What We Believe
We believe that our heritage at Providence Church is a continuation of what was …
once for all handed down to the saints
– Jude 3
Our church professes to be in line with historic Christianity which embodies orthodoxy that has been preserved through time and tested by the scriptures.


We disagree with the position taken by the framers of The New Hampshire Confession of Faith (NHCF) in Article XV, “Of The Christian Sabbath.” To see our view, see the Christian Sabbath section below.
Position of the New Hampshire Confession of Faith
We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day, or Christian Sabbath;78 and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes,79 by abstaining from all secular labor and sinful recreations;80 by the devout observance of all the means of grace, both private81 and public;82 and by preparation for that rest that remaineth for the people of God.83Position of Providence Church
We believe the Sabbath was primarily intended to be a picture of salvation and that it has found it’s ultimate fulfillment in the finished work of Christ (Colossians 2:16,17). Salvation is realized as we stop working and “rest” (believe) in the saving work of Christ. We see this spelled out clearly in Romans 4:3-5 and Hebrews 4:9,10.
This means that the strict Sabbath regulations given in the Old Testament are now non-binding. Additionally, this fundamental transition is underscored in the change of the day for Christian worship from the Sabbath (Saturday) to the “first day of the week” (Sunday—see Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). This transition is also anticipated in Jesus’ apparently repeated and intentional confrontations with the Jewish leaders over His numerous Sabbath healings.
We acknowledge that it is wise and helpful to practice the Sabbath principle of setting aside regular time to rest and to devote oneself to worship, but that it is no longer to be observed in a legalistic way as it was before the coming of Christ. However, the particular practices and convictions of individual Christians are a matter between them and the Lord (Romans 14:1-9).
Of The Scriptures
[1] 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:21; 1 Sam 23:2; Acts 1:16; 3:21; John 10:35; Luke 16:29-31; Ps 119:11; Rom 3:1-2[2] 2 Tim 3:15; 1 Pet 1:10-12; Acts 11:14; Rom 1:16; Mark 16:16; John 5:38-39
[3] Prov 30:5-6; John 17:17; Rev 22:18-19; Rom 3:4
[4] Rom 2:12; John 12:47-48; 1 Cor 4:3-4; Luke 10:10-16; 12:47-48
[5] Phil 3:16; Eph 4:3-6; Phil 2:1-2; 1 Cor 1:10; 1 Pet 4:11
[6] 1 John 4:1; Isa 8:20; 1 Thess 5:21; 2 Cor 8:5; Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:6; Jude 3:5; Eph 6:17; Ps 119:59-60; Phil 1:9-11
Of the True God
[7] John 4:24; Ps 147:5; 83:18; Heb 3:4; Rom 1:20; Jer 10:10[8] Ex 15:11; Isa 6:3; 1 Pet 1:15-16; Rev 4:6-8
[9] Mark 12:30; Rev 4:11; Matt 10:37; Jer 2:12-13
[10] Matt 28:19; John 15:26; 1 Cor 12:4-6; 1 John 5:7
[11] John 10:30; 5:17; 14:23; 17:5, 10; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:10-11; Phil 2:5-6
