As most congregations know, the Olan Mills folks are happy to do a church’s pictorial directory. Usually, they carry a few samples of their work with them when they try to interest a group in allowing them do their next one for them. Recently, the directory of a “church of Christ” was used as one of those samples. We will omit the location where this church meets, but it is in Texas.
Particularly striking is the “Who Are We?” page. Although the brief description begins well, it soon wanders off into the land of “Say, what?” The first three paragraphs are designed to make the visitor feel comfortable and welcome. Love and the “family” aspect of the church are emphasized; especially laudable are the no-nonsense claims: “We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God” and “We believe the Bible is the written word of God.” These doctrines are not only clearly taught in the Scriptures, but they are central and crucial to Christianity.
One’s admiration for the boldness of this church’s willingness to declare the key tenets of Truth diminishes suddenly, however, with the next paragraph:
We believe that men and women are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and that justification is by faith alone. We believe that baptism is a validation of one’s faith and commitment to him. Baptisms here are performed by immersion in which the one is buried in the likeness of the death of Jesus and raised in the likeness of his resurrection. We observe the Lord’s Supper each Sunday as a token of the fellowship which exists. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only ordinances we keep….
“Justification by faith” is a Biblical doctrine (Rom. 3:24-26), but what Scripture says “faith alone”? For generations those calling themselves members of the churches of Christ have rightly bound themselves to no man or human tradition, but rather to what the Scriptures teach. “Faith alone” signifies a radical departure from the noble motives and intent that brethren have always possessed, which is as old as the Bereans, who “searched the Scriptures daily” to see whether the things Paul taught were so.
The phrase, faith alone, does not appear anywhere in the New Testament or the entire Bible. This is the doctrine of John Calvin–not those who follow the Word of God. One wonders if this “church of Christ” also believes in “hereditary total depravity” and “once saved, always saved.” One also wonders what their explanation is for Peter failing to impart the “faith alone” doctrine on the day of Pentecost. Why did he not tell the multitude they could be justified by faith alone? Why was Saul told to arise and be baptized in order to wash away his sins? Why did not Ananias say to him, “Saul, I can see that you believe; your faith has saved you”?
None of these things were spoken in the Bible because they do not reflect God’s plan of salvation. That plan includes repentance and baptism for the remission of sins in addition to faith. How times have changed! Members of the church in times past may not have been very sophisticated in the ways of the world or very advanced in theology, but at least they knew what it takes to become a child of God. How sad that some are now teaching Baptist doctrine, which thing we once debated!
Our Lord is further insulted (to deny Jesus’ doctrine is to insult Jesus personally) by the horrible distortion that “baptism is a validation of one’s faith and commitment to him.” Did not the Lord say, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16)? What Bible verse calls baptism a validation? It sounds as though whoever wrote this tripe plagiarized some Baptist Manual. Peter did not say, “Repent and validate yourselves.” The eunuch did not ask, “What doth hinder me from validating myself?” It is not recorded that Paul and Silas took the jailer and his family the same hour of the night and validated them.
Apparently this “church of Christ” has lost sight of the fact that the inspired apostle expressed a purpose for baptism–for the remission of sins. How can someone stray so far from the Book that they fail to realize that baptism is “the working of God” (Col. 2:12), in which the blood of Christ washes away our sins (Rev. 1:5)? Again, Peter said, “Baptism doth also now save us” (KJV), not “Baptism doth also now validate us.” Parking tickets are validated; the sins a person has committed are washed away in baptism.
It is wonderful that this “church” still recognizes that baptism is a burial in water, but if it is only a validation, they might as well sprinkle people–as do the denominations they are trying so diligently to ape. We bury people who desire to die to sin. They are buried as the Lord was buried. They arise a new creation–new because those who were buried have had their sins washed away. They arise washed, sanctified, and justified (somehow validated was omitted in Holy Writ). Even though this group is following the form provided by Scriptures, a good question to ask would be, “Do you fellowship those who were sprinkled rather than immersed?”
