Hey, y’all. I was born and raised Southern Baptist and now I’m married to a Southern Baptist pastor. I won’t ever hide the fact that I’m a Southern Baptist.
HOWEVER.
I’m not ever going to try to get you to be a Baptist! That’s not what I’m doing here. My goal is always to point you to the Bible to encounter the Living God and His Son, Jesus Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit.
We won’t be pushing any denomination but I do need you to know where I’m coming from when I write. So FYI, this statement of faith is adapted from The Baptist Faith and Message.
Scripture
The Bible was written by men and inspired by God. It has no errors and it cannot make errors. It is totally true for all time and for all people. All Scripture points us to our need for a Savior, Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)
God
There is one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit.
God the Father is all-powerful and all-knowing. He reigns over all creation. God sent his Son, Jesus, to earth to save us from our sins.
Jesus is fully God and fully human. He never sinned, so he was able to offer himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. He was crucified, buried and raised from the dead. He now sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven and one day he will come back to earth again.
The Holy Spirit is the divine spirit of God. He calls us to the Savior, convicts believers of sin, illuminates Scripture to aid in our understanding and intercedes for us in prayer to the Father. (1 Corinthians 8:6, 1 John 5:6-8)
Humanity
All men and women are created in the image of God, male and female. Gender is one of God’s good gifts to us. Every person is a sinner in need of a Savior. Every person is worthy of dignity, grace and love. Every life is precious. (Romans 3:10-18)
Salvation
Because each person is a sinner in need of a Savior and because God sent Jesus to die as a substitution for each of us, each person has the opportunity to turn to God for salvation. Salvation is the free gift of God and cannot be obtained by doing anything (works). The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (John 3:3-21)
The Church
The Church is the Body of Christ, made up of believers of all ages, all races, all ethnicities from all nations on earth. The Church is made up of living stones, people who have chosen to be disciples of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Sanctification
Sanctification is the process by which we are transformed day by day into the image of Christ. As believers, Jesus has saved us, but the journey doesn’t stop there. God’s will is that we should know Him more and become like Him by allowing Him to work in our hearts and in our lives to renew our minds as He sets us apart in holiness. (John 17:17)