I'm a Baptist by conviction! I'm not a Baptist by convenience, but rather I chose to be a Baptist. By the way let me say that I'm not ashamed that I'm a Baptist. We still have the word Baptist on our Church signs, on our tracts and even on the books we pass out. I was married in a Baptist Church, called to preach in a Baptist Church, and learned how to go soul-winning in a Baptist Church. I was not born a Baptist, but by God's grace I'll die a Baptist!We live in a day of compromising Preachers who are slowly taken the name Baptist of of their Church signs. This preacher will not fall into the sea of compromise. When people ask me what kind of Christian are you? My reply will be I'm a Baptist Christian.
Living in Croatia we have had to suffer just a little for the name Baptist, but we do it joyfully. I remember our first year here, my son Cody was playing with a little boy who could speak English. When the little boy learned that Cody was a Baptist, he said I can't play with you, because you are a Baptist. There are times when we couldn't rent property here because we are Baptist. But praise God that's alright, because there is coming a day when the King of Kings will give me a mansion.
Just today we learned that the property we found to possibly rent for our church plant will no longer be available to us. Why? You guessed it, no Baptist churches allowed! The funny thing is the people renting it now are from China and they have some kind of Eastern acupuncture massage pallor there. There is room for them, but not for the Baptist!
One day we will live under the rule of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we will all be Baptist!
5 comments:
Amen, brother. Drove past a church this week that used to be Baptist and now they are just a "fellowship." The name means something; that's why they change it. They don't want to be identified with what it means.
Amen! I'm with ya babe, I'm a Baptist too and not one of those new kinds either, I like the old stuff!
I'm so proud that you have stuck to the stuff and have been a wonderful example of "right" to me and the kids.
Johnny you said, "One day we will live under the rule of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we will all be Baptist!"
Does that mean Jesus is a Baptist? Does that mean that Christians that go by a different label, are not really Christians? Is Baptist the only true way?
Praying for Croatia this week.
Dear friend,
First of all the word Christian means to be Christ like, it does not mean those who are saved.
Now to answer your questions. The word Baptist describes a group of people throughout the centuries who held to the doctrines of the Apostles. To be a Baptist does not mean you belong to a denomination, but rather you hold to a set of doctrines that Christians have held to throughout history. Now they were not all called by the name Baptist, as we know it today, but they did hold to the same set of doctrines that many Baptist today believe.
For a person to go to heaven they simply must believe that Jesus is the Savior and put their faith in Him! You can be a Catholic, Methodist, Church of Christ, Mormon, Baptist, etc. and still die and go to hell. Only Jesus saves!
When I said that we will all be Baptist in heaven, I did not mean that only Baptist would make it to heaven. All who put their faith in Jesus and Him alone will make it to heaven. However, when we all get there we will believe what Jesus taught His disciples and I, as well as many others, believe that is what the Baptist have believed throughout history.
Thank you for your comment and for praying for Croatia.
Good explanation Bro. Johnny. I am a Baptist but I work hard at being a Biblicist - if Baptists ever stray from true doctrine I might not call myself one.
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