The Holy Scriptures

We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, that it was written by men who were divinely and uniquely inspired and that it is without error in its original writing. It is complete, absolutely trustworthy and has supreme authority in all matters of Christian faith and conduct. 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:2, 21; John 16:12; Revelation 22:18-19

The Godhead

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory and with the same attributes and perfections.

God the Father

We believe in God the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power. We rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of mankind, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from the penalty of sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. John 3:35; John 5:26; John 6:46; John 10:29; Matthew 11:27

God the Son – Jesus

We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal and only begotten Son of God. We believe that in His mortal life, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. Becoming a man without ceasing to be God, He lived a sinless life and accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross, a vicarious sacrifice for our sins. We believe in His bodily resurrection from the grave and that He ascended into heaven where He is now exalted on the right hand of God, interceding for us as our great high priest. We believe in His personal, imminent, physical return to earth to rapture His church, and His subsequent return with His saints to establish His Millennial Kingdom. Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Peter 2:24; John 3:16; Luke 24:1-53; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement. He regenerates, sanctifies, and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ, indwelling and sealing them until the day of redemption. He is the Divine Teacher, who guides us into all truth, and by His filling He strengthens us. John 14:16; John 15:26; John 16:7-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14

Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person biologically as man or woman. Each of these two distinct, complementary genders reflect the image and nature of God. Psychological and/or sociological rejection of, or physical altering of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. Genesis 1:26-27

We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Genesis 2:18-25; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual behavior, transgender behavior, bestiality and incest) is sinful and offensive to God. Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture. Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31

The Church

We believe that the universal church of Christ is a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and of which all those born again are members. We believe that the local church is a company of believers in Jesus Christ, sharing a credible confession of faith, and voluntarily associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God laid upon the church the task of proclaiming to the lost world the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Colossians 1:18; 1 Peter 2:5; Matthew 28:18-20

We believe the local church has been commissioned to follow in perpetual observance two ordinances:
1. Baptism: the immersion of the believer in water – in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit – symbolizing the believer’s previous experience of the new birth through faith and his or her union in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Romans 6:3-11
2. The Lord’s Supper: instituted by Christ as a memorial to His atoning sacrifice. In the observance of the Lord’s Supper, believers remember Him and His death until He comes. Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

We believe that the local church is independent and autonomous and that it must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; therefore, church and state must be kept separate, each having different functions. Luke 20:19-26; Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1

We believe that the Holy Spirit gives each believer one or more of the spiritual gifts and that Christ, our Risen Head, has especially set apart the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers in order to help the saints in their service and to build up the body of Christ.

We believe that as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority established, the need for miraculous signs diminished and they are not now necessary to validate or faith our to authenticate the Scriptures. Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 12:11-14, 28-30; Ephesians 4:11-13

We believe in the power of prayer. God does hear and answer the prayer of faith in accordance with His sovereign will. John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15

The Sanctity of Life

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. Psalm 139

The Eternal State

We believe that those who are born again are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss, they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. Luke 16:16-26; Matthew 25:1-25; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15

Satan

We believe that Satan is a real person, the author of sin and the cause of mankind’s fall; we believe that he is the open and declared enemy of God and mankind, and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:10

Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct

The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For the purposes of the governance of our congregation in the matters of our faith, doctrine, practice, policy and discipline, the senior pastor in collaboration with the deacon board of the Frist Baptist Church of Downers Grove is our church’s interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application. Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22