The Family

23 Then the man said,"This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." 24  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Gen 2:23-24 (ESV)

4  Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Heb 13:4 (ESV)

The Baptist Faith & Message

XVIII. The Family


God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.
Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.
Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7. 
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The modern secular concept of the family is largely driven by sociological theories and assumes that marriage and the traditional family structure are merely the products of human social evolution. Thus, proponents of the secular view believe that because the family is simply a sociological development, it can be renegotiated and restructured to meet modern expectations.

Christians must insist otherwise. We believe marriage, which was instituted by God before the fall, was a central part of God's design for humanity from the beginning (see Genesis 2:23-24). Furthermore, we believe the family, consisting of a mother, a father, and their children, reflects God's glory in the right ordering of civilization and society.

In our confused times many people celebrate what is described as a diversity of family forms. Although Christians recognize that families can experience brokenness, we must also assert that God's purpose and intention are that we build, nurture and respect  ties of marriage, blood and adoption. The family is not a laboratory for social experimentation but an arena in which God's glory is shown to the world in the right ordering of human relationships. ...

The primary responsibilities of nurturing the family and raising children are assigned to the husband and wife. Children are also assigned responsibility to honor and obey their parents, for this is pleasing to the God and is a testimony to God's loving purpose for the family.
We live in a time when the definition of family is a matter of political and social controversy and when the culture is confused about the definition of marriage. Christians bear the unique responsibility to tell the truth, to live the truth, and to bear witness to God's loving intention in establishing marriage and the family for our good. God gave us marriage and family for our happiness and our health, but he also created them as structures of accountability so that we can live holy lives, demonstrating His character, love and wisdom as we fulfill all the responsibilities and roles assigned to marriage and the family.

Pray that God will strengthen homes and help Christian families be all He wants them to be.

from The Baptist Faith & Message Study

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Soli Deo Gloria

ah

Religious Liberty

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,   for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

1 Tim 2:1-2 (ESV)

The Baptist Faith & Message

XVII. Religious Liberty

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.

Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.

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Religious liberty has always been  a Baptist principle and a Baptist passion. Our commitment is to religious liberty for all peoples, not just for Baptists, because we believe that every human being is created in God's image and possesses full rights and freedoms granted by the Creator, as well as full accountability.

Early Baptists suffered intense persecution and hostility, which taught Baptists to recognize the necessity of authentic religious liberty.

Christians must be free to bring their biblically informed understanding of moral truth to the nation's public policy debates as the salt and the light that Christ has commanded them to be (see Matthew 5:13-16), even as they contend for full religious liberty for all citizens, whatever their faith.

E. Y. Mullins once defined the Baptist concept as "a free church in  free state." These words remind Baptists of our responsibility to protect, defend, and contend for religious liberty at home and around the world. This is part of our Baptist witness and our gospel task.

from The Baptist Faith & Message Study

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Soli Deo Gloria

ah


Click here to go to The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission website.

Peace and War

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18 (ESV)


The Baptist Faith & Message

XVI. Peace and War

It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38; Romans 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14; James 4:1-2.
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Righteousness must not be sacrificed in the name of false peace.

As defined throught the centuries, the just-war theory holds that in order for a war to be justified sevearal criteria must be satisfied:
- just cause - use of force must be defensive and never offensive
- just intention - to secure a fair, lasting peace for all parties.
- last resort - all other legitimate means of settling the conflict have been tried and failed.
- limit objectives to what is necessary to establish a just peace.
- use of force approved by a legitimate authority.
- only proportionate means be used.
- noncombatants be protected whenever possible.
- must a be a reasonable chance of successs.
- must be a realistic hope that conflict will lead to a superior, lasting peace.

Chrisitans cannot wage with earthly weapons the most important war we are called to fight. As Paul reminds us, "Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens" (Eph. 6:12) No Christian wars are fought with earthly weapons and for earthly goals.

Until Christ comes, we will have war. But Christians must work and contend for peace. We must pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.


from The Baptist Faith & Message Study

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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

The Christian and the Social Order

14  "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matt 5:14-16 (ESV)

The Baptist Faith & Message

XV. The Christian and the Social Order

All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.

Exodus 20:3-17; Leviticus 6:2-5; Deuteronomy 10:12; 27:17; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5:13-16,43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3ff.; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Romans 12–14; 1Corinthians 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24; 10:23-11:1; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.
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Love of neighbor requires that we genuinely care about the shape of our society.

