"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of Springfield BSU based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
The Bible
The Bible is without error, because it was given to us by God through the writings of men. It is relevant to us today because we believe it was written to be applicable throughout time. Each of us is responsible for reading and applying it to our daily lives.
God
He is the one and only everlasting Supreme Being. He has always been and will always be. He is the creator of all things. He exists in three personalities—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—yet He is only one God. We call this the Trinity. God is all knowing, all powerful, perfect and deserves our praise and adoration.
Jesus
He is God’s one and only son who was sent to earth from Heaven to live a perfect life, but to die as a sacrifice for the sin of all people. He fulfilled the prophecy of His coming, and also fulfilled what He said he would do by raising on the third day after dying a brutal death. He returned to heaven and will return to earth for the second coming.
Holy Spirit
The Spirit enters our life at the point of salvation. The Spirit guides and directs us in our everyday lives.
Mankind
People are a creation of God in His image. Because of the sins of humanity, we have been separated from God and all have sinned. Without Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection we all would spend eternity in hell.
The Fall
When Adam and Eve chose not to obey God, they ceased to be what they were made to be and became distorted images of God. This caused them to fall out of fellowship with God, and fractured all of creation ever since that time.
Salvation
Jesus Christ is the one and only way to heaven. Jesus Christ came to reconcile us with God. He lived a life without sin and willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty for our transgressions. God raised him from the dead and now, by grace, offers as a free gift eternal life to all who follow Christ, by faith, as their Lord and Savior. That is why salvation can be found in Christ alone.
The Church
The Church is meant to be the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. The church is a body of believers including all generations—not just one. This is why we promote the local churches and believe that the Baptist Student Union is not a church but an arm of the local church. It is important for us to worship together and encourage one another while reaching out to the world.
Resurrection
Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and to usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.
Missions & Evangelism
Jesus called all to go and spread the good news. Some will spend their life in a foreign land telling others, some will have a full-time vocation in ministry, and others will share right where they are. We are all called and sent out to spread His good news wherever God has placed us.
Baptist Faith and Message 2000
We support and hold to Southern Baptist beliefs. You can read more about those beliefs along with the biblical basis for those beliefs in our Statement of Faith, called the Baptist Faith and Message (2000). You can read that document here.