Baptist Doctrine 1
Qualification For Church Membership
Part 2
Key Verses: Repentance: Luke 13:2-5; Jonah 3:6-9; Mark 6:12; Acts 17:30
Faith Romans 4:1-25; Gal. 3:1-14
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Regeneration, repentance and faith are private matters between God and the soul. They involve internal commitment, but of this commitment, there must be an external manisfestation. This manisfestation is made in baptism.
There can be no visible church without baptism. Baptist churches are the only churches on Earth that require a person to profess to be saved before the person unites with the church in baptized. An observance of this ordinance is the believer’s
first public act of obedience to Christ. The penitent, regenerate believer is baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. There is a visible, symbolic expression of a new relationship to the three persons of the God-Head. We are said to be baptized into the death of Christ.
(Romans 6:1-13)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
In baptism our sins are declaratively remitted-formally washed away.
(1 Peter 3:21)
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
Chris gave the Great Commission to the church before Pentacost.
(Matthew 28:18-20)
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Go-Disciple-Baptize-Teach.
A great awakening took place under Peter’s preaching and repenting thousands accepted salvation through Christ.
(Acts 2:41,47)
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The converts to the faith were first baptized and the added to the church. This shows baptism to be prerequisite to church-membership.
No one is entitled to baptism unless he can be taught. Then he is not entitled to it until he has been taught and
has received that teaching. That leaves out infants and others.
(Acts 2:41)
(Acts 8:26-39)
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, Who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
The baptism of the Ethiopian enuch required much water. Going down into the water-a burial and a coming up out of the water.
One who has believed at the preaching of the Word and has been scripturally baptized by one having the authority of a local New Testament Baptist Church can be given the authority (with one or more others) to go out, makes disciples, baptize and start another Baptist Church. This has been going on since the apostolic days and is why we have true Baptist Churches today.
There are 4 aspects of Baptism-The PROPER:
1. Subject-a saved person
2. Authority-(administor-boni- fide Baptist preacher) church of Christ
3. Purpose-(design) to show salvation not procure it
4. Mode-immersion in water
So salvation is the first condition of baptism. Others make baptism a condition of salvation. With Baptists it is-blood before water, Chris before the church, salvation before baptism.
The only church on this Earth that Jesus could join if he were here, on his baptism, is a Baptist church (others say John’s baptism is invalid).
Baptism is the voluntary immersion of a believer in Christ to symbolically show what Christ has done for him/Her.
Baptist Doctrine 1 Qualification For Church Membership Part 2
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