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What is A reformed baptist?
What is it that makes a “Reformed Baptist” church distinct from other kinds of Baptist churches? It’s certainly nothing new that makes a Baptist church “reformed”, it’s going back to something old. Reformed Baptists grew out of paedobaptist (infant baptism) churches because of specific theological differences. Here are some distinctives of a Reformed Baptist church, the meat of what makes us Reformed.
REFORMED BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES
God's Sovereignty
God is God, and he oversees all his creation. Everything that God has spoken, he will bring to pass and everything he has purposed will be done.
The Five Solas
These are the truths that came out of the protestant reformation, and they are essential to correct doctrine. Being taken from scripture, they function as foundational and governing truths for our doctrine and practice. Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, and the Glory of God Alone.
Scriptures Centrality
We believe in the inerrancy of God’s word and the sufficiency of God’s word. Not only is the Bible without error, but it is also all that we need from God to accomplish everything God intends his church to do.
Confessional Heritage
Reformed churches hold to a confession of faith. Awakening Church ascribes to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. A confession is NOT on equal footing with scripture, but we see it as a historic tool and helpful summary of biblical teaching.
Covenantal Understanding
We do not approach scripture as an assembly of disjointed stories. We understand that the Bible is a unified whole. It consistently gives us the historic plan of God to bring to himself a people through salvation in Jesus Christ. We see the scripture telling the story of God’s salvation primarily in covenant relationship.
Biblical Organization
We follow the biblical pattern for church leadership. We have a plurality of elders and deacons. No single individual rules over the congregation unchecked. The elders shepherd, oversee, and protect the church, while deacons serve families and ministries.
Regulated Worship
We see in scripture that God has prescribed how he is to be worshiped. Because biblical worship is for God and not for us as consumers, we practice what scripture commands us to do. Biblical worship includes reading and preaching the Word of God, corporate and private prayer, joyful and theologically correct singing, and administering of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Meaningful Membership
A reformed church sees in scripture and believes in the critical importance of church membership. We are accountable to each other in our walk with Christ. There is great importance placed on what church members should be and do, and all these expectations are taken directly from the New Testament.
Commission
Reformed Baptist churches are deeply pledged to evangelism and missions. The great commission is ever our daily commitment! Not only because God has commanded that we do so but because our confidence is deeply rooted in the sovereignty of God. We believe that God will save his people when the Gospel is proclaimed.