BASIS OF OUR BELIEFS LESSON 1 September 2, 2000

These lessons are from the Seventh Day Baptist Church of Toronto

Study Scripture: Psalm 119:1-8, 33-40

Memory Selection: Psalm 119:105-106

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

Introduction

As we begin the study of Seventh Day Baptist beliefs we must first ask who or what are Baptists, and who and what are Seventh Day Baptists.

 There are basically three views on who are Baptists.

First, some believe that Baptists follow a pattern of church life reaching back to the time of the Apostles.  Baptists are therefore linked to, and associated with, independent groups that have held on to the ancient ways of strictly following the Bible and early new Testament church practice as far as this can be ascertained.  There has been an unbroken line of these churches, despite the strenuous and often brutal efforts of the Roman Catholic Church and its predecessor structures to eliminate groups believing differently from the often erroneous official line.  This is called the Successionist Theory and many early writings on the origin of the Seventh Day Baptist Church have this slant.

Second, others regard Baptists as emerging from the Separatist and non-Conformist movements in England after Elizabeth I.  Baptists are therefore regarded as part of the wing of the Protestant movement that adopted a congregational style of church organization.

Third, other groups regard Baptists which originated in England as people influenced by the Anabaptist movement through their contact with Dutch Mennonites.

Links with people in the radical wing of the Reformation appear to have existed.  There was intense persecution from the reign of James 1 to that of William and Mary and many dissenting groups shared similar ideas.

The Baptist tradition developed and grew, spreading to North America.  There are documents showing that ‘baptizing’ congregations in England were growing relatively quickly in 1608.

Though close in some respects to the Reformed tradition, English Baptists developed a uniquely Baptist theology around the idea of the gathered church, signified by Believers baptism.  These people were very concerned with the nature of this gathered church, the ordinances, a learned clergy, and a conservative Christian lifestyle.  These views set the Baptists apart from other non-Conformists.

Some writers have defended an unbroken tradition for believers’ baptism, but do not go as far as to support the theory of successive Baptist congregations.  Others reject any connection with Continental (European) Anabaptists.

Let me briefly state who the Anabaptists were so that we will understand the similarities between our beliefs and theirs.  This examination may lead us to look again at dangers we might be facing today.

Anabaptists were people who rejected many of the beliefs as well as the structure and orientation of the Roman Catholic Church.  They also rejected many of the positions held by many Reformation figures who had been content to discard only some of Rome's dogmas but retained many others.

 Following the teaching of Zwingli and others, the Anabaptists looked at the Scriptures, and attempted to construct their church to be as close as possible to the new Testament Church.

 The Anabaptists regarded the believers as ‘separated people’ living in a corrupt worldly system.  They saw the Church as an organism in the midst of an alien institution.

 They saw the congregation as a group of people drawn together by the Gospel of Christ, and the persuading work of the Holy Spirit.  They felt that Christianity could not be spread or maintained by the State, by using instruments of force or terror.

 The name Anabaptist was given to these people because it meant literally ‘rebaptized ones’.  They taught that all who believed and confessed their faith should be baptized, and thus they were rebaptized outside of the State Church, which had baptized everyone once that person lived in their borders.

 Anabaptists were opposed to the almost universal church practice of infant baptism practiced by the State Churches, both Catholic and Protestant.  They felt infants could not understand the Gospel message and therefore could not believe or have saving faith.

 This rejection of infant baptism, and the compulsory adult baptism for all citizens, brought accusations of treason, and vigorous, brutal State action.  They were regarded as people with views that threatened the foundations of civil society.  In fact, many European states, including

Zürich, a Protestant champion, persecuted Anabaptists, and issued decrease that anyone being rebaptized should be punished by drowning.  Anabaptists therefore often had to run for their lives, but they then took their doctrines with them.

 Anabaptists stressed that people should follow the doctrines of Christ, and not Church doctrines and traditions.  They preached peace, opposed war, and refused to take oaths, or serve in government positions including the army.

 They demanded that the Church and the State be separated.  They were very much against the Roman Catholic Church and its practice of exercising political, military, economic, taxation, and religious power.  They held to a congregational form of church government, where all members of the congregation participated in discussions and voted even on interpretation of Scripture.

 Some of the Anabaptist groups kept the Sabbath.  We should also note that the Mennonites got their names from one famous Anabaptist leader named Menno Simons.

