The Baptists & The Methodists Helping To Define The Nature Of Salvation

Baptists - Baptism In The Bible John the Baptist – baptized adults coming to ‘get clean’ as a sign of repentance (Matthew 3:1-12) Jesus was dedicated as an infant, but baptized as an adult (Luke 2:21,22 Matthew 3:13-17) The people who are specifically mentioned as being baptized were always believers e.g. the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-39, 10:44-48, 16:14,15, 33,34; 18:8, 22:16) ‘Household’ – means ‘including slaves’ rather than ‘including children’ Baptism was ALWAYS after profession of faith

Baptism As A Symbol Of New Life Romans 6:3-8, Colossians 2:12 – dying to sin, rising to new life 1 Corinthians 12:13 – baptism into the body of Christ 1 Peter 3:21 – the answer of a good conscience toward God Baptism = Repentance & Conversion = An Act Of The Conscience Baptism in water was also supposed to be associated with baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-41; 10:44-48) Ideally three things should happen at once – repentance from sin and faith in Christ, baptism in water and baptism in the Holy Spirit

What The Baptists Did They emphasized the need for an ‘act of the conscience’ namely repentance and faith, prior to baptism Dedication of small children, followed later by baptism once they truly believed for themselves (at any age) Put the decision to be baptized in the hands of the new believer (the individual Christian) This led to the doctrine of the ‘priesthood of all believers’ – that is that each Christian was a priest, capable of offering intercession to God and carrying out some personal ministry Led to the adoption of more democratic church structures

Methodists - Instant Justification Self-surrender, instantaneous conversion and joy in conscious salvation. Wesley wrote, "About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, "I felt my heart strangely warmed.   If felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation, and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the 'law of sin and death.'"  John Wesley's experience, as referred to by others, was the determinative factor in the rise of Methodism and the evangelistic revival.  Thus Methodism was born.

Being “Born Again” John 3:3-18 (born again, born of the Spirit) 1 Peter 1:22-25 (born again) John 1:13 (born of the will of God) Galatians 4:29 (born of the Spirit) Hebrews 12:23 (assembly of the first-born in Zion) 1 John 2:29, 3:9, 4:7, 5:1-4,18 (those born of God) Spirit vs Flesh Only the spiritual birth matters

New Birth vs. Ecclesiastical Process Ecclesiastical method – slow, step-by-step, may even continue in the after-life (Purgatory), attempts to improve the old nature, salvation is uncertain, guilt, ladder to Heaven – requires a system Born-again method – instantaneous, death to old nature, new nature is implanted, certainty of salvation, inner joy, placed in Heaven by grace – requires personal faith

The Difference Between Justification & Sanctification Justified – our legal standing before God, made right with God, given the righteousness of Christ when we believe. “Just As If I’d Never Sinned” Romans 3:19-28, 4:2-8, 5;1,8,9 ; 6:7-11, 8:29-34 Galatians 2:16-21, 3:11, 3:24; Titus 3:4-7, Zechariah 3:1-7 Sanctified – made holy, a religious term, our priestly likeness, we are set apart from God (at conversion) then made holy and like God (gradual process) 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1:30, 6:11, Ephesians 5:25,26; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 2:21, Hebrews 2:11 1 Timothy 4:3-5 Hebrews 10:10-14, 13:12, 1 Peter 1:2, 3:15

BOTH – Personal Experience Of God Both Baptists and Methodists emphasized the need for an uncluttered, simple, disciplined, personal faith in God They emphasized being born-again and having a new life with God that is radically different from the old life Justification was by faith in Jesus and is instantaneous Sanctification comes from Christ and is BOTH an instantaneous event and a gradual process They were ‘non-conformists’ – that is they did not belong to the large national denominations affiliated with the governments of the day. Each believer was to study the bible for themselves (Baptists) and in small groups (Methodists) and was empowered to take control of their walk with God