What percent of Baptists are saved?

Diane, I told you that I am not Catholic, but you still haven't answered my questions.

I wonder why

 

Dr. Bob, I'm not Catholic in any form but those that believe in "FAITH ALONE" has not answered my questions. Maybe you can.
You happen to be a little bit different because you said saved by "REPENTANCE" and "Grace".
Normally Repentance isn't included in your group doctrine of Forgiveness.

SO is it now that a person need ONLY believe that Jesus is the son of GOD and Repent in order to be saved?

Do we agree that those saved are disciples of Christ?

 

Hi Diane,

You wrote, "There's a lot of church members who aren't saved! I won't deny that at all."

So.. how do you know that you ultimately are not to be counted as one of those church members who aren't saved? Have you had a more special, stronger, ooey gooey warm fuzzy feeling than those other church members? I'm sure that quite a few of those other "church members who aren't saved" would readily claim eternal security for themselves while - all along - they aren't among the elect. So what makes you special? Or.. do you admit that you very well may ultimately not be one of the elect yourself?

 

Please read carefully. We're getting confused on wording only here.

Originally posted by dianetavegia:
You quoted that 100 go forward but only 30 are baptised. Therefore you were implying that only 30% of Baptists were saved.


No, I was not implying anything.

I was merely asking for an estimate of how many baptists are saved when taking in consideration the survey.

Only God knows the heart condition of any person of any denomination. There is NO way we can estimate how many Baptist Church Members are actually saved. I also was trying to point out that only those 30 out of 100 should be included when speaking of Baptist Church Members.

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I corrected you and said they are NOT Baptists if they have not been baptised.
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I wasn't aware of this.

KEY WORD: BAPTIST. To be a member of a Baptist church, one must have been baptised by immersion in a Baptist church (some churches will accept those baptised in 'like' denominations and some won't.)

Are you sure about that?

To be a member of a Baptist church YOU MUST BE BAPTISED. The percentage you quote speaks of 'only 30 out of 100' and that is what I was trying to clear up.

I believe that there are a number of baptists on the board who are not baptized and yet still consider themselves to be baptist.

If they are not baptised, they are not members of a Baptist church even if they are Baptists by belief. KEY words again, MEMBERS which is again referring back to the original opening post and the 30 out of 100 who were baptised.


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So do you want to answer how many of the bazillion catholics attend every week?
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Well, since I don't know all bazillion personally, and since I don't keep records on those Catholics that I do know - I really can't say. And we don't know all the Baptists personally and don't know the heart of the Baptist we DO know....

Bazillion: I always use unreal remarks like that when I am exaggerating or taking a wild guess so as not to imply I have real numbers. By using silly words, I cannot be misunderstood or thought to be lying. Been doing that since childhood.


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I'm sure the numbers are pretty close.
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What numbers are clost to what?
Church attendance within different denominations.

I'm not sure that "bazillion" is a number.


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I won't argue with you. The Catholics on this board seem to like to butt heads. What a waste of our time!
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I think that what you mean to say is, "It's so frustrating to me when the Catholics won't let me have the last word!"

Nope. I do not fight. It's never been allowed in my home. Hubby and I don't fight. It makes me feel ill to fuss and fight. I'd much rather share Jesus that fight over silly things which we can not even begin to explain.... or know! Like how many people are saved.

Hope I've explained myself better!
Diane

 

What percent of Baptists are saved?
Only God can answer this question.

 

If the prerequisite to being a Baptist is salvation and believer's baptism, then by default, 100% of all Baptists are saved.
DHK

 

I'm sure there are lots of people who say they are saved to men, who really are not, regardless of what religion they espouse. I'm also sure that a person could say all the right things and go through believers baptism and not believe in their heart. Can you see with your human abilities what God sees?

To say that all Baptists are saved is a hopeful statement. But it can not be known by you or I if it is 100% as you stated, only God knows the true answer to the question.

