A monthly newsletter produced in cooperation with

Farmersville and Dixie Primitive Baptist Churches.

March/April 2002

The Differences with Calvinism

By Todd Nunley, Denton Primitive Baptist Church

Part 4


Lord willing, I would like to take this opportunity to speak about a topic that many outside of our church, or those outside of the primitive Baptists, see as unusual. I know that many of you will agree with me when I say that we do not mind being called unusual or strange when it comes to following after our Lord Jesus Christ. If what I say in this article offends anyone, please forgive me. It is not my intention to offend anyone but rather to write the truth as best I know how.

The topic I would like to speak about is foot washing. There are many today that do not understand what we are doing and why we do this. Many churches today have some form of communion service that will vary greatly from religion to religion. Nevertheless, if we are to worship our Lord, as only He should be, it should be done in spirit and in truth. For the worship that is not done in spirit and truth is unacceptable to God. We read in John 4:23, 24, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” When the scriptures tell us that we must worship Him in spirit and in truth then we should worship in a manner that is acceptable to God. If our worship is not done in spirit and in truth, then why worship God in the first place? And especially when it is not acceptable in the eyes of an almighty God. Many churches say that they worship God in spirit and in truth but when you hear or see some of the forms of worship then one may ask why do they do certain things that are contrary to the scriptures. Additionally, when you add things to the church such as missions, seminaries, Sunday school, tithing and musical instruments in church, the church is adding to that which is written in the bible and can not stand on the truth written in the scriptures. The same goes for churches that take away from what the New Testament teaches. One thing that is talked about more often here lately is the washing of the saint’s feet during our communion service.

I must admit that before the Lord led my wife and I to Denton Primitive Baptist Church, I have never participated in a more humbling service as washing the saint’s feet. About a year ago, I had a Calvinist preacher ask me where I went to church. I told him that my wife and I are members of the Denton Primitive Baptist Church. He said, “Primitive Baptist, they believe in foot washing don’t they?” I said yes. He then asked, “Do you?” I told him, “most definitely. If our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself and washed the apostle’s feet, what makes you think that we should be any better than Christ Himself? We should humble ourselves and do as the scriptures tell us.”

I wrote this for one reason, and that reason being there are many that claim to follow after our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but will not follow after “Thus saith the Lord.” If it is written in the bible, we should follow that and not waiver. From my understanding, we are one of very few that wash the feet of our brothers and sisters. Moreover, those who have not studied or observed this will not understand that this is a service to the brethren, it exhibits that no one is greater than our brother and that it is humbling. I have also come to understand that there are only about half of the primitive Baptist churches in this country that follow after the Lord in washing the saint’s feet. If something is written in the bible telling us that we should or ought to do it, then we better.

During our communion time, we observe or carry out three things that were done in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ. First, we break the unleavened bread to represent the broken body of Jesus Christ. Second, we drink the wine to represent the blood shed for His elect. Thirdly, we wash the brethren’s feet to represent the service we are to have towards our brother.

We read beginning in John 13:4, 5 where after rising from supper, Jesus laid aside His garments and girded Himself with a towel. He then poured water into a basin, washed the feet of His disciples and then wiped them with the towel that was girded about Him. Christ then tells them (in John 13:13-17) “13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” It is these verses where we, as primitive Baptists, attempt to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in washing the brethren’s feet. In these verses, I would like to attempt to explain why we should do as Jesus the Christ.

First, the disciples knew that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and was their Lord and Master. Jesus affirms this by telling them, “for so I am.”

Second, Jesus, who acknowledges that He is their Lord and Master, tells them that if He (humbled Himself and) washed the disciples feet, then they ought to wash one another’s feet. I believe that if the Son of God tells us we ought to do something, we had better do it. A further look at this verse, and more specifically the word, “ought,” has different connotations but also means that we have an obligation or duty to do what we are told. I cannot think of anyone else we should pay more attention to, than Jesus Christ.

There are many verses in the bible that use the word ought, which here are just a few. Jesus told the disciples in Luke 12:12 that the Holy Ghost shall teach them what they ought to say. Acts 5:29, “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” How true this verse is, how we ought to obey a holy, righteous, almighty God rather than a depraved, unrighteous creature as man. Paul tells us in the letter to the Romans that the Holy Spirit helps our weaknesses and is our intercessor because we do not know what we should pray for as we ought (Romans 8:26). Ephesians 5:28 tells us that men ought to love their wives as their own body. Is this not an obligation as a husband? Of course it is and is one that does not seem to be followed by very many in this day and time. Those that doubt this should look at this country’s climbing divorce rate. 1 John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” How God could love a wretched creature as man, is beyond my comprehension. If we are a child of God and our eyes have been opened to the truth, then love is a fruit of the Spirit that will be and should be exhibited towards our brethren.

