I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 12:4-11; Galatians 5:22-26

III. The Plan of God

1. Creation

We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, all things seen and unseen, for the continual proliferation of goodness, life and beauty; that God formed human beings, male and female, in His own image as the crown jewel of His creation; that He fashioned them to flourish in total wholeness, intimacy and harmony of relationship with Himself, one another and the created order; and that humans were commissioned by God to enjoy, steward and cultivate the good world He made.

Genesis 1:1; 1:26-28; 31; Genesis 2:1, 7-8; Genesis 5:2; John 1:3; Acts 17:24-29; Colossians 1:15-20

2. Fall

We believe that Adam and Eve sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God who is the source of all life; as a consequence, all human beings are now born dead and are sinners by both choice and nature; and that all humans everywhere stand under just condemnation for their wilful disconformity to God’s righteous standards. Not just a legal infraction, sin fundamentally ruptures every level of relationship, totally compromising and tainting God’s good design.

Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:19; Psalm 51:5; Romans 1:18-2:16; 3:23; 5:19a; 6:23a; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 3:6

3. Redemption

We believe that God blessed and set apart Israel as His special people; that He rescued them from slavery and provided them with a Land, Temple and Torah in order to enjoy and represent Him by blessing the surrounding nations. Tragically, Israel broke faith with God’s covenant again and again through their disobedience and rebellion. He sent them Prophets, Priests and Kings to rebuke and restore them, but Israel did not repent from their idolatry and injustice. Consequently, God judged them by sending them into Exile with the promise of a perfect Messiah and a future Kingdom to come.

So, in the fullness of time, God sent Himself in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Truly God and truly man, Jesus ushered in a better Kingdom by living the perfect life we should have lived and dying the spotless death we deserved. Because Christ is the final fulfillment of all of Israel’s hopes and dreams, now all people––Jews and Gentiles alike––can know God and live in his covenant because of Christ’s spotless, atoning, substitutionary death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. Through repentance and faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord, people from all tribes, tongues and nations can receive the free gifts of forgiveness and eternal life, be regenerated by the Spirit and join the Father’s family.

Genesis 12:1-3; Ephesians 2:4-10; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:22; Romans 4:23-25; I Corinthians 15:20-57; II Corinthians 5:17; I Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:20-23; Psalms 110:1; Acts 1:9; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 10:12-14; 1 John 2:1; Acts 9:1-18; 16:14; Revelation 2:1-4

4. Restoration

Though Satan, sin, and death still have a presence, their power is no more. Christ’s vicarious life, death and resurrection assure that the ultimate defeat of sin, death, the principalities and powers has already begun and will one day be completed. Raised for our justification and seated on high, Jesus lives forever to make intercession between God and His people through His blood. Ruling and reigning over the world, Christ oversees the advancement of the gospel and the purity of the churches. He sent His Spirit to empower the Church as his Kingdom ambassadors in society to carry redemption and renewal with them wherever we go.

One day, the Lord Jesus will make good on His promise of final restoration by returning personally and visibly to earth to establish His kingdom in its fullness. He will reclaim, renew and rule over the world forever. This world will have no more sadness, death, disease, pain, or war. Those who have trusted in Jesus and been born again by God’s Spirit will resurrect from the dead (if asleep) and return in glory to live forever with God in the wholeness, joy and peace of His renewed creation. Those who reject Jesus in this life have no hope of such peace. They will suffer eternal, literal separation from the King and His Kingdom.

Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 4:15; II Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; I Corinthians 4:5; I Corinthians 15; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:4-6,11-15

IV. The People of God

1. The Church Universal and Local

2. Sanctification

We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God, the good of their neighbors and the joy of all believers; that our conduct should be blameless before the world; that we should be faithful stewards of our money, time, gifts and possessions; and that we should seek to realize for ourselves and others the full stature of maturity into the image of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by growing in true righteousness and holiness.

I Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1-3; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 14:15, 23-24; I John 2:3-6; II Corinthians 9:6-9; I Corinthians 4:2; Ephesians 4:1-24; Colossians 1:9-10

3. Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-26