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“WHAT IS A BAPTIST?”

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“WHAT IS A BAPTIST?”

By Ken Blue

trail of bloodSome time ago, a Pastor ask me “What is a Baptist?” He and I were on Facebook as friends, but after a heated debate over perpetuity, he blocked our friendship. So, my question is, what is a Baptist?

Lutherans follow the teaching of Martin Luther. Methodist follow the teaching of John Wesley. Presbyterians follow the teaching of John Calvin. The Hussites followed John Huss. The Waldensian followed Peter Waldo. And, so it goes.

Now, what are Baptist? Did they become one by following John the Baptist? Some say yes. However, the truth of history and of Scripture will prove that is not the case. From the time of the Apostle Paul, there have always been Gentile believers. Just as there were schisms in his day, so it has been down through history. However, following Paul’s example, those who adhered to his teachings rejected infant baptism, sprinkling, and baptism as any part of the gospel.  Thus, they were at odds with the Roman Catholic Church.

These believers were later call Anabaptist by their enemies. This is not a name they adopted for themselves. (16th century.)  “The name Anabaptist is derived from the Greek term anabaptista, or “one who baptizes over again.” This name was given them by their enemies in reference to the practice of “re-baptizing” converts who “already had been baptized” as infants.[6] They required that baptismal candidates be able to make their own confessions of faith and so rejected baptism of infants.” (Wikipedia Encyclopedia.)  Since it was sprinkling, it was not baptism at all.

Later, the “Ana” was dropped, and they became known as baptizers, and Baptist. According to the above encyclopedia, “John Smyth (c. 1570 – c. 28 August 1612) was an early Baptist minister of England and a defender of the principle of religious liberty… Smyth was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1594 in England. He preached in the city of Lincoln in 1600 to 1602. Soon after his ordination, he broke with the Church of England and left for Holland where he and his small congregation began to study the Bible ardently. He briefly returned to England.” Thus, prior to these events, no one ever claimed to be Baptist, nor took the name.

There are some Baptist who preach succession back to John the Baptist. This runs parallel with the Catholics Apostolic succession, although most Baptist deny this. If one follows the trail of blood, he would go back to Cain and Abel. A history of believers who have been martyred in no way leads one back to John. Why not to Paul? He was martyred also. Neither Paul, James, or Stephen shed their blood over baptism.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Baptist Churches have nothing to do with John the Baptist.[/pullquote]

Therefore, Baptist Churches have nothing to do with John the Baptist, or baptizer. John did not come to Israel to start a church. His only ministry was to get Israel to repent, and be baptized as a picture of their repentance and cleansing of their sins, and to make Christ known to Israel. Baptism was part of John’s salvation message for Israel. John did not preach the same gospel that the church preaches today. He did not know Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, had to die on the cross and be raised on the third day. Neither did anyone else. “Then he (Jesus) took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.  And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.” Luke 18:31-34. “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” John 20:9. No one follows John, nor can they.

So, the question should not be, what is a Baptist. The fact that there are hundreds of Baptist Churches who do not agree on many issues, the question should be about salvation, and does my Baptist Church believe the Bible, and rightly divide it? That is the most important issue.

NO NOT ONE

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no not one

 

By Ken Blue

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Romans 3:10.

 

(Enjoy the song)

I searched the world for one, who did understand,

Or, with his heart sought God, and found not a man.

Paths of righteousness they left, for their own way.

All remain unprofitable until this very day.

 

Mouths are open sepulchers; tongues filled with deceit.

Venom, under their lips, and hatred of a white-hot heat.

Hellbent on destruction, and misery in their ways.

Paths of peace unknown, no fear of God doth faze.

 

Hearts without understanding, mouths with cursing filled.

Feet swift to shed blood, no fear of God revealed.

Unprofitable, are they all, the righteous, I find none.

This is man’s condition, none good, no not one.

 

Every mouth will stop, they’re all guilty before God

Unless grace intervenes, a hopeless path they trod

There’s righteousness provided, freely through His Son

And those who come to Him, He rejects, no, not one

 

EASY BELIEVISM

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What could be easier than getting saved?

LogRolling

By Ken Blue

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13.

While a student In Bible College, I remember a story that I will never forget. Dr. Malone was preaching, and he told a story about a student who brought a lost man to the “altar.” Dr. Malone said he overheard the sinner say, “I don’t feel like getting saved today.” The student said, “You don’t have to feel like it, you just need to believe what Jesus did for you on the cross.” The sinner responded, “But I want to feel something.” Again the student assured him it was not a feeling he needed. He only needed faith. Finally the sinner knelt and prayed, asking the Lord to save him. Dr. Malone said, “As soon as the two of them stood, the student asks, how do you feel?”

One of the issues confusing pastors and sinners, is the concept that one must “feel” a certain way or his salvation is not real. The problem is we have made feeling a synonym for conviction. Now, feeling may follow conviction. However, feeling need not, and many times does not. Feeling is not conviction, nor is conviction a feeling.  Conviction is a conclusion that one comes to about an issue. Some who get saved may weep and tremble, while another may laugh and shout. Then, there are those who show little or no emotion. Now, who of us can say for sure which person REALLY got saved? The answer is, none of us.

