WHAT BAPTISTS BELIEVE
and
Why They Believe It

Baptists believe in missions. Every Christian, in every legitimate way, all the time, everywhere, according to ability, ought to seek to spread a knowledge of Jesus and the way of salvation.

No one can be a true Baptist who has not repented of sin, trusted in Jesus, and him alone, for life and salvation, and seeks to know and do the will of his divine Lord.

Some of the important commands of Jesus are: "Repent and believe the gospel." "Believe in me." "Follow me, "Let your light shine." "Let him that heareth say come. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations." "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel." "Keep my commandments." We, as Baptists have been great sticklers and advocates for the maintenance of the ordinances, and church policy as set forth in the Scriptures; keeping the ordinances as they were delivered unto us, and maintaining the form of government established by Christ and the apostles, seeking to execute the ‘laws divinely given. This we ought to have done, and we ought not to have neglected the other. The same Lord who invites all men to come, commands all men to repent, requires all men to believe, and commands all believers to be baptized, and all baptized believers to observe the Lord’s Supper, in remembrance of him till he comes again, also and equally commands that all his followers shall "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." "Teach all nations," to be witnesses for him to the uttermost part of the earth. Neglecting these things, will he not say, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?" Do you love him? He says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Will you be an unfaithful servant, knowing your duty and doing it not, and be beaten with many stripes; or a faithful servant of whom he shall say, Ye have done what ye could? Remember, he says, "Be thou faithful even unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."