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ASK YOUR PREACHER/PASTOR Or PRIEST ANSWERING THE COMMENTS AND QUESTION OF ONE OF OUR VIEWERS The “Sinner’s Prayer” is a common Protestant denominational appeal and plan of salvation. It is often presented at the end of the service when people want to know how to be forgiven of their sins be saved. The words may vary but the elements are usually the same. The assurance is given that if one says these words sincerely that God will save them.

First Comment From E-Mail • “First, it was the statements concerning the Baptist church's view on baptism. I have included a link from the Southern Baptist Convention's web site concerning their articles of faith. Though I am not a Baptist, it does look like they are in line with the Scriptures.” • http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000.asp#iv

SOUTHERN BAPTIST TEACHING • IV. Salvation --- from: http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp#vii • Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. • Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST TEACHING • Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. • Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour. • Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God. • Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life. • Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST TEACHING • V. God's Purpose of Grace • Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility. • All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST TEACHING • Baptism and the Lord's Supper • Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper. • The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Answering the First Comment • ‘Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (‘The Baptist Faith And Message,’ IV, p. 11) • The new birth is simultaneous with conversion. • John 3:3-5 - The new birth (out of sin, into righteousness) has two elements: • Water: Baptism - cf. Titus 3:5. • The Spirit: The Holy Spirit revealed word, the gospel - cf. Ephesians 5:25-26; 1 Peter 1:22-23.

Answering the First Comment • When one, by faith in Christ, obeys His word and is baptized, regeneration or purification of the soul occurs! • 2 Corinthians 5:17 - At the moment we are in Christ, we are new creatures. • Sinners were told to believe, not wait for the Holy Spirit in order to be able to believe! - cf. Acts 16:30-32; 8:5-6. • A Question To Consider: • If a man cannot obey God until God regenerates him, and God never regenerates him, whose fault is it that the man is lost? • This Baptist doctrine, in effect, makes God responsible for man’s damnation!

Southern Baptist Teaching • Because man's nature is sinful, he cannot even believe, until God regenerates his nature by a supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit. After this regeneration, which gives man the ability to believe in and obey Christ, he can have faith and repent, thereby being saved. • ‘We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God;....’ (‘The New Hampshire Confession,’ VIII; Baptist Church Manual, Pendleton, p. 50)

Answering The First Comment • 2 Cor. 7:10 - Repentance is prompted by godly sorrow for one’s sin. • Rom. 10:17 - Faith is produced by contact with the word of God. • By use of the word He revealed, the Holy Spirit produces faith and repentance within man. • Faith and repentance are separate actions, both of which are necessary for salvation. • Faith - Heb. 11:6; Jno. 8:24. • Repentance - Acts 17:30. • Acts 11:21 - Believe, then turn to the Lord. • It is possible to have faith (believe) and yet not repent - Jas. 2:19; John 12:42-43. • Therefore, faith precedes repentance, not vice versa. It is an impossibility to repent (change the mind) before faith is present in the mind!

Southern Baptist Teaching • ‘Baptism is to be administered to those, and to those only, who have exercised and professed a saving faith in Christ; that is, to believers. This saving faith presupposes repentance for and a turning to the Lord with full commitment of heart.’ (The Hiscox Guide for Baptist Churches, p. 86) • ‘The spiritual change of the new birth constitutes Christian fellowship; but to secure church fellowship, that change must be confessed in baptism.’ (The Hiscox Guide for Baptist Churches, p. 39) • ‘Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.’ (‘The Baptist Faith And Message,’ VII, p. 13) • ‘Baptism may not be essential to salvation, but it is essential to obedience.’ (The Hiscox Guide for Baptist Churches, p. 87)

Answering On Baptism • Subjects: Repentant believers. • Acts 8:35-37 - Belief must precede baptism. • Acts 2:37-38 - Repentance came before baptism. • Acts 18:8 - Hear gospel, believe, then baptized. • Purposes Of Baptism: • Through it, Christ Provides forgiveness of sins and fellowship with God. • Matthew 28:19 - It places one into a relationship with Deity. • Mark 16:16 - It is essential to be saved. • Acts 2:38 - Necessary for the remission of sins and for the gift of the Holy Spirit. • Acts 22:16 - By it sins are washed away. • Romans 6:3 - It puts one into Christ. • Romans 6:3 - It brings one into contact with the death of Christ (the benefits of His death - His saving blood). • Romans 6:4 - Through it, we die to sin. • Galatians 3:26-27 - we ‘put on Christ.’ • Colossians 2:11-13 - At baptism, the sins of the flesh are put off, as we receive the circumcision of Christ, and are buried with Him. • 1 Peter 3:21 - It saves us, through the resurrection of Christ.

Answering On Baptism • At baptism, the Lord adds us to His church (the body of the saved). • 1 Corinthians 12:13 - Baptized into one body. • Acts 2:41, 47 - Added by the Lord to the church upon receiving the word and being baptized (v. 41) - Upon being saved (v. 47). • A symbol, not of a past occurrence, but of what actually happens when one is baptized. • Romans 6:4 - Just as Jesus died, was buried, and arose from the dead, in baptism, we die to sin, are buried with Christ, and raised to live in newness of life. This happens at the moment of baptism (cf. Col. 2:12-13). • Titus 3:5 - It is the ‘washing of regeneration’ through which God’s mercy saves us (cf. Heb. 10:22; Acts 22:16).