[12] Eph 2:18; 2 Cor 13:14; Rev 1:4-5; comp 2, 7
Of the Fall of Man
[13] Gen 1:27, 31; Eccl 7:29; Acts 16:26; Gen 2:16[14] Gen 3:6-24; Rom 5:12
[15] Rom 5:19; John 3:6; Psa 51:5; Rom 5:15-19; 8:7
[16] Isa 53:6; Gen 6:12; Rom 3:9-18
[17] Eph 2:1-3; Rom 1:18, 32; 2:1-16; Gal 3:10; Matt 20:15
[18] Ezek 18:19-20; Rom 1:20; 3:19; Gal 3:22
Of the Way of Salvation
[19] Eph 2:5; Matt 18:11; 1 John 4:10; 1 Cor 3:5-7; Acts 15:11[20] John 3:16; 1:1-14; Heb 4:14; 12:24
[21] Phil 2:6-7; Heb 2:9, 14; 2 Cor 5:21
[22] Isa 42:21; Phil 2:8; Gal 4:4-5; Rom 3:21
[23] Isa 53:4-5; Matt 20:28; Rom 4:25; 3:21-26; 1 John 4:10; 2:2; 1 Cor 15:1-3; Heb 9:13-15
[24] Heb 1:8, 3; 8:1; Col 3:1-4
[25] Heb 7:25; Col 2:9; Heb 2:18; 7:26; Ps 89:19; Ps 14
Of Justification
[26] John 1:16; Eph 3:8[27] Acts 13:39; Isa 3:11-12; Rom 8:1
[28] Rom 5:9; Zech 13:1; Matt 9:6; Acts 10:43
[29] Rom 5:17; Titus 3:5-6; 1 Pet 3:7; 1 John 2:25; Rom 5:21
[30] Rom 4:4-5; 5:21; 6:28; Phil 3:7-9
[31] Rom 5:19; 3:24-26; 4:23-25; 1 John 2:12
[32] Rom 5:1-3, 11; 1 Cor 1:30-31; Matt 6:33; 1 Tim 4:8
Of the Freeness of Salvation
[33] Isa 55:1; Rev 22:17; Luke 14:17[34] Rom 16:26; Mark 1:15; Rom 1:15-17
[35] John 5:40; Matt 23:37; Rom 9:32; Prov 1:24; Acts 13:46
[36] John 3:19; Matt 11:20; Luke 19:27; 2 Thess 1:84:8
Of Grace in Regeneration
[37] John 3:3, 6-7; 1 Cor 1:14; Rev 8:7-9; 21:27[38] 2 Cor 5:17; Ezek 36:26; Deut 30:6; Rom 2:28-29; 5:5; 1 John 4:7
[39] John 3:8; 1:13; James 1:16-18; 1 Cor 1:30; Phil 2:13
[40] 1 Pet 1:22-25; 1 John 5:1; Eph 4:20-24; Col 3:9-11
[41] Eph 5:9; Rom 8:9; Gal 5:16-23; Eph 3:14-21; Matt 3:8-10; 7:20; 1 John 5:4, 18
Of Repentance and Faith
[42] Mark 1:15; Acts 11:18; Eph 2:8; 1 John 5:1[43] John 16:8; Acts 2:37-38; 16:30-31
[44] Luke 18:13; 15:18-21; James 4:7-10; 2 Cor 7:11; Rom 10:12-13; Ps 51
[45] Rom 10:9-11; Acts 3:22-23: Heb 4:14; Ps 2:6; Heb 1:8; 8:25; 2 Tim 1:12
Of God’s Purpose of Grace
[46] 2 Tim 1:8-9; Eph 1:3-14; 1 Pet 1:1-2; Rom 11:5-6; John 15:15; 1 John 4:19; Hos 12:9[47] 2 Thess 2:13-14; Acts 13:48; John 10:16; Matt 20:16; Acts 15:14
[48] Ex 33:18-19; Matt 20:15; Eph 1:11; Rom 9:23-24: Jer 31:3; Rom 11:28-29; James 1:17-18; 2 Tim 1:9; Rom 11:32-36
[49] 1 Cor 4:7; 1:26-31; Rom 3:27; 4:16; Col 3:12; 1 Cor 3:5-7; 15:10; 1 Pet 5:10; Acts 1:24; 1 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 2:9; Luke 18:7; John 15:16; Eph 1:16; 1 Thess 2:12
[50] 2 Tim 2:10; 1 Cor 9:22; Rom 8:28-30; John 6:37-40; 2 Pet 1:10
[51] 1 Thess 1:4-10
[52] Rom 8:28-30; Isa 42:16; Rom 11:29
[53] 2 Pet 1:10-11; Phil 3:12; Heb 6:11
Of Sanctification
[54] 1 Thess 4:3; 5:23; 2 Cor 7:1; 13:9; Eph 1:4[55] Prov 4:18; 2 Cor 3:18; Heb 6:1; 2 Pet 1:5-8; Phil 3:12-16
[56] John 2:29; Rom 8:5; John 3:6; Phil 1:9-11; Eph 1:13-14
[57] Phil 2:12-13; Eph 4:11-12; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18; 2 Cor 13:5; Luke 11:35; 9:23; Matt 26:41; Eph 6:18; 4:30
Of the Perseverance of Saints
[58] John 8:31; 1 John 2:27-28; 3:9; 5:18[59] 1 John 2:19; John 13:18; Matt 13:20-21; John 6:66-69; Job 17:9
