But, if I believe that God still saves Baptists, despite not believing in that, and also others who do believe in that, then why can't I remain a Baptist?
Is it possible that God meets us where we are, as long as we believe in Him? That, if baptismal regeneration is important, that He uses it for that purpose whether we believe in that specifically or not? That if the bread and wine really become the Lord's Body and Blood, and if it's important that we
have His flesh to eat (John 6:53), then He might do that to feed all Christians, whether they believe in that or not?
Hi Mary Meg,
Your post today intrigued me. Then I noticed you already have received 149 replies. (Wow)
So, initially I thought, "Do I dare add mine without reading all of them first?"
Well, I suppose I'll take that risk. You asked a difficult but very important question that has a rather complicated answer:
Here are verses that came to my mind to share with you regarding what you asked about. You might be already familiar with them, but its good to see them together on this topic. I hope they will give you insight and wisdom into the answer you are seeking.
1) We gain insight by studying God's response in the past and in what is written for our edification:
"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4 NIV bible
2) The example of Hezekiah's prayer and God's response to heal for those who were not "clean" according to God's law:
"For a multitude of the people,
even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not according to the purification
rules of the sanctuary.”
So the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people." ~ 2 Chronicles 30:18-20 NASB
3) Jesus' words with regard to God's justice; people will be judged according to what they did with what they knew:
“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." ~Luke 12:47-48 NIV Bible
4) Paul's words regarding following teachers is much like our denominations today.
"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?"
~1 Corinthians 1:10-13 BSB
5) Unity of the Spirit among believers:
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
...he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
~Ephesians 4:1-7 & 11-16
6) Jesus' prayer that we all be "one"
"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." ~John 17:20-23 NIV Bible
7) Example of what Jesus said about another group doing what the disciples were doing:
"John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”
“Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded."
~Mark 9:38-41 NLT
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These are just a few to gain insight about reasons to stay from but the bottom line also comes to this. If in your conscience you can worship in the local Baptist church and not feel that it is leading people astray from the true Gospel of Christ then fine. If you are allowed to share your conviction about what the Word of God teaches that differ from theirs openly without fear of reprimand in small groups...fine. If they allow you to challenge or question some teaching respectfully in private and have ongoing discussion about it... it could be God is using you to point things out to them that they were never taught or have become blind to (I think of Ezekiel especially here). In that case it would be worth staying.
However, if you stay there, you should be allowed to use your gifts and share your faith there too. If in time, after attempts to share the truth with them gently and respectfully, you recognize that the church has gone astray, upholding the traditions of men over the Word of God and is misleading people- then you might need to ask yourself why you would choose to stay?
Consider after all your presence, participation and tithing can be seen as supporting the work of the ministry and teaching of the congregation you belong to. Why do some people stay? For some they choose to try to make a difference for a while by sharing what they have come to believe. The word of God is useful for correcting and many prophets of old have had to confront their "own" who were going astray from God's commands during their lifetime ie: Jeremiah, Elijah, Samuel, Ezekiel... and all the prophets.. even down to John the Baptist and Jesus himself.
1) Stay and work the "soil" at the Baptist church with the knowledge that you have learned:
"Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
“ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ” ~Luke 13:6-9 NIV Bible
2) But... Beware of pleasing others and remaining silent and hiding the light within you:
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
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“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." ~Matthew 10:32-39 NIV Bible
3) Paul spoke on this situation of compromise in his own words to the church in Galatia:
"I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ."
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a divine curse! As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you embraced, let him be under a divine curse!
Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." ~Galatians 1:6-10 BSB
4) Jesus gave instructions for the disciples on what to do if rejected:
"And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." ~Mark 6:11 NIV Bible
5) The churches in Revelation were each given correction by Jesus and later we even read this instruction:
"Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her." ~Revelation 18:4 NLT
Some Churches that believe Baptism for the forgives of sins via immersion as taught by Jesus and the early church and offer the "Lord's supper" each week do exist among some congregations. They are often known as "Christians" only or else "Churches of Christ" and do not consider themselves "denominational". Even these groups have human beings for members and are not perfect... many also have adopted popular traditions of religious men over the years or traditions of the world have entered the church. Its becoming tougher and tougher to find a good place to fellowship that has not compromised the pure teaching of God in one form or another. But do pray about it and keep seeking God's guidance on what you should do by staying in his Word. If the Spirit of God is convicting you to stay or go based on what you have read... then your conscience is held captive by the Word of God and to Him you must give account. Ultimately no one else's opinion should matter.
