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Why Study Baptist History<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Part 10 (Conclusion): To be Fully Obedient to our Lord<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Colonel James Travis challenged the 200 volunteers defending the Alamo against Santa Ana’s hordes. When Travis found no one was coming to their aid he drew a line in the sand. He asked everyone who would not surrender or try to escape to stay and defend to certain death to step over the line. All but one person crossed over. It was a time of decisive action as these brave heroes chose to die defending liberty for Texas. They knew what their actions would cost but they died decisively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today we are bombarded with efforts either consciously or unconsciously to erode if not eradicate our Baptist heritage. It is time to draw a line in the sand and say I don’t care what people think, I am going to defend our Baptist heritage no matter what it costs me! Until you have made that statement or something similar, I doubt that you are fully obedient to what God has called us to do. And that must not only be our greatest motivation for not only studying Baptist History but also putting its tenants into practice. Paul told Agrippa, “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” Acts26:19. Has God given you the vision to fulfill in letting people know about our Baptist heritage? Will you obedient to the task of making it known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know the reaction people will make even in Baptist groups that are devoted to history. People will say why aren’t you as excited about supporting basic Christian orthodoxy other than Baptist beliefs? After all, there are other Christians besides Baptists. If we could strip away all labels, I could say I am concerned to stand for the truth of Scripture and not settle for something that does not go far enough. With the attitude: “Let’s just be Christian”, Baptists would never have been part of a separate group in the Reformation, English Separatists, and here in America. But even though there has been a continual group of people who have practiced New Testament teaching since the time of Christ, these issues; look at the religious landscape and tell who comes closer to the Biblical teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have given already four basic beliefs that Baptists have stood for at times when no one else has or few have stood for them, or at the least, we are the most noted for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(1) “A Free Church”-Baptists have never been in league with the government to manipulate religion to the populous. Had it not been for the influence of Baptists in our country we may not have the Bill of Rights and the freedom to practice our faith freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(2) “Believer’s Baptism”-Baptists have not only opposed infant baptism and stood against it, but they have also been willing to die for their opposition against it and assert that only true believers should be baptized. They are about the only group who say although baptism does not save you, it is a prerequisite for membership and Lord’s Supper participation. Most English Baptists and the Landmark movement have asserted this conviction. Baptism is more than just dipping people as believers. It is the door to local church membership and participation in that local assembly as well as Pilgrim Marpeck and William Kiffin endorsed in their writings. The church is the one authorized to baptize as we succeed from the church Jesus began. Any other mode or meaning falls short of what baptism is defined as in the New Testament. Had Baptists not stood for true New Testament baptism there would be hardly any groups baptizing today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(3) “The Gathered Assembly”-Those churches independent of state sponsorship and practicing believer’s baptism the way the New Testament teaching can be found most prevalent in Baptist circles. Most religious groups still cling to the Catholic idea of a “universal church” comprised of all believers and the local church gets the short end of the stick. They don’t require membership since they already believe we are a part of the “Big church’ and they don’t want to even talk about another church or shall we say the right church exists. When all the groups slaughtered throughout Church History denied the state church, exited from it and started a church free from government control they were denying the concept of a universal church and entering into what the true meaning of the church is: “An assembly of Baptized believers joined together for the faith of the gospel.” No other group has emphasized the church as this definition besides Baptists. Had they not done it we not exist today in so many congregations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(4) “Individual Conversion”-Baptists denouncing infant baptism and the universal church have instead called for every person to be competent before God and trust in Christ personally to go to heaven and be eligible for membership in the true church. Had Baptists not stood for this personal accountability regardless of Christian influence, we would not have a clear teaching today that every person must be born-again and that you can’t go into heaven on your parent’s or anyone else’s coattails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The one basic truth I want to leave with you is this: When you stand before the Lord and give an account for your obedience to the clear teaching of Scripture will it matter then how you have emphasized these truths? Not only that, will it matter in terms of people’s eternal destinies if we have not backed down but have defended them what we believe with our very lives. If I have moved you any closer to defending these great Baptist truths that have not changed and want to study, incorporate and preach them with freedom and power then my time and effort in writing these articles have not been in vain. Step over the line and defend these liberating and essential truths with your very life. Then you will know the example and legacy we have must be furthered and not lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n