What is the Best Part of the Baptist Faith and Message?

Hey! This is just my opinion of the Best Part of the BF&M. You are welcome to share your preference for another part. For me, I recognize the BF&M 2000 as THE Baptist Faith and Message.

In Article I it (all historical versions) says, in part, {The Bible} “is,  and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried”.

Remarkably, this phrase is unchanged since the 1925 version of the BF&M.

While the phrase includes reference to ‘creeds’, I am more impressed with the part about ‘human conduct’ and ‘religious opinions’. I am a human and I get to assess my ‘conduct’ every day. I also have a lot of ‘religious opinions’. So I interpret this part of Article I in a very personal way. In fact, the Bible has so much to say that I find it virtually impossible to find any personal opinion that the Bible does not speak to in some way. So I affirm the part about ‘religious’ opinions and assert that it should apply to ‘all’ opinions. That is my opinion.

Now the BF&M is for Southern Baptists in particular. But the concept of laying our conduct and religious opinions along the supreme standard of the Bible is worthy of all Christians to consider. Think the Thoughts. Do I measure up to the supreme standard? If I don’t, then I call it “sin”. Then I seek repentance and measure myself again later.

I find that the time I spend in confession of sin is a whole lot more than just ‘mentally verbalizing’ my failure. Confession of sin is not some magical incantation to get me off the hook with God. The Holy Spirit tends to lead me to dwell on the context of my sin as well as the issues involved. He also leads me to dwell on forgiveness. It is like God wants me (us) to talk with Him about our sins; our conduct and opinions. Confession of sin is not an unpleasant bother that I (we) just try and get through. There is real Divine fellowship here! We can think through what we have done and what we believe. It is amazing how God may recall His words to you about your conduct and opinions. It is amazing how He will love you through this time. It is precious to Him. It can be precious to you. I find that I enjoy telling others of my sin, confession, repentance and forgiveness. {Of course, I don’t enjoy telling gossips much of anything.}

I won’t talk here about a perfect world. We don’t have one. I won’t talk about a perfect convention (or denomination). We don’t have one. I won’t talk about a perfect church. We don’t have one of those either.

I will attempt to talk about a faithful group; whether it be a church, convention or nation.

Is it the practice of those who are leaders in the group to compare their opinions and conduct to the supreme standard of the Holy Scriptures? Is it your practice to compare your opinions and conduct to the Holy Scriptures? If I see this practice in a leader I trust them more. I am skeptical about the influence of a person who does not practice the humility of confessing their own sin. This skeptical conduct of mine seems to compare well with the Supreme Standard.

When you find that your expressed opinions or past conduct do not meet the Supreme Standard of the Holy Scriptures; do you admit it to yourself? Do you admit it to others?

In my opinion, Southern Baptists will thrive or decline in direct proportion to their faithfulness to this particular part of the Baptist Faith and Message. I am aware that it does not apply to the areas of our fellowship that have nothing to do with our opinions and conduct. However, I can’t find any areas of our fellowship that have nothing to do with our opinions and conduct. So it seems to apply everywhere, all the time. That makes it a fellowship issue (1 John 1:6, 7).

And as long as this portion of the BF&M is there; it doesn’t matter which version of the BF&M your group follows. You HAVE a basis for discernment. You have the basis to compare your opinions and conduct to the Bible, and you have the basis to compare other’s opinions and conduct with the Bible.

Having accepted the BF&M as your Statement of Faith, it ought not to be considered divisive if you dare to compare. Since you have it for a purpose; is it wrong to use it?

In my opinion, if I dare to compare someone’s opinions and conduct to the Holy Scriptures; and do not use the Holy Scriptures to do so; then I am just pitting my frail, narrow, untrustworthy opinion against another person’s frail, narrow, untrustworthy opinion. In my opinion, this doesn’t please God or anybody else.