All human life is sacred from conception to until natural death.

Christians must stand without apology against the corruption of God's gift of sexuality.

The lordship of Jesus Christ extends to every dimension of human work and culture.



from The Baptist Faith & Message Study

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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

Cooperation

For we are God's fellow workers. ...

1 Cor 3:9 (ESV)


The Baptist Faith & Message


XIV. Cooperation

Christ's people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches. They are voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of our people in the most effective manner. Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ's people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.


Exodus 17:12; 18:17ff.; Judges 7:21; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69; 5:14-15; Nehemiah 4; 8:1-5; Matthew 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:19-20; Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1ff.; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1ff.; 4:31-37; 13:2-3; 15:1-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Galatians 1:6-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:15-18.
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For Southern Baptists cooperation means a worldwide kingdom work with others who share our faith, values and worldview.

Congregationalism is a deeply established Baptist principle. 

Congregationalism: The belief that a local body of believers is directly responsible to God's authority, not a church hierarchy.

Voluntary Association: The united, cooperative effort of churches with common beliefs to minister together in ways they could not minister alone.

Our churches can do together what no one church can do alone.

Cooperative Program: A plan of cooperation by which Southern Baptists provide financial support for ministry and missions in an ongoing, systematic way.

The Cooperative Program allows local Baptist congregations to unite in a single, unified budget for advancing the cause of Christ.


from The Baptist Faith & Message Study

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Our churches can do together what no one church can do alone.  Sometimes I wonder if Southern Baptists still believe this?  If only Southern Baptist Churches could get back to this Baptist pattern of cooperation.  It was John Wooden that said "It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit."

Soli Deo Gloria
ah

Stewardship

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,   but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matt 6:19-21 (ESV)


The Baptist Faith & Message 2000

XIII. Stewardship

God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer's cause on earth.


Genesis 14:20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 8:18; Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 6:1-4,19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 12:16-21,42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Romans 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 12:15; Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19.



Stewardship: The responsibility to manage resources God has placed in our care.

Christian stewardship extends to our energy, our time, and the totality of who we are.

A Christian's stewardship is motivated not by obligation but by a joyful sense of privilege.

The Tithe:
In the Old Testament God commanded the people of God to give a minimum of 10% as an offering (see Lev. 27:30-32; Mal.3:10).  Some people argue that Christians, no longer under the law, are now free from the responsibility of the tithe.  Responsible believers understand, however, that Christians bear no less responsibility for giving than God commanded of His people in the Old Testament. Those who have been transformed by Christ are called to an even higher level of giving that is motivated by more than law and mere obligation (see Matt. 6:19-21; 23:23). Christians must seek to give generously to the local church and to gospel causes, knowing that God loves a cheerful giver (see 2 Cor. 9:7).

Taken from The Baptist Faith & Message Study


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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

Education

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Psalms 25:4-5 (ESV)

The Baptist Faith & Message 2000

XII. Education

Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage. The new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst for knowledge. Moreover, the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ's people.
In Christian education there should be a proper balance between academic freedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly relationship of human life is always limited and never absolute. The freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the school exists.


Deuteronomy 4:1,5,9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Nehemiah 8:1-8; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:7ff.; 119:11; Proverbs 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7,11; 15:14; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Matthew 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 2:3,8-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:12-6:3; James 1:5; 3:17.

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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

Evangelism & Missions

13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  14 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
Romans 10:13-15 (ESV)


The Baptist Faith & Message 2000

XI. Evangelism and Missions

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 22:17.
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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

Last Things

1  "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
John 14:1-3 (ESV)


The Baptist Faith & Message 2000

X. Last Things

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.


Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.
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The Bible depicts a timeline that includes past, present ad future.  God is not trapped in or limited by time. He created time as a construct within eternity - part of His creation.

The Bible's doctrine of eschatology, which focuses on Last Things, provides a future horizon for Christian theology and Christian living.  Believers are to live in anticipation of Christ's coming and in absolute confidence that God will consummate all things and accomplish His purposes.

The doctrine of Last Things focuses on Jesus Christ and His return. The Bible tells us that He will return to earth personally, visibly and gloriously.

When Christ returns, He will come in glory as a conquering king to claim His kingdom.

