Being Baptist: Religious Freedom

Baptists believe in complete religious freedom for everyone. Freedom for religion and freedom from religion. This strong belief was born from religious persecution suffered in England and the colonies. State churches tend to use force to uphold a particular set of doctrines and silence dissent.

When Christianity became the official religion of Rome, the emperor took the role of protecting the faith. Both pagans and heretics were persecuted. Over the centuries, many were burned at the stake in an effort to keep the church pure.

The Protestant Reformation enabled many churches break away from the Roman Catholic Church but, rather than bring religious freedom, it only increased persecution. Each ruler decided the religion for their territory. The Protestants became the persecutors and the Catholics retaliated.

Religious refugees came to America seeking religious freedom but only for themselves. The Puritans that founded Massachusetts created a state church supported by taxes. Only members of the church could vote or hold office. Dissidents like Quakers and Baptists were imprisoned and executed. Each colony set its own standards for religious freedom.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all. Nothing in this amendment prevents religion from influencing the government and being a voice for justice and morality in the public square. Jesus said that we are to be salt and light in society and that we are to be His witnesses.

This creates tension and conflict in a society that seems to be increasingly polarized. The recent Chick Fil A confrontation showed that both sides of the gay marriage debate have significant clout. Public debate is good and Christians should be a part of it but we must not confuse politics with the gospel.

Political power is not the way to bring about the type of Kingdom that Jesus describes. Conservative columnist Cal Thomas lamented that 20 years after the Moral Majority helped elect Ronald Reagan, America was pretty much the same. He wrote, “For Christians, the vision of worldly power is not a calling, but a distraction. It is a temptation Jesus rejected, not because it was dangerous, but because it was trivial compared with his mission.”

We need changed hearts NOT changed laws; we need revival NOT revolution. II Chronicles 7:14: “if my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land”.

God does not belong to any political party. Isaiah was discouraged in the year that king Uzziah died. He had ruled for decades and now the future was uncertain. But Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. Uzziah was dead but God was still on the throne.

God can work through any government. Rome was pagan and hostile to Christianity but Roman roads and laws helped Christianity to spread. The Bible says that all authority comes from God and we should submit to it. This was written particularly about the government of Rome who crucified Christ, persecuted Christians, and had morally bankrupt rulers.

The church must reserve the right to speak the truth to all parties. When church becomes the mouthpiece for any political party it loses its prophetic voice.

“So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, 
and to God what is God’s.”

Matthew 22:21

Being Baptist: Soul Freedom

Soul competency or freedom is a foundational Baptist distinctive that is essential for our teaching concerning humanity, the church and salvation. It is tied to the Reformation principle of the Priesthood of the Believer. At the heart of this doctrine is that every individual has access to God without the need of a priest or any human mediator. The Bible says, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV).

Each individual is responsible before God to accept or reject salvation. Therefore Baptism and church membership are for those who make a personal decision to accept God's gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

A further understanding comes from 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (NIV)

There is no special clergy class. The church is composed of a “royal priesthood” chosen to tell people of God's love. The work of the church is not the sole realm of the pastor and a few paid professionals, it belongs to all God's people: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

Congregational church polity is also tied to soul freedom. Baptist churches are run in a democratic manner. Each member has an equal say and a right to be heard. Born again Christians can be trusted, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to help the church make wise decisions. However, congregational church polity only works if people show up at business meetings. Otherwise, the church is run by a small group of those who show up. The church is at its best when its members faithfully participate in making decisions.

Soul Freedom has both rights and responsibilities. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)

Being Baptist: Local Church Autonomy

August 5, 2012, the Bishop Seabury Anglican Church held its last service on  the property where they had worshiped for 135 years. In 2006 the church was one of six Connecticut congregations that decided they could no longer be a part of the Episcopal Church. The six congregations disagreed on biblical grounds with recent decisions by the national body. The Episcopal Church moved to evict them.

Bishop Seabury Anglican Church appealed all the way to the Supreme Court but lost a six year struggle. The US courts decided that the Episcopal Church owned the 165 acres and buildings that the congregation had paid for, improved and maintained for over a century.

A foundational Baptist principle is local church autonomy. The Baptist movement was born out of similar conflict with the Anglican Church over 400 years ago. Some members of the Church of England believed that the Reformation had not gone far enough to correct the errors and abuses that had crept into the Church of England. The Puritans wanted to change the church from within but were frustrated because the bishops refused. Some who felt strongly about this left the Church of England and became known as Separatists. Baptists were among these Separatists. Baptists believe that, since churches in the New Testament were autonomous, each local church is a complete organization that is self governed and self supporting. Baptist churches own their own property, decide who their pastor will be, how their money will be spent, and how and if they will relate to other churches.