Judge yourself first (Matthew 7:1-5). Dare to make decisions (Galatians 6:1, 2), and gently restore others to God’s opinions and conduct. Have confidence that the Supreme Standard is both wise and sufficient (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Keep love primary (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Some groups are still in disagreement over which version of the BF&M to hold. Some are suspicious of the BF&M 2000. Some are suspicious of the suspicions of those who will not hold the BF&M 2000. What will be the public outcome of such a disagreement? Well, the character of the character’s who speak to the issue will have a lot to do with the outcome. Perhaps each can measure their own opinions and conduct along the Supreme Standard of what God says about our opinions and conduct.

A lot more could be said; care to say it?

Do You Want to Love? Part 6

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.                  Philippians 1:9-11

There is more to Christianity than escaping hell. Affirming Jesus Christ as Savior without truly wanting the Holy life that He offers will not work. It is inconsistent to want a Holy life in the ‘here-after’ and to disbelieve that such a life is a attractive in the ‘here-and-now’.

When God tells us that we can be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, then we can ask ourselves whether or not we are experiencing such a reality, or whether we are existing in denial of what our Lord tells us to do. And while the “fruit of righteousness” is more than just the love of God; the “fruit of righteousness” is never found apart from the expression of the love of God.

Are there no consequences to existing in denial of what our Lord tells us to do?

Since your moment of becoming a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) truly takes place in a moment; it is important to discern your present reality. “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

So, Behold!

What is the primary purpose of this promise that “the new has come”? It is the Great Commandment, to love God (and others) with all of your heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37-40). How can we possibly think we are pleasing Him on a daily basis if we do not give attention and reflection upon His first priority for us? I am not saying we do not occasionally love Him, or incidentally love Him. But is not the Infinite God worthy of our intentional cooperation? Is occasional love and incidental love ‘good enough’ for our Lord Jesus Christ?

In the Philippians passage above it says that we can be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.  It also points out that such a condition flows from our love that abounds more and more in knowledge (in the context of knowing love) and all discernment (in the context of discerning love), with a result of purity and blamelessness (in the context of love), so that we can be filled with the fruit of righteousness. This comes through Jesus Christ. This glorifies God. This is our primary purpose after we have become a ‘new creation’.

Why wander half asleep through your only life on this planet? Why not live the life He offers? Why not try what He says we must do? What might happen to your awareness of eternal life if you set out to become skillful at loving God and others? As for me, I don’t have anything better to do. And I find nothing even remotely as satisfying!

I am not advocating a human program or paradigm. I am not even the advocate! I am trying to get you to see that Christianity is a great practical, knowable, and measurable way to live. Live Jesus’ way; He is the advocate!

What of your experiences with and among other Christians? Does the following passage accurately describe what you are finding in the world?

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,…                                    Titus 2:11, 12

Does this describe who you are right now? Is this description a characteristic of those who profess Jesus Christ around you? Isn’t the most excellent way to do what God says - actually to do what God says?

Now, it is not up to me to pass judgment on how Christians live. But when I am dissatisfied with what I see in others I can at least try and follow the Lord myself. And I can affirm and encourage those who love others intentionally. I can try and set the example of what I think I discern about eternal life. People need someone around them who will love them with the love of God. So that will be the goal of my life. God help me! For I want to do what You say must be done.

Do I love perfectly? Am I your example of holy love? Don’t be absurd: I am as dumb as a post. Jesus Christ is you perfect example of holy love. He is the one we should follow. Follow Him!

The book, “The Most Excellent Way”, can help. It continuously points out what God says about love and applies it to most areas of a Christian’s life. It is not my human theory based on human experience. It is constantly calling attention to what the Bible says about love.

Do You Want to Love? Part 5

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.                  Philippians 1:9-11

Can God trust you? Do I even care to try and be trust-worthy?

Many Christians realize that God knows the future perfectly. He knows what we think; He knows what we have thought in the past. He knows what we will think in the future. He is everywhere, and thinks all things through perfectly, at the same time, and remembers it all. He is All-wise. Only He can do this.

So He knows when I am going to do what He says and He knows when I will sin. In that sense, He knows when to trust me and when not to trust me.

Since God knows everything, should I become apathetic and irresponsible in my faithfulness? Should I conclude that “since God already knows, why should I care?”

