The Bible:
We believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to have been written by men divinely inspired by God. It is God’s revelation of Himself to man. The Bible is the only inspired authoritative Word of God. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ. (II Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4)

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 all-powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. (Genesis 1:1; Mark 1:9-11; Matthew 3:16-17)

Jesus Christ:
Christ is the eternal Son of God. We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. Christ is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. (John 1:1-18, 29; Colossians 1:15-20; I Timothy 2:5-6)

The Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired men to write the Scriptures. Through illumination, He enables men to understand truth. He convicts people of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls people to the Savior, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration, He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling power and fullness, the Christian is enabled to live a godly life in the present evil world. (John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 38; I Corinthians 2:9-11)

Salvation:
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. (Romans 3:23-25; 6:1-23)

Baptism:
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 Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. (Matthew 3:13-17; Romans 6:3-5)

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. The Lord’s Table is open to all persons who are disciples of Jesus Christ regardless of whether or not they are members of Downtown Baptist Church. (I Corinthians 11:23-29)

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 be 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. (Romans 14:9-11; Philippians 3:20-21; Hebrews 9:27-28)

Evangelism and Missions:
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all people. (Matthew 9:37-38; Matthew 28:19-20; I Peter 3:15)

Stewardship:
God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians are under obligation to serve God with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. (I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 9:6-7)

Spiritual Unity:
We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 4:3-6; I Corinthians 12:12-13)

For more information contact:
Carolyn Jenkins     703.549.6531     cjenkins@downtownbaptist.org  or

Susan Manship     703-549-5080     smanship@downtownbaptist.org