How would YOU prove......

[Genevanpreacher]

6 hours ago, Jim_Alaska said:

I agree GP. As I said in a previous post I had never heard of IFB until coming to OB. I was saved in an Independent Baptist mission work in Fairbanks Alaska in 1975. Our sponsoring church identified itself as Independent Baptist, as did the churches that supported us. Our sponsoring church was Roger's Baptist Church of Garland Texas, a very large, well known church among Independent Baptists.

I was taught and have always believed that the word "Independent" was simply to show that we were not under any convention or fellowship and self governing, as scripture teaches.

You are kidding!!

My two youngest sons went down there in July!

They had a youth conference. Our current Pastor, Darrell Sparks knows that church well.

He just preached a conference in Athens, Texas -on how we can trust the accuracy of God's word last August. Bro. Darrell took my youngest son Eli and another young man with him on the trip.

Small world.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Genevanpreacher

[heartstrings]

On 1/4/2017 at 9:53 PM, DaveW said:

OK folks, there has over time been discussions about what it means to be an Independent Baptist.

My question is: how would YOU prove you are an Independent Baptist as distinct from other independent churches or other "Baptist" groups?

Many people are independent, many people are baptist, but what proof would you give that you are actually an "independent baptist"?

Mods: if you think this could be inflammatory, then please deal with it is you see fit.

 

I was saved on a Sunday morning, May 11th, 1986, at Berean Baptist Church, an Independent Fundamental Baptist church. I straightway became a member and continued as a member until about 2011. I believe the King James Bible is the pure, unadulterated, inerrant word of God for English speaking people. I believe that Jesus is God incarnate, born of a virgin, sinless, all powerful, and shed His blood for the sins of all mankind, and is the Savior of all who will believe. I believe we, who are saved, are saved forever and cannot be lost again. I believe in the convicting, quickening, and comforting power of the Holy Ghost who is a person of the Trinity. But I do not believe that "speaking in tongues", as done today, is of God or has anything to do with the Holy Ghost. I do not believe that the tenets of Calvinism aka "doctrines of grace", as taught in some Baptist churches today, are fundamental doctrines of the Bible, nor of true Independent fundamental baptists, and I have serious doubts that those who teach such are true ministers of the Gospel.  I believe that Baptists should live right, and dress in a godly manner so as to be witnesses of the Grace of God that our verbal witness does not blaspheme God. I no longer attend an IFB church, for the time being, for reasons already discussed and I will not hash them out again. Other than that I cannot "prove" I am an Independent Baptist anymore than I can prove that I am saved. The word "Independent" in the name, to me, has always meant that a church is autonomous in government and does not answer to an association or other outside authority. I agree with that wholeheartedly but am most interested in the "fundamental" part which I believe should entail believing the King James Bible from cover to cover in light of the Gospel of Christ, following Christ, by Grace through faith, by one who is born again and maturing.

Edited January 10, 2017 by heartstrings

[Saved41199]

This is something I have been thinking about quite a bit lately (wonder why?!?)

For me, it's like this:

The Independent Baptist Church DID NOT come out of the Reformation - it existed all the way back to biblical times

The church I am a member of (got baptized into membership tonight!) does not follow the world, is not "seeker-friendly", and is not afraid to call sin, sin. 

There is nothing but Jesus preached. 

Yes, we are KJV only.

Yes, I've changed my wardrobe to be primarily skirts/dresses only. 

Yes I find abstaining from alcohol, immorality and do not let trash in my home entertainment wise.

Yes, I am pro-life

However, I also don't follow the "party line" in certain things. That's the part of Independent I like too. 

[swathdiver]

As an old preacher once said, "The Bible makes us Baptists"!

Our enemies contend that we were never of them, existed before them and follow the scriptures more closely than they do.

My local church is an Independent, Fundamental, Bible Believing, Soul-Winning, Baptist Church!  She proclaims it right on her website's home page!

 

Wayne, I'm so sorry to hear that you've lost a sound church to attend.  Maybe the Good Lord has other plans for you and yours my friend?

[weary warrior]

On 1/4/2017 at 11:36 PM, DaveW said:

But this exactly the reason for the question - there are so many "definitions" around today and it is because all sorts of people identify themselves as such without knowing why.

If Independent Baptist doesn't mean anything anymore then it is meaningless..........

So, how do YOU prove that you are, as distinct from say independent community church?

The times that I've discussed this topic with other IFB's in the past did not turn out very conclusive for them. Mostly, I think, because they were always looking for either a set-in-stone denominational or historical answer. I don't believe there are actually either one available. Historically, those who refused to accept the infant baptism of converted Catholics were called "re-baptizers". You guys already know all of this. It was a term of derision, a nickname. The "re" was eventually dropped. It's an oversimplification, I'm aware, but it's enough to communicate my thinking. So historically, it simply means that the belief in salvation by grace followed by Biblical believer's baptism was what got one identified as a "Baptist". It's hard to make all of the other doctrines stick, historically, because the denominational ancestors we tend to hold to, such as the Waldenses, the Huguenots, the Ana-baptists etc. did not always hold the other doctrines we want to identify ourself by today. It was mainly believer's baptism following true salvation. That's originally what made a Baptist.

Independent speaks for itself, and nobody can agree completely on what constitutes the "fundamentals".

So, I believe in believer's baptism following salvation, I hold only to the teaching of scripture as my doctrinal foundation and my church is autonomous from any other organization or office.

That's all I hold as a definition of what makes me 'IFB". It's all I got, it's all I need. And truth be told, for myself, I don't really even need that. I'm so over labels and definitions, I just carry the placard around to ease the minds of some of the more timorous weaker brethren.

And DaveW, that last line was in no way referring to you!