What denominations are saved?

I think I agree with you...
I am not saying an altar call is bad.. .but if one ties it to salvation... if one makes going to the altar a requirement for salvation it becomes bad.

There is no difference in that than requiring Baptism for salvation... both are works.

Besides, I have never met a true Christian that could keep his or her mouth shut about what Christ did for them...

It is not a requirement... but it is demonstrative of the Salvation they received.

It is not a work.. but a fruit.

 

Late Getting in On This Post, BUT.....

As I read this post Title, I knew I had to add my words. First of all, welcome to the BB, and the Baptist family.:wavey:

Secondly, denominations can not be saved. God offers salvation to individuals, and I suppose one could conclude that the denomination, because it is made up of saved folks, the denomination is in some way saved? However, Christ did not die upon the cross to save denominations, He dies for You and Me, and those all around us.

Bless you as you continue to grow to learn so much more about your personal Savior.

Shalom.

Pastor Paul:type:

 

Are we playing God now?

 

Remember Phillip and the Eunich in Acts 8:27ff? They were in a desert, alone. The Eunich not only received the gift of salvation (alone) with Phillip leading him, but was also baptized in private. This was not a public display. It was between a man and God, Phillip simply explaining the scriptures at the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I have more suspect than credance in so-called altar calls. Some people, yea, many are co-erced to go forward in public and many of these public displays are meaningless.

You are still an infant in the Lord Jesus, and I suggest you take one step at a time and continue to do what you have done here; challenge what you hear and verify it by scripture.

Cheers, and bless,

Jim

 

Jesus saves.
Denomination does NOT save.
End of discussion.

 

The public confession of one's faith in the Christ is at his baptism.

There are no altars in a Baptist Church. It usually refers to a symbolic place down at the front. Nothing can be done at the front that can't be done just as well back in your seat.

 

Hey, Jim, is "Eunich" a Canadian spelling for eunuch? :laugh:

Sorry, couldn't help myself! :wavey:

 

Matt, God can save someone in any denomination. But in some denominations, they are saved despite the teachings of their church.

 

Matt, there are several threads on this board dealing with altar calls and invitations. Look at the top of the page, just under the Paypal logo and find "Search." Type in altar call invitation, and you'll have every viewpoint debated.

And welcome to the Baptist Board.

 

Hi Marcia...I think it might be my English fingers falling in Canadian letters aided by my semi-blindness....Then, I think these modern computers have keyboards that are faster than my intelligence.......

Cheers,

Jim

The Ethiopian...lol

 

Sure, blame it on the computer keyboard! :laugh:

Blessings to you, Jim! :wavey:

 

Amen, my brother!

End of discussion.

 

This answer is gets to the heart of the real question. I think "What denominations are saved" really means, "Which denomination is teaching the true Gospel?"

Christ alone saves. I believe that, and I would be as quick to say that Christ can save one in a Buddhist temple as I would be to say that He can save one in the Catholic Church. But the salvation would be despite the teaching, and not because of it.

 

My question is who do the baptists believe will be saved and receive salvation? What denominations? Under Baptist beliefs can a catholic be saved and can a catholic reach salvation? How about a presbyterian, a methodist, or a lutheran?

As the others have stated, salvation has nothing do to with denomination affiliation, although many religious groups do assoctiate salvation with their orginaization.The Catholics for example have a rich history of toruring ,murdering, and warring against groups that did not submit to their Church.

What we as born again believers have to learn do to is to not readily accept all professions of faith, but to dig deeper and make sure people are saved. Now if and individual is submitting to the various doctrines of these other denominations listed, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, and especially Catholic, than they are not saved. Methodist and Lutheran associate salvation with baptisim. Presbyterian adhere to Calvanism, another false gospel, and the Catholis history shows that they make it up as they go. So any individual submitting to the various doctrines of these other religous groups is likely not saved as they are, wiether they know it or not, submitting to false gospels.

Now we know as stated that salvation comes from faith alone. Eph2:8,9. What we have to make clear is that it is not believe in the existence in God that saves, but in the finished work on the cross. This by definition must include the diety of Christ, his perfect sinless life, the death on the cross, the bodil resurection 3 days after his death, his current position on the right hand of God in heaven, his continual work as our great high priest and advocate, and the purifying effect of his blood as the only sacrifice acceptable to God for our sins.

Where it gets tricky is in understanding what various groups believe, because what someone might tell you about their salvation can have completely different meaning from our understanding. A Lutheran friend of ours always told us that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus. It always sounded good, but conflicted with what I knew to be Lutheran doctrine. After 4 years, we finally found out what they meant by faith. They believe that the faith is given to them at their baptism, which often happens in infancy. More specifically, they believe that it is in the words that the preacher says during the baptism. that bestows the faith, and thus the salvation. They told us salvation by faith in Jesus, but meant faith recieved by magic words during baptism. It is very confusing and decietful. THe one thing that is very commendable in the Lutheran church is that they are all expected to go through the catecism. We baptists often falter when it comes to the pratcical teaching of all bible doctrines to our youth. We sometimes assume that teaching will be picked up in the preaching, but both were a part of the great commission.

