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Many adults come to our church from other
denominations. In that light, there are continually questions on
what Baptists believe among people visiting our church. We hope
this will help to communicate why we have chosen to practice our
Christian faith as members of a Southern Baptist Church.
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord
Southern Baptists believe that Jesus is the only
way to salvation and eternal life. we believe a personal
decision must be made by each individual to repent of his sins
and trust Him as Lord and Savior. We do not inherit our
Christianity from our parents. It is an individual's decision to
receive God's grace through faith. (Revelation
3:20; 1John 5:11-13; Romans 10:9-10)
The Authority of the Bible
Southern Baptists believe the Bible is the
authority for the way we practice our faith in moral
responsibility, theological beliefs, and relationships with God
and our fellow man. The Bible, not the church or preacher, has
the final say in the way we practice our faith as Christians.
At First Baptist Church of Lacey, we teach that
the Bible is the "God-breathed, infallible Word of God." It is
perfect truth from cover to cover; and all Scripture in the Old
Testament through the New Testament points to Jesus Christ, our
Savior and Lord, the Ultimate Word of God.
The
Priesthood of all Believers
The Authority of the Local Church
Southern Baptists believe that every Christian
has direct access to God through Jesus Christ. We do not have to
go through a priest to confess our sins to God or to pray to
God. This also means that all Christians are ministers. We may
have different roles of leadership in the church (such as
pastor, deacon, teacher, etc.), but every Christian is called to
be a minister.
Believer's Baptism by Immersion Symbolic View of the
Ordinances
Southern Baptists believe that the Bible teaches
that when a person makes a decision to become a Christian,
baptism by immersion follows that decision as a public testimony
of one's faith in Christ. In the early church, scholars of all
denominations agree, baptism was by immersion. A theological
misunderstanding of original sin greatly influenced the church
to start baptizing infants, and the mode of baptizing changed to
sprinkling. Southern Baptists do not believe that baptism is
required for salvation, but they believe that it is a symbolic
testimony of our faith in Christ.
As Southern Baptists, we have two ordinances
(not sacraments):
The Lord's Supper
We believe that the practice of observing the
Lord's Supper reminds us of the great price Jesus paid for the
forgiveness of our sins by sacrificing His life for us on the
Cross.
Baptism by Immersion
This symbolically describes what occurs in
salvation. We are completely cleansed of all sin, and we died to
sin and selfishness (burial is symbolized as one goes under the
water), and we rise to a new life identifying with the
resurrected Lord Jesus (symbolized as one comes up out of the
water). Baptism by immersion dramatizes the new life of the
Gospel.
Emphasis on
Missions and Evangelism
Southern Baptists are very mission-minded.
however, some Baptist groups do not emphasize missions. Southern
Baptists vary from Independent Baptists in our approach to
missions. We voluntarily give funds (usually a certain
percentage of a church budget) to the Cooperative Program, a
joint fund which provides support for all missionaries, colleges
and seminaries approved by the Southern Baptist Convention.
Independent Baptists support missionaries from their local
church. We feel we can support more people and do more mission
effort though a cooperative effort, though each church is free
to support any Christian mission work as God leads, whether or
not the work is Southern Baptist.
Are you
Comfortable being a Christian in a Southern Baptist Church?
The next time someone says something about what
Baptist believe, you can know for sure whether or not what they
say corresponds with Southern Baptist beliefs. With no creed but
the Bible, belief in the priesthood of all believers, and the
autonomy of the local church, Southern Baptists are a diverse
lot. The stereotype of a Southern Baptist will be true of some
but false for many others. Nevertheless, when asked to what
faith one adheres, a Southern Baptist should first reply, "I'm a
Christian," before he says, "I am Southern Baptist."
For Additional information on what Southern
Baptists believe, see
"The Baptist Faith and Message" |
Today's Verse
