Which Version of the Bible shoul

Do You Want To Be Successful? - Good Advice for Young People of All Ages

By Jeffery Canaday, Youth Director, Calvary Baptist Church, Monticello, Florida

How to Glorify Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ With Your Life By Applying the Principles and Practices of Fundamental Independent Baptists.

Part III - What Do Fundamental Independent Baptist Believe?

There are many denominations in this world today, most of which are promoting heresy through their doctrine and actions.

In the "Christian" arena, you often hear the term "Protestants." These are faiths that were born at or about the Reformation (some of the denominations to emerge directly from the Reformation were the Church of England, Lutherans, and the Reformed /Calvinists /Presbyterians). They came from, and carry traditions of, the Catholic Church. Through a series of events, leaders left the Catholic Church seeking to separate from some doctrinal issues they could identify. The new organizations of doctrinal belief were generally classified as "Protesters", hence "Protestant"

The Baptists were originally an "Independently" structured group of "Fundamental" Bible Believing Churches which could be more significantly distinguished as adhering to "Believer's Baptism."

Independent: Independence and autonomy of the local Church. Christ is the Shepherd of the Congregation, the Pastor is the Under Shepherd, answering to the Shepherd. No established or organized entity or group set's itself in authority over the local Church. The Man of God (the Pastor) gets his orders from God Himself, not an organization like the Church of England or the Catholic Church which operate local Churches but the authority, doctrines, and traditions are imposed by the global organization.

Fundamental: At the bottom of any question, discussion, or decision, the Bible is our only rule for faith and practice, as it is inspired of God. Our fundamental question is, “What do the Scriptures, the KJV Bible, say about it?”

Believer's Baptism: The Bible teaches that Baptism is performed following after one becomes a Believer, that is after being "Born Again." Some faiths perform "Infant Baptism" giving a false hope for the life of the individual, not requiring a knowledge of being a sinner, convicted unto repentance and turning to The Lord.

Baptists: This is a label, placed by man, as individuals, or denominations were able to put into words that they believed these "Baptists" were primarily set apart, or different from their own in the area of Baptism. Baptist is NOT a denomination. There is no organizational structure, but Independent Autonomous Fundamental Bible Believing Churches.

Conventions: You have probably heard of the Southern Baptist Convention, or American Baptists, etc. These are NOT Independent Baptist Churches. While they carry most of the important Biblical Doctrines, they reached a point of organization which can allow the "Convention" to pass a ruling that each of the member Churches must adhere to. Key points: Baptist is NOT a Denomination. Baptist is NOT Protestant. Baptist IS a label, placed by others, and generally accepted by believers in order to identify commonality in beliefs.

Origins: Labeled today as Baptists, these Fundamental, Independent, Believer Baptizing Churches began with the Apostles (yes, we have been around for a long time), and have independently operated since. Some groups became organized, came to a state of being similar to what we know as conventions, and then eventually to a state of being as the Catholic Church, or Church of England.

Doctrinal Characteristics of Fundamental Independent Baptist:

Bible: We believe the Authorized Version of the 1611 King James Bible is verbally inspired of God, that it is written without error, that it is the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, that it reveals God, the fall of man, the way of salvation and God's plan for the future.

God: We believe that there is only one true and living God, that He has always existed, and always will, that He exists in 3 co-equal persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, that He is capable of wrath and that He loves us.

Trinity: We believe that the Trinity is a label used to state the 3 co-equal persons of God and that They are so labeled and distinguished as each carry distinctive personalities, but are one.

Jesus: We believe that Jesus was virgin born, ministered and instructed us, suffered, died, was buried, rose again bodily, ascended to the right hand of the Father, He is the Son of God, in relation to Mankind and He is God Himself.

Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit works conviction of Sin, performs regeneration of Sinners, indwells believers and is God Himself.

Salvation: We believe that salvation is by grace, that the Holy Spirit draws sinners unto conviction, that repentance and faith are conditions of salvation and that salvation is through faith and not by works by the person.

Two Ordinances: We believe that there are only two ordinances. The first is Baptism and it is only performed ONCE on of Believers ONLY, that salvation is a prerequisite, that it involves complete immersion into the water, that it does not save or forgive sin, that it is an act performed as instructed by Jesus, that it is to identify a sinner as converted and now a believer, that it is to publicly express the spiritual birth, that it is a declaration of one’s spiritual initiation into the body of Christ, that it is representative of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that it is representative of the death of the “old man” and the birth of the “new man”. The second is the Lord's Supper with introspective participation by believers, that it symbolizes Christ’s broken body and shed blood sacrificed on our behalf to deliver us from sin and death, that it consists of unleavened bread and unfermented drink from the fruit of the vine (grape juice or new wine), that it looks forward to the day when we shall sup with Christ in His kingdom and that it is open to all true believers in right standing with God.

Independent: We believe that independent means that we do not have any earthly entity or organization as authority over the Church and that we are dependent on the direct authority of God.

Return of Christ: We believe in the sudden, swift and unexpected return of Christ and that it will be visible, personal, pre-millennial (before the millennial reign), pre-tribulational (before the tribulation begins), that it will call the Church body (believers) to meet him in the sky and that there will be a bodily resurrection of dead believers.

Hell: We believe that Hell is the destination of all mankind as we are born sinners, that it is a literal place, that it is eternally burning, that people will burn, dying, but never reaching dead, and that unbelievers whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life shall be sentenced by Christ to burn in torment forever in the lake of fire.

Heaven (Technically New Jerusalem): We believe that Heaven is the destination of all born again believers, that it is a literal place, that we will live eternally in the presence of God and that the redeemed, in glorified bodies, will dwell with the triune God forever, to serve and to enjoy Him in perfect peace and happiness.