WHAT WE BELIEVE

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." - A.W. Tozer

Southwest Baptist Church is a member of the Baptist General Convention of Georgia as well as the Southern Baptist Convention.

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Core Beliefs

The Bible

God

We believe the Bible is the truth without error, and is the final authority in life, and is the measure of all truth and reality. It was written by men Divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself and His will to man. It is completely trustworthy, and is entirely practical and good for instruction, reproof, correction, and training in every important area of life (See 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

We believe there is only one true and living God. He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, and He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Though a mystery, the Bible teaches that these three are co-equal and are one in nature, and together one God. (Read Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; John 14-16; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Jesus Christ

The Holy Spirit

We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-equal with the Father, God in the flesh. Miraculously born of a virgin, and from a sinless life, Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of the world though death on a cross. He was physically raised from the dead after three days to show us His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (Read Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13)

We believe the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, co-equal with the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make men aware of their sin and need for Jesus Christ. He also lives within every Christ-follower, providing us with power for living, understanding of truth, and guidance in daily life, as we turn to Him for it. At the point of faith, He gives every believer spiritual gifts and abilities, as He sees best, to be used to serve others for the sake of His kingdom. (Read 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)

Salvation

We believe the unbridgeable chasm between us and God was miraculously bridged, and our deliverance from sin made possible, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Any person who acknowledges and repents of his sins, and places his faith in Jesus Christ alone, as the One who has bridged the chasm and paid the price for his/her sin, will be forgiven of all sin and be given a new and everlasting life. He/she begins to experience this new ‘Life with God’ now. (Read Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1)

Sanctification

(The Spiritual Growth Process): It is clearly the will of God that every Christ-follower grow and mature in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, being changed to become more and more like Him. But what does this process look like and what does it require? At Southwest Baptist  Church we’ve sought to define this process and how we believe God wants us to help people grow to bear fruit, and become more like Christ. We will help people to see where they are in the maturing process. Then we’ll continually challenge them to move through stages of maturity, growing in their understanding of and devotion to outreach, community, training and worship– relying on the guidance and strength that God’s Spirit & Word provide. (Read Acts 2:42; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:3-10; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:12-14)

Herein is the Gospel

God has revealed Himself & His glory to every man that has ever lived through His creation, so much so that man is without excuse. Man has rebelled, refusing to give God the love, devotion & glory due Him, and has instead chosen to worship himself and the things God has made, and therefore stands justly condemned. Christ has redeemed man, by giving Himself as the perfect sacrifice lamb, paying the just price for our sin, and providing a way for every man who believes to be saved. Man must respond, because it is not enough for us to simply know of what Christ has done. We must believe and receive it personally, by repentance, faith and the surrender of our redeemed lives to Him.

Mankind

We believe all people are wonderfully created in the image of God, are of equal value in His sight, and were created for Himself to have a relationship with Him. However, we have all become separated from God because of our selfishness, pride, idolatry and rebellion, and are incapable of saving ourselves from the power and penalty of our sin. (Read Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2)

Baptism

Baptism is an important symbolic act for every Christ follower, commanded in Scripture. In the New Testament it was done by immersion in water, and symbolized both our identification with Christ in His atoning death, burial and resurrection to eternal life, and our new allegiance and devotion to Him. Baptism does not save us. Rather, it is a ‘symbolic act’ announcing our life-long devotion to Christ, to His family (all Christ-followers), and to His mission on earth. (Read Matt 28:19-20; Rom 6:4; Col 2:12-13; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 6:1; 2 Cor 5:14-15; Gal 2:20; Luke 19:10)

The Church

The Church includes all the people in this world who have repented of their sins and have placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. The church in the NT was any local group of believers, large or small, who had been baptized into His body, gathering regularly under NT leadership for the purpose of worship, bible study, prayer, encouragement, ministry to each other, ministry to those in need, and to spread the Good News of Christ to the world. They were a spiritual community within the community seeking to become a blessing to the rest of the community for Jesus' sake. The local Church is an autonomous congregation of believers, who are spiritually united in the Holy Spirit as one Body to serve those around them, accomplish His purposes, and to bring glory to God. (Read I Corinthians 12:12-13; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 2:11-3:6, 21; Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16; Titus 1:5-9)

