PBC exists to know God deeply and to make Him known passionately for the highest honor of His Name and the greatest good for all people through Jesus Christ
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What We Believe
What we believe is vitally important. It shapes who we are as people...and as a church. It also shapes what we do in our ministries at PBC...and how we do it. Sadly, "doctrine" sometimes gets a bad reputation for being dry, academic and divisive---even among Christians. But if our doctrine is based on the truth of God's Word, it is powerful and precious and unifying. To request a complete copy of our Constitution and Articles of Faith, please click here.
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Click on a specific topic to read important excerpts from our "Statement of Faith."
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We believe that the Bible as originally written was verbally inspired by God and the product of Spirit-controlled men and, therefore, is truth without any mixture of error. The Bible is God's completed written revelation and consists of sixty-six books. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 17:17; Matthew 5:18; Psalm 19:7-11 We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the Creator and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Exodus 20:2-3; Deuteronomy 6:4; John 4:24; Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Matthew 28:19 We believe that Jesus Christ is both the Son of God and God the Son. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner and born of the virgin Mary, partaking of full humanity without diminishing His deity. By the appointment of the Father, He freely took upon Himself our nature without sin and honored the divine law by His personal obedience. His shed blood eternally satisfied the wrath and demands of a holy God. The bodily resurrection of Jesus on the third day is a historical reality and an essential of our faith.Matthew 16:16; John 1:1,14,18; Luke 1:31-35; John 1:29; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 5:19; 1 John 2:2; 1 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; 1 Corinthians 15:17-20; Revelation 3:21; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:24-25; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:16-17 We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal in essence with God the Father and God the Son. The Spirit was active in the creation of the world; He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; He is the agent in the new birth; He seals, empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies, assures, and helps the believer. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to each believer who makes up the body of Christ in this age. These gifts are designed to be employed in service primarily within the context of the local church. Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19; Genesis 1:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8; John 16:7-11; John 16:13; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:13; Acts 1:8; 1 John 2:20; 2 Corinthians 2:13; Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 1 Peter 4:10; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:4; Revelation 22:18-19; 1 Corinthians 13:8 We believe that man was created in innocence under the rule of his Creator but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and privileged state. Consequently, all individuals are now sinners, not only by constraint but by choice; and are therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Because man is created in the image of God, we uphold the sanctity of human life and oppose the social evils of abortion, infanticide, suicide, and euthanasia. Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12-19; Romans 1:18-20; Genesis 1:26-27; Exodus 20:13 We believe salvation is the deliverance from the guilt and penalty of sin. Salvation is available only through the finished work of Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It cannot in any way be earned by an individual. The beginning of salvation is the new birth in which an individual who is spiritually dead is given spiritual life. The new birth occurs when the individual places his or her faith in Christ and what He has done. Evidence of the new birth in an individual consists of change that demonstrates repentance and newness of life. To request information about "the doctrines of grace," click here. Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 1:4-5; John 6:44, 65; Romans 8:30; Matthew 3:8; Acts 2:38; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:1-5; Titus 3:5; Romans 5:9; Galatians 2:16: Romans 8:15-17; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 John 3:1-3; John 10:27-30; 1 Peter 1:4-5; 2 Timothy 2:19 We believe in the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved as they dwell in the presence of God in heaven. We believe in the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost who are confirmed in their wickedness because of their rejection of Christ. The Bible speaks of a literal, eternal hell in which the wicked will be bound forever. John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:1-22:5; Revelation 20:10-15; Luke 16:19-31 We believe that Christ will return for ("rapture") the saints of this age at a time known only to God. This coming is imminent and will take place prior to the outpouring of God's wrath in the seven-year period known as the tribulation. Following this period of trouble, Jesus Christ will return with the raptured saints to defeat the Antichrist and his armies and to institute God's kingdom on earth. This literal reign of Christ (the millennium) will encompass 1,000 years. Following the 1,000-year reign of Christ, the Bible speaks of the destruction of the present heavens and earth, the great white throne judgment, the new heaven and new earth, and the eternal state. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19:7; Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:4-31; Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 20:1-9; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:1-22:5 |
