An Abbreviated Paper on The Distinctive Marks of Reformed Church

STATING OUR POSITION – THIS IS WHO WE ARE

THE DISTINCTIVES AND CONVICTIONS OF REFORMED BAPTIST CHURCHES

 

A Reformed Baptist Church is distinguished by its conviction regarding the sufficiency and authority, in addition to the inspiration and infallibility, of the Word of God.

 

A Reformed Baptist Church is distinguished by an unshakeable conviction that the church exists for the glory of God.

 

A Reformed Baptist church is distinguished by its conviction that the local church is central to the purposes of God on the earth.

 

A Reformed Baptist Church is distinguished by its conviction that preaching is foundational to the life of the church.

 

A Reformed Baptist Church is distinguished by the conviction that salvation radically alters the life of the convert.

 

A Reformed Baptist Church has a conviction that the Law of God (as expressed in the Ten Com-mandments) is regulative in the life of the new covenant believer.

 

A Reformed Baptist Church is distinguished by a conviction regarding male leadership in the church.

Our age has witnessed the feminization of Christianity.

 

A Reformed Baptist Church is distinguished by a conviction regarding the serious nature of church membership.  We take seriously the admonition of Heb. 10: 24,25.

 

A Reformed Baptist Church is distinguished by a conviction regarding biblical church discipline that is redemptive and restorative (Matt. 18:15-17; Gal. 6:10. Discipline is to be carried out in a twofold way: Nomitative Discipline, that is, through preaching and teaching, and Corrective Discipline, that is, by calling the sinning believer to repentance, and disfellowshipping the non-repentant (1 Cor. 5).  Discipline is a means of keeping the church pure, and a pure church is a powerful church.

 

We need to be reminded that the stated distinctives and convictions do not give Reformed Baptists the right to be arrogant, boastful, or proud, because “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). To summarize the character qualities of reformers, then, is appropriate. “The true Reformer has a mind that is centered on God’s majesty, a spirit that is sorry for sin, a heart that is full of gratitude for God’s grace, and a will that submits to His holy purpose. In other words, the true Reformer is a person whose whole person and entire life are dedicated to the glory of God!”

 

You may be asking, “WHAT IS REFORMED THEOLOGY”?  It is the Biblical teaching of sixteenth century Protestantism (the protest against of erroneous Catholic dogma led by a Catholic Monk, Martin Luther), affirming that salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, and because of Christ alone.

THE DISTINCTIVE MARKS OF A REFORMED (NBC/SBC) BAPTIST CHURCH