When Christ returns, the dead will be raised (1 Thess. 4:16). The promise of our resurrection is sure and certain. All those who have died - believers and unbelievers-  will experience the resurrection of the dead.

The righteous - those who are declarered righteous through faith in Christ- will be allowed into heaven.  The unrightous will be consigned to hell, the place of everlasting punishment (Rev. 20:11-15).

taken from The Baptist Faith & Message

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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

The Kingdom

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matt 6:33 (ESV)

The Baptist Faith & Message 2000


IX. The Kingdom

The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God's will be done on earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.

Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Matthew 3:2; 4:8-10,23; 12:25-28; 13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36; Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31; Romans 5:17; 8:19; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 11:10,16; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Revelation 1:6,9; 5:10; 11:15; 21-22.

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The true and living God is King, and His kingdom represents His rule and His power.

Scripture presents us with an understanding of the kingdom that is deeply rooted in biblical history, very relevant to the present, but ultimately focused on the future.

God rules His kingdom with absolutely unlimited sovereignty, completely unconstrained power, and absolute justice that reflects His holiness.

Although God's rule extends to all people in all places and at all times the kingdom of God is identified with and understood by those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

Christians have experienced the arrival of the kingdom of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, the revelation of the kingdom of God awaits the return of Jesus Christ.



taken from The Baptist Faith and Message

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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

The Lord's Day

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" Psalms 122:1 (ESV)

The Baptist Faith & Message 2000

VIII. The Lord's Day
The first day of the week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Activities on the Lord's Day should be commensurate with the Christian's conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 12:1-12; 28:1ff.; Mark 2:27-28; 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-3,33-36; John 4:21-24; 20:1,19-28; Acts 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:16; 3:16; Revelation 1:10.
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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Cor 5:17 (ESV)


The Baptist Faith & Message 2000

VII. Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.

The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.
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Ordinance - a decree or command

Baptists believe the Church has two ordinances - baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Other denominations view these acts as sacraments. The word sacrament implies that the act itself conveys grace to the believer.  Baptists believe that Christ gave baptism and the Lord's Supper to His church not as sacraments but as pictures and affirmations of grace.

Baptize - Submerge, plunge or immerse

Baptism pictures the dealth, burial and resurrection of Christ, providing a beautiful picture of our salvation and reminding us of His saving work (Romans 6:4).

Baptism uniquely pictures Paul's description of a believer as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Being dead to self and alive to Christ is nowhere more perfectly pictured that in the ordinace of baptism, when the believer symbolically dies and is them raised to life in the newness of Christ's grace and His call to obedience.

Scripture reserves baptism for persons who a conscience believers in Christ.

The Lord's Supper, instituted by Christ Himself, points back to the Last Supper, which Christ shared with His disciples just before His crucifixion. The bread, Christ said symbolizes His body, broken for believers.  The fruit of the vine, Jesus said, represents His blood.

The scriptural command that believers examine their lives before participating in the Lord's Supper alerts believers to be on guard against persistent personal sin.

When the local church celebrates the Lord's Supper, we proclaim the death, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ even as we anticipate His return, when the church will celebrate the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7).

from The Baptist Faith and Message 


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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

The Church

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  Colossians 1:18  ESV

The Baptist Faith & Message 2000

VI. The Church

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

"The church, like individual Christians, is the salt of the earth; is the light of the world; is a city that is set on a hill and cannot be hid; and has the glorious priviledge of letting its light so shine before men that they may see the good works and glorify God." - J. M. Frost
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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

God's Purpose of Grace

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
John 6:37 (ESV)

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:44 (ESV)

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
John 10:27-29 (ESV)


The Baptist Faith & Message 2000


V. God's Purpose of Grace


Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.

Salvation

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 3:16-18 (ESV)

The Baptist Faith & Message 2000


IV. Salvation

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.

B. Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.

C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.

D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.

For More Information on Salvation Click Here

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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

His Imminent Return: Are you ready?

Imminent - "likely to occur at any moment"

“But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32).


Don't listen to false teachers like Harold Caming who are setting dates for His return.   Mr Camping is half right. Christ is one day returning for His Bride. I don't think it will be on May 21. The Bible says no man, no angel and not even Jesus Christ know when He is returning. Only God the Father knows. So I don't believe Mr. Camping has received special revelation that even the Son of God does not know.

