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"Teaching God's Word to God's World"
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BAPTIST AND THE CHRISTIAN
(Dialogue continued)
George L. Faull
Baptist:: Since we last talked I
have thought a lot about you teaching that “baptism” is essential to
salvation.” I’ve thought of some things that just kind of blow that idea out of
the water. No pun intended.
Christian: Okay, I am sure ready to
listen and learn.
Baptist:: When you teach that you
have to “be baptized to be saved,” you are teaching that you can earn your
salvation.
Christian: Well, why do you think a
person is baptized?
Baptist:: You are baptized to get
into the Church.
Christian: So, in other words, you
earn your way into the Baptist Church.
Baptist:: Well, no, that is not
true.
Christian: Now wait. If I say that one
is baptized into Christ to be saved, you say that I am teaching that you can
earn your salvation, but if you teach that you are baptized to get into the
Baptist Church, are you not teaching that you can earn your way into the
Baptist Church? Is that logical?
Baptist:: Well, baptism is simply
the means of getting into the Baptist Church so it is not really earning your
way into the Baptist Church.
Christian: But if I say one is
baptized into Christ, it all of the sudden becomes a work of merit to earn
salvation. Is that what you are saying?
Baptist:: Well, kind of, I guess.
Christian: Well, my mind won’t make
such a great leap of faith as to believe there is a difference between one
being a work of merit and the other not. There is no merit at all in being
baptized into Christ. Salvation is merited completely by what Christ did on the
cross. Salvation is only in Christ, so I was baptized into Him
“where all the promises of God are. I am saved by what happened to Him, not
what happened to me. There is no condemnation to those “in Christ.” If
one is “in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away and
all things are made new.” The only way I know to be “in Christ,” is to
be baptized into Him. Paul says,
`“For as many of you as
have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Galatians 3:27
Baptist:: Well, we believe you are
baptized to be a member of the Baptist Church.
Christian: Yes, I
know that is what you believe, but you do not believe you have to be baptized
to get into Heaven.
Baptist:: No
way.
Christian: Well, I
guess then that you believe it is easier to get into Heaven than it is the
Baptist Church.
Baptist:: Huh?
Christian: Well,
if you do not have to be baptized to get into Heaven, but you do to be a member
of the Baptist Church, it takes more to get into the Baptist Church than it
does to get into Heaven.
Baptist:: Okay,
I’ll admit that.
Christian: I
reckon you would have to, because that is what you believe. Let me ask you how
you were saved.
Baptist:: I
just said the “sinner’s prayer,” and asked Jesus into my heart.
Christian: What is
the “sinner’s prayer?” And what is this “asking Jesus into your heart?” I have
never read that in the Bible. Where is that?
Baptist:: I
don’t know but I’m sure it’s in there. Even the radio preachers quote it. Revelation
shows Jesus standing at the door and knocking. You have seen the famous picture
of Jesus knocking on a door without a latch.
He won’t barge in. He knocks and you have to let Him in.
Christian: Well, I
have looked and looked for “sinner’s prayer” and have never found it. The
artist probably took his idea from the Revelation picture, but that is
Jesus knocking on the door of the lukewarm church, not on an alien sinner’s
heart.
Baptist:: Oh,
my! I have never noticed that before.
Christian: Let me
ask you, how old were you when you were saved? And how old were you when you
were baptized?
Baptist:: I was
ten when I said the “sinner’s prayer,” and was saved, but I was twelve when I
was baptized and joined the Baptist Church.
Christian: So you
were saved two years outside the Baptist Church?
Baptist:: Yes.
Christian: So one
does not have to be a member of the Baptist Church to be saved?
Baptist:: Oh,
no! There are a lot of people saved that are not in the Baptist Church!
Christian: Well,
that is encouraging to know. So you don’t think that you have to be in the
Church to be saved?
Baptist:: Oh,
no! You don’t believe that you have to be in the Church to be saved, do you?
