The importance of a good* Confession of Faith

Let me start this article off by saying that I have no hard feelings against the writers of he Baptist Faith and Message or to those who hold to the BFM.  As a mater of fact, I'm really excited to see Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. at this years Expositor's Conference in Mobile, AL.  Which is being held at an SBC church that affirms the BFM. http://www.cfbcmobile.org/site/default.asp?sec_id=3078
I know I'm not a pastor, but they let me in last year, so I'm hoping they let me attend again.

For many years I attended an SBC church, 10 years as a false convert, and then almost 5 years as a born-again Christian.    In my years there as a true Christian who was seeking to grow in my walk and my faith, I started looking into what the SBC believed.  This lead me to the Baptist Faith and Message. 
http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp
At first I was happy to have something to hang my hat on when it came to finding out what the Southern Baptist believed on a certain doctrinal or theological topic, but that happiness soon turned into frustration.  Many of the topics that are covered; The Scriptures, God, Man, Salvation, etc., are covered in a very surface level way that leaves a ton wiggle room.  My hopes of finding a document that helped answer my questions just led to more questions.  ****I have to explain some of the background to my feelings here.  I was attending Liberty University and taking Bible and Theology classes.  Of course, a lot of bad theology can be found on Seminary college discussion boards.  Many of these, budding bad theologians (Rob Bell's) claimed to belong to the SBC.  Hence my interest into finding out exactly where the SBC stood on these topics.****
Most of the definitions and explanations in the BFM had tons of wiggle room for anyone in the SBC to fit their theology into it.  (Although I doubt that most people in SBC churches have ever read the document let alone been asked to affirm it before membership)  I freely admit that this might be a good Confession if the leadership of the SBC churches would at least cover it in their teaching and preaching.  What is unfortunate, is that even though the confession is slim on theology and doctrine compared to some of the larger confessions of the past, it would greatly multiply the theology that normally comes from the pulpits on Sunday morning if they would at least read it to the congregation. 

Look, I'm not saying that a Confession of Faith has to spell out every nuance of theology that there is, but for someone who was looking for a deeper understanding of what the denomination believed, I felt like the BFM left me hanging.  This is just another symptom of the SBC going further down their "doctrine lite" path.  To quote an old pastor of mine, They SBC is "not really big on theology, so they're is a lot of room for different beliefs on certain doctrine."



Now contrast the BFM with the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689.  http://www.founders.org/library/bcf/bcf-26.html
There is a big difference in the amount of information that is given in this confession compared to the BFM.  For someone who was looking for a little bit of substance, I feel like I found a ton in this document.

You can get a feeling of what I'm talking about by just looking at the chapter titles.

Here is the BFM of 2000

	Preamble
	The Scriptures
	God
	Man
	Salvation
	God's Purpose of Grace
	The Church
	Baptism and the Lord's Supper
	The Lord's Day
	The Kingdom
	Last Things
	Evangelism and Missions
	Education
	Stewardship
	Cooperation
	The Christian and the Social Order
	Peace and War
	Religious Liberty
	Family

Here are the chapters of the London Baptist Confession of 1689
1. Of the Holy Scriptures
2. Of God and the Holy Trinity
3. Of God's Decree
4. Of Creation
5. Of Divine Providence
6. Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof
7. Of God's Covenant
8. Of Christ the Mediator
9. Of Free Will
10. Of Effectual Calling
11. Of Justification
12. Of Adoption
13. Of Sanctification
14. Of Saving Faith
15. Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation
16. Of Good Works
17. Of the Perseverance of the Saints
18. Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
19. Of the Law of God
20. Of the Gospel and the Extent of Grace thereof
21. Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience
22. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day
23. Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
24. Of the Civil Magistrate
25. Of Marriage
26. Of the Church
27. Of the Communion of Saints
28. Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
29. Of Baptism
30. Of the Lord's Supper
31. Of the State of Man after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead
32. Of the Last Judgment

I appreciate brief and pithy, to the point statements, of the BFM but I don't think that we can be to clear when it comes to the doctrine and theology that the church claims to hold.

To try and compare one part of one confession to the other would just be a lesson in futility.  They are almost completely different in their purposes.  One of them, the 1689, seems to be purposefully as specific as it can be on almost all of the topics that it addresses.  While the other, the BFM, tends to still be orthodox while trying to avoid drawing any really distinct lines.  The feeling that there is a lot of wiggle room on Theology in the SBC could be why it's not so black and white.
Could this be why one of the most common descriptors for SBC churches today is that they are a mile wide and an inch deep, or is the BFM just a symptom of what is happening to the church as a whole?  For my part, I think it is the later.

Brian

*I know that good is usually a term defined by the writer or person speaking, but all good things come from God (James 1:17) so if our confessions are to be "good" then we need to make sure that they conform to God's word.

