Baptist No More?

A man talking about the church he attended as a youth said the following, “It hasn't changed that much, except in Saddleback fashion they dropped Baptist from their name a few years back. Now that caused quite a commotion. My mom still can't believe "we aren't Baptist anymore" (her interpretation of them removing Baptist from the church sign).”

Does removing the name 'Baptist' mean you're not Baptist anymore? Don’t you believe it! Because being Baptist (or any other denomination or movement) has to do with the heart and mind more than it does a sign or designation. I know people who were raised Baptist and became Charismatic that in their hearts are still bound by their Baptist years. How do I know, well just mess with some ingrained Baptist teaching and that Baptist spirit will raise it’s ugly head. And what is that spirit- a spirit of legalism and traditionalism.

It’s nothing new nor relegated to just the Baptist. Jesus talked about the religious leaders in this way:

Mark 7:6-8; 13
6 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that." NIV

We are no different today. Think about our great Biblical teachings on ‘no dancing,’ ‘no smoking,’ ‘no drinking,’ ‘no short hair (women)’ or ‘long hair (men),’ ‘wear no makeup (both men and women),’ ‘go to no movies,’ ‘play no cards (especially with dice),’ ‘wear no slacks,’ ‘King James Only,’ 'no tattoos,' 'no earrings,' and on and on. We have the various traditions of men that are so very often devoid of any scripture reference or at least strain a scripture to prove a 'conviction.' If the Bible is the Word of God, what happened to chapter and verse?

Today new forms of traditions are settling in: revival movement, seeker service, emerging church, apostolic and prophetic movement, etc., and all are destined to be the traditions today that men will die on tomorrow.

Tradition has an insidious way of becoming ingrained in a very short time.

Think about your own local expression of the Body of Christ- what are you doing that has become tradition? You can generally tell by beginning to tamper with it- watch and hear the response!

BTW- If one says I will die a Baptist (or put whatever you wish here ____________), it means I will die not changing. Period!