[Adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention
May 9, 1963]
I. The Scriptures
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and
is the record of God's revelation of Himself to man. It
is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God
for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without
any mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles
by which God judges us; and therefore is, and will remain
to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union,
and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds,
and religious opinions should be tried. The criterion by
which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ. Ex.
24:4; Deut. 4:1-2; 17:19; Josh. 8:34; Psalm 19:7-10; 119:11,
89, 105, 140; Isa. 34:16; 40:8; Jer. 15:16; 36; Matt. 5:17-18;
22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17;
Acts 2:16 ff.; 17:11; Rom. 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Tim. 3:15-17;
Heb. 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21
II. God
There is one and only one living and true God. He is an
intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator,
Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite
in holiness and all other perfections. To Him we owe the
highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God
reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with
distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature,
essence, or being.
A. God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe,
His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history
according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful,
all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those
who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men. Gen. 1:1;
2:7; Ex. 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11 ff.; 20:1 ff.; Lev. 22:2; Deut.
6:4; 32:6; 1 Chron. 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isa. 43:3, 15;
64:8; Jer. 10:10; 17:13; Matt. 6:9 ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19;
Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7;
Rom. 8:14-15; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 4:6; Col. 1:15;
1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7
B. God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as
Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born
of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the
will of God, taking upon Himself the demands and necessities
of human nature and identifying Himself completely with
mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His
personal obedience, and in His death on the cross He made
provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised
from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His
disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion.
He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right
hand of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the
nature of God and of man, and in whose Person is effected
the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in
power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His
redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the
living and ever present Lord. Gen. 18:1 ff.; Psalm 2:7 ff.;
110:1 ff.; Isa. 7:14; 53; Matt. 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27;
14:33; 16:16, 27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6, 19; Mark 1:1; 3:11;
Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18, 29; 10:30,38;
11:25-27; 12:44-50;14:7- 11; 16:15-16, 28; 17:1-5, 21-22;
20:1-20, 28; Acts 1:9; 2:22- 24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5, 20; Rom.
1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3, 34; 10:4; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2:2;
8:6; 15:1-8, 24-28; 2 Cor. 5:19- 21; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 1:20;
3:11; 4:7-10; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thess.
4:14-18; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Heb. 1:1-3;
4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15, 24-28; 12:2; l3:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25;
3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Rev.
1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16
C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy
men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination
He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He
convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He calls
men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. He cultivates
Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the
spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church.
He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption.
His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to
bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ.
He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in
worship, evangelism, and service. Gen. 1:2; Judg. 14:6;
Job 26:13; Psalm 51:11; 139:7 ff.; Isa. 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32;
Matt. 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10, 12; Luke
1:35; 4:1, 18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,
26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 38; 4:3l; 5:3; 6:3;
7:55; 8:17, 39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Rom. 8:9-11,
14-16, 26-27; 1 Cor. 2:10- 14; 3:16; 12:3-11; Gal. 4:6;
Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19; 1 Tim. 3:16; 4:1;
2 Tim. 1:14; 3:16; Heb. 9:8, 14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13;
5:6-7; Rev. 1:10; 22:17
III. Man
Man was created by the special act of God, in His own image,
and is the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning
man was innocent of sin and was endowed by His Creator with
freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against
God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation
of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from
his original innocence; whereby his posterity inherit a
nature and an environment inclined toward sin, and as soon
as they are capable of moral action become transgressors
and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring
man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the
creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality
is evident in that God created man in His own image, and
in that Christ died for man; therefore every man possesses
dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. Gen.
1:26-30; 2:5, 7, 18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalm 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5;
51:5; Isa. 6:5; Jer. 17:5; Matt. 16:26; Acts 17:26- 31;
Rom. 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6, 12, 19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,
29; 1 Cor. 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Eph. 2:1-22; Col. 1:21-22;
3:9-11
IV. Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption or the whole man, and
is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord
and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption
for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes
regeneration, sanctification, and glorification.
A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace
whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus.
It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through
conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance
toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance
and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance
is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance
of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality
to Him as Lord and Saviour. Justification is God's gracious
and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness
of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification
brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor
with God.
B. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration,
by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and
is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual perfection
through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling
in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate
person's life.
C. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is
the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. Gen.
3:15; Ex. 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matt. 1:21; 4:17; 16:21- 26; 27:22
to 28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14, 29; 3:3-21,
36; 5:24; 10:9, 28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12;
15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Rom. 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25;
4:3 ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18, 29-39; 10:9-10, 13; 13:11-14;
1 Cor. 1:18, 30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Cor. 5:17- 20; Gal. 2:20;
3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11- 16; Phil. 2:12-13;
Col. 1:9-22; 3:1 ff.; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; 2 Tim. 1:12; Titus
2:11-14; Heb. 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1 to 12:8, 14; James
2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6 to 2:11; Rev. 3:20;
21:1 to 22:5.
V. God's Purpose of Grace
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which
He regenerates, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is
consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends
all the means in connection with the end. It is a glorious
display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise,
holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes
humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has
accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never
fall away from the State of grace, but shall persevere to
the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and
temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their
graces and comforts, bring reproach on the cause of Christ,
and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Gen.
12:1-3; Ex. 19:5-8; 1 Sam. 8:4-7, 19-22; Isa. 5:1-7; Jer.
31:31 ff.; Matt. 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22, 31; 25:34; Luke
1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16;
5:24; 6:44-45, 65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6, 12, 17-18; Acts
20:32; Rom. 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7. 26-36; 1
Cor. 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Eph. 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Col.
1:12-14; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:12; 2:10, 19; Heb. 11:39
to 12:2; 1 Peter 1:2-5, 13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19;
3:2
VI. The Church
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local
body of baptized believers who are associated by covenant
in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the
two ordinances of Christ, committed to His teachings, exercising
the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His
Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the
earth.
This church is an autonomous body, operating through democratic
processes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In such a
congregation members are equally responsible. Its Scriptural
officers are pastors and deacons.
The New Testament speaks also of the church as the body
of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the
ages. Matt. 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42, 47; 5:11-14;
6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23, 27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Rom. 1:7;
1 Cor. 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Eph. 1:22-23;
2:19-22; 3:8-11, 21; 5:22-32; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim.
3:1-15; 4:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Rev. 2-3; 21:2-3
VII. Baptism and the Lord's
Supper
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water
in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith
in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's
death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection
to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony
to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being
a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges
of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.
The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby
members of the church, through partaking of the bread and
the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer
and anticipate His second coming. Matt. 3:13-17; 26:26-30;
28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20;
John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; Acts 20:7; Rom.
6:3-5; 1 Cor. 10:16, 21; 11:23-29; Col. 2:12
VIII. The Lord's Day
The first day of the week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian
institution for regular observance. It commemorates the
resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be employed
in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public
and private, and by refraining from worldly amusements,
and resting from secular employment's, work of necessity
and mercy only being excepted. Ex. 20:8-11; Matt. 12:1-12;
28:1 ff.; Mark 2:27-28; 16:1- 7; Luke 24:1-3, 33-36; John
4:21-24; 20:1, 19-28; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Col. 2:16;
3:16; Rev. 1:10
IX. The Kingdom
The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty
over the universe and His particular kingship over men who
willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom
is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful,
childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians ought to
pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God's will
be done on earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits
the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age. Gen.
1:1; Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 23:5-6; Matt. 3:2; 4:8-10, 23; 12:25-28;
13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 4:43;
8:1; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36; Acts
1:6-7; 17:22-31; Rom. 5:17; 8:19; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; Col.
1:13; Heb. 11:10, 16; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Rev.
1:6, 9; 5:10; 11:15; 21-22
X. Last Things
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the
world to its appropriate end. According to His promise,
Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory
to the earth; the dead will he raised; and Christ will judge
all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned
to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous
in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their
reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord. Isa.
2:4; 11:9; Matt. 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27, 30, 36, 44;
25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40, 48; 16:19-26;
17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Rom.
14:10; 1 Cor. 4:5; 15:24-28, 35-58; 2 Cor. 5:10; Phil. 3:20-21;
Col. 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thess. 4:14-18; 5:1 ff.; 2 Thess. 1:7 ff.;
2; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:27-28;
James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7 ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Rev.
1:18; 3:11; 20:1 to 22:13
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