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How to be the Type of Christian for Whom Others Thank God 

12/24/2014

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As I mentioned in a previous article, I was able to attend the Baptist Heritage Revival Society's annual tour of historic Baptist sites in New England. Any time you get two Baptist preachers with an agenda together you have a mess on your hands, not to mention what can happen when you have several dozen on the same tour bus.

I am finding this tour was a turning point in my Christian walk and the ministry to which I was called. I was very ill at the beginning of the tour and quite discouraged. There are some who do not believe a Christian should struggle with discouragement, and I am inclined to agree. However, sometimes God brings another Christian brother along at the exact right time to pull alongside, encourage and help in many ways. 

Paul and his helpers found three reasons to thank God the church in Thessalonica. Regarding the tour, the middle one was most applicable, "the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth." We should thank God for those He brings across our paths to keep us going strong in the ministry, who reach out and put the love for the brethren in action. That is the definition of charity. Love in action.

II Thessalonians 1:1-4 -  Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
Love for our brethren can have a tremendous effect on their ministries. I suppose we all reach those points in our ministries where we feel as if there is nobody that understands what we are going through. Elijah certainly was at that point when he was in the cave. David could have been there when he went and joined the Philistines. Jeremiah must have been at that point when he was prophesying to a nation that did not love God and had no interest in returning to Him. These times should turn us to God.

What we fail to realize, however, is that others can be weakened due to a discouraging word (pardon my use of this, I am from the West, where these are seldom heard) or self-seeking, arrogant attitude. In a very real sense, our conduct encourages or discourages others. I am sure Paul had many examples (the church of Corinth, for instance) of Christians who did not grow in faith or extend charity to one another. There were also some who were not patient and faithful in their persecutions. We can all point to examples of those who we thought would be the last to leave the stuff who did leave the stuff. As a young man in the ministry, I remember being very discouraged when I would hear of another preacher falling into sin or a faithful church member leaving the church because of personality conflict. 

Our lack of concern for others and the desire to advance our own viewpoint can cause others to stumble.
I Corinthians 13:1-10  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.(4)  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Based on the definition given to us in the Bible, charity or love can be defined as this:  It is a long-suffering action that does not envy and is not self-promoting.  It causes one to behave properly, to seek the betterment of others, will not be provoked easily, and has the absence of evil thoughts.  It avoids wickedness, promotes truth, bears all things, believes the right things, hopes in everything, and lasts through difficulty even when it seems like it should fail.

Charity is to be acted upon in a sincere way, and this will cause the faith of others to increase, because people can always tell when we are faking our charity toward them.
Romans 12:9-10 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
I will always remember and be thankful for the person who stopped and talked to me while I was street preaching many years ago. I must have been there out of duty that particular time because a random person walked up to me and said something to the effect of me not really meaning what I was saying. I thought of that often, and came to the conclusion that he was right. If I am going to do anything for the Lord, it ought to be done for him with charity for others.

I will also always remember and be thankful for the fellowship of like-minded believers as I experienced on the Baptist history tour.  Thank you Jeff, David, Luke, Aaron, Josh, Ben, Ted and others for your faithfulness and pulling a brother up when you didn't realize you were doing so. I do not recall a single preacher on that tour that was self-seeking and the  love of Christ was demonstrated constantly and consistently. 

Lord, thank you for the men and the love, respect and Christ-like attitudes they displayed. Thank you for bringing, if for a brief time, men into my life that unwittingly pulled along side and helped a brother.
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Isaac Backus, Fighter Against Church Incorporation

12/3/2014

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In October, while on the Baptist Heritage Revival Society tour, I was asked to say a few words at the graveside of Isaac Backus regarding his stand on church incorporation.  I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to attend one of these tours to take advantage of it.  Evangelist Ted Alexander is an amazingly patient and knowledgeable tour guide and the others from the BHRS know how to make things run smoothly.  I especially thank Brother Greg Fromer (forgive me if the name is wrong), who kept me standing while delivering this on a moving bus. 

The tour was well worth the time and funds spent, and I praise the Lord for the renewal it gave to my ministry.  Due to the fact it was raining, I presented the following to a bus full of very patient pastors who I now consider dear brethren.

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 I am Jason Burton, and I am a preacher of the gospel and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I also am also the Research Director of the Ecclesiastical Law Center, which is a ministry of Cornerstone Historic Baptist Church in Union City, IN.  We help pastors and congregations as they seek to live out Colossians 1:18.

Colossians 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

For all of us, it is a tremendous privilege to stand at the grave of one who was so prominent in his stand on the truths of the Word of God.   Here was a man who saw the truth of God’s word and in spite of opposition and a true cost to be a Baptist, decided that principle would overcome comfort in his walk with the Lord.  He was opposed by the standing order church throughout his life and by some other Baptists toward the end of his life, those who would try to pull the Baptists into the “mainstream” and trying to make Baptists “respectable.”  Of course, we realize that being “mainstream” and “respectable” to the world means violating Baptist principles.