Lastly, the bible talks about many who think they know Jesus, bu Jesus says I know you not. The bible also talks about making sure your salvation. THe road is narrow and there are few who enter in. In light of these scriptures, I think the whole of Christianity will be astounded at how very few are raptured. To many trust in works, or standards or other things as the evidence and assurance of their salvation. THe most commmonly left out part is salvation is repentance, the turning away from the sinful life previously lived. THe only claim we will ever have before an almighty holy and righteous God is the blood of the Lord Jeus Christ.

 

Sorry, I was not a theologian when I realized Christ as my personal Saviour. I was also a member of the Church of England, the holy catholic church. Shock! I know I am saved. Lord help me, I am also a strict calvinist.

By grace through faith are we saved, nothing of our own, and that includes being a member of one of those alien denominations.

The infant baptizers do not require baptism for conversion. The reformed churches believe baptism of an infant or child is a covenant promise to bring that child to a saving knowledge of the Lord. It is not their redemption.

You have drawn a rigid straight line that not one person can qualify for born again status. You are making the fruit of one's redemption that act of redemption and James speaks rather harshly about that even though he speaks strongly about the works that must follow redeeming grace.

The man credited with starting the first baptist churches, John Smyth poured water on his head for baptism. Gasp! He was never immersed, and many of his followers followed suite. Beware of drawing straight, rigid theological lines.

By the way, read a few books and you will soon learn how many Anglicans wrote legitimate books about the faith once delivered to the saints.

Spurgeon, the most prolific baptist writer and energetic preacher, never spoke badly of those Anglicans who stood fast to the word. As a matter of fact, he had a number of them who preached in the great Metropolitan Tabernacle (note, not even a mention of baptist in the name) when he would not dare invite many baptists so to preach.

There is only one person we need to be assured of their salvation and that is ourself.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Since you are a Calvinist, can you tell me how I can know if I am really "chosen" or if I am just wasting my time. And if I am "chosen", then am I just wasting my time worrying about it? Please explain.

AJ

 

May I offer that there is no such think as "What Baptists believe' or "Baptist beliefs". Beliefs of various Baptists, both as to individuals and as to groups, run the gamut.

Salvation is said to be "by grace through faith", and Scripture likewise says that "whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." So yes, any and all of the above can be saved! That obviously does not mean they will be saved, for not all will believe in Him..

The Bible does not say that salvation is by grace through faith, provided you are doctrinally accurate.

Nor does Scripture say that "whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life," if they have understood eight major sub-components of what this means and/or if they have not "submitted" to some various other denomination's teachings.

I share your frustration at individuals who are doctrinally 'weak' or 'confused.'; I'm just not sure I share the same understanding as you are attempting to get across, here.

Dr. Martin Luther was saved while in the Church of Rome; Dr. Charles Haddon Spurgeon was saved in a small Methodist church, during a snowstorm, that was so bad, the preacher couldn't get there and he (Spurgeon) was unable to get to his own church, and a completely untrained layman spun one verse of Scripture around and around (Isa. 45:22), trying to get out some sort of a message to the handful of hardy souls that had managed to get through the snowstorm for a very short distance in the village where the church was located.

I am very leery of denouncing everything I disagree with as a 'false gospel', since I find I can agree with almost no one, completely, on every point. This would certainly include you, with what you have already posted, on the definition of Repentance, alone, and may I say I see several other things that are already tossing up huge 'red flags' just from this post, for me, as an advocate of what is known as 'free grace'. But let's see if and where we can see where we do agree on major things, even if disagreeing on some things that are more minor. To use a well known 'ditty' - "In major things, unity; in minor things, liberty; in all things charity."

Finally, the Bible does not say this, but I will say it, just the same. "Welcome to the Baptist Board." :wavey:

Ed

 

You should really be asking the Holy Spirit about this, because if it is the Holy Spirit who inspired Paul to write his epistles to the church, Paul wrote about and taught about the election of God of His saints unto salvation, and if one cannot know He is chosen (as opposed to knowing if your neighbor in that seat in church is chosen, or your pastor is chosen) then the Holy Spirit made a very serious, irrevocable error when He inspired Paul to write the following to that rowdy, unruly, problematic church of his time, the Corinthian church:

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" 2 Corinthians 13:5.

Now, of course, Baptists being Baptists, somebody will find fault with the above, and say that I am being heretical and that Paul was not within an inch talking of election in the quoted Scripture.

Oh, well, okay, then let's go to Peter, who wrote to the same people and congregations he wrote to in both his first and second epistle, and either in his first or second epistle, unmistakably referred to God's sovereign election of His saints unto salvation, and to them, this once boastful, prideful, rowdy, brawling, quick-tongued, "uneducated" fisherman, wrote:

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" 2 Peter 3:10.

One Scripture suffices to the child of God. If there is one Scripture that says it is possible to make your calling and election sure, then that suffices.

But, again, Baptists being Baptists, I suppose some fire-breathing, Bible-thumping, salivating, Baptist Board member will come up with a refutation of my claim, in accordance to Scripture, that one's calling and election can be made sure by that elect child of God, and write down his own interpretation of what kind of election Peter is talking about.

But, have fun reading, and I hope this shows you are not being ignored on this board.