Christian: Well, I
believe, if you are saved, you are in the Church. On Pentecost, those that
gladly received the Word were baptized and the same day there were added about
3,000 souls.
Acts
2:42 and 47, “42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 47 Praising God, and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such
as should be saved.”
We believe
the Lord adds you to His Church, not men.
Baptist: Well,
what kind of Church was it?
Christian: Well,
it is Christ’s Church. It is His body and by one spirit we are all baptized
into one body.
I
Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be]
Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit.”
Baptist: So,
you are saying, when you were baptized, you were added to the Church?
Christian: Yes, we
were baptized into Christ. We became a part of His body. When we were baptized
into Christ, we were baptized into His death. We died with Him and arose with
Him to walk in a newness of life.
Romans
6:4,
“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.”
Baptist: Well,
let me change gears here. Paul specif-ically said,”Christ sent me not to
baptize but to preach the Gospel.” It follows then that baptism has no part of
the Gospel.
Christian: It is
true, Paul was sent to preach, not merely baptize. This is true, but let’s
follow your logic. Since Paul was not sent to baptize, he was not sent to make
Baptists, since you have said that it takes “baptism to make a Baptist.”
Baptist: Now,
that is not what I said.
Christian: No, it
is just the logical conclusion to your argument. Furthermore, if baptism is no
part of the Gospel, then the Baptist Church is no part of the Gospel. It is not
a Gospel Church since it takes baptism to make a Baptist. Will you admit to
that?
Baptist: You
frustrate me.
Christian: (Smiling)No,
truth frustrates you. I have just been using your logic on your own doctrine.
Baptist: Well,
maybe so, but I am proud to be a Baptist!
Christian: But you
are not a Baptist, sir.
Baptist: What
do you mean, “I’m not a Baptist?” I have been a Baptist for twenty years.
Christian: No,
sir. I am sorry to tell you, but you are not a Baptist.
Baptist: Now
what do you mean by such a statement?
Christian: You
have been a member of the baptist Church for twenty years, but have you
baptized any one?
Baptist: No,
you have to be an ordained minister to administer “baptism.”
Christian: Then
you are not a Baptist. A Baptist is one who baptizes. That is why John was
called “the Baptist.” You have baptized no one, so how can you be called “a
Baptist?”
Baptist: Sir,
you are playing word games.
Christian: Not really. Is one who does
not do plumbing a plumber? Is one who has never driven a nail a carpenter? Is
one who has never preached a preacher? Are you, sir, really a Baptist, if you
have never baptized?
Baptist: Oh,
boy!
Christian: The
Great Commission says, “Go, teach and baptize.” Baptist preachers do that, but
you don’t. You do not obey the Great Commission.
Baptist: You
may have something there, but one needs to go to a minister to be baptized.
Christian: You
fellows are always talking about a man out in the dessert with no water to
baptize them. Let me ask you this. What would happen if a man wanted to be
baptized on an island with no ordained Baptist preacher present? How could he
become a member5 of the Baptist Christ?
Baptist: He
couldn’t, but he does not have to be a member of the Church to be saved.
Christian: But the
Bible says that the Church is what is going to be presented without spot and
blemish.
Ephesians
5:27,
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.“
II
Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you
to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.”
I don’t
know of anyone but the Church that is going to be saved, since He adds the
saved to His Church.
Acts
2:42, “And
they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in
breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
It is
His Church which He purchased with His own blood.
Acts
20:28,
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood.”
It is the purchased ones
who are redeemed. It is the redeemed ones who are saved. Yes, I believed all
saved persons are a member of His Church.
Baptist: Well, you have given me
something to think about. I think my arguments are sound in the overall,
though.
Christian: (Smiling, putting his
right arm around him, replies,) We will have to talk again. In the meantime, I
don’t think your arguments on baptism hold water. Pun intended.
And with that, they both laughed and ended company.
James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the
word, and
not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves.”