He [Jesus] made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. - Revelation 1:6
This morning we will conclude our series on “Baptist Distinctives”. We will address 2 more fundamental Baptist beliefs and then do a final review of everything we’ve discussed during this study. Let’s dive right in…
I. PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER (Mark 15:38, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 Peter 2:5-9)
Priests are religious ministers and teachers who perform sacred duties and rituals. They are authorized to administer the holy sacraments of the church. Like the Jewish priests of the Old Testament who made sacrifices and offered prayers on behalf of Israel, modern priests serve primarily as mediators and intercessors between the people of their denomination and God. In such religious systems, people cannot approach God directly but must do so through the priest.
However, the Bible teaches that Jesus’ death on the cross brought an end to the priesthood. His sacrifice at Calvary fully satisfied the just requirements of God and paid the debt of man’s sin once and for all. Therefore, no additional sacrifices are needed. This is a major theme in the book of Hebrews. Additionally, Jesus Himself became the Great High Priest and serves as the one mediator between God and man.
Baptists, like most other Protestant faiths, believe that human priests are no longer necessary. They advocate that all believers have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. This was symbolized vividly when the temple veil that shielded the Holy of Holies was torn in 2 from top to bottom following Jesus’ death on the cross. The true wall of separation between God and man, sin, was forever defeated. Therefore, all born-again believers are “priests” in that all may communicate directly and personally to God through Christ in prayer and worship.
Besides having direct access to God, the priesthood of the believer also conveys another important and sometimes overlooked aspect. As the priests of God, all Christians bear the responsibilities of the priesthood. All believers are called to be ministers of God who give themselves as living sacrifices to the LORD. Each individual is challenged to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus. Christian worship and service is not reserved for a select group to perform on behalf of the rest, but rather is the role of every believer.
II. SOUL COMPETENCY (Joshua 24:15, Ezekiel 18:1-20, Romans 1:18-20)
God created mankind with the ability to choose for themselves whether or not they would believe in Him. People are not puppets or robots with no control over themselves. On the contrary, they have been gifted with the power to make their own choices. God does not compel or coerce obedience to His callings or commands. Individual religious freedom is exercised within the framework of God’s overarching sovereignty. Every person, or soul, possesses the God-given ability to know Him, to adequately understand His Word, and to do His will. Each person is fully competent to stand before God.
Because all souls are individually competent, each is also individually accountable. Every person is capable of placing their faith in Christ for salvation and committing their lives to Him. Those who chose not to do so are fully responsible for their decision to reject Him. One person’s faith is not a substitute for another’s. God reveals Himself sufficiently to each individual, and therefore each is without excuse before Him. All people will be judged individually by God based on either their own faith (the saved) or their own merits (the lost).
III. A FINAL REVIEW
We have now covered all of the Baptist Distinctives that will be addressed in this series. Many of them are closely related to one another. Before we conclude these messages, let’s review each of these distinctives briefly:
Biblical Authority - Baptists believe that the Bible is the sole and final authority of all aspects of Christian faith and practice. It is inspired, infallible, and inerrant. No other authoritative source is greater than or even equal to the Bible.
Autonomy of the Local Church - Baptists believe that each individual, local church is fully autonomous (meaning self-governed and self supporting). There are no hierarchical governing structures outside of or over the local church. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ alone and is free to cooperate with others as it sees fit.
Two Church Offices/Congregational Governance - Baptists recognize pastors and deacons as the 2 offices of the church. The office of pastor encompasses the Biblical roles of the bishop, elder, and shepherd. The pastor and deacons work together to serve the spiritual and physical needs of the local church. Major decisions are made democratically by the entire congregation.
Separation of Church and State/Religious Liberty - Baptists believe that the Church and State should be separate. Both were established by God and each has its own responsibilities. The Church should not resort to the State to achieve its purposes. Furthermore, the State should protect each individual’s right to worship God as they choose.
Salvation By Grace Through Faith Alone - Baptists believe that regeneration, or the new birth, is affected by God in the life of the repentant sinner at the moment they place their faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism, though important, is not necessary for salvation.
Immersion & Believer’s Baptism - Baptists believe that water baptism is reserved for believers only and should be conducted as a public declaration of one’s salvation by faith. The only acceptable mode of baptism is immersion. Furthermore, baptism is required for local church membership.
Two Symbolic Ordinances - Baptists practice baptism and The Lord’s Supper as the 2 church ordinances. Both are symbolic, not sacramental. They are practiced in obedience to the Lord’s command as memorials and depictions of His sacrifice. Neither invokes or conveys God’s saving or sanctifying grace upon the individual.
Priesthood of the Believer/Soul Competency - Baptists believe that all Christians are “priests” because all have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. In addition, all Christians are called to priestly service and sacrificial living. Each individual person is fully competent to either accept or reject Christ and is therefore without excuse before Him.
CONCLUSION
I will conclude this series with an acronym to help us remember these Baptist Distinctives. I will list them in a different order than they were presented so that the acronym will work.
B ibilical Authority
A utonomy of the Local Church
P riesthood of the Believer/Soul Competency
T wo Church Offices/Congregational Governance
I mmersion and Believer's Baptism
S alvation by Grace Through Faith Alone
T wo Symbolic Ordinances
S eparation of Church and State/Religious Liberty
It is my prayer that, through these 8 sermons, we have come to understand and recognize several beliefs and practices that are closely associated with the Baptist faith. These characteristics form our unique identity. We are unashamedly and unapologetically Baptists!