The rise in the number of “non-denominational” megachurches combined with the ubiquitous independent churches found in storefronts and converted homes bears witness to the growing consensus on this doctrine. Lutheran church historian, Martin Marty, called this part of the “baptistification” of the American church in a 1983 Christianity Today article.

Hierarchical forms of church government (run from the top down) gave birth to the Protestant Reformation and other church renewal movements. Political control of large numbers of people and resources are a temptation that is attractive to people who are power-hungry and lacking in scruples. Moreover, the leadership of hierarchical denominations tend to be out of touch with the people in the pews and are often more concerned with protecting the status quo than the concerns of their parishioners.

Free churches are able to choose the best programs and materials from a variety of para-church groups, Christian businesses and denominational sources. They can partner (or not) with other churches and para-church groups without losing their autonomy. They can apply biblical truth in their own context and reject teachings from national leaders whom they deem to be in error.

I commend Bishop Seabury Anglican Church for standing up for its principles and pray for their continued prosperity

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. 
Stand firm, then,and do not let yourselves 

be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

Being Baptist: The birth of the Baptist movement

The Baptist movement began nearly 100 years after the birth of the Protestant Reformation and embodied the spirit of ecclesia semper reformanda est (Latin for “the church is always to be reformed”). This was one of the tenets of the Protestant Reformation.

There were Anglican Christians who believed that the Church of England had not gone far enough to correct the errors and abuses that had crept into the church. Some who felt strongest about this decided they must leave the Church of England and became known as Separatists.

Separatist John Smyth organized the first Baptist church in 1609. The name was given to them because of their practice of only baptizing believers. If salvation is by faith than the person being baptized must have faith. This is known as soul competency. Each person is free to accept or reject Christ.

These early Baptists contributed other significant reformations to the Christian faith. They believed in the autonomy of the local church; the Bible does not dictate any authority over the local church other than Jesus Christ. Baptists also championed religious liberty for all; the state should not interfere in the affairs of the church.

Other groups held these beliefs but it was this unique combination along with tenets inherited from the Protestant Reformation that continue to define Baptists. Following the principle of ecclesia semper reformanda est, Baptists throughout history have used the Bible to ensure that there doctrine and practice was pure. This led to many divisions among Baptists ever the years but the freedom to examine the scriptures and act accordingly still continues. This may explain why whenever you have two Baptists you get three opinions.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

Being Baptist: the five solae

    The five solae refer to 5 Latin phrases that summarize the Protestant Reformation. They are:

• Sola scriptura (by Scripture alone)
• Sola fide (by faith alone)
• Sola gratia (by grace alone)
• Solus Christus (through Christ alone)
• Soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone)

Sola scriptura is the foundation of the others and was covered in a previous blog. Together they describe the way to salvation.

Three of the solae are found in Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (NIV).

That's it. There are no rituals; no rules to follow; no symbolic acts. 

Many Baptist churches have traditions surrounding the salvation event. These include the invitation where people are invited at the end of the service to come forward and make a public profession of faith. Sometimes they are prompted with instructions to bow their heads and close their eyes. Many times the preacher will pray a model “sinners prayer” that people can repeat. These activities are not essential to salvation. All that is needed is grace (God's) and faith (in Jesus Christ).

Baptism follows a profession of faith in Christ. This is not needed for salvation. The thief on the cross made it to heaven without baptism (Luke 23:39-43). Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change.

Certainly a person who is “born again” exhibits different behavior after salvation. The Bible tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Changed behavior is evidence of salvation, not a prerequisite.

Being Baptist: the Authority of the Bible

Before the Reformation, the church recognized two sources of authority: the Bible and the traditions of the church. These traditions included ecumenical councils, the writings of church fathers, and the infallibility of the Pope. As a result many heresies crept into the church. One was that the church was the only source of forgiveness for sins. Another was that you could use money to buy forgiveness for sins past & future. Church leaders would control both kings and the people with the threat of hell.

Martin Luther and other reformers believed that the Bible was the final authority and superior to church tradition. Luther challenged the church on 95 wrong teachings and appealed to the Bible for his arguments. The Reformation led many churches across Europe to declare their independence from the Pope.

Baptists follow this teaching from the Reformation. We believe in the Bible as the sole authority for faith and practice. The Baptist Faith & Message (1963) states:

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of Gods revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles by which God judges us; and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.

Many people today believe that tradition is equal to the Bible. One Baptist was winning an argument regarding a controversial teaching. His opponent said, “I don't care what the Bible says, it ain’t Baptist!”

There are many regional beliefs that Baptists have that are not grounded in the Bible. These often begin, “Baptists don't...”