 Some deny vehemently that Baptists were Anabaptist, on the grounds that there is very little solid historical evidence to support that position.  Others argue that English separatists held ideas closely related to those of the Anabaptist, and were attracted to their beliefs.  But the position argued is that General Baptists (those who view God's grace as broad or general, accepting an Arminian interpretation on things like predestination, sin, grace, and free will), and Particular Baptists (those who had a Limited view of the Atonement, and were more Calvinist in their views), had definite roots only in English separatist tradition.

 The Successionist theory or a modified version has been popular until recently.  A new School of American interpretation, which is now more popular, concerns itself very little with what happened in the distant past, and focuses almost exclusively with the rooting and developing of Baptist churches in the American Colonies.  Newer histories of the Seventh Day Baptists appear to have this new slant.

 It appears though that the 17th Century English Baptists' origin can be traced to both local and foreign sources. For example, in England the medieval Lollards had disagreed with much of the basic doctrines of the Catholic Church.  These groups, with other dissenters and English Reformation radicals had been regarded as heretics.  Many rejected the notion of a national Church.  They held that believers were responsible only to Christ and definitely not to any church hierarchy.

 Many of these had to flee for their lives to the Continent, and there they met up with Dutch Anabaptists (Mennonites), and though they did not accept some of their radical theology and sociopolitical ideas, the influence of these ideas on them was clear.

 There was therefore a rich variety and great diversity in ideas held in the sundry and many Baptist groups.  We insert here a sample of the views of one John Smyth written in 1612.  Of course, not every Baptist group shared all his ideas, there were some differences.  But it is interesting that men many hundred years ago could read the Scriptures for themselves and come to these conclusions, paying with their lives for their faith.  Here is the statement consisting of 20 points.

 1.      That there is one God, the best, the highest, and most glorious Creator and Preserver of all; who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2.      That God has created and redeemed the human race to his own image, and has ordained all men (no one being reprobated) to life.

3.      That God imposes no necessity of sinning on anyone; but man freely, by satanic instigation, departs from God.

4.      That the law of life was originally placed by God in the keeping of the Law; then, by reason of the weakness of the flesh, was, by the good pleasure of God, through the redemption of Christ, changed into justification of faith; on which account no one ought justly to blame God, but rather, with his inmost heart, to revere, adore, and praise his Mercy, that God should have rendered that possible to man, by his grace, which before, since man had fallen, was impossible by nature.

5.      That there is no sin of origin, but all sin is actual and voluntary, namely, a word, a deed, or a design against to the law of God; and therefore, infants are without sin.

6.      That Jesus Christ is true God and true man; namely, the Son of God taking to himself, in addition, the true and pure nature of a man, out of a true rational soul, and existing in a true human body.

7.      That Jesus Christ, as pertaining to the flesh, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, afterwards was born, circumcised, baptized, tempted; also that he hungered, thirsted, ate, drank, increased both in stature and in knowledge; he was wearied, he slept, at last was crucified, dead, buried, he rose again, ascended into heaven; and that to himself as only King, Priest, and Prophet of the church, all power both in heaven and earth is given.

8.      That the grace of God, through the finished redemption of Christ, was to be prepared and offered to all without distinction, and that not feignedly but in good faith, partly by things made, which declare the invisible things of God, and partly by the preaching of the Gospel.

9.      That men, of the grace of God through the redemption of Christ, are able (the Holy Spirit, by grace, being before unto them grace prevenient) to repent, to believe, to turn to God, and to attain to eternal life; so on other hand, they are able themselves to resist the Holy Spirit, to depart from God, and to perish forever.

10.  That the justification of man before the Divine tribunal (which is both the throne of justice and of Mercy), consists partly of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith, and partly of inherent righteousness, in the holy themselves, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, which is called regeneration or sanctification; since anyone is righteous, who doeth righteousness.

11.  That faith, destitute of good works, is vain; but true and living faith is distinguished by good works.

12.  That the church of Christ is a company of the faithful; baptized after confession of sin and of faith, endowed with the power of Christ.

13.  That the church of Christ has power delegated to themselves of announcing the word, administering the sacraments, appointing ministers, disclaiming them, and also excommunicating; but the last appeal is to the brethren or body of the church.

14.  That baptism is the external sign of the remission of sins, of dying and of being made alive, and therefore does not belong to infants.

15.  That the Lord's Supper is the external sign of the communion of Christ, and of the faithful amongst themselves by faith and love.

16.  That the ministers of the church are, not only bishops ("Episcopos"), to whom the power is given of dispensing both the word and sacraments, but also deacons, men and widows, who attend to the affairs of the poor and sick brethren.

17.  That brethren who persevere in sins known to themselves after the third admonition, are to be excluded from the fellowship of the saints by excommunicating.