Thirdly, John 13:15 tells us that He, Jesus Christ, has given us an example to follow after and that we should do as He has done. Again, the word “should,” means that we have an obligation that we are to carry out. If we take this further and inquire as to the word, obligation, we see that it means we are bound to do something. If we are told that we should do something, then we are obligated or bound to carry this out.

Fourthly, Jesus tells us that we are to humble ourselves and not put ourselves up on a pedestal thinking that we are greater or mightier than we should. In other words, be lifted up in pride. As previously stated, this humbleness is a service and one that is exhibited by washing the brethren’s feet.

I have read and heard that some say the feet washing was figurative during that time. My answer to this would be so is breaking the unleavened bread and drinking the wine. These too were figurative in the body and blood of Jesus Christ but is ordinances that we follow after. Why do some churches take bits of an obligation or duty, which were spoken by Jesus, and not take it all according to what the scriptures teach? It seems that the biggest reason that churches do not participate in washing the brethren’s feet is pride. Many people go to church with an expectation of what they can get rather than, what they can give. Moreover, in other circumstances, many people attend church as a social gathering. I believe that we should leave our worldly thoughts or our worldly “baggage” at the door when we worship our Lord. It has no place or business when we gather to worship. We should not have our thoughts on anything other than what the Holy Spirit has blessed the speaker to speak about. However, that is another topic. Nevertheless, I believe that pride is one of the reasons that feet washing is not observed in other churches. The bible speaks very much about pride but due to the number of scriptures that speak specifically about pride, I will only use a few to attempt to show what pride is and does to man.

First, what is pride? Pride is described as swelling arrogance and thinking more of ourselves, as we should. Pride is something that we have heard about from our time as a child, to the first day we walk into school until the day we pass from this world. However, pride is something that is not from God but is rather from the depraved, wicked unrighteous nature of man. If pride is a good thing, then why is it not mentioned, in this manner, in the bible? No where does the bible say pride is a good thing but rather just the opposite. 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Proverbs 29:23, “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
When a person is prideful, what is it that they want to hear? They want to hear things that are pleasant about themselves. They boast about what they have done rather than what God has done. Many times, I have heard some say; they “led someone to God.” This is totally contrary to “Thus saith the Lord.” If a person has been born of the Spirit, God had to first circumcise their heart and open their eyes and ears of understanding before they could understand. This tells us that it is all of God and nothing of man but here again, man is attempting to take credit for something that is totally of God. However, this is another topic.

2 Timothy 4:3, 4, “3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” In this verse, we see where some of the children of God did not nor will not follow after sound doctrine but followed after their own pride. Not only is it their own pride but had teachers with a desire to hear something pleasant (or itching ears). Here again, we see where pride has not only enveloped the child of God but also their so called teacher. How many teachers or so-called preachers, today, would humble themselves to wash the feet of the saints? How many in the church or so-called churches of today would humble themselves to wash the feet of their brethren? It is evident in their actions.

The old saying “actions speak louder than words” has a lot of truth in it. How many people do we know that say one thing and do another? Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Now, good works does not nor will not get a person into heaven because that has been foreordained (Ephesians 1:4). However, our good works are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith that shows others that we are a child of God whereby we can say that it is God that has been merciful and has shown His grace upon His people, who are depraved by nature.

I believe that the scriptures are plain in telling us that washing our brethren’s feet are ordinances set forth by Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, one question we should also ask is whose feet were washed. John 13 tells us that it was the disciple’s feet that were washed by Jesus whereby He also tells them that they should wash one another’s feet. Does this mean that anyone can participate in this ordinance? I believe that the scriptures are plain in telling us that they were believers and not open to just anyone. Just as Christ told the disciples, we should wash one another’s feet.

I know that there are many that do not understand why we follow this ordinance, just as I know there are many churches that do not follow this ordinance, as well. Nevertheless, I believe that the scriptures are plain in telling us that we should and do have an obligation to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in washing our brethren’s feet. I apologize for “bouncing” from topic to topic and hope that I have not confused anyone by this writing. I hope and pray that the Lord will bless you and your family.

Benefits of the Word

By Elder Vernon Johnson

Sometimes God’s people question the benefit of studying the scriptures. As they view themselves as having busy lives and many responsibilities laid upon them, to what purpose should they set the reading and studying of the scriptures as a priority?

There are many blessings to the reading and study of God’s word. First, the Lord told some unbelieving Jews to “search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me.” Thus the scriptures (old and new testament) are a continual testimony of Jesus. What child of God should not have a great interest in learning more about the one who saved him and gave him eternal life?

