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Baptists Betraying the Gospel The necessity for separation of church and state is rooted in the nature of the gospel and the biblical understanding of salvation. Nations cannot be Christian. Only people who intimately experience God’s Spirit and who commit themselves personally to Christ can be Christian in any meaningful sense. The church should never resort to the civil power to carry on its work. Real faith cannot be propagated by force of law. Enlisting the power of the state to compel Christian convictions violates the spirit of the gospel. It turns the “good news” about God’s love and grace into “bad news” about rules and regulations and laws. All Baptists used to believe in the power of the gospel to change hearts and transform lives. Now some think it is weak and puny — needing the help of posters or monuments to be effective. On the PBS Series With God on Our Side, Jerry Falwell revealed Baptists’ new attitude toward the gospel. When queried about whether Baptists believe that change should be effected by spiritual transformation, he said, “that’s a correct premise. In reality, it doesn’t work out that way.” The more Falwell and other SBC leaders turn to politics and the force of law to promote their faith, the more they will betray the gospel and discredit the cause of Christ in the eyes of the world. Bruce Prescott
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Online since April 7, 1999
E- mail questions or comments about this web site to bprescott@mainstreambaptists.orgCopyright © 1999-2003 MAINSTREAM OKLAHOMA BAPTISTS P.O. Box 6371 Norman, OK 73070-6371 (405) 329-2266.
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