Family

We believe God ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.  We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.  It is God's beautiful gift to show the union that exists between Christ and His church, and to provide for the man and woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship. We also believe, as the Bible teaches, that children are a blessing and heritage from the Lord, from the moment of conception. Therefore, parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving instruction, how to personally know and follow Christ, and make choices based on biblical truth. (Read Gen 1:26-28; 2:18-25; Exo 20:12,14; Deut 6:4-9; Psa 127; 128; 139:13-16; Prov 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 13:24 14:1; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 31:10-31; Eccl 4:9-12; Mal 2:14-16; Matt 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Rom 1:18-32; 1Cor 7:1-16; Eph 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col 3:18-21; 1Tim 5:8,14; Titus 2:3-5; 1Pet 3:1-7)

What is a Church Elder?

The Basics: An elder is a man who (i) meets the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9, (ii) is recognized by his congregation as an elder, (iii) and leads the congregation by teaching the Word (1 Tim. 3:2), praying for the sheep (Jas. 5:14), and overseeing the affairs of the church (1 Pet. 5:2).

Oversight: An elder must watch over the flock. He must instruct all the sheep, strengthen the weak ones, guard the vulnerable ones, rebuke the obstinate ones, and bear with the difficult ones (2 Tim. 2:24-25; Acts 20:28; 1 Thess. 5:14). An elder watches over the members of his church as one who will give an account to God (Heb. 13:17)

Plurality: In the New Testament, local churches consistently have a plurality of elders (Acts 14:23, 20:17; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 5:17; Jas. 5:14). Christ, the Chief Shepherd, means to care for his flock through a number of godly men who together teach, guard, guide, protect, and love the sheep. This means that every local church, following the leadership of their pastor, should look out for men who are already doing the work of an elder and appoint them to the office.

Ultimate Accountability & Eternal Reward

We believe every person was created uniquely by God with a soul and spirit that will live forever. As those created and given life by God, we must all one day give an account to Him of our lives. When Jesus Christ returns, He will judge the living and the dead according to every thought and deed. We must pay the price of our sin ourselves (that price being eternal separation from God), or we can receive His forgiveness through the sacrificial death of Christ. Only those who have had their sins forgiven through personal faith in Jesus Christ will be spared the judgment of a holy God upon their sinful thoughts and deeds. One will then either suffer separation from God forever, in a place the bible calls “Hell”; OR one will enjoy eternal life, union and reward with Christ in His presence enjoying the “New Heaven and Earth” forever. (Read John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9; 15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

What is a Church Deacon?

The Basics: So what exactly is a deacon? The word translated “deacon” literally means servant, which is exactly what deacons do. They serve the elders and the congregation by tending to the practical and logistical needs of the church. Put simply, a deacon is an individual who meets certain character requirements and is set apart by the church in order to handle specific physical needs or ministerial endeavors (see Acts 6:1–7; 1 Tim. 3:8–13).*
Deacons don’t lead or oversee the church. This is the role God has given to the elders (see Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1–2). Instead, they humbly serve the congregation by ensuring practical matters are met. In so doing, they free the pastors from doing these tasks so that they can devote themselves to teaching, praying, and leading.

Requirements: While every church member should be serving the church, not everyone can serve as a deacon. The office of deacon—like the office of elder—is reserved only for those who meet certain character qualifications. 1 Timothy 3:8–13 makes this clear.

Reward: When deacons serve the congregation and support the elders, they protect the unity of the church—something Jesus views as precious (see John 17). One reason those first deacons were so important is because they prevented the Jerusalem church from fracturing.
And what was the net result of these deacons fulfilling their responsibility? Acts 6:7 states, “So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.” Because those deacons served the physical needs of the body, the unity of the church was preserved, the apostles continued to preach the Word, and the Great Commission advanced.

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