I do not know everything. In fact, if I begin to consider all that I do not know; it becomes clear that I do not know even a tiny part of all there is to know. Since I have very few clues about what is going on in the world around me, I might as well admit that I am mostly clueless.

But God is not clueless. He knows how to tell me to live.

One thing I do know is that God is All-wise, and everywhere; and He is the perfect Lord, the perfect counselor, an ever present help. Since He is always with me, and since He loves me, and since He knows everything that is going on around me; I might as well trust Him.

I trust Him totally. I do not trust myself.

And I WANT to be trust-worthy in His eyes. I know that is not going to happen perfectly in this sinful time; but I treasure the ideal. He has made me more trustworthy through the decades of my life. He will continue to make me more trustworthy through the remainder of my life. Why shouldn’t I set my trust-worthiness before God as a serious goal? Would such a goal please Him? Would such a goal be something that He would bring to pass? I think such a goal is a true blessing that He will eagerly bestow upon everyone who treasures His opinion (His judgment).

Review the passage at the top of this article. See the phrase that says, “and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ”? God is talking about something real, here! There is a “purity,” and a “blamelessness” for the day of Christ that is founded upon what He has said earlier in the passage. That is why the words, “so that”, appear. There is a “purity” and a “blamelessness” that we should take seriously.

Those of you who have been given faith is Jesus Christ as Savior already know that God does not think people can be perfect by obeying laws. We are given a “righteousness” that enables us to survive the final judgment. This righteousness is a gift that God gives to those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Romans 3:21-26 and Ephesians 2:8-10).

Jesus Christ remains both Savior and Lord. When He saves us from the penalty of sin He changes us into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). We have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life. But the forgiveness of our sin is not the end of the matter. It is the beginning of life. How blind I must be if I have been given life, and do not value it enough to live it? How can I pretend to love God with all my heart, soul and strength, and not care whether I actually ‘love’ or not? How can I be sincere in my desire for the return of Jesus Christ if I do not enjoy living life as it will be when He returns? If I do not enjoy following Him now, why should I think I will enjoy following Him then?

It is very easy to be swept away by the current apostasy and think that being “saved through Jesus Christ” is the end-all and be-all of Christianity. In reality, it is just the beginning.

Jesus Christ saves you from the penalty of sin in one day. He is “Lord” of your life every day. This Lord Jesus Christ has given us one over-arching command; to love one another (John 13:34, 35). And to call him ‘Lord’, and then to refuse to do what He says is a denial that He is Lord (Matthew 7:21-23). We can deceive ourselves, and for a while we can deceive others, but we do not ever deceive Him. And it is such a horrible thing to be apathetic toward the Love of God when there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that God would rather give to you than the mind and soul and strength to Love Him and others. After Jesus Christ becomes your Savior from wrath, He continues as your Savior from daily sin. He delivers you from daily sin. He changes you day by day. And Love is His most excellent way.

What does this have to do with the passage above?

There will come a day when God will call us to account for our lives. If we take Him seriously about this time we will be about our Lord’s business. And that means that we intentionally try and love Him and others. If we are serious about Jesus Christ our Lord, then we are intentional about loving Him, and others, over time; month after month, decade after decade.

The passage above says, in part, “and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ”. It is possible to ignore our Lord’s words. It is possible to not care what He says. It is foolish, and wicked, and worthless, and it damages our lives and the lives of those around us; but it is possible to not care what He says.

We know that we have a righteousness from God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, that enables us to survive the day of judgment. But this Philippians passage speaks of a ‘purity and a blamelessness’ that is in addition to the gift of righteousness that we receive through faith in Christ.

Is this ‘purity and blamelessness’ worth your time? If God promises us a blessing, a reward, do we pretend that His offer is of little value?

Let’s narrow it down to these two questions. Here is the first: Do I want God to trust me in regard to His greatest commandment? If so, then I should remember what He says about love. I should (and He says, “You can!”) let love abound more and more in my life. I can set a ‘pure and blameless love’ as a major goal in my relationship with my Creator. I can ask for it; practice it; and become skillful at loving Him and others. I can ask others to pray for me, that my love can abound more and more. I don’t think I have anything to do that is more important than that.

