Who Can Join a Baptist Church?

One of the questions I have about church membership revolves around who can join a Baptist Church or any church for that matter.

We as (Southern) Baptists generally allow only those believers who have received believer’s baptism by immersion to join a Baptist Church.

Certainly I believe that “believer’s baptism” is the proper mode of baptism and an important, symbolic step for new believers. That is why I am a Baptist.

However, the Church is the “body of Christ”. It is composed of all believers, everywhere, at any point in time. Entrance into the “body of Christ” as specifically stated by God in Christ is solely based upon God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing else.

The early church wrestled with this issue continuously (see books of Galatians, Romans and Acts). Entrance into the Church is not based upon being Jewish, being circumcised, having a kosher diet, or whether or not one associates with Gentiles.

As the Reformers noted, entrance into the Church is not based upon receiving the “elements” or being baptized as an infant.

God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing else.

Because this is the explicit command of God in Christ, because this has been such an important issue in the early church, in the Reformation church, and in the Baptist church, and, most importantly, because this is Christ’s Church and neither mine nor the Baptists, I suggest that it is completely inappropriate for Baptists to limit entrance into Christ’s church based upon any factor other than belief. To do so would be hubristic and assuming for ourselves the prerogative of God.

The only qualification for Church admission that is given in the New Testament is unrepentant sin. If a member of the Church is sinning, then such expulsion is sanctioned by God in order to bring that person back into relationship with him.

Therefore, if someone is going to expel or hinder believers from Church fellowship because of baptismal mode, they must argue that believer who does not practice believer’s baptism by immersion is sinning.

Again, this one of the questions I have about church membership.

Any opinions about this subject out there?

Any points?

Any insights?

Any flaws in my argument?