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Please Help A Newbie Understand


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i was raised in a LCMS church. I have attended an AOG church for a number of years. Still there were aspects of what they believed that I am not sure I did. Prompted to make changes in our lives, I started looking around. Came across a number of baptist churches in our area. Only, they seem to be different baptist churches. a couple are IFB and a couple are "regular" baptist churches. Please help me understand the differences in these churches and WHY they are different and the same?? lol

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Hello, and welcome!

There is a lot of variety in 'regular' Baptist churches, and there is also variety in IFB churches. Some demand you use a King James Version Bible, others suggest it. Some demand women wear dresses only. Some believe alcohol is evil, others don't. Some are very judgemental and legalistic.

But the same or similar things exist in many denominations.

One of the biggest differences between most Baptist churches and other churches is that most believe eternal life is eternal. Many AOG, CoG (both flavors), Pentecostal type, and such often teach that your eternal life is only eternal until you sin, then you lose that incorruptible seed. IFB churches generally teach that people are saved by God's grace rather than man's works, but some (not many though) say that if you walk away from God you were not genuinely saved to start with, thus they are similar when they do that to AOG.

Just as with any people, the best way to find out is go to a few services. I would recommend Sunday AM and PM services, plus Wednesday if available. You will get a good idea of the taste of the church that way. Check each out until you find one that backs up the words they speak with what the Word of God actually says, and the leadership of the church walk according to I Cor 13 and Eph 5.

I would say good luck, but it doesn't exist. So I will say God speed!

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For the "Regular" Baptists I suggest you email "Oldregular" a member on these boards but not posting lately. For the IFBers, just hang around and ask questions...question everything. Make us (I'm IFB) explain until you understand. Sound fair?

But, as for the local church...trell gave you great advice about trying all the services at each candidate church.

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Legalism, maybe not, being legalistic is trying to be saved by the things you do good, few Baptist believe that way, the only ones I know of that do are the Freewill Baptist, they believe your saved by works, & can lose your salvation, much as the church of Christ, doing plenty of good things in order to try & stay saved.

Maybe they're concerned about your walk wit Christ, trying to get you to walk closer to Him, after all, God does have standards, & we should walk in them, & His standards are not grievous , that is if your truly saved.

1Jo 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

For the lost, His ways are very grievous.

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I think the IFB forums are only for IFB to post in - although you may be able to read there. If you're IFB, just message Bro. Matt for permission. (Bro Matt, please correct if I'm wrong.) There was a time when there was a lot of non-IFB people on the board debating every single little thing we said and it got tiring. So they instituted the IFB forums to give us a place of respite! However, everything that gets talked about in the IFB forums usually gets talked about in the general forums sooner or later. So check those out - especially the Biblical Issues forum - and feel free to start topics!

Edited by salyan
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Thank you everyone. Now, how can I get access to the IFB forums? Those would help me in gaining a clear understanding of the beliefs.

You have got access to the IFB forums - you're posting here.

I'm not IFB - they don't exist as such in England. I've posted here for several years I not always been in agreement with every IFB poster. Questions are raised & discussed, & while there may still be serious disagreement, we can (hopefully) see each other's viewpoint & gain respect by the manner of discussion & scriptural arguments.

I do belong to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches which is a loose fellowship of churches with a Scriptural belief & adherence to the Gospel of repentance & salvation by faith in Christ alone. Within the FIEC there are differences in Bible versions, music style, understanding of prophecy, manner of baptism, etc, One reason for that is that Christians came out from th emajor denominations & accepted each other without imposing a comprehensive statement of faith. This is our 90th year.

Please stay, & ask your questions, & enjoy fellowship with us.
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