We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired by God and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore has truth without any admixture of error for its matter. [II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:19-21]
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost)— co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature and co-equal in power. [Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11]
The Person and Work of Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. [John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:18, 20-23]
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross and physical resurrection from the dead. [Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5]
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor and Advocate. [Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2]
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them. [John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14]
The Nature of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, became subject to a sinful nature and became alienated from God; and, that man is, in his natural state, totally lost, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. [Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12]
Salvation and Assurance of Believers
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. [Ephesians 1:7, 2:1-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-19]
We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. [John 3:18, 36, 5:24; I John 5:8-13; Romans 13:13-14, 6:1-2; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:1-15]
Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. [I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 7:1, 13:5, 9; Ephesians 1:4, 4:11, 6:18; Proverbs 4:18; Philippians 1:12-13; I Peter 2:2; II Peter 3:18; Luke 11:35, 9:23; Matthew 26:41; I Timothy 4:7]
The Church
We believe that the church, which is the body and the espoused wife of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons. [Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:12]
We believe that a local church is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. [Acts 2:41-42, 20:17-28, 15:13-18; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:11, 5:23-24; I Timothy 5:17; Colossians 1:18]
The Ordinances
We believe that Christian Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes and should be preceded always with solemn self-examination. [Acts 8:26-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28]
Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. [John 1:6-12; Matthew 4:2-11, 25:41; Revelation 20:10]
The Return of Christ
We believe in “that blessed hope”, the personal coming of our Lord into the air for His saints. [I Thessalonians 4; Revelation 19; Acts 1:11; II Thessalonians 1:6-12]
The Resurrection
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost. [Revelation 19-21; Mark 9:43-44; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:12-58; Luke 14:14; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:35-41]
Gender, Marriage, and Sexuality
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.)
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen. 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.)
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11.)
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of the People’s Church of Potter Brook.
Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image.