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DISTINCTIVES
What we endeavor to be
The Specifics of this Endeavor
We believe the local church to be God's established institution in the world for
the Glorification of Himself, the Edification of the Saints, and the
Evangelization of the unsaved. As we do seek to bring the Gospel to the unsaved, our
desire is to enjoy 'conversion growth' though we will always warmly welcome like-minded believers.
We endeavor to be submitted to the authority of Scripture; to be thoroughly biblical
in all that we do. We desire to do, as one has rightly said, "Where the Bible speaks, we speak;
Where the Bible is silent, we too are silent," neither placing legalistic and unscriptural
demands on our fellow brethren nor degenerating into sinful indulgence by ignoring God's clear
commands. We hold God's inspired Word to be inerrant, trustworthy, and
sufficient. We affirm that...
The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all
saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. . . . The whole counsel of God concerning all things
necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or
necessarily contained inthe Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added,
whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men.
(Baptist Confession of 1689)
Thus, we believe God's Word to be sufficient for counseling, for ministry, for evangelism, and
for the knowledge, wisdom, and direction of God.
We are a church that is 'reformed' regarding the doctrine of salvation, holding securely
to the doctrines of God's sovereign Grace; and a church that is 'baptistic', holding to
believer's baptism, (though not officially associated with the 'Reformed Baptist' denomination
(ARBCA)).
We are affiliated with the Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals (FIRE).
FIRE is not a denomination, rather,
'a unifying network for independent reformed baptistic churches to experience mutual
edification, fellowship, cooperation and prayerful support in ministries and missions.'
Hence, in our affiliation with FIRE, Providence Bible Church yields neither its authority nor
its autonomy as a local church.
We endeavor to be governed by a body of elders defined as follows:
God-given spiritual leadership1
consists of a multiple number2
of godly3
men4
referred to in Scripture as 'elders,' 'overseers,' and 'pastors' or 'shepherds'
5who are recognized
by the local church as appointed by God,6
and who jointly and humbly shepherd7
their loving8
and obedient9
flock.
We endeavor to be doctrinally guided by the (Baptist Confession of 1689) under Charles
Spurgeon's following disclaimer:
This little volume is not issued as an authoritative rule, or code of
faith, whereby you are to be fettered, but as an assistance to you in controversy, a
confirmation in faith, and a means of edification in righteousness. Here the younger
members of our church will have a body of divinity in small compass, and by means of
the Scriptural proofs, will be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in them.
We endeavor to honor God with genuine, Biblical worship (John 4:24). We desire to
be thoroughly God-centered in this regard. We do not want to deteriorate the worship service
into entertainment -- designed to feed the lusts of men as a strategy for increasing numeric
growth. Rather, we desire to focus all of our faculties on Almighty God through our Lord Jesus
Christ in the power and direction of the Holy Spirit -- 'taking care of the depth of our ministry
-- leaving the breadth to God.' Central to our desire to foster God-centered worship is the
yearning to be edified by the preaching of 'the whole counsel of God' by submitting ourselves
to the expository preaching of God's Word.
We endeavor to cultivate a true fellowship of God's people. As Paul exhorted
Timothy,we desire to "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from
a pure heart." (2Ti. 2:22) In our fellowship we seek to maintain "the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3; cf. Phil.2:1-11) -- to preserve a Biblical unity by uniting around
the truth of God's Word. We thus desire to be obedient to God's command "that you all agree,
and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same
judgment." (1Co. 1:10)
11 Pe. 5:1-5
2Acts 14:23;15; 20:17-18; James 5:14; 1 Ti. 5:17; Titus 1:5; Phil. 1:1; 1 Pe. 1:1; 5:1
31 Ti. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9
41 Ti. 2:9-3:2; 1 Cor. 14:34-36
5Acts 20:17-28; 1 Pe. 5:1-5; Titus 1:5-7; Eph. 4:11; 1 Ti. 3:1-2; Phil. 1:1
6Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23
71 Pe. 5:1-5; Acts 20:17-38; 21:17-26; James 5:13-26
81 Thes. 5:12-13; 1 Ti. 5:17-25
91 Pe. 2:13-14; 5:5; Hebrews 13:17
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