What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of FCCPHX based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus came to earth as God in the flesh to inaugurate the Kingdom of God on earth. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and His Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to keep in step with Him daily.

Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Man can be saved from sin’s penalty only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s means of forgiveness.  We are saved by faith, through God’s grace, so that we can do the good works we were created to do and which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We were made to be with God for eternity. Heaven is God’s reward for those who die before Christ’s return and who have lived as his faithful followers in this life.  Hell is reserved for the devil and his angels and punishment of all who reject God and his ways in this life.  When Christ returns, God will make his eternal home with men in a new heaven and earth where the dead in Christ will have been raised imperishable.  They will reign with Christ forever.

The Bible is God’s Word to all men. It was written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It contains God’s design for a fruitful, harmonious life for all people, teaching them to love God and love their neighbor. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.

We believe that baptism is an integral part of our faith response to God. The preaching of Jesus and His apostles includes the instruction to be baptized. At FCC PHX, we immerse all who want to become followers of Christ, as was the practice of the early church, and teach the meaning of baptism, i.e. that it is symbolic of the death of the old self, the resurrection of the new and thus a personal identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Baptism is also symbolic of washing away our sins, an appeal to God for a clear conscience, and symbolic of “putting on” or “clothing” oneself with Christ.

Humans are the image bearers of God on earth. They were designed for complete community with God, to know him and walk with him through life. They are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although humans have tremendous potential for good, they are marred by the attitude and actions of disobedience toward God called “sin.” These separate humans from God.

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complimentary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological gender is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We also understand that there are varying types of human temperament within males and females, allowing for varying expressions of masculinity and femininity. In addition, we recognize that human temperament does not define or change human sexual preference or gender identification.

We believe marriage is ordained by God, and joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union as delineated in Scripture. The Bible teaches that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

About the Sanctity of Human Life - We believe that all human life is sacred—from conception to natural death—and should be protected.