[60] Rom 8:28; Matt 6:30-33; Jer 32:40; Ps 121:3; 91:11-12
[61] Phil 1:6; 2:12-13; Jude 24-25; Heb 1:14; 2 Kings 6:16; Heb 13:5; 1 John 4:4
Of the Harmony of the Law and the Gospel
[62] Rom 3:31; Matt 5:17; Luke 16:17; Rom 3:20; 4:15[63] Rom 7:12, 7, 14, 22; Gal 3:21; Ps 119
[64] Rom 8:7-8; Josh 24:19; Jer 13:23; John 6:44; 5:44
[65] Rom 8:2, 4; 10:4; 1 Tim 1:5; Heb 8:10; Jude 20-21; Heb 12:14; Matt 16:17-18; 1 Cor 12:28
Of a Gospel Church
[66] Acts 2:41-42; 2 Cor 8:5; Acts 2:47; 1 Cor 5:12-13[67] 1 Cor 11:2; 2 Thess 3:6; Rom 16:17-20; 1 Cor 11:23; Matt 18:15-20; 1 Cor 5:6; 2 Cor 2:7; 1 Cor 4:17
[68] Matt 28:20; John 14:15; 15:12; 1 John 4:21; John 14:21; 1 Thess 4.2; 2 John 6; Gal 6:2; all the Epistles
[69] Eph 4:7; 1 Cor 14:12; Phil 1:27; 1 Cor 12:14
[70] Phil 1:1; Acts 14:23; 15:22; 1 Tim 3; Titus 1
Of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
[71] Acts 8:36-39; Matt 3:5-6; John 3:22-23; 4:1-2; Matt 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:12; 16:32-34; 18:8[72] Matt 28:19; Acts 10:47-48; Gal 3:27-28
[73] Rom 6:4; Col 2:12; 1 Pet 3:20-21; Acts 22:16
[74] Acts 2:41-42; Matt 28:19-20; Acts and Epistles
[75] 1 Cor 11:26; Matt 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20
[76] 1 Cor 11:28; 5:1, 8; 10:3-32; 11:17-32; John 6:26-71
Of the Christian Sabbath
[77] Acts 20:7; Gen 2:3; Col 2:16-17; Mark 2:27; John 20:19; 1 Cor 16:1- 2[78] Ex 20:8; Rev 1:10; Ps 118:24
[79] Isa 58:13-14; 56:2-8
[80] Ps 119:15
[81] Heb 10:24-25; Acts 11:26; 13:44; Lev 19:30; Ex 46:3; Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2,3; Ps 26:8; 87:3
[82] Heb 4:3-11
Of Civil Government
[83] Rom 13:1-7; Deut 16:18; 1 Sam 23:3; Ex 18:23; Jer 30:21[84] Matt 22:21; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13; 1 Tim 2:1-8
[85] Acts 5:29; Matt 10:28; Dan 3:15-18; 6:7-10; Acts 4:18-20
[86] Matt 23:10; Rom 14:4; Rev 19:16; Psa. 72:11; Ps 2; Rom 14:9-13
Of the Righteous and the Wicked
[87] Mal 3:18; Prov 12:26; Isa 5:20; Gen 18:23; Jer 15:19; Acts 10:34- 35; Rom 6:16[88] Rom 1:17; 7:6; 1 John 2:29; 3:7; Rom 6:18, 22; 1 Cor 11:32; Prov 11:31; 1 Pet 4:17-18
[89] 1 John 5:19; Gal 3:10; John 3:36; Isa 57:21; Ps 10:4; Isa 55:6-7
[90] Prov 14:32; Luke 16:25; John 8:21-24; Prov 10:24; Luke 12:4-5; 9:23-26; John 12:25-26; Eccl 3:17; Matt 7:13-14
Of the World to Come
[91] 1 Pet 4:7; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Heb 1:10-12; Matt 24:35; 1 John 2:17; Matt 28:20; 13:39-40; 2 Pet 3:3-13[92] Acts 1:11; Rev 1:7; Heb 9:28; Acts 3:21; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 5:1-11
[93] Acts 24:15; 1 Cor 15:12-59; Luke 14:14; Dan 12:2; John 5:28-29; 6:40; 11:25-26; 2 Tim 1:10; Acts 10:42
[94] Matt 13:49, 37-43; 24:30-31; 25:31-33
[95] Matt 25:35-41; Rev 22:11; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Mark 9:43-48; 2 Pet 2:9; Jude 7; Phil 3:19; Rom 6:32; 2 Cor 5:10-11; John 4:36; 2 Cor 4:18
[96] Rom 3:5-6; 2 Thess 1:6-12; Heb 6:1-2; 1 Cor 4:5; Acts 17:31; Rom 2:2-16; Rev 20:11-12; 1 John 2:28; 4:17