Penn Christian Academy’s Statement of Faith is intended to express those central Christian beliefs which are clearly taught in the Bible and which are held in common by the broad-based Christian community. The Statement of Faith is intended to provide an inclusive rather than exclusive basis for support and participation.
The Bible
The basis of our belief is the Bible– composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that the Bible in its entirety originated with God, and it was given through the instrumentality of chosen people. The Bible thus one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Bible is the unique, full, and final authority on all matters on which it speaks and that there are no other writings of equal authority. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20–21, Revelation 22:18–19)
God
We believe that there is one true God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit– each of whom possess equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning, God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain His creation, according to His own wise, eternal plan. (1 Peter 1:2 , Genesis 1:1, 2 Timothy 1:8–10)
Salvation
The central purpose of God’s revelation in the Bible is to call people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, humanity chose to go its own way and was thus alienated from God and suffered the corruption of its nature– rendering people unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history and all those since have suffered these consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of humanity is the work of God’s free grace, not the result of human works or goodness, and is appropriated by faith. (Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23 & 10:9–10)
Jesus Christ
The saving object of faith is Jesus Christ. He is the eternal second person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of humanity by dying on the cross as their substitute thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father where He, the only Mediator between God and humanity, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth personally and visibly to consummate history. (1 Timothy 2:5–6, Isaiah 7:14, Philippians 1:5–11, 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, John 14:1-3)
The Holy Spirit
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relation with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness, obedience, and service wrought in the believer by the Holy Spirit who is the third person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to humanity the saving work of Christ. He enlightens their minds, awakens in them recognition of their need of a Savior, regenerates them, and, at the point of salvation, indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength, wisdom, guidance, and ministry. (John 16:8-11 & 13-15)
Human Destiny
The consummation of God’s saving work embraces the whole person: body, soul, and spirit. For all people there is a life to come, a resurrection of the body, and a future judgment. There are two aspects of the righteous judgment of God. The judgment of believers reveals the quality of works done in the body for the purpose of bestowing rewards (there being no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus). The judgment of unbelievers reveals the depth of sin and the justice of God in allowing people to perpetuate in eternity their rejection of God. (Hebrews 9:27, 1 Corinthians 3:11–15, Revelation 20:11–15 & 21:1-8)
The Church
The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members one with another. There is one true universal Church which is composed of all people everywhere (without regard to organizational affiliation) who have trusted in Christ for salvation. God commands us to assemble together for the purposes of worship, edification, and mutual encouragement. Wherever God’s people meet in obedience to this command, there is a local expression of the Church. It is the responsibility of each member to keep the unity of the Spirit for the up-building of the Body and to work with other members of the fellowship to show Christian concern for the needs of people everywhere– especially the poor– and to fulfill our Lord’s final command to His Church: to spread the Good News of redemption throughout the world. (1 Corinthians 12:12, Hebrews 10:25, Matthew 28:18–20)