Hey Guys!

Greetings from Virginia!

I wanted to tell you guys that are just dying for more theology that I'll be updating the "What do Baptists Believe..." sometime, I just don't know when. There is a lot of coursework I am doing right now, so they'll probably be thrown in here and there.

Do know that I'm thinking about all of you and praying for you!

Here is a good verse that I have been meditating on today, and I hope it speaks to some of you:
Eph 5:15-16, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."

Corn Maze and Bonfire!

Hey all don't forget the Cornmaze and Bonfire at Montgomery Farms! We will be leaving the FBC Parking Lot at 4:30 p.m. and be arrive home at 10:00 p.m. If you are interested in coming please bring $10.00 for admission. This money will pay for the Corn Maze, Hayride, and Bonfire. Anything else that you would like to participate in such as the Corn cannons, etc. will be extra.
We will also have S'Mores! Yummy!
Please invite your friends and we are going to have a blast!
See you soon!
Devin

P.s. you can go to http://www.montgomery-farms.com/ for more info!

What do Baptists Believe about Salvation?

"I was saved when..."

"I was born again..."

"I made Jesus my Lord and Savior..."

"I accepted Jesus into my heart..."

How many of us have made statements like the above? I have made them several times, and to an extent, Lady Hamlet was correct when she observed, "Words, words, words!" A lot of times we talk about our salvation without actually knowing what it is. As a matter of fact, I contend today that our salvation is one of the greatest things we as believers don't understand even though we talk about it the most.

From The Baptist Faith and Message:

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.

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Redemption is "to get or win back." When we sing that we have been "purchased by his blood" or "redeemed by the blood of the Lamb," we are saying that the blood of Christ has purchased us back, he has won us. A question remains: why were we gone in the first place? The answer is, simply, we were enslaved to sin (see "What do Baptists Beleive about Man?").

Col 1:13-14, "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

God has always been in the business of redemption. While God was speaking of the Fall of man, he already pointed to how he would conquer the Fall through Eve's progeny, Christ (Gen. 3:15). By scholars, this verse is often called the protoevangelion--"the first good news." Since the fall, God has always been in the business of buying back his people from the circumstances they find themselves in. We can see this in Adam and Eve, the sons of Jacob, the Isrealites in Egypt, the nation of Israel in exile. The final stamp of redemption occurs when Gen. 3:15 is played out, and Christ's blood redeems man (Eph 1:7, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace").

The whole man has been redeemed. We might quickly look over this sentence and say, "Duh! Christ isn't going to just buy back part of our soul or body!" However, Catholicsbelieve that Christ only redeemed men and the sin they inherited from Adam--they believe that Christ does not save them from the sins they continue to commit. Anyone may accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Christ saves man, buying him back from sin's chains which lead to damnation.

Regeneration

From The Baptist Faith and Message:

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.

It hurts to build muscle. The reason it hurts so much after you work out after not for a long time is because when you work your muscles, they break down so when they build up they build up stronger than before. Muscles regenerate in order to get stronger. Similarly, when we are saved, our soul is regenerated; it is no longer dead, but built up and made alive by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12-13, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God").

When a person becomes saved, the first thing that happens is regeneration. We would say our hearts are changed and made alive--reborn (John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit").

Every person who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit recognizes his sin, repents, and places faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. When a new believer repents of sin, he makes a u-turn in the way he lives. Faith means that a person places all he is in the idea that Jesus is Lord of all creation, the leader of that person's life, and that only He can save a person. A person cannot have faith in Christ without repenting of sin. Similarly, a person cannot be saved if he repents of sin but does not have faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. There are lots of people who believe in order to become a Christian, one only needs faith in Christ. However, true salvation only occurs when there is such conviction of sin that a person repents from the way he was living and turns to live completely for Christ.

Justification

From The Baptist Faith and Message:

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.

There are several things that come to mind when you think "justification." One may be "justice," another "justify." If you have ever seen the scales of justice, they symbolize that whatever action was rendered on one side, then something must happen for the other to be balanced. Justice is served whenever punishment fits the crime. To justify something means to prove that it is right.

John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Justification occurs when God proves that we are in right standing with Him. When we are justified, we our trespasses have been forgiven. Only God justifies man. Man can never earn right standing with God except by placing faith in Christ, who was perfectly right with God (Heb 5:8-9, "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation"). When we place faith in Christ, God credits us with what Christ did. This does not mean that we are as good as Christ, or we ever will be on earth, but it does mean that God looks to us and declares that we are in good standing with Him. Justification is not something that happens internally like regeneration, but it happens externally.

Rom 3:21-26, "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Sanctification

From The Baptist Faith and Message:

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.

When something is sanctified, that means that it is set apart for special use. Throughout new life, believers are sanctified to be like Christ. The process of becoming like Christ is sanctification. This begins when one becomes a Christian and does not end until we are united with Christ in the death or the new creation (whichever comes first).

A Christian is sanctified through the power of the Holy Spirit. While God instigates sanctification, man responds to God by growing in Him. Phil. 2:12-13, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

Glorification

From The Baptist Faith and Message:

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

Glorification occurs when we are in the new creation with Jesus, when we are in the image of God himself (Rom. 8:29-30, "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.").

Salvation is Inclusive

We believe that salvation is only for those who have placed faith in Christ (Acts 4:12, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved"). Therefore, we do not believe that any person can go to heaven unless they profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This means that all people who have never heard the name of Jesus will never have salvation, including the tribesman in the middle of South America who has never even heard the name of Jesus. This idea is one of the distinct beliefs of Baptists, and this is what drives us to tell others about Christ. No matter how good a person is, how authentic their belief in God (or a god), no person will have salvation if he or she has not responded to Christ in faith and repentance.