Getting saved is the easiest thing in the world. For the life of me, I can’t figure why pastors and evangelist want to put razor wire between the sinner and the Savior. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:8-13. Now, what could be easier? The text says the word is in the heart and mouth.  

Then we hear the criticism about “the sinners’ prayer.” I am not sure how a sinner gets saved without a prayer. I guess there is some kind of sinners’ prayer that doesn’t work. If anyone knows what it is, they should enlighten us. We hear that one, two, three, repeat after me, won’t save the sinner. I would be curious how anyone knows that the sinner led in a prayer isn’t saved. The fact, my dear brother is, you don’t know if anyone gets saved or not. If they bawl and crawl their way to the “altar” on their knees, you and I have no assurance they really got saved. Personally, I would no longer announce if people get saved or not. I think the safe thing to say is we had a certain number of professions.

The Scriptures tell us how to believe, and what to believe. But, we are never told what emotional response or feeling one must demonstrate. Let me conclude with one example, and I have many.

About fifty-five years ago, my wife and I went to her brother’s house for the sole purpose of leading him to the Lord. Vernon worked on the rail road, and the heat in his boots had caused a rash. He was setting at the table applying alcohol. I presented the gospel to him, and ask if he understood. He said he did. I ask him if he would be willing to accept Christ, if I prayed with him. He responded with a “yes.” We prayed, afterward he continued to rub the alcohol on his leg. There was no weeping, shouting, or visible emotion. Vernon is still living for the Lord, and I am as sure of his salvation as I am that of any person reading this.

I believe in easy believism. I think there is a mindset that we are in some kind of “Laodicean period,” where people have no interest in salvation. That mindset conditions our attitude toward the lost. So, we put every obstacle before them, and if they aren’t willing to jump them, we beat them up to confirm what we believed. I think we should remove every obstacle between the sinner and the cross, and do everything in our power to get people to accept Christ; so did Jesus, and Paul. Believing is easy for those who believe.

“…unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:18-22

 

HOW TO BE SAVED AND KNOW IT

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I declare unto you the gospel

 

 

The word gospel does not mean: “truth.”  It means: “good news.”  There are several “gospels” in the Bible, but Dr. Blue shows from the Bible how not to be confused about which one applies to us today.  He shows us which one Paul declares and shows us where in the Bible you can find it.  This is the one that the 12 didn’t even understand (Luke 18:34).  It was the one that Paul proclaimed.

Full sermon can be heard here:

This world is going up in smoke.  There is no spiritual kingdom that will last.  God’s intent is to destroy this world.  But, no one needs be there to endure it.  Everyone can be saved if they accept the gospel that Paul preached.  This is the one that is for our age.  It is the one that Jesus died for and if you accept it, then He is faithful and true to keep His promises to you.

Jesus Christ took the death that we should endure.  But, He rose again from the dead to show us there can be victory over death.  Yes, we must die, but we can also be born again (Rom. 10:9).  The grave is not the end for those who accept Jesus Christ.  Dr. Blue shows how death is not a state, but an event.  It’s like walking from one room into another.

The gospel works if you receive it.  Dr. Blue has done an excellent job showing us in these sermons.  He has made it perfectly clear.  Don’t wait!  Do what you need to do to get the good news!

WHY I THANK GOD AND PRAY FOR AMERICA

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Pray for america

pray for america

By Ken Blue

Certainly, I am not proud of what many Americans do, and in many cases some cause us shame, anger, and embarrassment. Nor am I thrilled over the behavior of many of our Baptist brethren. The same could be said about being a Christian. However, I am thankful that I am a Christian. I gladly embrace most of the doctrines of the Baptist churches, and I am glad that I was born and raised in America.

If your family was wayward, would you not pray for them? If sin was in your church, would you pray for your church? Then why in God’s name would you not pray for America to stay God’s judgment on it? I cannot agree with those Baptist who are in step with Jeremiah Wright who says he does not want God to bless America, but rather to “damn America.”

I have had the privilege to visit most countries in this world, and I would not trade America for all of them! America is plagued with great wickedness, but she still has more churches that preach the gospel, more missionaries going to foreign countries, and more Bibles and churches than any other nations. Why wouldn’t the powers of darkness seek her destruction?

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]We should pray for America.[/pullquote]

Should we pray for America? Of course we should. America is not more wicked than Israel is or was, yet Paul prayed that they might be saved (Romans 10:1). A nation is made up of people. To pray for America is to pray for the salvation of the people.

Finally, when we show disrespect for America we dishonor the thousands who have, and are laying down their lives for it. It is because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of others that we have the freedoms we enjoy in this country. I refuse to show ingratitude because of the wicked within the nation.  Rather, let us thank God for a great country where we have freedom of religion, and unlimited opportunities to get the gospel to a lost world. Let us pray for America!