You can fill in the blank with many cultural prejudices about dancing, movies, women wearing pants and more. One infamous belief was the defense of slavery by some Baptist churches. Baptists repented of this upon a closer examination of scriptures.

One principle of the Reformation is called ecclesia semper reformanda est, which is Latin for “the church is always to be reformed.” The Baptist movement was born as a result of examination of the scriptures. For more than 400 years Baptists have examined the scriptures and adapted their doctrine accordingly. This principle has helped Baptists to continue to grow as other denominations began to decline.

Baptist leaders must know the Bible well and dedicate themselves to lifelong study of the scriptures if we are to continue to keep our churches free from doctrinal error.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105 (KJV)

Being Baptist

Baptists are a diverse group. Most people groups are represented both in America and across the world. Martin Luther King, Jr. was Baptist and so was segregationist governor Lester Maddox. Democratic presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and conservative Republican Senator Jesse Helms are all Baptists. Baptists are organized into various denominations including the Southern Baptist Convention (the largest Protestant denomination in America) but many choose to remain independent.

Within this diversity lies a distinctive group of beliefs that Baptists hold in common. These beliefs are not exclusive to Baptists, other denominations believe them as well. It is the combination of these beliefs that create the Baptist identity.

These beliefs include the authority of the Bible, soul competency, salvation by faith alone, local church autonomy, religious freedom and a strong emphasis on evangelism and missions. The Baptists are more commonly identified by the belief in believer's baptism by immersion.

Diversity and freedom are a common theme among Baptists but some headline-grabbing individuals within our denominational family make us look mean and controlling. It's important for Baptists to understand our history and doctrine. This Sunday I begin a sermon series about being Baptist that will be accompanied by this blog and a study of Baptist doctrine on Wednesday nights.

 

Adapting to Change

I recently read an article about a Lutheran church that will soon be closing it's doors. Once a thriving church, only eight people attended a recent worship service. On the other hand a Baptist new church start that rents property from the Lutherans is thriving with an average attendance of 80.

Why are the Lutherans dwindling while Baptists grow in the same neighborhood? The answer comes from Dr.Bill Leonard, church history professor at Wake Forest University. He said that mainline churches such as the Lutherans, Presbyterians and Methodists have a top-down church polity. Local churches follow policies set by senior leaders at a national level. Change comes slow.

Baptists, on the other hand, can more readily adapt to change. Baptist churches are autonomous and do not need permission from a bishop or synod to start a new ministry or drop an old one. They don't have to use denominationally approved teaching materials. Congregational church polity puts decision-making in the hands of the people who either decide to move or stay and find ways to reach their changing community.

Of course, not all Baptists congregations adapt (so they die) and there are other denominations and movements that follow congregational polity. But, overall, Baptists continue to adapt for the sake of the gospel. In fact, the Baptist's motivation for change is the desire to reach the next generation for Jesus Christ.

Baptist Temple has survived a century by adapting to a community that seems to be constantly changing. Forty-six baptisms over the last three years bear testimony to Baptist Temple's motivation to reach our community. Many of these baptisms have been among the hard to reach Millennial Generation (born between 1980 and 2000) and have included couples and families.

One important factor in Baptist Temple's current revival is the congregation's ownership of the ministries. Congregation polity gives everyone a voice, the Holy Spirit guides our decisions, and love helps one accept congregational decisions with which one may not agree.

Sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, praise his name;

proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Psalm 96:1-3

It’s Time to Rediscover the Baptist Heritage and Renew our Witness

At 40 million, Baptists are the second largest denomination in the US. The first, Roman Catholics number 50 million and Methodists come in a distant third at 14 million.

Baptists also represent a great deal of diversity. Baptists represent the largest African American denomination and the largest Protestant Hispanic denomination. There are also Baptist churches for almost every ethnicity and language group in America.

Politically, Baptists are found on the far left, far right and everywhere in between. Both Martin Luther King, Jr. and segregationist Governor of Georgia, Lester Maddox, were Baptist. Some Baptists pioneered the Social Gospel Movement and others preached against it.

It has often been said, “Where there are two Baptists, there are three opinions.”

When the vast majority of Baptist denominational groups met for an historic meeting in Atlanta, the largest of the groups refused to attend.

There are a several Baptist beliefs that define the denomination. These include the Lordship of Christ, the authority of the Bible, religious freedom, the autonomy of the local church, the priesthood of every believer and believer’s baptism.

While Baptists may differ on how to apply the Bible to life we do agree that we should. Perhaps it’s time that being a Baptist becomes more important than being a Republican or a Democrat. Perhaps it’s time to focus on commonalities instead of differences. Perhaps it’s time that Baptists focus more on the gospel and less on what other churches do. Perhaps it’s time to rediscover the Baptist heritage and renew our witness.

Sermon Audio