"Rev." W. J. McDaniel, a prominent Baptist
minister of Chattanooga, Tennessee appears on the front page of the
Baptist and Reflector in a long article on Salvation By Grace." This
impresses me as about as strong a statement and defense of the Baptist
position as can be made. I believe the gentleman to be dangerously wrong
and shall address myself to the task of showing that he is by the
scriptures. There are some points of agreement I am glad to acknowledge.
"Man is lost and needs to be saved." Human power and resources are
incapable of accomplishing the work. Man possesses no merit that puts
God in debt to him. He must be saved by the grace of God. He must
exercise faith in God, put his trust in a divine Saviour, else his case
is hopeless. "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it
is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jer. 10:23) "Trust in
the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy
paths." (Proverbs 3:5, 6) Anything, therefore, that a man does to be
saved must be an act of faith, an expression of trust and in obedience
to God. He does it because God tells him to do so. To expect salvation
in the performance of any act that God has not commanded in specific
relation to salvation would be the height of presumption. God does not
require a man to do anything, nor can he do anything, that entitles him
to boast, "that no flesh should glory before God." I take it that this
fundamental situation is clear and agreed upon. It should serve to
protect us from some more or less ugly charges that are sometimes made
against us. The Baptist brother seeks to clarify the discussion with a
series of questions.
"As a matter of clarifying this discussion
allow me to further reveal the position of Baptists by asking the
following questions: (1) Can a person be saved by uniting with the
church? (2) Does the rite of baptism save one or have any part in saving
one? (3) Does the observance of the Lord's Supper have any part in the
salvation of the soul? (4) Can a person be saved by just doing the best
he can?' Is there any work a man might do which will bring about
salvation for him?"
I shall first answer these questions in the
light of what the scriptures say and then pay my respects to why "We
Baptists do not believe" it. (1) A person cannot be saved by uniting
with the Baptist Church or any other religious denomination of human
origin. They are plants which the Father did not plant. The New
Testament knows nothing of them. The church the Lord built is "the body
of Christ" (I Cor. 12:27) and includes all the people of God.
(I Cor.
12:13; Rom. 12:4, 5) "God set the members each one of them in the body,
even as it pleased him." (I Cor. 12:18) The church is the family of God,
including all the children of God and he adds them to the church, the
family, when he saves them. (Acts 2:47) We invite Mr. McDaniel to point
out even one Christian in the New Testament who was not a member of the
church. They became Christians through the spiritual process of the new
birth and entered the family of God, the church in the same way.
"Uniting with the church" may be sufficient to get somebody tangled up
with the Baptist denomination, but he has to be born in order to
establish membership in the church of God. "Can a man be saved by" being
born again? That is exactly how he is saved, and that is precisely how
he enters the family of God, the church! "Wherefore if any man is in
Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold,
they are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17) "For ye are all sons of God, through
faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
did put on Christ," (Gal. 3:26, 27) By common consent the new birth has
nothing to do with making a man a member of the Baptist church. He can
have everything the new birth has to offer outside that human
denomination.
(2) "Does the rite of Baptism save one or
have any part in saving one?" If the purpose is to "clarify this
discussion" care should be taken to frame questions so that they will
"reveal" rather than becloud issues. God saves sinners when he pardons
their sins. Sinners must exercise faith in Jesus Christ by being
baptized into Christ, into his death. (Rom. 6:3, 4) Baptism is "into the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 28:19)
Is it essential that such a relationship be established in order to
salvation? Let us alter the form of the question somewhat "as a matter
of clarifying this discussion." "Does the rite of baptism" put "one"
into Christ or into the death of Christ? Paul says it does, even if "We
Baptists do not believe that." I believe I'll just stick to Paul.
(3) "Does the observance of the Lord's
Supper have any part in the salvation of the soul?" It is clearly taught
in the New Testament that the Lord's Supper is for the Lord's children
and nobody can partake of it who is not a Christian. It is a memorial
feast for Christians. It is a communion of the blood and body of the
Lord for baptized believers. It is nowhere stated that the Lord's Supper
introduces "one" into Christ or puts "one" into his death. When
convicted sinners in the New Testament asked what they must do, they
were not told to repent and take the Lord's Supper for the remission of
sins. They were told to repent and be baptized. Why should the Lord's
Supper be introduced into "this discussion"? The use that has been made
of it is not "clarifying" for an effort is made to make it parallel with
baptism. They differ widely in both act and design. What is said of one
does not apply to the other at all. A theory that requires such a
mishandling of the word of truth cannot be right.
