THE SACRAMENTALISM OF TODAY'S BAPTISTS
by Paul Wayne Foltz on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 6:12pm
In recent months I've become cautious to make sweeping statements about the times in which we now live in comparison to the “good old days”. I believe every generation of Christians has spiritual battles to fight when it comes to defending the truth given by God in His holy word. It's easy to point back to yesteryear because its possible they weren't fighting the same battle we are so their grass looks greener. With further study of history we find they were fighting battles themselves; just not on the area of lawn we examined. Regardless, we must fight for truth in our own generation where we see it attacked.
Baptists have always denied that works contribute to the justification of man before God. Man's justification is only by grace through faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, taught by the authority of Scripture alone. This radical belief in dependence upon Christ to be our propitiation and righteousness before God brought about a violent reaction from the Romish dictatorship. They taught that acceptance into the Roman “church” by adhering to a set of sacraments brought about a progressive justification.
I posit that we Baptists have partially embraced this sacramental system that our forefathers worked so hard to destroy. We have invented works that produce a false assurance of salvation to many who biblically should have none. These works are proclaimed by many who sincerely believe in salvation by grace through faith alone! These works do nothing to inhibit God's elect from coming to faith but certainly do assure people of salvation either before they have it or although they never have it. It has filled the churches with unbelievers and therefore populated hell with church goers. We should desist from using these methods purely because they are not scriptural whether or not there is any “practical” reasons we can think of to persuade us to stop. I will address 3 observed works of the modern day that we have placed in the path of sinners who should only hear the pure gospel exhortation.
“Ask Jesus into your heart.”
This commonly used phrase is touted as gospel by many evangelists. This phrase is found nowhere in scripture. Not only is the phrase found nowhere, but nothing in concept is found like it in scripture in reference to the call of the gospel. It is a work! To tell someone that they can be saved by asking Jesus to come into their heart is allowing them to think that the action of asking Him to come in will make it happen. Scripture NEVER says this. A person can ask, beg and plead for Jesus to come into their heart and that will get them nowhere.
“Praying a prayer”
This is very similar to asking Jesus into your heart though it may not use that phrase at all. Many times the sinner is asked to repeat a prayer after someone leading them. Again, this is a work. The sinner is convinced that the action of repeating the prayer will save them; it won't. Many times the words of the prayer may even be correct. The one leading it may say the right things that if believed would mean true salvation, but the fact is the person repeating the prayer is placing confidence in the prayer to save them.
“Walking down the Aisle”
Many are told to walk down to the front during an invitation time to receive Christ. This, like the other two already discussed is a work. The sinner believes God will save them if they do what the pastor says and go down. This action will cause God to act on their behalf. No action causes God to save; salvation is by grace through faith alone. I am not saying that an invitation is always bad. It can be used to help those who want counsel. It can be useful for those who want to join the local church or need to be baptized. I'm saying it is not a biblical way to salvation and we must stop confusing people into thinking it has anything to do with whether they are saved by God's grace or not.
All of these mentioned are works that give people false confidence in salvation. The scripture is clear that repentance and faith is the only way a person is to be saved. That means a person is saved when they place their trust and dependence on Christ alone to make them right with God. Christ lived the perfect life in obedience to God's holy law. He took our iniquities upon Himself and suffered under God's wrath. We deserved to be cursed and yet He was cursed in our place. When we realize our wickedness and see that we deserve to be under God's judgment we can only be saved by depending on Christ. He paid for sins and He lived a holy life. His righteousness is placed to our account and my sin was placed to His. We must believe, trust and depend on Him alone! It is not an invitation, prayer, or walk down an isle that can save me but only a desperate dependence on Christ alone that is evidenced by an open confession and repentance. Soli Deo Gloria.
by Paul Wayne Foltz on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 6:12pm
In recent months I've become cautious to make sweeping statements about the times in which we now live in comparison to the “good old days”. I believe every generation of Christians has spiritual battles to fight when it comes to defending the truth given by God in His holy word. It's easy to point back to yesteryear because its possible they weren't fighting the same battle we are so their grass looks greener. With further study of history we find they were fighting battles themselves; just not on the area of lawn we examined. Regardless, we must fight for truth in our own generation where we see it attacked.
Baptists have always denied that works contribute to the justification of man before God. Man's justification is only by grace through faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, taught by the authority of Scripture alone. This radical belief in dependence upon Christ to be our propitiation and righteousness before God brought about a violent reaction from the Romish dictatorship. They taught that acceptance into the Roman “church” by adhering to a set of sacraments brought about a progressive justification.
I posit that we Baptists have partially embraced this sacramental system that our forefathers worked so hard to destroy. We have invented works that produce a false assurance of salvation to many who biblically should have none. These works are proclaimed by many who sincerely believe in salvation by grace through faith alone! These works do nothing to inhibit God's elect from coming to faith but certainly do assure people of salvation either before they have it or although they never have it. It has filled the churches with unbelievers and therefore populated hell with church goers. We should desist from using these methods purely because they are not scriptural whether or not there is any “practical” reasons we can think of to persuade us to stop. I will address 3 observed works of the modern day that we have placed in the path of sinners who should only hear the pure gospel exhortation.
“Ask Jesus into your heart.”
This commonly used phrase is touted as gospel by many evangelists. This phrase is found nowhere in scripture. Not only is the phrase found nowhere, but nothing in concept is found like it in scripture in reference to the call of the gospel. It is a work! To tell someone that they can be saved by asking Jesus to come into their heart is allowing them to think that the action of asking Him to come in will make it happen. Scripture NEVER says this. A person can ask, beg and plead for Jesus to come into their heart and that will get them nowhere.
“Praying a prayer”
This is very similar to asking Jesus into your heart though it may not use that phrase at all. Many times the sinner is asked to repeat a prayer after someone leading them. Again, this is a work. The sinner is convinced that the action of repeating the prayer will save them; it won't. Many times the words of the prayer may even be correct. The one leading it may say the right things that if believed would mean true salvation, but the fact is the person repeating the prayer is placing confidence in the prayer to save them.
“Walking down the Aisle”
Many are told to walk down to the front during an invitation time to receive Christ. This, like the other two already discussed is a work. The sinner believes God will save them if they do what the pastor says and go down. This action will cause God to act on their behalf. No action causes God to save; salvation is by grace through faith alone. I am not saying that an invitation is always bad. It can be used to help those who want counsel. It can be useful for those who want to join the local church or need to be baptized. I'm saying it is not a biblical way to salvation and we must stop confusing people into thinking it has anything to do with whether they are saved by God's grace or not.
All of these mentioned are works that give people false confidence in salvation. The scripture is clear that repentance and faith is the only way a person is to be saved. That means a person is saved when they place their trust and dependence on Christ alone to make them right with God. Christ lived the perfect life in obedience to God's holy law. He took our iniquities upon Himself and suffered under God's wrath. We deserved to be cursed and yet He was cursed in our place. When we realize our wickedness and see that we deserve to be under God's judgment we can only be saved by depending on Christ. He paid for sins and He lived a holy life. His righteousness is placed to our account and my sin was placed to His. We must believe, trust and depend on Him alone! It is not an invitation, prayer, or walk down an isle that can save me but only a desperate dependence on Christ alone that is evidenced by an open confession and repentance. Soli Deo Gloria.
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