Featured The Root...of Doctrinal Apostasy...what is that?

“There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

It matters little if is/was Jewish law keeping, demand for baptism to wash away sin, worshipping on the Sabath, or accepting deviants into fellowship/membership.

All apostasy sounds right, is rationally supportable, and can be based upon a Scripture.

However, imo, ultimately all apostasy is built upon “ God said don’t eat...” followed by, “Surely you won’t die...”

Typical bait and switch scheme to discredit the sovereignty of God.

 

...which is TRUE. Jesus said He knocks at the door; he does not kick it in. That means one must get up & open the door to let Him in.

 

Doctrinal apostasy is a result of spiritual apostasy. The latter comes first while the former is the symptom.

 

Sorry, such as what? Personally I believe the RCC has done much to corrupt.... then there is science and Philosophy. These are the atheist fallback sources

 

I think He does kick it in. When you are faced with your own sinful life, with your own evil perpetuated unto the Lord, with the fact that you are an enemy of God and the life you live will eventually send you straight to hell and He chose to save a wretch like me, you have no choice but to say, sorry Lord please forgive me and save me... then you know, He has chosen you for salvation. Your heart is changed, you grow a conscience, all your defenses are down and you see things from a different position. You see, when God comes after you, he is coming to get you. I praise Him for that!

 

I was baptized by immersion as a believer in Jesus Christ. My home church is an IFB church and I've fellowshipped within those circles some 40 years now. But I've learned from many other churches as well. Baptist distinctives? Yes if you refer to the 8. I come closest to the 1689 LBC but embrace other creeds in areas I believe are lacking therein.

 

In moving to a new area, I looked for an FIEC church, NOT a Baptist church. There is a Baptist Union church in the area, about the same distance as the church we go to.

Welcome to Ewyas Harold Baptist Church
Minister: Rev. Joy James
.....
Band: A group of musicians regularly lead the worship during the service.

The Baptist Union is recognised by evangelicals as a "mixed" denomination, held together by a principle -

 

please then, let me know what your idea of Baptist Distinctives are so I can better understand your approach to Christianity.

 

By your definition of ‘Baptist’, most Baptists probably aren’t Baptist.

What happened to the Biblical Elders?
When did Seperation of Church and State become a spiritual distinctive rather than a political distinctive?
Particular Baptists aren’t Baptists?

 

Define Pastor, define Deacon... then what about elder lead? Then what Doctrines are considered correct? cause if there is no doctrine ( let’s once again use the Trinity Doctrine) what’s our grounding?

 

Mr. Cassidy stated the distinctives clearly as;

Bible - the soul authority for faith and practice

Autonomy or independence of the local church

Priesthood of all believers

Two offices - Pastor and Deacon

Individual soul liberty and responsibility

Separation of Church & State

Two ordinances Believer's Baptism by immersion & Lord's Supper

Saved, baptized and serving membership.


If you would like to know more about what I believe, I subscribe to virtually all the Reformed Creeds except where the 1689 LBC makes corrections. And I subscribe to the Anabaptist Schleitheim Confession as far as Christian ethics. Omitted by the other creeds.

 

I am suggesting exactly that. Have you ever read Spurgeon's "Lectures to my Students"? In the first volume, Spurgeon mentions how horrible it would be for a preacher to proclaim the gospel to the lost when he, himself, is not born again.

I have written about this recently. The best man in my wedding attended the same Bible college as me and went on to graduate from a prestigious seminary. He was a professor at an equally prestigious Bible college. He held to all the right doctrines. He was able to articulate doctrine and theology at an elite level. However, his total apostasy from the Christian faith proves that he possessed head knowledge only. He was excited by the scholarship that theological study offered but not the spiritual aspect of it. Sadly, evangelicalism has more than a few people like this still within its ranks. Not every apostate has abandoned the faith completely. Some hang on and work their evil within Christendom.

 

What does it mean to have separation of church and State?

 

Actually, there is no such thing. Separation of church and state is a misinterpretation of the Establishment Clause in the United States Constitution which is found in the First Amendment. It states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." In short, it means that Congress cannot establish a state religion as had been the case in England. Also, Congress could not prohibit the practice of religion. The Constitution does not separate church and state. The church has the right to involve itself in all facets of society. The enumerated powers given to the federal government preclude it from meddling in religion.