(4) "Can a person be saved by just doing the
best he can' "? Man must not depend on his own efforts for salvation. He
must trust in the Lord with all his heart. "Though he was a Son, yet
learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made
perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal
salvation." (Heb. 5:8, 9) "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)
(5) "Is there any work a man might do which
will bring about salvation for him?" Yes. "Jesus answered and said unto
them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath
sent." (John 6:29) "What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he
hath faith, but have not works? Can that faith save him?" (James 2:14)
"Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith." (Verse
24) The "works" by which a man is justified is "the obedience of faith"
and makes faith "perfect." It is active trust in God. Baptists contend
that "baptism for remission" makes faith void. I deny it. Baptism is not
a work of human righteousness. It is a command of God definitely related
to the cross of Christ and the remission of sins. It would be refreshing
if Baptists would quit beating around the bush and come up to the issue
"as a matter of clarifying this discussion." About all they have
succeeded in doing when they talk about baptism and the Lord's Supper is
to muddy the water.
I believe that I have contributed something
definite "as a matter of clarifying this discussion" by answering Pastor
McDaniel's questions. These are scriptural answers. Now I am going to
give you, in his own words, some of the reasons why "We Baptists do not
believe that." "We Baptists do not believe that uniting with our church
or any other church can or will save a single lost soul. We do not find
in the Word of God a single reference where church membership is
necessary to the forgiveness of sins. Our conviction is that the work of
salvation is the combined work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and
therefore outside the pale of the church. The church is vital and
necessary but possesses no saving power in itself. That power rests with
God and has never been given to mortal man who as individuals go to make
up the organism known as the church. The church is an area ordained of
Jesus Christ in which the sheep are to be cared for and nurtured. It is
Christ that leadeth into the church and not the church which leadeth
into Christ."
"We Baptists" have no monopoly on the
conviction "that power rests with God" and "the church... possesses no
saving power in itself." On the other hand some of us who are not
Baptists earnestly contend that the church is the body of Christ and
consists of those who have been saved through "that power that rests
with God." When God saves a man by "that power" he adds him to the
church. I'm afraid that "We Baptists do not" know what the church is.
This talk about "our church or some other church" sounds somewhat
Ashdodish. "Christ is the head of the church, being himself the Saviour
of the body." (Eph. 5:23) The Lord built the church that he "might
reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain
the enmity thereby." (Eph. 2:16) "That power that rests with God" saves
men "in one body" not out of it as "We Baptists" contend. The fact that
"We Baptists do not believe that" is a fairly good sign that "we" need
to review our faith somewhat to make it conform to what the scriptures
teach. Some of us are thoroughly convinced that Baptist pride cannot
"save a single soul." The Baptist brother is rather reckless with his
use of "therefore." Because "salvation is the combined work of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" a fact I am not even inclined to deny, he
concludes that it is "therefore outside the pale of the church." That
conclusion is remarkable for its irrelevance. It does not follow at all.
We might with more justice conclude that he thinks that the church
itself is "outside the pale of the combined work of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit." The church is composed of men and women who have been
saved through "the combined work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." That
power that rests with God" to save sinners is divinely declared to be
the gospel. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16) It was preached by men, produced faith
and sinners are saved by faith. All thus saved constitute the church
even if "We Baptists do not believe that." Paul is right and "We
Baptists" are wrong. We are told that "the church is vital and
necessary." What church? Is it "our church" that "is vital and
necessary" or is it some other church? It is a little hard to figure out
how any church can be either "vital" or "necessary" when a sinner can be
born again, enjoy the blessings of divine citizenship in the kingdom of
heaven and finally reach glory, and never even be a member of it. If
such a church is vital, to what is it vital? If such a church is
necessary, to what is it necessary? I'm inclined to think "We Baptists"
are a queer people. Here is a divine reason why the church is both vital
and necessary. "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink
of one Spirit." (I Cor. 12:13) This baptism that introduced them "into
one body" also put them "into Christ" and "into his death."
(Rom. 6:3
4).
"We Baptists" are fanatically opposed to the
idea that baptism is a condition of remission of sins, even though the
New Testament specifically teaches that it is: It is classified as
"obedience of faith" but "We Baptists" prefer to shift it to the realm
of works of human righteousness and exclude it on grounds of grace. Here
is a Baptist sample of that sort of thing.
