January 22, 2001
TOGETHER:
Baptists love their churches, practice ethical behavior
___In last week's column, I began outlining distinctive values that characterize Baptists. Building upon the foundation of Baptists as a Christian people and a biblical people, let's consider two other distinguishing marks:
___We Baptists are a church people.
___Ask a typical Baptist what he or she most appreciates about church, and the most likely response will be "the fellowship." We love the community of faith. We understand why theScripture admonishes: "Let us not give up meeting together ... but let us encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25). We take to heart passages in Romans, 1 Corinthians and Ephesians that remind us the church is the body of Christ. We know that we are not to tear one another apart, but to treasure each member of the church body, just as we treasure our hands, feet, ears and eyes.
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___We understand the church to be primarily a local body of baptized believers. It lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ as the congregation elects its own leaders and participates in its own governance.
___At our best, each local Baptist church seeks to be the presence of Jesus in its own community and seeks to work with all Christians to advance the kingdom of God in all the earth.
___I have told many people the thing I love about Texas Baptists is how they love their churches. They want them to be the best they can be. They are willing to serve and give sacrificially to help their churches reach out to their communities with love and concern, with personal involvement and Christian influence.
___They believe there is nothing they cannot do, if God is in it. Texas Baptists have no lack of vision or "can do" spirit.
___
___We believe in personal and social righteousness. We are against sin because it hurts the people God loves. We are for truth-telling, hard work, honest dealing and compassion for others. We believe in responsibility and accountability, and we believe in grace and forgiveness.
___Baptists believe we ought to grow up into the likeness of Christ. We believe that no one should take advantage of another, nor manipulate or coerce the conscience of another. We believe greed and hatred are wrong. We believe in being sober, pure and above reproach.
___We believe in working for the good of others. We oppose abortion on demand because we are for children and for women. We oppose gambling because we are for the poor and those for whom gambling is a seductive trap. We oppose impurity in sexual behavior because God wanted a better way for the human race. He gave us to one another, husband and wife, to love and cherish for the good of one another and any children that might come to us.
___We remember the command: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). We remember Jesus: "You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world ... Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13, 14, 16). And we hear James: "Do not merely listen to the word ... Do what it says" (James 1:22).
___Next week, we'll conclude by looking at Baptists as a missions people and a free people.
___We are loved.
___
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