18.  That those who are excommunicated are not to be avoided in what pertains to worldly business.

19.  That the dead (the living being instantly changed) will rise again with the same bodies; not the substance but the qualities being changed.

20.  That after the resurrection, all will be born to the tribunal of Christ, the Judge, to be judged according to their works; the pious, after sentence of absolution, will enjoy eternal life with Christ in heaven; the wicked, condemned, will be punished with eternal torments in hell with the devil and his angels."

 Among the many branches of Baptists then, one can clearly distinguish the "Seventh Day Baptized Believers", which held to Sabbatarian principles.

 Seventh Day Baptists would add the following belief to the ones listed above.  This would make them very unpopular but nevertheless those who went ahead of us held firmly to their beliefs. This contrasted them with the Particular or the General Baptists groups, though they shared many ideas. 

Here is a statement by Francis Bampfield (1615-1684) who was among the earliest to establish a separate Seventh Day Baptist congregation.  It is likely however that he was not the first to do so.

 "Six days thou shalt labor, but the seventh-day is the Sabbath: In it thou shalt not do any work: For six days Jehovah made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: Wherefore Jehovah blessed that day, that Sabbath, the blessing is gone forth for this

Seventh-day-Sabbath irreversibly from the Mouth of Jehovah Mashiach himself: it has his Applaud and approve for its due estimation and deserved renown, it's noble majestickness and Royal Imperialness.  How many are the prerogatives and privileges which he hath conferred upon it!  Christ is the Seventh-daies-benedictor and benefactor.  This is the day which he hath dedicated to the Instituted worship and service of Jehovah Aelohim; a day greatly to be desired and delighted in by his Children, Friends and Servants, as a day of holy rest, and of Heavenly joy; a day of sweet converse between him and his Saints; A day that calleth upon them for singing-shouting-triumphing-rejoicing-frame! And therefore there is a peculiar Psalm fitted for this purpose, to this end: Thus is the Crown of special Benediction put upon the head of the Seventh-day, and no other foregoing day of the week is to share with it in this princely honor.  Isaiah, that evangelical Prophecier and Preacher, has from Jehovah Pronounced those Blessed even to admiration, (O the happy Progresses, 0 the happy goings on of such!) that do keep this Sabbath, and not profane it!  They shall enjoy many a covenant-favor!  0 how choice Spiritual blessings are there that do visit the Hearts of Holy observers of this Seventh-day-Sabbath!  under the New-Testament Administration, 0 what a Blessed day did Christ make it to be onto some, whose of the sick bodies he healed, whose sinful Souls he pardoned, whose saddened Spirits he comforted; unto whom his Gracious words were converting and Restoring, teaching and enlightening, quickening and strengthening, whom he met in Sabbath ordinances, and gave them in the Blessing of this separated day!  and how many a Soul had cause to bless the Lord forever, who so prospered Paul's labors on the Seventh-day-Sabbath, for blessing, for good to them!

Christ taught daily in the Temple, and Paul was often in synagogues on the foregoing days of the Week, and much good was done thereby, but the whole Scripture doth take peculiar notice of this of this, That, the Seventh-day as the weekly Sabbath-day, carried away the Sabbath-blessings, which no other day in the week did, though the Lord do bless his People everyday, yet not with Sabbath-blessings, but only on the seventh-day".

 One writer, commenting on Piety and the Christian life among early Baptists states "the early English Baptists were Biblicists: they looked to the Bible as the final and only authoritative guide to faith and practice.  They rejected Tradition, the primacy of Rome, and Anglican inventions; they also downplayed the teachings of the Church Fathers.  Instead, they looked back to the primitive church for inspiration, the life of Christ, John the Baptist, the Gospels, and the Pauline Epistles, and the apostolic era.

In their view the New Testament said nothing about an Episcopal hierarchy with its center in Rome, nothing about institutionalized asceticism, and nothing about church councils and cannon law.  Rather, in the New Testament they found a sense of Christian community, the example of Jesus Christ, and Pauline dogma.  These became their models for both individual and social behavior".

 Baptists, including Seventh Day Baptists, have always had a strict view of Scripture, have never accepted any equal or elevated status for tradition.  They have always believed firmly in Scripture and the ability of the saints under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and with the help of gifted men themselves guided by the Spirit, to learn and determine the will of God.  They have always believed in Liberty of thought in the context of those ideas just mentioned.  They have felt that though written Statement of beliefs are helpful, they are not always necessary, except for the benefit of those outside the faith, for the Bible is the only standard.

