I think that's a fair post.
No Baptist church I ever joined asked me to agree with a statement of faith. They just asked if I had accepted Jesus as my Savior and been immersed.
The little baptist church I am now considering: The pastor told me that I didn't have to believe in OSAS to join there.
I've never seen a statement of faith of any church that I agreed completely with. So, according to you, I couldn't be a member of any church, right?
Soul Liberty
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by mandym, Apr 14, 2012.
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Nazarene: entire sanctification
United Methodist: polity, baptism
SBC: OSAS, women pastors
Pentecostal: Holy Spirit baptism, with initial evidence of tongues
Presbyterian: Calvinism
RCC: extreme sacramentalism; popery
Churches of Christ: baptism necessary for salvation
I could go on, but why? :) -
Iconoclast Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
real soul liberty in my mind would be christians being "free" to serve God by voluntary law keeping, toward God and man...Love is the keeping of the law. As unsaved we were lawless for the most part...as redeemed image bearers we are "free" to serve.
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For example, for me, I was looking at some church's statements of faith, and near the end it said, "A Dispensational view of scripture is necessary." And went on to detail their dispensational eschatology. Personally, I don't think ANY church should have ANY eschatological position, other than "Jesus is coming back." That's one thing I do appreciate about the BF&M.
-That dispensational church would probably let me become a member there, but I don't know that I would be happy there if they were always harping about dispensational stuff.
Anyway, it sounds to me like the issue for you is not whether a church requires assent to a creed, but how detailed beyond the basic Gospel that the assent goes?
-If they require that I believe in Jesus and be baptized, that "Creed" is acceptable...but if they require that I believe in OSAS or a specific view of end times, that is going too far.
Is this correct, or am I missing something? -
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I do think they made a big mistake with the IMB/private prayer issue, and feel bad for those missionaries...and of course just as in ANY big orginization, there are people at different levels of authority who make unwise, or selfish decisions. Thankfully our local church is free to ignore most of the silly stuff and support the good stuff. -
Sometimes sola scriptura and soul liberty have overlapped. Here is a famous quote which is a good example of soul liberty:
http://www.christianity.com/ChurchH...com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=04/17/2012/ -
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