Editor's Note: This is also our "goal" at PristineGrace.org - Brandan

     What is the goal of the Thirteenth Street Baptist Church?  It is, quite simply, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, maintaining the purity of this glorious message of sovereign grace and in so doing, our desire is to glorify the name of our great God and King.

     We proclaim the truth, being ever prayerful for the conversion of sinners. We declare that salvation is of the Lord, according to His eternal purpose of grace. We affirm Jesus Christ to be the mighty Savior Who, by His life, death and resurrection, satisfied all the requirements of divine justice for those for whom He was the Substitute. He reconciled His chosen people to God by His “obedience unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).  He has, therefore, been exalted as Lord over all. We rely upon the Holy Spirit to apply the Word of grace to ransomed sinners.

     In short, we seek to glorify the Lord our God; all that we do is with this one goal in view. Having a larger congregation is not our goal. Making our church more appealing to the natural man is not our goal. We are not trying to manipulate or sneak up on unsuspecting sinners with the intent of getting them to make a religious decision. We have no interest in the approval of other preachers or churches. That which we seek is the glory of God.

     We declare His supremacy in creation, providence and in the kingdom of grace. We proclaim the preeminence of Jesus Christ. In His High Priestly prayer, our Savior said that as a reward for finishing the work the Father sent Him to do, “Thou hast given Him power over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him” (John 17:2).

     It is our duty to preach the glorious person of Christ, His successful accomplishment of redemption, and then command sinners to believe on the Name of the only begotten of the Father. We rely upon the Spirit of God to do His work in the hearts of the needy. It is by His power the spiritually dead are quickened and brought to rely on Christ for forgiveness of sins and a right standing before a holy God. If the Lord is pleased to reveal Himself to someone’s heart, we will ascribe all glory to Him for that salvation freely given through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Simply put, ours is a singular goal, to give God the glory for all things.