 Of course, Baptists have not been immune to controversies about liberalism and secular and modernistic errors.  But the emphasis has always been on strict belief in God and his revelation.  This position has often brought them into conflict with other denominations, with governments, and other religious authorities.  Baptists have therefore always stressed equality among members, and freedom to read the Scriptures, and come to a common understanding of the truth without coercive tactics being applied.

 The men of the past knew what they believed in, whether they had Statements of Beliefs or not.  They held firmly to belief in the Bible and their covenant relationship with God. Many of them were persecuted, lost life, property, careers and family to maintain the purity of their faith.  We must remember them for the great work they did.  Let us not underestimate the pressure that these early Seventh day Baptists labored under.  We do not face the difficulties they did.  We should ensure that we are more faithful to the teachings of Scripture.

 It is very important in our time that we know what we believe and that we organize or beliefs in a systematic way.  Why is this so?

 The importance of belief, that is, true belief, cannot be underestimated. The Vine's Greek Dictionary states that to believe ‘is to be persuaded of, and hence, to place confidence in, to trust, signifies reliance upon, not mere credence’. The root of the Hebrew word is ‘establish’ or ‘confirm’.

 This is most important, because salvation from sin comes via belief.  Belief in God means a person has committed himself to obey God, and has accepted that God's word is true and certain.  People who do not believe are not in Christ but are in the flesh, and are at enmity with God.  They are defined as children of wrath, and children of disobedience.  Unbelievers are therefore headed for the Lake of Fire. It is therefore most important that the Church make sure that people who attend its meetings are true believers. If it is found that they are not every effort must be made to correct this deplorable situation.

 First, correct doctrinal beliefs are essential to the relationship between the believer and God.  Hebrews 11:6 warned us that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that all those who would draw near to God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him.

 Belief in Jesus is also essential to the relationship, see Matthew 16:13-19.  Belief in the humanity of Jesus is also important, see 1 John 4:2-3. Paul also stated that belief in the resurrection of Christ is also important, see Romans 10:9-10. 

 There are many other examples of beliefs that are considered essential.  As a matter of fact, we are warned that there is another gospel and another Jesus that is not the true, and we must stay away from the false, if we are to be in Christ.

 We must also realize that truth and our experience are related.  If we do not know the truth, we might continue to do error, which might be those errors that lead to eternal destruction.  Knowledge of the truth is therefore most important.

 We need correct doctrine, as there are many alternatives around us that will lead us astray. Some of these alternatives are Humanism, the scientific method seeking truth outside of God, mystical Eastern religions, psychological self-help systems, cults, mind control systems, and mutually contradictory systems even in Christianity itself. There are many numerous shadings of religious ideas, and many different views of appropriate lifestyles. All of these are rooted in different doctrinal ideas.

 There is one solution to this confusion.  We must constantly seek to understand correctly the doctrinal teachings of Christianity.  These teachings are the solution to the confusion created by the myriad claimants to belief.  One of the most important things Seventh Day Baptist churches can do is restore their historic emphasis on the Inspiration and Authority of the Bible.  This will ensure we understand the essential truths concerning God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. When these truths are understood, then the other truths concerning salvation and the Christian walk, will also be understood.

 We can look at the history of the Church and see those churches that have constantly corrupted the truth by introducing contradictory traditions and structures which are not only contrary to the Bible's examples, but which have worked to physically and spiritually destroy many.  We can also note and be aware of those who take Scriptures out of context, or who emphasize one or two areas of doctrine and ignore all others.  We can also test professing believers by seeing how they actually live in the real world, and whether they show the fruit of the Spirit.

 We believe firmly that the Bible teaches that all believers are priests of God, and are all in a covenant relationship with God.  All saints must behave appropriately, obeying the many revelations and teachings of God without exception.  The Holy Spirit has been given to us to provide the strength that we need. God has told us to confess our sins, and that he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

 Adhering to the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles will save us from doubt, guilt, sin, and fear.  Let us remember that there is no true freedom outside of Christ.

 Correct belief is very important but we must remember that God wants more than this.  Our beliefs must contribute to the maturing of our relationship with God.  If our beliefs do not show in our actions we will be mere hypocrites.  Our beliefs must be put into practice.  We must meditate on

Scripture so that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.  We must look at all the doctrines of God for they are interrelated.

 There is a symmetry, comprehensiveness, and unity in the revelation of God.  The more we study it, the more we realize that there is greatness and grandeur in God.  This will make us realize how unworthy and sinful we are.  We will then love God even more for what he has done for us, and we will communicate it to others that we meet.