Who Southern Baptists Are
The Southern Baptist Convention is a very diverse religious group. We teach the acceptance of others’ differences, cultures, and languages with one sole objective: make an impact for God’s Kingdom. The central driving force of who we are and what we do is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As Southern Baptists, we have been redeemed from our sin through Christ and everything we build and teach revolves around the gospels of God.
Man and Sin: Southern Baptists believe that every human being is born a sinner and sins by choice. As is stated in Romans 3:23: “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” However, through Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the cross, He made it possible for us to be redeemed from our sins and be reconciled with God. We also believe that there is only salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord.
Man and God: God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ are three manifestations of the one and only God. He created the universe, man, and everything that exists and ever has existed. As Southern Baptists, we spend our whole lives living for God and spreading his message so that our fellow man may find their place in the church, and one day in the Kingdom of Heaven. In everything we do, from our actions in our personal lives, to our work lives, and our social lives, we try to live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible.
Man and Man: We believe that the Holy Bible is God’s way of speaking to mankind, and the ultimate message is man’s redemption through Jesus Christ. Our primary goal is to proclaim this gospel and try to lead our fellow man down the path of righteousness through worship and baptism. We believe it is the duty of every follower of God to consistently attempt to spread the word to non-believers and those who have never heard the word of the Lord. This includes, but is not limited to, planting churches throughout the world, performing missions to spread the word to other countries and areas, and even speaking to coworkers, friends, and neighbors about the gospel.
The reason we, as Southern Baptists, do what we do, is for the love of God and the love of our fellow man. God loved us enough to send his Son to pay the ultimate price for our sins, and to show our thankfulness and reciprocate this love we lead a life loving one another and teaching His gospel. Jesus, in Matthew 22:37-39, summarized it this way, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”