Second, the scriptures are spiritual food to the inner man. The Lord told Peter to “feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my sheep.” Paul told the elders at Ephesus to “take heed unto thyself and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Peter admonished the elders to “feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof...” Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Thus our souls are fed spiritually by the word of God.

Third, the scriptures are according to Ps. 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” The scriptures not only illuminate the way we are presently living our lives, but guide us in the way we should live our lives. The Lord said, Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock...” By reading and studying the scriptures and taking heed there unto we build our lives on a sure foundation that will secure us against the storms and trials of life.

Fourth, according to II Tim. 3:16, 17, the scriptures are a “thorough furnisher unto all good works.” According to Eph. 2:10 God has created us in Christ Jesus unto good works, which he hath afore ordained that we should walk in them. Since we have been created unto good works, how will we know how to perform the good works without obtaining a good knowledge of the scriptures? We are told to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Fifth, knowledge of the scriptures helps us in our warfare against sin. David said, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” When Satan tempted the Lord three times in the wilderness the Lord responded each time with, “It is written...” In admonishing us to put on the whole armor of God, Paul told us to have our loins girt about with truth. Thus if we are to stand strong in our battle against sin, we need knowledge of God’s word.

Sixth, knowledge of God’s word brings us peace, comfort, rest, and hope. The gospel ministry preaches the gospel of peace thus giving peace to our war-torn soul as we learn that Jesus has reconciled us to God by his sacrificial atonement on our behalf. Thru knowledge of God’s word we have rest from the burdensome toil of trying to get right with God when we learn that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.” The gospel of the grace of God comforts the children of God and gives us hope as we learn of God’s sure promises in the covenant of redemption.

Seventh, the word of God sets us free. It sets us free from false worship, false works, false beliefs, and from the bondage of false teachers and false religious systems.

These are just a few of the blessings of reading and studying God’s word.

“Anxious Thoughts- Trusting Beyond Ourselves”
Part 2

By Elder Thomas McDonald

Many years ago, the Prophet Isaiah was faced by his own fellow Israelites who had forsaken God, and were even going about to take his life. And in the midst of all of this the Lord God, whom he worshiped gave him these words of comfort, “But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Worries and anxious thoughts often come into our hearts. Joshua also knew about the Lord’s ever present care for His elect, because He said to him, “there shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

To live in this world we need to have the timely graces of God that help us to be like these two brothers to be able to trust beyond ourselves. Looking at Jesus teachings on His mountain sermon He gave us the antidote for our anxious worrying thoughts (Matthew 6:25-34). I think that it would be a good idea to go there every time that we feel like we are being over run by the trials and troubles that cause us to have worry.

He was speaking to those who had come to Him and were by all accounts religious people looking for the Messiah, but refused to believe when he arrived. He mentions anxious worry 6 times in 10 verses. He told those who were following Him how to cope with their fast paced, stressed filled, materialistic society.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us, “You are filled with anxious worry because you refuse to live by faith. You’re too concerned about food and clothing and things.” We worry about the things that God gives us because He loves us, and will provide our needs.

Jesus is telling His disciples, the one’s who follow after Him, to make choices to lay up their blessings and treasures in heaven, and not on this earth. (Matt. 6:19-24). And it seems like most of the time when we read these words, we said to ourselves, “Oh, sure. If I lived like He says, and only think about heavenly things, I’d starve to death. After all a person’s gotta eat, you know.” And Jesus knows how we are, that’s the reason He starts out by saying, “take no (anxious) thought” (verse 25).

The Lord knows that unless we stop anxiously worrying about the cares and troubles of the world, we will never be free to store up treasures in the kingdom of heaven. He tells us that to set around worrying about the essential needs of life is completely unnecessary. He says, “take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” And really when you stop and think about it isn’t our body more important than what we put on it?

And “behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” and “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” If God takes care of the birds of the air and even the flowers in the fields, He certainly will take care of His children.

Jesus is not saying that we don’t have a responsibility to work and provide for ourselves and our families needs. The Apostle Paul said, in 2 Thess. 3:10, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” So our Lord was not teaching us to become passive recipients, but that we are not to fret, and worry, or become anxious about our needs.

But often we worry about more than the simply essentials of life. We like to go and be “seen” in the restaurants, have the best looking cars, live a little better than our neighbors, have bigger house, dress in the latest fashions, and many other things that the world finds to be of importance. The world has become so ingrained in us that we worry about what will happen if we fail to keep up these things.