The difference between God's mercy and His grace

God has often forgiven sinners, but He never forgives sin; and the sinner is only forgiven on the ground of Another having born his punishment: for "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb 9:22). - AW Pink "The Attributes of God"  pg31

What is grace? 
According to AW Pink - Divine grace is the sovereign and saving favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessing upon those who have no merit in them and for which no compensation is demanded from them.  Nay, more; it is the favor of God shown to those who not only have no positive deserts of their own, but who are thoroughly ill-deserving and hell-deserving. - pg 50
This grace is free and unmerited.  There is nothing that man can do to receive it.  If there was, then it would not be grace. 
Romans 11:6  But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Titus 3:5 He saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,


When talking about God's mercy, AW Pink says that we need to keep in mind 3 distinctions when it comes to God's mercy.
First is the general mercy of God.  This is the mercy that is extended to all creation.  Psalm 145:9 The LORD is good to all,and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Secondly is God's special mercy, that is just toward mankind.  God provides all the "necessities of life" for us.   Matthew 5:45 For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  This mercy is limited, and it ends when the life of the man ends. Isaiah 27:11

And lastly there is God's sovereign mercy, and you guessed it, this mercy is only for the children (the elect) of God.  God only provides this mercy through the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ, which is applied through the work of the Holy Spirit.  This mercy continues for all eternity.

Now some will say that this not fair.  Doesn't Psalm 136:1 say that, "His mercy endures forever"?  This is true, but God has control over the exercise, or the application, of this mercy.  God always has the choice to extend whatever mercy that He wants to whomever He wants. 
Romans 9:15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

Luke 18:9-14  The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

All of us should pray for "tax collector" hearts.  Broken over our sin and grateful to God for the forgiveness that is found in Christ.
I am grateful that AW Pink took the time in his book "The Attributes of God" to share with me the difference between God's grace and His mercy.  It helps me to love and appreciate Him more. 
Soli Deo gloria

The disciples in John 6 .....

and their reaction to the preaching of the Sovereignty of God in Salvation

Isn't it interesting how consistent the reaction is from people in the church when they hear about the sovereignty of God in salvation?   

We can see that Jesus even had the same reaction with the church/disciples that were following Him.  Look what happens when He starts to expound on the life giving work of God in salvation.


[60] When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” [61] But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? [62] Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? [63] It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. [64] But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
[65] And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
[66] After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

In these verses Jesus tells us that it is God who gives life and grants the ability to come to Christ.  To paraphrase......"You have no power in yourself to do this.  Your flesh is corrupt and of no help at all in your spiritual life, v.63.  You have to deny your flesh and rely completely on the work of God, v.65.  Yet, you are still held accountable for your unbelief, v64."  And look what happens in verse 66 when Jesus preaches a monergistic view of salvation, many turned their back on the savior of the world and no longer walked with him.  What an outright, blatant, rejection of God!  Yet, is there any difference when people in churches today trade down from a Sovereign God to a God who responds to man's every "decision" and whim?  Many people in churches today will respond exactly like the disciples did in verse 66.  They walk away from the true God, and harden their hearts to the truth and the true God of the Bible. 
Do you think that these disciples in verse 66 became rank heathens and left the synagogue's? Or, do you think they went back to living their self-righteous lives and relying on their works to get them to heaven?
I would imagine that these disciples went right back under the yoke of works.  They went right back under the legalism and the law that was supposed to point them to Christ. 

This leaves me now with a profound question, "The people who walked away from this truth were false disciples.  Does that mean that this same truth when preached always divides the true disciples from the false disciples?  Do this mean that those who deny the sovereignty of God in salvation are turning their backs on Jesus?" 

Oh how I pray that many people in the church would come to a correct understanding of Justification.  Having a proper understanding of Justification will greatly increase your Sanctification.  When you finally understand the lengths that God went to save a wretched sinner like you, it will cause you to fall more on your face each day and want to serve Him.  The more you correctly understand Justification, the more you will submit yourself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 


p.s.
God's Word is so amazing.  He gives us an example of how He uses the truth to separate the wheat from the tares.  He does it through preaching the truth of His word. 
Here is a great clip from Dr. Erwin Lutzer about this very subject. 
http://www.archive.org/download/TheologyBitesPart15/Lutzer_doctrineDevides.mp3 
If you are a pastor, and you want to find out the "spiritual condition" of your congregation, then I would suggest that you preach all of the doctrine that is in the text.  Go deep and pull out all of the meat from the Bible and serve it to your sheep.  The goats will hate the taste of it, but the sheep will praise God for it and glorify Him.

His immutable love

"His love no end nor measure knows,

No change can turn its course,

Eternally the same it flows

From one eternal source."

from AW Pink's The Attributes of God pg 65