Ten Reasons Why I Am a Baptist

It is important to know what you believe, and why you believe it.  Some years ago, I made a decision to join the Baptist church.  The following is a list of ten distinctives that define the Baptist denomination.  This by no means is an exhaustive list, but it captures ten reasons why I personally am a Baptist.

I believe these things not because I am a Baptist, but instead, I am a Baptist because I believe these things.

1.  The Authority of the Bible
The Bible is both inerrant and infallible in its original manuscripts.  It is truth without any mixture of error.  All Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.

2.  Believer's Baptism
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
 
3.  Importance of the Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

4.  Missions Cooperation
Through the cooperation of thousands of like-minded churches, Southern Baptists form the largest missions organization in the world, affording the opportunity for many to come to know Christ.

5.  Perseverance of Saints
Once an individual has become born again through faith in Jesus Christ, they can never lose that status.

6.  Grace Through Faith Alone
The grace of God is imparted to man not by his works, but by faith in Jesus and His substitutionary work.

7.  The Invitation
The opportunity given at the end of a worship service by which man can make a decision in response to the message from God's Word.

8.  The Supremacy of Jesus Christ
Jesus is the eternal Son of God.  He was born of the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit.  He lived a sinless life, was persecuted, died, was buried, rose, and ascended to the right hand of God.  He will come again and set up the Millennial Kingdom.  There is no other way by which man can be saved except through Jesus Christ.

9.  The Regenerate Church
That while there are church buildings, the "church" is in actuality those who are saved and serve the Lord.   Church is who you are, not where you go.

10.  Education
Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence.  In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage. The new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst for knowledge.