Jesus is saying to us that all of this worrying is unnecessary. He knows that it is a real problem for us, but He also knows that it is a needless one. Your see birds also have to eat, but He says take a look at them, they don’t gather anything into a barn so that they will be able to eat tomorrow. He says take a look at the flowers, they don’t wear any cloths, but they don’t have to worry about that because your heavenly Father takes care of them. And He says that “That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

The real reason that we worry is identified in Jesus’ words, “O ye of little faith.” Why do the cares and troubles of the world burden us down? The answer is that we simply do not trust God. In our heart we really don’t believe that He is running our world efficiently. Oh yeah, we can easily say that He is running everything else ok. He controls the sun, moon and stars in heaven by His power. But maybe He might not be able to care for us? We’re trusting in ourselves instead of trusting in God. We’ve take on the responsibility of our future or tried to put it on our feeble shoulders. Why we can’t possibly trust God in such important matters.

Jesus says that it is a matter of priorities in our lives. We worry about food and clothing, instead of the things that are the most important. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,” and He says that of all “these things shall be added unto you” (verse 33). We are to give all of our priority to God, and living in His Kingdom Church then we’ll be laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven “where moth and rust doth not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal” (verse 19).

Jesus is telling us that when we put Him and His kingdom as priority in our lives we are making a choice, not a choice that will give us life in heaven’s realm, but to trust in God rather than ourselves, and our worries will begin to fade away. Jesus Christ is the only way to peace in life.

Beloved are you obsessed and overcome with worry about the necessities of life? “Do I have enough to eat?” “What will I wear?” Do I have a good enough car?” Is my retirement secure?” Is the world about to end?” Little Child of God let me assure you that these things aren’t nearly as important as we think. God will keep His promise to provide for you. Put your sight on Christ and He’ll take you through the real tough issues of life, and strengthen your faith when you need it the most.

The Apostle Paul has given us an alternative to anxious worry in Philippians 4: 6-7, he says that we are to “be careful” or anxious “for nothing. This is exactly what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25. Jesus tells us why is it worthless for to us to worry, but Paul says that instead of worrying we are to in “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

There are three words used by Paul to describe what we are to be doing instead of worrying.

1) Prayer. The first word Paul uses is the most common word for talking to God. If refers to our prayer and worship of God. When we pray, we are saying that God’s greatness is where we have our trust. And we give Him all of our adoration, devotion, and respect. Saying that He alone is the sovereign Lord, and we are bringing Him all of our worries.
2) Supplication. The next word Paul uses to tell us the alternative to worry is supplication. This word refers to our earnest request, our desperate cries for help to God, for ourselves and for others.
3) Thanksgiving. The third word describes our prayers that are to replace our anxious worry is thanksgiving. How many times have we became so caught up in our worrying that we forgot just how gracious God is to us? How many times that He has delivered us when we could not see any way of escape? We fail to see how many times that He has dealt with us in His grace and mercy and met all of our needs. So when we pray instead of worry we are removing our burdens from our shoulders and placing them on His shoulders, after all He is Almighty God. And when we trust Him with our worries and cares, we can then thank Him who has the power to do something about them. We can thank Him for being so kind to us, and for being interested in our problems, and because He answers our prayers.

Bring all of your vulnerabilities to Him. When you wake up at night with feelings of worry about things that are out of your controlpray. And by his grace teach your heart and mind to stop and redirect all of the energy from worry, which is destructive, to prayer, which is constructive. Ask Him for His help, to intercede, to convict, and to open a door and work out for you what you could never work out for yourself, because He delights in giving you His grace.

When you feel overwhelmed by what may happen in the futurepray. Tell Him about those things that are troubling you. Leave them to His providence. Ask God to provide then move on. Remember God hears and answers you prayer.

The apostle Peter gives us another alternative to worry in 1 Peter 5:6-7, he says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

There are two steps involved in this process.
1) Accepting the things that we can’t change. Instead of fussing and worrying about the things that come our way that we have no control over, we need to accept that these circumstances are a part of our lives. And don’t try to dictate to God the terms of our happiness. But humbly accept what we receive from God’s hands.
2) Give all of our worries to God. We should put all of our helpless feelings of worry into the same all-powerful and capable hands. We need to trust Him for all of our future needs, because He loved us so much that He sent His Son to suffer, bleed, and die.

In closing let me say that when we have our minds focused on Jesus, Satan cannot have a foothold on us in our lives, but when we fail to do these things then we in effect allow him to rob us of our joy in the kingdom of God. To do these things and to make them a part of our lives we will experience the reality of timely salvation. Then we will not have to drag around a big load of worries, worries that we are too proud or ashamed to tell anyone else about. Give them to God.

May God bless us to trust in Him and to place all of our trust and worries on Him in prayer.