The important thing to know is are you ready for when Christ does return for His Bride (the Church)! Live each day with the motto: PERHAPS TODAY! Be ready to meet Him when He does return!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CHRIST


Baptist Faith and Message 2000

X. Last Things

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.


Is May 21 The End? by Moody Adams

For years Harold Camping, has proclaimed that the world will face “Judgment Day” on May 21, 2011.

His web site declares, “On May 21, 2011 two events will occur. These events could not be more opposite in nature, the one more wonderful than can be imagined; the other more horrific than can be imagined.

“A great earthquake will occur. . . .This earthquake will be so powerful it will throw open all graves. The remains of all the believer. . . will be. . . glorified. . .the bodies of all unsaved people will be thrown out upon the ground to be shamed.

“The inhabitants who survive this terrible earthquake will exist in a world of horror and chaos beyond description. Each day people will die until October 21, 2011 when God will completely destroy this earth and its surviving inhabitants.”

People are walking the streets of New York City holding signs that proclaiming May 21st will be the end. Billboards declare that, Scripture proves it.

The Bible clearly proclaims that no man knows the day: “But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32).

Again, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes” (Matt. 25:13).

"And Jesus sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately , saying , Tell us, when shall these things be ? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"( Matthew 24:3). Christ’s answer begins, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4).

This illustrates American's widespread ignorance of the Bible.

The church is not to be arrogantly setting dates, but instead to be eagerly waiting for him. Of that we can be truly certain.
The End Is Near: The False Teaching of Harold Camping by Albert Mohler

The important thing is that we believe in the return of Christ, and that we live lives of eternal perspective and godliness in light of our imminent deaths and His imminent return.
May 21: The Beginning of the Day of Judgement? by Randy Alcorn


An open letter to Harold Camping from Michael Youssef.
May 21, 2011, Judgement Day? by Michael Youssef
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Soli Deo Gloria
ah

Family Worship Resolution from 2010 Southern Baptist Convention

Here is the text to the Resolution on Family Worship that came out of last years SBC. More than likely you have never heard it mentioned. However, this one is worth taking the time to read along with the scripture references that are in it. Doing what I can to "promote family worship and encourage the families ... to place the highest priority on embracing this foundational spiritual discipline for the well-being of families, the spread of the gospel, the making of disciples, and the glory of God."  My prayer is that this work challenges and encourages parents. - ah 

RESOLUTION ON FAMILY WORSHIP

Adopted by the Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention in annual session on June 16, 2010 in Orlando, FL

WHEREAS, The Bible teaches the spiritual discipline of family worship for the glory of God, the strengthening of the church, and the spiritual nourishment of the family (Deuteronomy 6:1-18; Psalm 78:1-8; Ephesians 4-6); and

WHEREAS, Scripture pictures the Christian home as a place in which parents are instructed to teach and disciple their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:1-18; Ephesians 6:1-4); and

WHEREAS, Family worship has been a cherished Southern Baptist principle reflected in church covenants which have called believers “to maintain family and secret devotions” and “to religiously educate” their children; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, family worship has been emphasized in The Baptist Faith and Message, which states that “Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth”; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have launched major initiatives which have brought to the forefront the need for families to pray, read from the Bible, memorize scripture, and give praise to the Lord within their homes; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention included family worship as a key catalyst for a Great Commission resurgence calling on Southern Baptists “to build gospel-saturated homes that see children as a gift from God and as our first and primary mission field”; and

WHEREAS, Family worship is integral to laying a foundation for multi-generational faithfulness to the gospel (Psalm 145:4) and a necessary complement for the strengthening of the local church to fulfill its commission (Matthew 28:18-20); and

WHEREAS, Family worship serves as an important preparation for the corporate worship of the local church on the Lord’s Day (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25); and

WHEREAS, In recent generations, the act of family worship has been neglected, evidenced by the breakdown of the family in our time; and

WHEREAS, The embracing of the spiritual discipline of family worship in the Christian home has the capacity to nurture stronger families, a stronger church, and a stronger nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 15-16, 2010, encourage churches and families to rekindle the spiritual discipline of family worship; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That we define family worship as the regular meeting together of a family for a time of prayer and Bible reading, which may include other activities such as scripture memorization, singing spiritual songs and hymns, and discussing biblical truth and Christian mission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage families to cultivate not only structured times of worship together, but also ongoing intentional and informal conversations about the things of the Lord; and be it further

