Ifb Is A Cult?

[Dr James Ach]

When a person buys a car, a good car shopper normally has a preference. A person may like a Pontiac, but there are many Pontiacs. Thus you narrow it down to the Model. He picks a Trans Am. But there are many Trans Ams. So then you narrow it down to the Year and Engine Size, and ultimately you end up with a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am with a 429 [Pharisees please ignore any mistakes in engine specs ]

 

Thus to get the right car, there are several indicators that identify the correct one. 

 

There are many Christians, but not all believe in Eternal Security. Baptists believe in eternal security, but not all Baptists are independent churches (SBC for example). There are many independent Baptist churches, but not all believe in the King James Bible. Thus it has been common in identifying a church that believes in the fundamentals, is independent, soul winning, practices separation and godly standards as an independent fundamental Baptist church. Instead of dropping 'fundamental' and getting lost among the distinctions of other churches, I would simply fight for the correctness of fundamentalism and point out that the other churches who have adopted the term are THIEVES.

[John81]

If only the IFB churches around here still held to such. They still hold to the IFB name, but almost all of them have dropped the KJB in favor of an MV. Several of them outright yoke with just about anyone for certain events and causes now, while the others do so only a little more selectively.

 

Hardly any of the churches around here today (including all churches, not just IFB) hold to the standards they did in my childhood and youth. Not only have the area IFB churches gone astray, but the Methodist, Lutheran and other such have slacked away, and even the Catholic churches don't hold to the same standards they once did (not that the RCC was ever correct, but in some areas they did hold to some good standards, but not now).

 

In most of the area if someone says they are Baptist, the first thought is of SBC. Unless one goes further south to the small city where the large, growing Baptist church is which is "Calvinist" and around there most folks think of that church when Baptist is mentioned. Further east most people think of the growing ever more liberal Baptist churches in the largest town there; which includes the one my aunt attends which now has the female associate pastor.

 

As was mentioned, if one simply says they are a Christian, that might be a good starting point but it automatically leads to the "what kind" sort of questions.

 

If we ever have to drop the use of the term "fundamentalist" because it no longer means what it once did, that will be no different than the terms our ancestors dropped when they first formed the IFB churches a little over a hundred years ago.

 

Eventually, as the media and others keep demonizing the term "fundamentalist" most people will come to view the word in a bad or evil way without giving it any thought. The "bad" Muslims are called "fundamentalists", Wesboro Baptist is called "fundamentalist", most churches they can link something bad to they tag a "fundamentalist" title to it. I read a story earlier this year about some bad things that happened in some Pentecostal and Charismatic churches and the press called each of those churches "fundamentalist". Many times I've seen Pastor John Hagee referred to as a "fundamentalist". I've seen Pat Robertson and several other clearly not fundamentalists (at least by our traditional definition) tagged as being "fundamentalists".

 

When talking with people these days, if they really want to know, it can take a lot of explaining to get through to them just what kind or type of Christian we are. It didn't take that much explanation in years gone by.

 

When I was first baptized and discipled IFB it was common for me to hear people say, "Oh, one of those", when I would tell them I was IFB. By "one of those" they meant one of those Baptists who actually believe the Bible and think we should live by it. These days when I mention IFB it's as if I said something evil or it takes 20 minutes to get it through to them just what I mean by that.

 

As has happened since Christianity began, times are changing. I'm thankful our Lord does not!

[Invicta]

There aren't many IFBs in England.  David Cloud lists only five ans one of those is in India.  Then again it is an American denomination.  I have only met one person that called himself a fundamentalist and that was my dad.  

[heartstrings]

Anyone know Justus Banuel in India? I'm not sure if he calls himself IFB but he was one we supported.

[mkrishna]

No doubt, none of us know and his 5% was a speculation but I don't recall what he based it upon.

 

We can look here in America where, depending upon the survey or poll, typically between 70-90% of people claim to be Christian. For the most part, when we look at American Christianity we have to first subtract Catholics, Mormons and various fringe groups. Then we need to subtract most of those in churches which teach a false means of salvation. We have to subtract all those who think they are Christian by birth or simply because they say so. On and on, even when we get to the churches which preach the Gospel, all those who attend are most likely not saved. By the time we get finished with these things we probably end up somewhere around 5-10% in America being born again Christians.

 

Those who like to say one day the rapture will occur and half of the population of America will be called away are basing their numbers upon figures which includes many varieties of "Christians" that are part of non-Gospel preaching churches.

 

Even when we use a rather liberal estimation of those born again around the world, it's a small percentage of the 7 billion.

 

As Jerry mentioned, Scripture is clear that few will be in heaven while the masses will be cast into hell.

 

God knows all these matters and He's called us to take the Gospel to all people and then the end will come.

How did you come up with such a high percentage estimate for America? Seems much lower!

[John81]

My estimate for America was 5-10%, but as said, it's just an estimate and you may be correct, it could be much lower.

[swathdiver]

Anyone know Justus Banuel in India? I'm not sure if he calls himself IFB but he was one we supported.

 

Not me.  Our local church supports Sean Canavan in India who is an Independent, Fundamental, Soul-Winning, Baptist.

 

 

As to how many people alive today are saved and headed for heaven, we talked about this recently, it is very few.  Why even in our New Testament churches we have false converts.  The rock-n-roll churches that dot the landscape are made up of men and women not called by God to serve and they fill their synagogues of satan with carnal people demanding entertainment and not the things of God.  

 

Walk into a grocery store, gas station, walk the isles of Walmart, how many dress and conduct themselves in a biblical manner even?  I was waiting outside of a large corporation several weeks ago, my wife was the only woman who walked out the doors dressed modestly; she was one of three wearing dresses, the other ladies dresses were high above their knees.  Look at Congress and the White House, our state capitols, our laws.  This nation has completely set itself up as God and is in total rebellion to Jesus Christ.  

[HappyChristian]

swath-Sean is a good friend of ours. He and my hubby were in college together for a while. We had him over quite a bit. His brother Dan is a missionary to Ireland. Good people!