Posted by (+204) 12 years ago
The Cost of Salvation Compared to a Debt of a Lifetime!
As the costliest of our annual holidays is in full swing, stories of God's love and His scheme of redemption still filter their way to ears besieged by the wars of commercialism's final assault of the year.
Yards filled with nativity scenes and traveling bands of young people singing old fashioned Christmas carols are still a welcome sight to many because they represent the most agreeable of all Bible doctrines, "For God so loved the world." The timeless truths concerning His birth are a blessed respite to the stories of war, treachery, and misery that daily assault the ears of people who yet believe in God. Nevertheless, beyond His virgin birth, very little of the old redemption story finds a welcome and receptive heart among those who believe and give thanks that "Jesus is the reason for the season."
Among those elements of the old redemption story that are not so welcome is the inspired teaching concerning faith. More than one long established church stresses the goodness and the wholesomeness of faith beyond what the Bible will endorse. Such examples include:
1. "Faith is the only response essential for salvation." This quote comes under the heading - Faith and Good Works - and is part of the "Doctrinal Standards" of the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (p. 47, 1988 ed.)
2. "Justification.is bestowed.solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood." This quote comes from paragraph five of the chapter entitled, "The Declaration of Faith" in the "Church Manual": Designed for use of Baptist Churches (p. 48, 1946 ed.).
"Faith only" or "faith alone" is as welcome and comforting as "Silent Night." But the Bible's ONLY statement regarding "faith alone" is almost never received as warmly. James wrote, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24).
The necessity of immersion for salvation is another part of the old redemption story that seldom stirs the hearts of those who believe in God. Nearly all Christian denominations teach and practice some version of baptism, but what is taught and what is practiced varies widely among groups. Here are a couple of example:
1. "We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer.that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation; and to the Lord's Supper." (Church Manual, p. 56). In other words, having already been justified through faith alone, baptism is merely a requirement to belong to a church and to participate in the Lord's Supper.
2. "We hold that all children by virtue of the unconditional benefits of the atonement, are members of the family of God, and are therefore graciously entitled to Baptism. It shall be the duty of the Pastor of every charge earnestly to exhort parents and guardians within his constituency to dedicate their children to the Lord in Baptism, as early as practicable." (Judicial Council Decision 142 - see at www.umc/judicial/100/142.html). This statement overturned a proposal that would have postponed baptism "until the child accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior." (Ibid.)
What isn't as pleasing is the command to be baptized for "the remission of sins," (Acts 2:38). Or the fact that it is at the point of baptism that one is "clothed" in Christ, (Galatians 3:27). Though all agree that sin condemns the sinner, the plain teaching that sins are "washed away" at baptism (Acts 22:16) is seldom held in agreement. All agree that sinners need to be saved, but most reject that part of God's redemptive plan which says that by baptism, sinners are saved (i.e. "baptism now saves you." 1 Peter 3:21).
Perhaps you will have an opportunity this season to tell the old, old story soon. So as you tell the story of Jesus and His birth do not forget to include what Matthew wrote so many years ago, "Now the birth of Jesus is as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:18). But don't fail to also teach the "whole council of God" concerning the scheme of redemption. The debts incurred during this, our costliest season of the year, pales in comparison to the debt our Savior Jesus Christ paid on the cross. Nor is there parity between credit card debt and the awful cost of losing one's soul. May God bless you and your family during this summer season and beyond. God bless and keep working in the Word.
In His Service,
Jim Lynch, Evangelist
Miles City Church of Christ
[This message has been edited by James Lynch (12/3/2010)]
As the costliest of our annual holidays is in full swing, stories of God's love and His scheme of redemption still filter their way to ears besieged by the wars of commercialism's final assault of the year.
Yards filled with nativity scenes and traveling bands of young people singing old fashioned Christmas carols are still a welcome sight to many because they represent the most agreeable of all Bible doctrines, "For God so loved the world." The timeless truths concerning His birth are a blessed respite to the stories of war, treachery, and misery that daily assault the ears of people who yet believe in God. Nevertheless, beyond His virgin birth, very little of the old redemption story finds a welcome and receptive heart among those who believe and give thanks that "Jesus is the reason for the season."
Among those elements of the old redemption story that are not so welcome is the inspired teaching concerning faith. More than one long established church stresses the goodness and the wholesomeness of faith beyond what the Bible will endorse. Such examples include:
1. "Faith is the only response essential for salvation." This quote comes under the heading - Faith and Good Works - and is part of the "Doctrinal Standards" of the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (p. 47, 1988 ed.)
2. "Justification.is bestowed.solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood." This quote comes from paragraph five of the chapter entitled, "The Declaration of Faith" in the "Church Manual": Designed for use of Baptist Churches (p. 48, 1946 ed.).
"Faith only" or "faith alone" is as welcome and comforting as "Silent Night." But the Bible's ONLY statement regarding "faith alone" is almost never received as warmly. James wrote, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24).
The necessity of immersion for salvation is another part of the old redemption story that seldom stirs the hearts of those who believe in God. Nearly all Christian denominations teach and practice some version of baptism, but what is taught and what is practiced varies widely among groups. Here are a couple of example:
1. "We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer.that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation; and to the Lord's Supper." (Church Manual, p. 56). In other words, having already been justified through faith alone, baptism is merely a requirement to belong to a church and to participate in the Lord's Supper.
2. "We hold that all children by virtue of the unconditional benefits of the atonement, are members of the family of God, and are therefore graciously entitled to Baptism. It shall be the duty of the Pastor of every charge earnestly to exhort parents and guardians within his constituency to dedicate their children to the Lord in Baptism, as early as practicable." (Judicial Council Decision 142 - see at www.umc/judicial/100/142.html). This statement overturned a proposal that would have postponed baptism "until the child accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior." (Ibid.)
What isn't as pleasing is the command to be baptized for "the remission of sins," (Acts 2:38). Or the fact that it is at the point of baptism that one is "clothed" in Christ, (Galatians 3:27). Though all agree that sin condemns the sinner, the plain teaching that sins are "washed away" at baptism (Acts 22:16) is seldom held in agreement. All agree that sinners need to be saved, but most reject that part of God's redemptive plan which says that by baptism, sinners are saved (i.e. "baptism now saves you." 1 Peter 3:21).
Perhaps you will have an opportunity this season to tell the old, old story soon. So as you tell the story of Jesus and His birth do not forget to include what Matthew wrote so many years ago, "Now the birth of Jesus is as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:18). But don't fail to also teach the "whole council of God" concerning the scheme of redemption. The debts incurred during this, our costliest season of the year, pales in comparison to the debt our Savior Jesus Christ paid on the cross. Nor is there parity between credit card debt and the awful cost of losing one's soul. May God bless you and your family during this summer season and beyond. God bless and keep working in the Word.
In His Service,
Jim Lynch, Evangelist
Miles City Church of Christ
[This message has been edited by James Lynch (12/3/2010)]