 

Your right in that only God knows the heart. Even John said that their unbelievers among them at that time:

1John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

But as John said, "they were not all of us."

100% of Baptists are saved and baptized, by virtue of the definition of a Baptist (whether I know who they are or not).

 

Agree!
Diane

 

That's a mighty big 'IF'.

Besides, I thought being a Baptist meant that you are a member of a Baptist church.

 

That's a mighty big 'IF'.

Besides, I thought being a Baptist meant that you are a member of a Baptist church. </font>[/QUOTE]I assumed that was the context in which we were talking. For example, 100% of the members in my church are saved because they are all baptized by immersion after they were saved. That would be true for every Baptist church.

 

DHK said:

I would change that to say: 100% of TRUE Baptists are saved because the Baptist Statement of Faith includes all that is required for salvation. A TRUE Baptist is one who has accepted God's greatest gift and has trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Following in believers baptism is a requirement for membership in all the Baptist churches I've ever heard of but not necessary for salvation.

Diane

 

So what we do after we are Baptised does not matter? You must ignore alot of scripture to come up with that belief.

In any case, I don't believe every Baptist church requires baptism in order to be a member. If only one Bapstist church does not, then your statement is faulty.

 

So what we do after we are Baptised does not matter? You must ignore alot of scripture to come up with that belief.

In any case, I don't believe every Baptist church requires baptism in order to be a member. If only one Bapstist church does not, then your statement is faulty. </font>[/QUOTE]There are liberal Baptists, Baptists that tolerate, if not encourage homosexuals, etc. I suppose others may disagree with me on this point, but I don''t believe that such are worthy to carry the Baptist name. In those groups you would find many unsaved "in name only" Baptists.

Generally speaking I would keep my comments to the groups of Baptists that I am most familiar with such as IFB churches.
DHK

 

Article VII, Baptist Faith and Message:

"Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper."

 

Diane,

Does every Baptist Church recognize the Baptist Faith and Message?

DHK,

I would venture to say that there are those who are members of IFB churches whose actions are inconsistant with the Spirit.

 

Just so we are clear on something. I am not saying that Baptists churches do not require proof of baptism or some testimony of salvation for that matter for church membership. But church membership and religious affiliation does not determine salvation.

What I'm saying, so there is no mistake, is that it is not within any human beings abilities to judge whether or not a person is in fact saved.

The question on this thread was "What percent of Baptists are saved?" and I reiterate, only God can answer that question with knowledge of the facts. No matter how many men think they know, it is not possible for them to be all knowing like God.

Very strange that you say one thing and people try to make it sound like you're saying something entirely different. Am I that bad of a communicator?

How about if I break it down this way? Are you God? If you aren't then you don't know everything, you can't, you aren't designed to. Do you understand the point I'm making now?

Men can be fooled. It happens all the time. We only have our perception to rely on. We can not know the truth without it pertaining to us specifically. Only God can see the heart. Only God knows who's names are written in the lambs book of life.

And no, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck it isn't necessarily a duck. People are easily fooled.

The only black and white answers pertain to math questions. All other questions are subjective. Except to God who actually can know the answer, man can only guess.

 

That could be said about ANY denomination! However, you're playing word games here and wasting time! Either that or you are just not understanding what we write.

Go back and read the posts again. I'm not interested in repeating myself again.

Diane

 

Diane,

I understand what you are saying, but what you are saying and what DHK is saying are two totally different things.

But I did have a question for you. Do all Baptists recognize the document you posted?

 

That is not the topic at hand is it?
We are not talking about the inconsistency of the believer's life.

In our church (IFB), as in Diane's, one must be first saved, and second baptized before becoming a member. If you are not saved or baptized you automatically are disqualified in your membership. An unsaved person, whether he thinks he is a member or not, disqualifies himself by virtue of the fact that he is unsaved. There are only saved members in the church, even though at times, it may be that only God knows who they truly are.
DHK