02/07/2025
🙋♂️ ᴡʜʏ ᴀᴍ ɪ ᴀ ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴛ!
1. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʙʟᴇ (ᴋᴊᴠ)
> “ᴀʟʟ sᴄʀɪᴘᴛᴜʀᴇ ɪs ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ʙʏ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ɢᴏᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪs ᴘʀᴏғɪᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴅᴏᴄᴛʀɪɴᴇ…”
— 2 ᴛɪᴍᴏᴛʜʏ 3:16 (ᴋᴊᴠ)
ᴀs ᴀ ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴛ, ɪ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʙʟᴇ ɪs ᴍʏ sᴏʟᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛʏ ɪɴ ᴀʟʟ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀs ᴏғ ғᴀɪᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ—ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʀᴀᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴄɪʟs, ɴᴏᴛ ᴄʀᴇᴇᴅs. ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴅ's ᴡᴏʀᴅ ɪs ᴘʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ, ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ.
2. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ᴛᴇsᴛᴀᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀɴ
> “ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ sᴛᴇᴅғᴀsᴛʟʏ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴘᴏsᴛʟᴇs’ ᴅᴏᴄᴛʀɪɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇʟʟᴏᴡsʜɪᴘ...”
— ᴀᴄᴛs 2:42 (ᴋᴊᴠ)
ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴛs sᴇᴇᴋ ᴛᴏ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴀᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ:
📍sᴀʟᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙʏ ɢʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ғᴀɪᴛʜ
📍ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇʀ’s ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴍ ʙʏ ɪᴍᴍᴇʀsɪᴏɴ
📍ᴀ ʟᴏᴄᴀʟ: sᴇʟғ-sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ, sᴇʟғ-ᴘʀᴏᴘᴀɢᴀᴛɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ sᴇʟғ-ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴɪɴɢ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ.
3. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɪɴ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇʀ’s ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴍ
> “ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢʟᴀᴅʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ ʜɪs ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴀᴘᴛɪᴢᴇᴅ…”
— ᴀᴄᴛs 2:41 (ᴋᴊᴠ)
ɪ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴍ sᴀᴠᴇs. ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴍ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴋᴇʏ ғᴏʀ sᴀʟᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ᴀғᴛᴇʀ sᴀʟᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ sᴛᴇᴘ ᴏғ ᴏʙᴇᴅɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪs ᴀ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴄʜʀɪsᴛ’s ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, ʙᴜʀɪᴀʟ, ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇsᴜʀʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.
4. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɪɴ ɪɴᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴜᴀʟ sᴏᴜʟ ʟɪʙᴇʀᴛʏ
> “ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴜs sʜᴀʟʟ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴀᴄᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ ᴏғ ʜɪᴍsᴇʟғ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏᴅ.”
— ʀᴏᴍᴀɴs 14:12 (ᴋᴊᴠ)
ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ. ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴛs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴅᴇғᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ғʀᴇᴇᴅᴏᴍ ᴏғ ᴄᴏɴsᴄɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪʙᴇʀᴛʏ ғʀᴏᴍ sᴛᴀᴛᴇ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜᴇs.
5. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴀ ʟɪɴᴇ ᴏғ ғᴀɪᴛʜғᴜʟ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇʀs
ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀ ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴛ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴡᴇ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ғᴀɪᴛʜғᴜʟ ᴄʜʀɪsᴛɪᴀɴs—ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛᴀɴɪsᴛ, ᴅᴏɴᴀᴛɪsᴛ, ᴡᴀʟᴅᴇɴsᴇs, ᴀɴᴀʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴛs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs—ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴛʜᴏʟɪᴄ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ, ʙᴜᴛ sᴛᴏᴏᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ, ᴏғᴛᴇɴ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪᴠᴇs.
> “ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴇ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴇᴀʀɴᴇsᴛʟʏ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀɪᴛʜ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴀs ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴜɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀɪɴᴛs.”
— ᴊᴜᴅᴇ 1:3 (ᴋᴊᴠ)
6. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴄʜʀɪsᴛ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ʜɪs ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ
> “...ᴜᴘᴏɴ ᴛʜɪs ʀᴏᴄᴋ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴜɪʟᴅ ᴍʏ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ; ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴛᴇs ᴏғ ʜᴇʟʟ sʜᴀʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴀɪʟ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ɪᴛ.”
— ᴍᴀᴛᴛʜᴇᴡ 16:18 (ᴋᴊᴠ)
ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏʀᴅ ᴊᴇsᴜs ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ғᴏᴜɴᴅᴇᴅ ʜɪs ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴛ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜᴇs ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ʜɪs ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ᴅᴇsɪɢɴ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴀɴ-ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏɴ ᴏʀ ʀᴇғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜᴇs.
ᴡᴇ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴏɴ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇᴛᴜɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ ᴄʜʀɪsᴛ ғᴏᴜɴᴅᴇᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴄᴇᴀsᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴇxɪsᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇ ᴇxɪsᴛɪɴɢ ᴛɪʟ ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀɴ ᴛɪᴍᴇs
🏁 ᴄᴏɴᴄʟᴜsɪᴏɴ:
“ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀ ʙᴀᴘᴛɪsᴛ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɪᴛ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ ᴊᴇsᴜs ᴇsᴛᴀʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ᴛᴇsᴛᴀᴍᴇɴᴛ.”
ɪᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀ ʟᴀʙᴇʟ—ɪᴛ’s ᴀ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴀsᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʙʟᴇ, ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴇsɪʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴄʜʀɪsᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ ᴀʟʟ.