RESOLVED, That as we call families and churches to embrace family worship, we urge fathers particularly to fulfill their divinely mandated responsibility to lead their families toward spiritual maturity (Ephesians 5:22-6:4; Colossians 3:19-21); and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage all parents to consider times of family worship to be an opportunity to introduce their children to the gospel, to train their children to seek the salvation of their friends and neighbors, and to pray for the nations; and be
it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage churches and families to make use of the many resources produced to aid in family worship; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we urge the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and their pastors to promote family worship and encourage the families of their congregations to place the highest priority on embracing this foundational spiritual discipline for the well-being of families, the spread of the gospel, the making of disciples, and the glory of God.
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For some practical resources on family worship, see:

www.familyworshipguide.net

www.voddiebaucham.org (Family Driven Faith)

www.answersingenesis.org (Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World, Already Gone)

www.radicalexperiment.org (scroll down to section on Family Worship)

www.faithbeginsathome.com

www.BiblicalSpirituality.org  (Family Worship, In the Bible, in History & in your Home)

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Soli Deo Gloria

ah

Simplify Family Worship - Take the First Step and Start

Simplify Family Worship - Take the First Step and Start

(This was posted July 28, 2010 on Baptist Press, written by Don Whitney)

A man who is like a spiritual father to me began what he called a "family altar" with his wife before they were married, and has faithfully continued the practice through the arrival of children and grandchildren for more than 50 years. Sadly, it seems that few men among even the best evangelical churches today could speak of daily family worship in their home.

In the minds of some, active church involvement eliminates the need for family worship. For others, Bible reading, prayer and singing praises to God together as a family have been crowded out by the television, the Internet and a non-stop schedule that makes even meals together a rarity.

But the father (and in his absence, the mother) of the family has the responsibility from God to provide spiritual leadership for his household. As He did with Abraham, the Lord wants every father to "command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord" (Genesis 18:19). Each one should raise his children "in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Every husband should love his wife as Christ loves His bride -- the church -- and follow Christ's example of washing his wife with "the washing of water by the Word" of God (Ephesians 5:26).

While it isn't the only way, the simplest method of applying all these texts in a steady, practical way is through daily family worship. This is how generations of Christians have understood them. For instance, both Baptists and Presbyterians in the 1600s saw this biblical teaching, and incorporated identical language about the expectation of family worship into the most influential confessional statements in their respective histories. To this day, many churches still maintain (at least officially) that, "God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and truth; as in private families daily."

Somehow, though, many men have gotten the idea that family worship is complicated, or that it requires time-consuming preparation. But it need not require any more preparation than your personal worship of God. And the entire experience can be reduced to three simple elements: read, pray, sing.

-- Read. The centerpiece of family worship is the Bible. Read a passage of appropriate length for your family, making any impromptu comments that come to mind. Those with younger children should emphasize the narrative portions of Scripture, and possibly the Proverbs. Eventually, most seem to work up to about a chapter a day, reading consecutively through a particular book of the Bible. I recommend that you ask a few questions to determine comprehension, or just ask the children to repeat what they remember.

-- Pray. Let the words of the passage you read suggest matter for prayer. The husband/father should pray, and perhaps one or all the rest of the family members. Most days this will be brief.

-- Sing. Use a hymnal and sing a cappella, or sing along to a recording, or let a family musician lead the way. Sing as little as one verse, or for as long as the family enjoys it.

Any order of "read, pray, sing" is fine. It doesn't have to be long to be effective. Be patient with the interest and attention span of the younger ones. Remember that you're not only fulfilling a responsibility to God by leading family worship, you're also introducing your children to Him. In these moments together, your children can see your love for God and for His Word, and some of the most teachable moments of their childhood will occur.

So start family worship in your home today. It doesn't matter when you have worship. For some, early morning is best. For others, it's mealtime, and for still others, it's bedtime. Just start. Whether you've been married 50 years or newly engaged, just start. Keep it simple, and keep it up.

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Don Whitney is associate professor of biblical spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and author of several books. This column is excerpted from his book, "Simplify Your Spiritual Life." Visit his website, biblicalspirituality.org, for information about his book "Family Worship."

 

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Soli Deo Gloria

ah