While some Baptists understand the absurdity of making a distinction between church history and Baptist history many would still refer to non-Baptist believers as Christians. I don’t believe that you can be a Christian without being a Baptist. I did not say you can’t be saved without being a Baptist and that would be absurd because you cannot become a Baptist until being baptized after salvation. The question must be asked, “What is a Christian?”. A Christian is not just one that trusts Christ as their Savior. A Christian is one who is a follower of Christ – including AFTER salvation. May I say that one who gets saved and then backslides or never grows in the Lord is not a Christian. They may have trusted in Christ but they are not following Christ in their life. To be a Christian is to follow the ways and teachings of Christ. How could a believer be a Christian without being a member of the institution of the local church which He started? How could a saved Methodist be a Christian with their infant baptism? How could a Pentecostal believer be a Christian with their speaking in tongues? How could a Church of Christ member be called a Christian when they are trusting in baptism for salvation? How could a Presbyterian believer be a Christian when they don’t believe in eternal security and practice sprinkling? Being a Christian is more than believing in Christ and going to a church that historically believes in Christ instead of other gods. As Spurgeon said, “We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians.” As Baptists we don’t treat the polity of new testament churches as optional suggestions and we don’t add to our practices the contradictory writings and creeds of men. If Jesus were physically on earth today he would be a member of a Baptist church because a (true) Baptist church is a practical copy and an actual descendant of the church that Christ started during His earthly ministry. Don’t be ashamed my brethren, only Baptists are Christians.Source: baptistbyconviction.wordpress.com
6 comments:
Found this online, and enjoyed the blog so much I asked him to join IFB KJV. Excellent points in this article!
Would you also be willing to posit that not all Baptists are Christians? That it is not in the name, but in the doctrine? There are some Baptist church that do not hold to New Testament doctrine, too.
Absolutely! It's not "religion" that saves, you must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and have accepted Him as your Saviour, and as the payment in full of your sin debt (no good works will get you into heaven).
If you really want to "follow Christ", then you should live as Jesus Himself taught, which includes following the Torah or the Laws of Moses.
Jesus was Jewish and followed ALL of the "Laws of Moses" ALL the days of His life. His disciples did the same (even after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus).
"Baptists" along with almost all other "Christian" denominations teach AGAINST following the Torah. Jesus said that anyone who breaks the least [commandment] and teaches others to do so will be called the least in kingdom of heaven.
Ahhh, conditional salvation. "For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" {Ephesians 2:8} is incomplete and one must keep the law that Christ said was fulfilled?
The law brought us to Christ and showed us our sinful condition. No man can keep the law, there is none righteous enough to do it. The law was only fulflled in the God-man, Jesus Christ, and only in being in Christ can we be free from the condemnation that breaking the law (Torah) brings. If you offend on only one point of the law, before God you are guilty of all. The law shows us a holy God. The question is not should we keep the law, but can we keep the law? Jesus taught us that we can not, and that we must be under His blood, the blood of our sacrificial Lamb, to be accepted by God.
Read Romans chapter 6, Galatians chapter 3, and Ephesians chapter 2 for a start on what the Bible really teaches about the role of the law.
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
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