Christian or Baptist

Amen! I'm a Baptist BECAUSE I'm a Christian!

 

I am called by God, and He has called me to His Son Jesus Christ and my identification is with Him. This said I believe the practices of the baptists are biblical ones, so I am not ashamed to be called a Baptist.

In fact, I was "called" a Baptist one time. haha They meant it in a bad way.

However, because of logistics, my family is now attending an indepent church which is not affiliated with any denomination. We still keep our confession of faith, the 1689 London Baptist Confession. But I am not sure if people will now regard me as not Baptist.

I will leave that for Dr. Bob to judge. :smilewinkgrin:

 

Dude, I thought I would have to be the first on this thread to loudly declare BAPTIST!, until I found your post almost at the end, Baptist4life! Thanks for standing up and being heard! Love your handle by the way.

Being a "Christian" is a misnomer - if you are not a Baptist! Either you are a follower of God - or you are not. If you are not a Baptist...you don't fool me about what a lover and follower of God you are.

I will allow this one thing tho, for a time, if someone is ignorant, has not yet had time to sort thru some truths, they may not yet have identified with Christ's ekklesia - but they will - if they truly desire God, and His truth.

 

Hmphh.

This is what irritates me about so many Christians - their self-righteousness. If someone says they are a Christian, I'll believe them and let God sort it out.

I'm not the one to say they aren't a Christian - especially to say that they can't be a Christian without being a Baptist, for Heaven's sake. That's the worst kind of religious bigotry. I certainly hope you weren't serious.

 

Mormons call themselves Christian. Do you believe them? If so, you are missing an opportunity to witness and are failing at what God has called us to do.

 

Eagle said...

...and it caused a mini uproar.


Folks, c'mon...it was a JOKE. Surely it was a joke.

 

I am a Christian who happens to believe in Baptism via submersion in water, but that doesn't make me a Baptist.

I am a Baptist because I believe in the Baptist Distinctive's, I agree with the Baptist Faith and Message ( 2000 ) in my Doctrinal views (98% at least). So that would make me Southern Baptist.

I feel that each Church needs to be run autonomously, though a little over site wouldn't hurt here in East TN, many a wolves in sheeps clothing running around the Indie Fundy churches here.

I believe in the priesthood of each believer. I could go on for a while, but these are the things that make me a Baptist. Not just an agreement on whether or not someone should be dunked under or sprinkled with water.

 

I knew the Mormon question would come up. Some of my best friends have been Mormon, and they were better "Christians" than many Christians that I have known.

Does the Mormon church teach heresy? Absolutely. Yet God is the one who looks on the heart and will be the judge of souls, not me.

 

Those better "Christians" will also spend eternity separated from God.

 

I must say that I am glad to be a Baptist, but my love and following is for Christ. I guess that makes me a Christian in a Baptist Church.

Something tells me that in Hell you will find many Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Methodists, Lutherans, Church of Christ, Catholic, and yes even Baptists and many more denominations. But, you will never ever find a Christian in Hell.

 

That is both sad,silly and sinful. How long have you held to such wrong-headed beliefs?

There are many in other denominations who have a better handle on many biblical doctrines than you. Don't be so boastful. Besides, there are many varieties of Baptists -- some are in the heterodox camp. Just because someone is a generic Baptist is not praiseworthy.

Do you respect any non-Baptists? Have you ever read a Bible-help or commentary by a non-Baptist?

I trust there aren't many folks holding to this particular belief of yours.

 

I understand what you are saying, Rippon, and I think I know what you mean, however, as has been stated by others in this thread - I am a Baptist, because I am a Christian. If I did not think that "Baptists" were "right" then I would be a Presbyterian, or whatever I thought was right. Many people have written about, "Why I am a Baptist." Why are you a Baptist, Rippon, is it because you like the food? The music? The steeples on the buildings? Or, perhaps, it's because you think "they" are right?

When I say "Baptist" first - it is synonymous with obeying and following Christ, in His way, by doing things His way. "Christians," who do not believe/practice as Baptists, may be saved - but they're not following/representing God to the world - His way. Period. Is this not why there is a Bpatist Only, and a Christian forum on this Board? Is that not why the question of the OP was asked in the first place - because there is an acknowledged difference between Baptist and Christian?

Do I respect any non-Baptists? Yes, as far as it goes - as far as they are right, decent folk, etc. I respect the un-saved in the same way - don't you? Have I ever read a commentary by a non-Baptist? Is there any other kind? I think they had a lock on the King's money, school systems, political connections, etc., for a good little while - didn't they? Truth is truth - no matter the source. Un-saved and non-Baptist alike can believe it and practice it - if you will - to some degree.

When God said in Revelation, "Come out of her, my people," I don't think that He was referring to the ones who were representing Him properly before the world. I have looked - and I believe the Baptists are doing this. I chose Baptist. By the way, all the non-Baptists have looked as well. As hearers, lovers, and doers, of the truth - they have woefully missed the mark. They are actually misleading themselves, and many others to misrepresent God. They chose wrongly.

Do as you like - I am a Baptist first.

 

Good point, thank-you.

 

I am a Christian who is the Pastor of a Baptist church.It must be even more confusing for Americans who have a number of different Baptist groups.

 

Eagle, what about those of us who are no longer members of a Baptist congregation? I've left the silliness behind (baptist vs. pent. vs. meth. this that and the other...I think it probably makes our Lord very sad). There are aspects of every denomination that do not hold up. My family and I are not part of a church family that claims no denomination. We simply exhort each other to lives pure and holy lives and to reach others through not only the Gospel of Christ but in large part by the witness our lives bring. There are many "Baptists" that will go to hell...but there aren't any Christians that will. And by that, I mean a person who acknowledges their sin, has accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, accepted what He did for them on that Cross, has repented of their sin, and sought for the rest of their lives to please Him and tell others about him. That, my friends, is what this whole thing boils down to. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

I understand what you are saying, Jason Garrett, however, there is a reason that this is a Baptist only forum - I am not saying that you are not Baptist, your profile says that you are - but what I am saying is that this thread shouldn't have even gotten off the ground, BECAUSE all of us who claim Baptist have already resolved this issue - that is why we are Baptists on a Baptist ONLY forum! I should not have to explain or defend why I am a Baptist here, or why I choose to be called Baptist before/over/above being associated with "religions" that have murdered - no massacred - believers of like faith and order (mostly!) to me.

I am not one ob' 'em - nor do I in any way shape of form want to associated with them. I do not want the world to be any more confused about the mixed messages they get from the "mishmash" that you want to call "Christianity" - and that My Lord wants nothing to do with. God is not pleased that we all, saying different things, claim to represent Him, and His truth, to the world. He does not just "wish" that we would forget our differences and all be nice to each other. He is worthy to have his truth proclaimed, believed, defended, and acted on. That is what He expects from us, as His Church. Baptists say one thing - they say another.

I believe that I am in the Lord's church (a local ekklessia). I believe that my church was authorized of God to represent Him to the world. I do not believe that non-Baptists are in the Lord's Church - period. I do not believe that God has authorized them to represent Him - period. We are not the same - but mind you - even if you think we are close, it makes no difference. You are the Lord's Church - or you are not. They are not. That is what being Baptist is.

 

What a monumentally, patently unBiblical position. Horrible.

 

Being a Christian is being twice-born by the grace of God. Being a baptist is choosing the steps we think are biblically, and hence theologically, correct. Simple as that, I think.

We can argue until the cows come home about the various steps one can take and in whatever church, but eventually we must make a stand on where we stand beyond the fundamental of being "saved".

Cheers,

Jim