"The two ordinances of the New Testament
church are the Lord's supper and baptism. Neither of these have within
themselves or contribute toward the salvation of a single lost soul.
Both are to be observed and participated in by the saved man and in no
manner of means saves him or contributes toward his salvation. Both are
symbols and representative. Various religious bodies attach more or less
saving powers to these two ordinances but Baptists attach absolutely
none. God is consistent and the Bible is consistent. There is no
contradiction to be found in the Word of God. And yet, if either or both
of these ordinances played any part in the saving of a lost soul, then
our text `By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should
boast,' would be inconsistent with such beliefs. The argument of some
people with regard to one or both of these ordinances is grossly
illogical and inconsistent with hundreds of Biblical references. The
work of mortal man in the administration and preparation of either or
both of these ordinances will make salvation dependent in part on the
work of man. For example, a sinner desires to be saved and has thus
repented of his sins and turns to God in faith—God sees the penitent
sinner and discerns his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ but is held up in
saving the poor sinner until mortal man prepares and administers either
or both of these ordinances. Such presumption is of man and not of God
or to be found in the Bible."
"We Baptists" abruptly reject anything that
"will make divine salvation dependent in part on the work of man." It is
freely conceded that a sinner is saved by grace, that he can do nothing
by way of securing it that entitles him to even one little boast. His
salvation is a gift from God. At that it is "dependent in part on the
work of man" because God has ordained it so, whether "We Baptists"
believe it or not. The sinner has access into grace through faith. He
must believe. He cannot believe without testimony. He must be taught and
he must learn. "It was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of
the preaching to save them that believe." (I Cor. 1:21) "Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on him in whom the have not believed? And how shall they believe in him
whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"
(Rom. 10:13, 14) Why do "We Baptists" preach to sinners anyway and plead
with them to accept a Saviour, if salvation is not "dependent in part on
the work of man?" Trying to clarify the design of baptism by talking
about the Lord's Supper is a futile gesture. "We Baptists do not believe
that" the Lord's Supper is "to be observed and participated in by the
saved man" unless he has been baptized. It can be easily proved by
scripture citations that the Lord's Supper is to "be observed and
participated in by the saved man," but where is the text that says or
implies that a saved man must be baptized? "He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved." Shall be saved! Where salvation and baptism
are mentioned in a connected manner, salvation, invariably follows
baptism. There is no text that says that "he that believeth and is saved
shall be baptized." "Such presumption is of man and not of God or to be
found in the Bible." Possibly, but I think not, Pastor McDaniel will
explain to us why the saved man can "observe and participate in" the
Lord's supper repeatedly, but cannot "observe and participate in"
baptism but once. What other Christian duty does the Baptist brother
know about that a Christian cannot perform but one time? Baptism is a
"symbol." Why cannot a Christian be baptized often to symbolize what
baptism is the symbol of? What the New Testament says about the design
of baptism explains it, but "We Baptists do not believe that," you know.
"For example, a sinner desires to be saved
and has thus repented of his sins and turns to God in faith... " How did
this sinner know he was a sinner and what made him desire to be saved
and what caused him to turn to God in faith? The preaching of the
gospel. If God was "held up in saving the poor sinner until mortal man"
preached to him so he could believe, the added delay occasioned by his
baptism would not amount to much of a hold-up, unless "We Baptists"
prolonged the inquest and took too much time in hearing his experience
and voting on him. Elder McDaniel is not explaining the scriptures. He
is merely talking back at some very plain texts which "We Baptists do
not believe." "With regard to one or both of these ordinances" he "is
grossly illogical and inconsistent" in dealing with what the scriptures
say about them. He asserts and assumes with little effort at proof. "We
Baptists" are like that when we get worked up on what "We do not
believe."
I read "for example" about a fair-sized
bunch of sinners desiring to be saved on Pentecost. They even asked the
apostles what they must do to be saved. Simon Peter did not think he was
holding God up when he told them to repent and be baptized for the
remission of their sins. The Baptist and Reflector thinks that "such
presumption is of man and not of God or to be found in the Bible." Too
bad that "We Baptists" were not there to set Peter right and rebuke his
presumption. "We" got here late but we can still shout "We do not
believe that." It is "found in the Bible" all right. It is in the second
chapter of Acts.
Bible Banner - December 1941