OUR BELIEFS

With any religious body, be it Christian or otherwise, there are two things that must be considered: what they believe and what they do.  These are sometimes referred to as faith and practice.  Of these two, what they do is the most visible.  This is seen in things like how they worship, how they relate to the people and world around them, and how they present themselves.  Though what religious bodies do is visible and obvious to the world, what they believe is the more important thing about them.  It is possible for a religious body to have beautiful buildings, uplifting and inspiring worship and do great works of charity among the needy and have beliefs that are thoroughly un-Christian. 

 

The people of Meadow Grove Baptist Church believe there is one God and He  has objective existence regardless of whether we believe in Him, agree with Him or approve of His actions.   We believe God is inherently good and perfect in every way perfection can be measured. We believe that everything that exists does so because He brought it into existence by the power of His will.  Of the totality of things God created, the creation He loves unconditionally and values most is people.  It is His desire for people to live in perfect relationship with Him.  However, people, from the first to the last, have all chosen to reject God’s rule over them and seek to be god themselves.  This lack of relationship with God is sin and it manifests itself in sins.  Despite our sinfulness, God continued to love us.  To deal with our moral impurity which cannot exist in the presence of God’s moral perfection, God chose to send His sinless Son, Jesus to bear the just penalty for our sins.  His death on the cross bridged the sin gap that existed between people and God.  Now right relationship with God is possible for all who trust Jesus enough to give Him their lives.  “God demonstrates His own love for us in this:  While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

 

Throughout history, Christian beliefs have been stated in creeds and confessions.  Southern Baptists, including Meadow Grove Baptist Church, are a non-creedal people.  That is to say, that we have no creed that is the official doctrinal position of the church.  However, we do have a statement of beliefs that has been a part of Southern Baptist life since 1925.  This is not a statement of what a person has to believe to be a Southern Baptist or a member of Meadow Grove Baptist Church.  It is a statement of what most Southern Baptists and members of Meadow Grove Baptist Church in fact, do believe.  It is “The Baptist Faith and Message”.  You can read this brief doctrinal statement on line at http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp.