Thoughts on Scriptural Truth
While I am somewhat surprised at the news out of Birmingham recently,
I am not really surprised at all. The
Baptist Church of the Covenant, located a few blocks from the UAB Campus and the
UAB Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama has not been a full-fledged Southern
Baptist Convention Church or as we are told to say it in political
correctness-A Great Commission Church-since its inception. As such I do not believe that it has been
doctrinally sound, nor adhering to scriptural mandates in the purist sense of
the word.
You may be behind the curve here, so let me share with you
what the “news” is regarding this “church.”
One Sunday morning during the month of August (2013), the pastor, Rev. Sarah
Jackson Shelton spoke in regards to her policy to refer couples of the same sex
to other ministerial members of the congregation for “Same-Sex Unions” because
she “has reconsidered her previous policy of not performing marriage-like
commitment service for same-sex couples.”
Stating that it was “inconsistent to accept LGBT members into every area
of church life except marriage” she has “become more and more grieved not to be
allowed to stand with the people whom I am called to serve.” Furthermore, she said it was “hypocritical”
to welcome them into the privacy of her office, take them into church
membership, baptize them, serve them communion, dedicate their babies, appoint
and ordain them to positions of leadership, receive their tithes and offerings,
offer prayer beside their bed, and speak words of remembrance at their
funerals, but not condone same-sex unions.
Yes, BCC is considered progressive, and is dubbed as a place
“Where faith comes to life inclusive,” and is written about by the press as “an
early advocate of women in ministry,” thus choosing in 2000 Rev. Shelton as
interim pastor, then in 2002 voting her as Senior Pastor, thus Shelton became the
first woman pastor of the church. There
is still a huge problem with her service as a pastor from a scriptural mandate,
but we can deal with that at a later time.
Additionally, the church was organized as a “moral protest” when First
Baptist Birmingham refused to accept two African Americans as church
members. In 1970, as a “protest” 300
people became charter members of the new church and established a course of
action that has led them through muddy waters, and much more so now.
In a press release from the Birmingham Baptist Association,
it was confirmed of their withdrawal from the Southern Baptist Convention,
Alabama Baptist State Board Of Missions, and the Birmingham Baptist Association:
“The church voted to align itself with only the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
and The Alliance and therefore would no longer be sending any funds in support
of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Alabama Baptist State Convention, and
the Birmingham Baptist Association. As a
result of the decision by the church, they are no longer affiliated with the
Southern Baptist Convention, the Alabama Baptist Convention and the Birmingham
Baptist Association.”
For informational purposes alone, take a moment and review
the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and The Alliance.
Born in 1991, a self-described theologically moderate
organization, the CBF withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention over
philosophical and theological differences between the two factions. It began in August of 1990 as a reaction to
the conservative movement of the denominations consideration of biblical
inerrancy and a liberal drift which was taking place at many of the Southern
Baptist Seminaries. The controversy
which had lasted for some ten years, came to a head when the liberal and
moderate factions felt threatened by the power of the conservative presidents,
duly elected by the majority of the body since 1979, to appoint members of
committees and commissions. As a result
of this continual resurgence of the conventions return to “truth, without any
error,” the liberal faction began an organization called the Alliance of
Baptist in 1987. Following suit, the
moderately frustrated members of the SBC met in Atlanta Georgia and organized
the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, because the conservatives had departed from
Baptist distinctives.
Also, understand that this organization is involved with the
Baptist Center for Ethics, Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty, and
the Baptist World Alliance.
The Alliance, as referred to in the press release of the
BBA, is actually called the Alliance of Baptist. This is the body which was spoken of earlier,
the more liberal group, which was an offshoot of the conservative
resurgence. In its theological and
social stance they are characterized as progressive or a liberal
fellowship. The vast majority of
churches aligned with The Alliance, 130 congregations and individuals as of
2012, have either severed ties completely with the SBC and local associations,
or have nominal ties without sending delegates or financial support, due to
theological and ideological incompatibilities.
These incompatibilities surround the ordination of woman to ministry
positions and actively “encourages its congregations toward inclusiveness with
respect to homosexuality.”
(See www.wikipedia for
more information on these two organizations)
Therefore, I am not surprised at this move of the Baptist
Church of the Covenant to disaffiliate with various scripturally sound bodies
of cooperation and run toward the more liberal/moderate form of church
government. The church along with others
has toed the edge of the boundaries from inception, and has finally stood up
and said they will not follow the truth, giving in to error in all things,
instead of just a few.
This does not surprise me, but it does sadden me, breaking
my heart and tearing at my soul. I am
dismayed that there those in the religious community who continually take the
Word of God, dividing it and destroying truth.
Sounds a great deal akin to the problems Paul faced in his day, as he
came against those who would attempt to “profit from the Word,” speak what
others wanted to hear and give credence to a works based salvation. The tickling of ears will destroy and demean
the gospel of Christ Jesus, reducing it to a level which is not Christian and
not acceptable in eternity.
Take for an example the lack of preaching on the subject of
hell. Some have said in times past that
there is just no way that a good God would allow anyone to go to hell, a place
of suffering for all of eternity. This
is what has led many good people down the road of universalism. These have taken the scriptures, twisting
them to meet their own self-serving demands and stating that all people are
going to heaven, no matter what they have done or do. This is found nowhere in the Bible that I
preach from.
How about the issue of security? Some say that the security of the believer is
not found in the Word of God, while others contend that it is the principle and
precept of the Word of God. It seems
that there are those who believe you can lose your salvation, be saved again,
only to fail and be lost again; how much trauma these vain interruptions places
on the unsuspecting individual who lives in fear of whether they are saved or
not saved.
Then there is the preaching of inclusion. In being inclusive, many a congregation has
fallen prey to the subtle changes of liberalism. By inclusion I am referring to churches that
open the doors and say, “Y’all come! Ye hear!”
They accept people into membership and into leadership roles which is
neither scriptural nor healthy for a church with a portion of its membership
which wishes to stay both biblical and spiritually alive. In recklessly following these teachings of
inclusion, the church is heading for certain demise.
Which leads to the thought of woman in leadership. When I examine the Word of God I see several
places where the woman is not designed to take a leadership role over men. Particularly in the area of pastoral
leadership, the woman cannot assert leadership in the area of instruction. You examine where this has taken place and
you will find time and again, either a watering down of the message of the
Word, or a deadening of the church, or both.
Then there is the issue of sexuality. All of the above mentioned issues are real
and relevant within the church, as a whole today. Each has led to this newest controversy of
our modern day. AS such it is time to
take a stand, accept the teaching of God, and stop the contention at the very
root of the evil which has manifested itself among us.
In the case of BCC, or any church in that matter, to openly
and unashamedly speak of those who live in the sin of homosexuality serving in
leadership positions, being “married” in the church and such “unions” being
recognized, partaking of communion, and accepted in their biblically condemned
state of rebellion is a violation of the mandate and message of the Word of God
and a softening of the principles of fellowship which have stood for 2,000
years.
Take a few scriptures as evidence.
In Galatians, Paul speaks to the church about the things
which will result in no eternity.
“Now the works of the flesh are
obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery,
hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions,
factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about
these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such
things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
(Galatians 5:19-21 (HCSB)
This section of scripture has to do with the works of the
Spirit of God and the new life within the believer verses the works of the
flesh. That one who is in the Spirit,
saved by the grace of God will abandon the works of the old life and “walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of
the flesh.” Furthermore, the old Apostle
writes, “For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit
desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you
don’t do what you want.” (Galatians 5:16-17 HCSB)
Regarding verses 19-21, John MacArthur writes,
“These sins characterize all
unredeemed mankind living under the impotent commands of the law which produces
only iniquity, though not ever person manifests all these sins nor exhibits
them to the same degree. Paul’s list,
which is not exhaustive, encompasses three areas of human life: sex, religion,
and human relationships.”
In verse 19, the Apostle points out that the sins of the
flesh come to the surface, are evident and disturbing. He says that of these sins is the sin of
“fornication…lewdness.” The word
fornication, comes from Greek word, “porneia,” and is the English word,
“pornography.” It refers, if you will,
to all illicit sexual activity including, but not limited to: adultery,
premarital sex, homosexuality, bestiality, incest, and prostitution. “Lewdness” refers to any excessive behavior
or lack of restraint, but eventually came to be associated with sexual excess
and indulgence.
If we were to leave the subject and accept this as
sufficient evidence, then we would have to agree that since these individuals
are still practicing such fleshly desires, they would forfeit the right to
leadership in the church, much less fellowship within the church. I am able to say this because in Acts 2, the
scripture says that the First Century Church “accepted
his message…devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to
the breaking of bread, and to the prayers. Then fear came over everyone, and
many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the
believers were together and held all things in common…they devoted themselves ⌊to meeting⌋ together in the temple complex, and
broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble
attitude, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the
Lord added to them those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:41-47 HCSB)
There is yet another scripture, also penned by the Apostle
Paul:
“And
you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked
according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises
authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We
too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the
inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under
wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His
great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we
were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
Ephesians
2:1-5 (HCSB)
Related to the subject at hand, this section of scripture
finds acceptance and applies. Paul says
to the Ephesian believers that they once were listed among the transgressors of
Galatians 5. These were once tripping in
their sin, headed toward a sinner’s grave and the judgment of God, “But God” in
grace-God’s Riches At Christ Expense-has rescued them from the sin of the flesh
and given them forgiveness of sin. Verse
8 and 9, says, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from
yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.”
Once the grace of Jesus comes and the unbeliever is a
believer, leaving behind the old way of life, demonstrating the fruits of
righteousness within their life, then and only then are they able to find true
fellowship and acceptance in the Family of God and in leadership positions.
“Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s
kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers,
or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards,
verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. And some of
you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (HCSB)
For an unknown reason, some do not wish to read this section
of scripture correctly. Attempting to use
human reasoning and worldly wisdom, they wish to distort and destroy the
meaning and intent. Therefore, I point
out to you that the scripture says, “The unrighteous will not inherit God’s
kingdom.” The “kingdom” is prepared for
those who are, well how better a way to say it than to say, prepared? The ones accepted and made righteous, have
washed their clothes in the Lamb’s blood, shed for them on the cross of
Calvary. These have accepted the grace
of God, the forgiveness of sin, the cleansing of the old ways, and stand in
unity with Him.
Yet, the list reflects those who “used to be.” In the former life, the old life, the life of
rebellion and sin, selfishness and self-centeredness, we all were counted as
one or the other, or even all, of those listed.
What a shame! What
hopelessness! What pain!
Now, we are free! We
have staked our claims with the Savior, accepted the free gift of His
salvation. The scripture says it best,
“you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the
Spirit of our God.” Oh, happy day! We are His by adoption and no longer living
in open defiance of His Word. That is
the only way to life and happiness; life eternal and happiness pressed down,
shaken together and pouring over in this life!
One step further, yet I will take this up in a later post
and expand on it. For the one who knows
Christ and knows to do good and does not do it, to that person it is sin. While some might say that they do not believe
that a “Same sex Union” is wrong and therefore they do not accept it as a
sin. Or someone may contend that being
“gay” was not a choice they made, but they were created that way. Or someone might parrot that all people
deserve to have their rights, even within the church. My advice to them is to give me support from
the scriptures! Tell me that the
scriptures teach that God honors and accepted “Same sex Unions,” that God
created a person to be a heterosexual or a homosexual, and that “gay” rights
are biblical and acceptable to God. No
one can!
If you know Christ as Savior, you believe in the grace that
was extended to you, then you will live according to His Words and His
mandates. Your life will reflect Him in
all that you do, all that you say.
Otherwise you are in rebellion, lost in your sin and will be subjected
to the judgment of God which will result in banishment from Him from all of
eternity.
For those who know Christ and His pardon and redemption,
they will not be involved in a church that supports or accepts a life style
that is contrary to the teachings of scripture.
Furthermore, a believer will do all within their power to teach, preach
and speak regarding the truth of the Word of God.
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