Here is the second question: Since Jesus Christ is my Lord, is there any possible way I can please Him more and have Him more active in my life than by doing what He says is most important?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6).

Love is the straight path.

The book, “The Most Excellent Way”, can help.

Do You Want to Love? Part 4

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.      Philippians 1:9-11

Do I know perfection when I see it? Is it possible for something to be perfect? Is this a trick question?

My short answer is this: I am dumber than a post. A post knows how to be a post. All of my understanding is limited by my ability to only see one thing at a time; to only think about one thing at a time. I cannot be certain that I see the most important thing, or that I think the most important thought. All my sincerity does not guarantee that what I see and what I think is true. A drop of seawater cannot comprehend the oceans.

But God does not abandon those who seek Him. His Holy Spirit is our Guide, our Counselor. He gives us every point of view and every thought that we need. We are not alone.

Do I know perfection when I see it? Is it possible for something to be perfect? These are not trick questions.

There was a time when the world was totally perfect. There will be a time when there is a new earth that will be perfect. We are in the “in-between” time now, when the curse of sin affects everything. But the curse of sin does not pollute God himself, nor does sin prevent God from leading us in the way we should go.

This Infinite Creator God became a man also; as Jesus Christ our Lord. He was always perfect and He remains perfect. The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is real history. This happened as surely as the sun warmed the earth today. God came into the world to tell us the truth, for mankind cannot find it any other way (John 18:37).

If we ask ourselves questions about our ability to know perfection then we have the opportunity to humble ourselves and seek our Creator. His word is truth (John 17:17). He seeks people who must come to Him for truth (John 4:23, 24). God is the author of truth, and hundreds of millions of people have been given faith in Him through Jesus Christ. These people could admit to themselves that they are blind to truth without Divine help. They recognized perfection in Jesus Christ, and they believed all that He said. In John 8:31 He says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”.

What does all of this have to do with Love? Review the key passage at the top of this article. See the underlined portion which says, “so that you may approve what is excellent”? What does this mean? It is more than just recognition of what God says is “right” or “wrong”. God has told us many things; all of them are “right”, but some are “more important” than others. Love is the most excellent way. The perfect God gave us perfect direction.

Love is the most excellent way.

Love is greater than faith or hope (1 Corinthians 13:13).

God says that your Love can abound more and more in knowledge all discernment “so that you may approve what is excellent”. When Jesus gives you faith in Himself you are forgiven for your sin. This is why He is called “Savior”. When you know that He is God Himself, you treat Him as your Lord, your Creator, your Master, your King. This means that you give yourself to Him day by day. How should you do this?

You can “approve what is excellent” above all other good things. If you approve of what He says about Love being the greatest commandment, then you are “approving what is excellent”. If you learn exactly what He means by Love; then you are “approving what is excellent”. If you practice Loving God and people, then you are “approving what is excellent”.

Heaven is about perfection. Heaven is a perfect ‘physical’ environment, and a perfect spiritual environment. While we may tidy up our current physical environment, it will never be perfect. When you Love God, you tidy up your spiritual relationship with Him. When you Love your family and friends, and even your enemies, you are bringing the most excellent spiritual environment possible into their lives. To “aim for perfection” (Matthew 5:48) is to take God’s great commandment seriously.

Approve what is excellent. Practice it. Watch your spiritual life come alive when you are doing what God says is the most excellent way. Experience the fullness of the very-real-God when you are taking this very-real-Lord seriously.

If your Love is abounding more and more so that your knowledge and discernment about Love is abounding more and more, then you can approve what is excellent more and more. We are not alone; God Himself is the greatest part of our lives. He knows if we are serious about doing what He says we should do. If I am apathetic about Love, then my arrogance does not result in knowledge and discernment and I cannot approve what is excellent. Apathy about our Sovereign Lord’s greatest command is a denial of our Sovereign Lord.

Find out who Jesus Christ really is. In humility, surrender your will to Him. Do what He says is most important. Pretty simple really.

The book, “The Most Excellent Way”, can help.