This morning we will conclude our series on “Baptist Distinctives”. We will address 2 more fundamental Baptist beliefs and then do a final review of everything we’ve discussed during this study. Let’s dive right in…
I. PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER (Mark 15:38, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 Peter 2:5-9)
Priests are religious ministers and teachers who perform sacred duties and rituals. They are authorized to administer the holy sacraments of the church. Like the Jewish priests of the Old Testament who made sacrifices and offered prayers on behalf of Israel, modern priests serve primarily as mediators and intercessors between the people of their denomination and God. In such religious systems, people cannot approach God directly but must do so through the priest.
However, the Bible teaches that Jesus’ death on the cross brought an end to the priesthood. His sacrifice at Calvary fully satisfied the just requirements of God and paid the debt of man’s sin once and for all. Therefore, no additional sacrifices are needed. This is a major theme in the book of Hebrews. Additionally, Jesus Himself became the Great High Priest and serves as the one mediator between God and man.
Baptists, like most other Protestant faiths, believe that human priests are no longer necessary. They advocate that all believers have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. This was symbolized vividly when the temple veil that shielded the Holy of Holies was torn in 2 from top to bottom following Jesus’ death on the cross. The true wall of separation between God and man, sin, was forever defeated. Therefore, all born-again believers are “priests” in that all may communicate directly and personally to God through Christ in prayer and worship.
Besides having direct access to God, the priesthood of the believer also conveys another important and sometimes overlooked aspect. As the priests of God, all Christians bear the responsibilities of the priesthood. All believers are called to be ministers of God who give themselves as living sacrifices to the LORD. Each individual is challenged to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus. Christian worship and service is not reserved for a select group to perform on behalf of the rest, but rather is the role of every believer.
II. SOUL COMPETENCY (Joshua 24:15, Ezekiel 18:1-20, Romans 1:18-20)
God created mankind with the ability to choose for themselves whether or not they would believe in Him. People are not puppets or robots with no control over themselves. On the contrary, they have been gifted with the power to make their own choices. God does not compel or coerce obedience to His callings or commands. Individual religious freedom is exercised within the framework of God’s overarching sovereignty. Every person, or soul, possesses the God-given ability to know Him, to adequately understand His Word, and to do His will. Each person is fully competent to stand before God.
Because all souls are individually competent, each is also individually accountable. Every person is capable of placing their faith in Christ for salvation and committing their lives to Him. Those who chose not to do so are fully responsible for their decision to reject Him. One person’s faith is not a substitute for another’s. God reveals Himself sufficiently to each individual, and therefore each is without excuse before Him. All people will be judged individually by God based on either their own faith (the saved) or their own merits (the lost).
III. A FINAL REVIEW
We have now covered all of the Baptist Distinctives that will be addressed in this series. Many of them are closely related to one another. Before we conclude these messages, let’s review each of these distinctives briefly:
Biblical Authority - Baptists believe that the Bible is the sole and final authority of all aspects of Christian faith and practice. It is inspired, infallible, and inerrant. No other authoritative source is greater than or even equal to the Bible.
Autonomy of the Local Church - Baptists believe that each individual, local church is fully autonomous (meaning self-governed and self supporting). There are no hierarchical governing structures outside of or over the local church. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ alone and is free to cooperate with others as it sees fit.
Two Church Offices/Congregational Governance - Baptists recognize pastors and deacons as the 2 offices of the church. The office of pastor encompasses the Biblical roles of the bishop, elder, and shepherd. The pastor and deacons work together to serve the spiritual and physical needs of the local church. Major decisions are made democratically by the entire congregation.
Separation of Church and State/Religious Liberty - Baptists believe that the Church and State should be separate. Both were established by God and each has its own responsibilities. The Church should not resort to the State to achieve its purposes. Furthermore, the State should protect each individual’s right to worship God as they choose.
Salvation By Grace Through Faith Alone - Baptists believe that regeneration, or the new birth, is affected by God in the life of the repentant sinner at the moment they place their faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism, though important, is not necessary for salvation.
Immersion & Believer’s Baptism - Baptists believe that water baptism is reserved for believers only and should be conducted as a public declaration of one’s salvation by faith. The only acceptable mode of baptism is immersion. Furthermore, baptism is required for local church membership.
Two Symbolic Ordinances - Baptists practice baptism and The Lord’s Supper as the 2 church ordinances. Both are symbolic, not sacramental. They are practiced in obedience to the Lord’s command as memorials and depictions of His sacrifice. Neither invokes or conveys God’s saving or sanctifying grace upon the individual.
Priesthood of the Believer/Soul Competency - Baptists believe that all Christians are “priests” because all have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. In addition, all Christians are called to priestly service and sacrificial living. Each individual person is fully competent to either accept or reject Christ and is therefore without excuse before Him.
CONCLUSION
I will conclude this series with an acronym to help us remember these Baptist Distinctives. I will list them in a different order than they were presented so that the acronym will work.
B ibilical Authority
A utonomy of the Local Church
P riesthood of the Believer/Soul Competency
T wo Church Offices/Congregational Governance
I mmersion and Believer's Baptism
S alvation by Grace Through Faith Alone
T wo Symbolic Ordinances
S eparation of Church and State/Religious Liberty
It is my prayer that, through these 8 sermons, we have come to understand and recognize several beliefs and practices that are closely associated with the Baptist faith. These characteristics form our unique identity. We are unashamedly and unapologetically Baptists!