Baptist Distinctives - Part 1 (1/3/2010)

The next several weeks we are going to look at what are called Baptist Distinctives. Two things separate us from all other denominations - our origins and our beliefs that are distinct to us.

As to our origin

"We believe that Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the Reformation...We never came from the church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves." - Charles Spurgeon

As to our distinctives:

  1. The Scriptures are the sole authority for faith and practice.
  2. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone by the work of Christ alone.
  3. A regenerate church membership.
  4. The eternal security of the believer.
  5. The church has two ordinances, believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper.
  6. THe independence and autonomy of the church.
  7. The priesthood of the believer.
  8. Separation of church and state.
  9. The liberty of conscience.
  10. Separation from false teaching and apostasy.

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Baptist Distinctives - Part 2 (1/10/2010)

Throughout the centuries men have accepted the Bible and many other authorities as their rule of faith and practice (to name a few: Church Authority, Creedal Authority, Cultic Authority, Charismatic Authority, Cranial Authority, Conscience Authority Critical Authority). This morning I would like to suggest to you four reasons why we as Baptists have always stood for “SOLA SCRIPTURA” simply meaning “THE BIBLE ALONE”.

  1. Second Timothy 3:16-17 teaches that the Scripture is all we need for faith and practice.
  2. We know the Bible is the complete word of God because we are told in Jude 3 that the faith was “once” delivered to the saints.
  3. A seal was placed on the final chapter of the final book of the Bible, signifying its completion and warning every man not to add to or subtract from it. (Revelation 22:18-19)
  4. Passages that urge Christians to follow tradition refer to the inspired tradition given by the apostles; it does not refer to the traditions of men who have come after them.
  5. Vocabulary Words
    1. Verbal – Very words of God (Matt 24:35)
    2. Plenary – Extending to all parts alike (II Timothy 3:16)
    3. Inerrant – Without error in its recording (Hebrews 6:18)
    4. Infallible – Without error in its teaching (Psalm 119:160)
    5. Preservation – Without error in translation (Psalm 12:6-7)

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Baptist Distinctives - Part 3 (1/17/2010)

Even before the completion of the New Testament there were false teachers coming into the churches teaching a false gospel. The New Testament writers warned of false teachers. One of our distinctives as Baptists is that we have always taught that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone and by the work of Christ alone.

  1. Grace Alone
    1. Grace defined is “unmerited favor of God shown to the sinner.” When we say unmerited we simply mean that we have not nor can we ever merit the favor of God for our own salvation.
    2. Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 3:24 make this truth very plain. We come to Christ without any merit of our own. We come to Him as a sinner deserving of hell and no way of obtaining salvation on our own.
  2. Through Faith Alone
    1. Faith defined in the New Testament is a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with its
      1. Relating to God – the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ.
      2. Relating to Christ – a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom.
    2. Hebrews 11:1 – Salvation is when I come to Christ knowing I have no merit of my own. I believe the Word of God is true.
  3. By the Work of Christ Alone
    1. John 19:30
    2. It is finished.
Conclusion:

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Baptist Distinctives - Part 4 (1/24/2010)

So far we have looked at sole authority (the Bible alone is our only authority for faith and practice), and grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone for our salvation. This week we are going to look at regenerated membership. To be a member of a Baptist church there must be a time when you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ to be your personal Saviour. In a day when many churches are trying to boost their membership by almost any means, it is important that we understand that the Scriptural mandate for membership is baptism; and the prerequisite for baptism is regeneration.

Six Reasons Why We Practice Regenerate Membership

  1. A regenerated membership is all we find in the Word of God (Acts 2:47). They were saved and baptized before they were added to the church.
  2. A regenerated church membership will have unity within the congregation (I Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:3)
  3. A regenerated church membership will have a heart to promote the gospel. (Matthew 28:19-20).
  4. A regenerated membership will love one another (John 17:26; John 13:34)
  5. A regenerated membership will all take part in the work of the church (I Corinthians 12:12-18)
  6. A regenerated membership will submit to the Word of God (2 Tim. 2:1; I Thessalonians 2:13)
These are just some of the reasons why it is so important that we maintain our history and distinctive of a person being regenerated before they become a member of the local church. We will see in days ahead, that much persecution and many false doctrines came about simply because churches did not follow this distinctive.

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Baptist Distinctives - Part 5 (1/31/2010)

Seven Reasons Why We Believe in Eternal Security

  1. Salvation is a birth – John 3:5,6
    Is it possible to be “un born again?”
  2. Salvation is a gift – Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 6:23
    A gift is something the receiver does nothing to earn. It is not a gift if it can be taken back.
  3. Salvation is a satisfaction – John 4:14; 6:35
    • Never thirst again
    • Never hunger again
  4. Salvation brings both eternal and everlasting life
    • Eternal – no beginning and no ending (believer in Christ) John 10:28,29
    • Everlasting – no ending (Christ in the believer). John 5:24
  5. Salvation is an inward change – II Corinthians 5:17
    As the sinner cannot change his sinful nature, neither can the saint change his divine nature.
  6. Salvation is a total work of grace
    It is finished!
  7. Salvation places us positionally in Heaven - Ephesians 2:5,6; Colossians 3:3

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Baptist Distinctivies - Part 6 (2/7/2010)

We believe there are only two ordinances given to the local church. Lets read I Corinthians 11:2, I Corinthians 11:23, and I Corinthians 15:3. The Lord’s Supper reminds us of His broken body and baptism reminds us of the gospel. (Circle “delivered them unto you.”)

  1. What is the Lord's Supper? I Corinthians 11:26-28; 10:16-17
    1. An Act of Obedience - “This do” (I Corinthians 11:24-25)
    2. An Act of Remembrance - “In Remembrance of me” (I Corinthians 11:24-25)
    3. An Act of Testimony - "Ye do shew the Lords death till he come” (I Corinthians 11:26)
    4. An Act of Examination - “Let a man examine himself” (I Corinthians 11:28)
    5. An Act of Communion - 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
  2. Who is the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper given to?
    1. The local church was instructed to keep the ordinances (the church at Corinth)
    2. The Supper was first instituted in a local church - Luke 22:14
    3. The Lord’s Supper chapter (1 Corinthians 11) teaches, "ye come together” in vs. 17,18,20,22,33,34.
  3. What is Scriptural baptism?
    1. There needs to be a Proper Candidate: Saved person
    2. There needs to be a Proper Method: Immersion not sprinkling
    3. There needs to be a Proper Motive: Obedience not regeneration
    4. There needs to be a Proper Authority: Matthew 28:19-29
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