Answering On Baptism • Since baptism is connected with our forgiveness of sins, we cannot be saved without it. • Acts 10:48 - Water baptism is a commandment from God. • Hebrews 5:8-9 - Since Christ will save those who obey Him, how can we reject His commandment of baptism and still be saved? • To receive salvation, we must obey every commandment Christ gives us. • Its Efficacy: What Baptism Does For A Person. • Baptism is presented as the step of faith by which one comes into the actual possession of the spiritual blessings Christ provides.

Answering The First Comment • Thus, It Can Be Seen From The Scriptures And The Teaching Of The Southern Baptist Convention: • THAT THE SCRIPTURES AND BAPTIST TEACHING DO NOT AGREE • THAT THE TEACHING OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH: • DOES NOT SAVE THE SINNER FROM THEIR SINS • AND MANY ARE LOST IN SIN WHO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SAVED.

Now, you had a section on Billy Graham as well. • Here is a quote from him concerning the reluctance to baptize at crusades. • "In our crusades, we don't baptize because we feel that this should be done by the local pastors--and that if I baptized, some people would say they have been baptized by me, and that would be putting the emphasis on the wrong person.“ • Here is his view on the necessity of baptism. • "Baptism is a conclusive act of obedience and witness to the world that we are Christ's. I believe in it wholeheartedly."

Now, you had a section on Billy Graham as well. • To be fair, he does say that "we violate the Scriptures when we make baptism the prime requirement for salvation...Paul's central theme was Christ and His saving power. Although he spoke of baptism, [Paul] said: 'I thank God that I baptized none of you...lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.' (1 Corinthians 1:14-15) 'Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.' (1 Corinthians 1:17) “ • He goes on to allude to the thief on the cross example as proof that baptism is not required for salvation. • He doesn't realize that this was an extraordinary occurrence. • This is also in contradiction to the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18. • It's best to conclude that even Reverend Graham is human, too!

Statements Made On Billy Graham, In Our Last Show! • "Many are routes that lead to God-every one goes his own way from God and then every one must find his own way back.” (Billy Graham, "My Answer," March 9, 1954) • "Whenever anyone points a critical finger and demands to know why there have to be so many different churches all serving the same God, I am always tempted to point out how many different styles of hats have to be designed for both American men and women. We all belong to the same human race, but we all have enough physical differences to make it impossible for us to wear the same style of hat with equal satisfaction." (Billy Graham, Peace with God, p. 193)

Statements Made On Billy Graham, In Our Last Show! • Billy Graham: "Join the church of your choice and glorify God." (Billy Graham, "My Answer," Dec. 15, 1955) • Billy Graham: "Real competition serves purpose, even in religion-If they were all united into one congregation and under one organization, they might not reach as many people or put as many people to effective work for Christ." (Billy Graham, "My Answer," March 12, 1954)

Statements Made On Billy Graham, In Our Last Show! • "WE MUST RECEIVE HIMJohn 1:12, page 194 • "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." • "When you receive Christ into your heart, you become a child of God" (Billy Graham's Crusade edition of the New Testament KJV fly leaf page 7 bottom of page). • "Eternal life is yours the moment that you believe" (IBID, page 8, bottom paragraph). • Earlier on the same page of the same New Testament fly leaf Billy said the following: • “You can invite Jesus Christ into your heart, right now, praying to God something like this:“ • THE SINNERS PRAYER

COMMENTS FROM E-MAIL • However, his work for Christ is incomparable. It looks to me as if his reluctance to baptize is a humble attempt to keep people's eyes on Christ rather than Billy Graham. • I guess my point is that we are all brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. It's easy to shine the light on our differences, but the challenge is to learn to "be devoted to each other in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

Answering From The Scriptures • Eph. 5:6-7 --- “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them • The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769. • “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” vrs. 11-17 • The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Answering From The Scriptures • Galatians 1:6-9 • “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” • The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Answering From The Scriptures • 2 John 9-11 • “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” • The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Answering From The Scriptures • Matthew 15:13-14 • “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” • The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769. • Note: • THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT BOTH ARE CONDEMNED HERE • IT IS A SERIOUS THING TO BE A TEACHER – James 3:1 • WE ARE TO TRY THE TEACHERS – 1 John 4:1

In Conclusion…. • No One Has Ever Denied The Great Work That Billy Graham HAS DONE … • BUT: • DOES BILLY GRAHAM TEACH THE WHOLE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST? • NO --- HE REFUSES TO DO WHAT IS SPECIFICALLY COMMANDED. • DOES BILLY GRAHAM TEACH A DIFFERENT DOCTRINE THAN THAT WHICH CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES TAUGHT? • YES --- NO WHERE WAS ANYONE TOLD TO PRAY FOR SALVATION • THUS: I UPHOLD THE SCRIPTURES AND EXPOSE THE ERROR NOT BECAUSE OF DISLIKE OR JEALOUSY BUT BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF MENS SOULS.

Call To Speak ToUS Live Now!!! • Call And --- • Ask For A Copy Of This Presentation • Ask To Be Added To The Beacon’s Mailing • Ask For A Free Bible Correspondence Course • Call With A --- • Biblical Question Or Comment • Receive a Biblical Answer – “Book, Chapter and Verse” Call (828) 327-9459 or - WHKY

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