About The Cross Baptist Church
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Welcome to the web page of The Cross Baptist Church in Pekin, Illinois. We believe that baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordained by the Lord Jesus himself - baptism as a symbol of entrance into the body of Christ and the Lord's Supper a regular reminder of the death, resurrection, and return of Christ. Baptism symbolizes the believer's death to sin and new life in Christ. Those baptized are done so in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Together they are simultaneously God's pledge to us, divinely ordained means of grace, our public vows of submission to the once crucified and now resurrected Christ, and anticipations of his return and of the consummation of all things.
We believe that God reaches out to us in different ways. God is the Creator of the Universe and giver of all that is good. God is the Savior - appearing boldly and intimately in Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection - who shows us how to live, love, and be saved. God is the Spirit who makes a difference in us and enables us to make a difference in our world and in the lives of others.
About Jesus Christ: We believe that in His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ accomplished salvation for sinners. In His life, He kept God's law on our behalf. In His death, He suffered as our substitute and satisfied the divine wrath we deserved. He took our guilt upon Himself and credited His righteousness to our account. In His resurrection, we receive newness of life now and eternal life to come. In His ascension, He poured out the Holy Spirit on His church and He continually intercedes for us. This entire salvation is the free and gracious work of God alone.
About Love: God is love. He loves us and wants for us to spend eternity with Him. He also wants for us to express His love to others by meeting them where they are in life with the message of salvation.