Certainly, throughout his life, he was a man of character, and this quote from his diary gives us some insight into his influences:

“I was something affected and quickened this morning in reading some of old father Bunyan’s experiences.  O that I might follow him as he followed Christ.”

As Baptists, we are accustomed to battles, and one battle he fought later in life was that of liberty of congregations from the overreaching arm of the state/church alliance of the standing order.  To be something other than a Baptist meant to pitch in to pay the local state-sanctioned Congregational preacher or have your cow or land taken and sold.  We see, nearly 300 years later through eyes that are used to Liberty, that this is clearly wrong.  None of us would put up with having our money be sent to the local mainline protestant denomination.  We aren’t taxed today to pay for faith-based programs in those churches, are we?  Oh we are?  None of us would allow other churches to demand of our folks to pay to build their building.

Brother Backus fought decades to try to secure freedom from compulsory government control of churches and the financial and spiritual cost that came with that environment, as is evidenced by this quote:

“God has appointed two different kinds of government in the world which are different in their nature and ought never to be confounded together, one of which is called civil and the other Ecclesiastical government.”

Combining the two was appalling to someone who stood upon the Baptist principle of soul liberty, as it is to us who are standing here right now.  If you think it would be okay to force a person to be a Baptist at the threat of life and property, you are no Baptist.

During Backus’ time, there were compromises being made to make life easier on the citizens who were not members of the standing order.  All they had to do in Massachusetts was to provide a certificate to the local magistrate informing them of the fact they were a Baptist and the magistrates would collect the ministers pay and redistribute it to the Baptist pastor in the town.  Not a bad away to guarantee a paycheck, even for a Baptist pastor.  To Isaac Backus, this was not good enough, because he recognized that by giving in and filling out the form, this violated the Baptist’s conscience.

The Baptist pastors, when they met, Backus and the others who made up the Warren Association reasoned that the State was encroaching upon the conscience and rights of Baptists, therefore the Baptists could not file the certificates.

We have records from the Grievance committee of the Warren Association from May 5, 1773.  It says: “…these and other things being laid before the committee, May 5, they advised their agent to write to all their churches to consider whether or not it was their duty to refuse to give any more certificates to the powers that opposed them.”

Backus, who was the agent spoken of in the Grievance Committee, stated that most of the Baptists conformed to the certificate laws “...until they were convinced that true help could not be had in that way, and therefore they concluded in 1773 to give no more certificates, and published their reasons for so doing.”

In spite of Backus’ opposition to tax certificates, and Baptist brethren like Elijah Balkcom and Gershom Cutter, who went to jail over the matter, congregations were still supplying Parish tax men (called “certificate men”) with lists of church members in good standing. Backus wrote John Rippon in 1791, “I know not of one of our churches, especially in the Massachusetts, who are entirely free of the evil of giving in a list of their society to their oppressors.”

When it came to establishment, taxes were not the only issue discussed.  At the Warren Association meeting of 1792, two Baptist churches were found to have begun seeking incorporation for their churches.  During the vigorous debates as to whether or not this was acceptable, Backus won the day and the association voted to advise the churches against incorporation under the laws of the state as it placed those churches under the authority of the state.  Here is a partial quote from the resolution:

“...That it be earnestly commended to the churches belonging to the association by no means to apply to civil government for incorporation... because we cannot consent to blend the kingdom of Christ with the kingdoms of this world …”

The reason the Ecclesiastical Law Center exists is to help churches be churches according to the pattern given in the New Testament. We are not a militant organization, as we have seen a reasonable and biblical approach is effective.  Our purpose is to be pastors helping pastors and thereby glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ as head of his church.

Lord bless you and thank you for reading this.  Remember, the position we take on church incorporation is not a new one, but it is a Biblical one.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or one of the other representatives.

In Christ,

Jason
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    Author

    Pastor Jason Burton of Cornerstone Historic Baptist Church in Union City, Indiana, is the Research Director for the ELC. He and his wife Amy have been married for a long time and have a bunch of children.

    Jason Burton
    Jason Burton, Research Director, Ecclesiastical Law Center
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Ecclesiastical Law Center
P.O. Box 35
Mesick, MI 49668
231-577-8358

A Ministry of ​Bible Believer's Baptist Church and Cornerstone Historic Baptist Church
Email Info
Director Keith Hoover - cbcpastork@gmail.com
Education Director Ben Townsend - lmstily@acegroup.cc
Research Director Jason Burton - pastorjasonburton@gmail.com
West Coast Representative Dan Zike - oldpathsbible@gmail.com
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