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Discussion:

• What is the difference between regeneration, justification, and sanctification?
• What are some other ways you can explain how you are saved--without using churchy words like "saved" or "born again'?
• Why would God not save a person who has not even been exposed to Jesus before? Do you think this is right?

the board.

TMI [Too Much Information]

I know that many of you do Blog and are active on the internet please think about what information you are sharing!

Church History Timeline

Tonight I was on monergism.com when I discovered an interactive Church History Timeline. If you've ever wanted to know what things happened when in the Bible and early church, this provides a really clean timeline, where you get to choose what events you see (like if you wanted to view only "Old Testament" or whatever). There are some events, of course, that are somewhat guessed, and debated on by scholars, but overall it is a very good timeline that helps you see God's plan for his people throughout history.

Check it out.

What do Baptists Believe about Man?

From the Baptist Faith and Message:

Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

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Man is a special creation, made in God's image. The Hebrew language used for "image" means that God created man to be like God and represent God. (Gen. 1:27, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."). This does not mean that man was made exactly like God, but it does mean that he bears likeness to God, like in morality, spirituality, relational nature, and even intellect.

A huge distinction that Southern Baptists make (as well as other conservative Christians) is that gender is a gift of God. This means that God created men to act like men and women to act like women. We believe that even though men and women are created equal as people and importance, God has given each different roles in life. Throughout Scripture, it is clear that men have been given a role of leadership over women, and that women were created to assist men. With gender, each has different gifts which will help them fulfill their roles. Does this mean that a woman who feels gifted to lead should never lead? No, but she should apply her leadership skills to her role, not to overcoming all the men around her. How has God ordained men to lead women in Scripture?

• Adam was created first, and Eve was made as a helper for Adam (Gen. 2:11).
• Adam bore responsibility for Eve's actions, and through man all humans were born sinful.
• 1 Cor. 11:11-12, "
• 1 Pet. 3:1-7, "

Man was innocent, but then became guilty when he transgressed God's command. All of Adam's descendants inherit sin. In this inheritence, men are prone to sin, and creation is prone to go against the things of God (1 Cor. 15:21-22, "For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."). Sin is frequently described as a slavery, such as in Rom. 7:14, "For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin."

As soon as a person is capable of moral decision making and transgresses God's command, he is a guilty sinner. The question then becomes, "When is a person capable of making a moral decision?" Is a two year old a guilty sinner who will go to hell if he dies?

Only God can reconcile himself and man because man is so wrapped up in sin. Check out the harsh words against man in Rom. 3:10-18, 10:

As it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, there is not even one; Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known; There is no fear of God before their eyes.'

You may say, "But I wasn't that hostile toward God! I liked God--even before I became a Christian!" We must remember, however, that as slaves to sin, we could not achieve our own freedom, but God had to free us from a sin that blinded us and had our hearts bent toward hell (even when we didn't notice it).

Because every man is a special creation of God, every man must be treated with respect and dignity. Even though the fall of man has corrupted the image of God with which we were created, we still bear a fragment--we find this in our consciences, creativity, morality, intellect. Because of even the slightest image of God that is in every human being, we should treat all humans as special creations of God, even when they rebel against Him. We love them because God demands the respect and reverence, not because we feel like being nice. As believers, we are constantly being renewed into the image of Christ, and need to be grateful for the wonderful work of God in us. Gen. 9:6, "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man."

Psalm 8:3-6
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet...

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Discussion Questions:

1. 1. What is the image of God?
2. 2. How has our culture, and how have we, neglected or misunderstood God creating men and women differently?
3. 3. When does a person become a guilty sinner? Is there an 'age of accountability'?

the board

What do Baptists Believe about God the Spirit?

We know from our 30 Core Truths study that the Holy Spirit is a person of God. He is not some supernatural force that comes upon us.

From The Baptist Faith and Message:

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

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Everything we know about God was taught to us through the Holy Spirit. We would know nothing if He did not enable us to understand more about God. John 14:26, "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." 1 Cor. 2:10-14, "...these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

The Holy Spirit calls men to repentance, to salvation, and regenerates hearts. "Regenerate" means that the Holy Spirit literally tears out the old self and generates a new self that is inclined toward God. This occurs when a person becomes saved, and at the moment of salvation, the Spirit brings a person into the Body of Christ. Eph. 1:13-14, "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." 1 Cor. 6:11 says, "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

The Spirit guides Christians in how to live and helps them serve God better through conviction and teaching. John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." One can see how to walk according to the Spirit by reading Gal. 5:16-23.

The Spirit leads us where God desires, even temptation. Matthew 4:1, "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

Once the Spirit enters a person's life, he never leaves that person, and will always work to mold the Christian more into the image of Christ. John 14:16-17, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." 1 Cor. 3:16, "Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?"

The Holy Spirit gives each believer gifts. He gives us these gifts so we can better magnify God to others. 1 Cor. 12:11, "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."

As God, he empowers believers. We can see this throughout the Bible: Joshua – Num. 27:18; Saul – 1 Sam. 11:6; the Exodus – Isa. 63:11-12; Jesus – Matt. 3:16; Jesus' disciples – Acts 1:8; Christians – 1 Cor. 12:11.

Titus 3:4-7, "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Discussion Questions:
1) What is the difference in the ways the Father, Son, and Spirit act in your relationship with God?
2) Have there been times when you have been aware of the Spirit working in you?
3) How is the Holy Spirit different from a conscience?


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