Do the Scriptures present the Lord’s Supper as a mere “visible token” of the fellowship we have with the Lord? Although the bread represents the broken body of the Savior and the fruit of the vine His blood, they are not just symbols. Viewing them in such a fashion invites a ritualistic observance. 1 Corinthians 11:22-29 teaches that partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine carries with it substantive meaning. Their purpose is to focus our minds on the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins. This sober reminder emphasizes our sinfulness, our continual need of forgiveness, and the love of God and of Christ to enable us to have fellowship with them. This weekly observance also serves as a declaration that He is coming again to receive His own (1 Cor. 11:26). Thinking of the Lord’s Supper as “a visible token” is hardly conducive to partaking of it in a worthy manner, nor does it hint at self-examination (1 Cor. 11:28). A failure to discern the Lord’s body brings judgment upon the thoughtless participant (1 Cor. 11:29). How dare anyone be so glib as to downgrade this honoring of the Lord’s death to a mere reminder of “the fellowship which exists”!
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are referred to as ordinances, which in most religious usage refers to a sacred rite or ceremonial act. Apparently, the author of this statement also wants to please the Roman Catholic Church. In the New Testament there are no rites or ceremonies. There were some under the Law of Moses, as when priests were ordained, but we are now under the purest kind of religion–one in which all facets are carried out in spirit and in truth. Worship and service must be from the heart. Jesus did not die so that people could offer up stale, formal, heartless worship to the living God. We do not have a daily routine of service that becomes just that–routine. Christians must be thoughtful. Self-examination of our thoughts and motives is expected (2 Cor. 13:5). We are not taught to take our salvation for granted (1 Cor. 9:24-27). We continually “prove all things” (1 Thess. 5:21).
In case some of the implications of the preceding paragraph were lost, this next one should clarify it.
We are firmly resolved to resist every sectarian tendency and to be God’s people only. We make no claim to be the only people of God and we celebrate our ties with all others who reverence Christ as Lord. Our only enemy is Satan. We do not wrestle against “flesh and blood.” It is our intention to regard every child of God on earth as our brother and sister, to treat them as such, and to receive them just as God receives us….
While it is laudable to “resist every sectarian tendency,” it is not advisable to give up Truth in a vain effort to achieve it. Failure to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered (Jude 3) is just as sectarian as trying to bind one’s unsubstantiated opinions on others. The author of this statement (and a few elderships in various parts of the country) need to start taking massive doses of Citri-spinal-cal so they can develop some backbone. Apparently some think there is some virtue to be found in making wishy-washy, Max Lucado-like statements, which have all the fortitude and stamina of soggy bread.
The statement that we are “God’s people only” and “not the only people of God” undoubtedly sounds noble to those who make it, but a little reflection upon the idea reveals that it is essentially unintelligible. Do we teach people the truth regarding salvation, acceptable worship, and Christian doctrine? There are three possible answers to this question.
First is the answer, “Yes, we do teach what the Scriptures teach with respect to these all-important matters.” If, when we say, as Peter did, that souls seeking salvation should repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, we are speaking the truth, then those who preach a different message (“faith alone”) are in error and stand accursed for teaching another gospel (Gal. 1:6-9). Those who listen to them remain lost.
Second, if we answer, “No, what we teach people about salvation is not true,” then we ought to repent immediately for teaching error. What could be worse than intentionally lying to people about the most valuable commodity of all–their souls (which Jesus said were worth more than the whole world). If we know that we are worshipping God falsely and teach others to offer up worship as vain as ours, we shall surely be punished most severely throughout all eternity.
The third possible answer is to say that we are unsure if we are teaching the Truth. Then we ought to quit immediately pretending that we have something to offer people. The inspired apostle wrote: “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God…” (1 Peter 4:11). If we do not know that we are teaching the Word of God, then we ought to resign as teachers or preachers (James 4:1) and turn this sacred privilege over to someone who does know the Truth and is willing to communicate it to others.
The very idea that we are so inept at understanding the Scriptures that we cannot be sure if we are saved or lost is ludicrous. It presumes that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of mankind but lacked the communication skills necessary to tell man the proper way to respond to His grace in order to be saved. If words mean anything, then we can know the Truth (John 8:31-32). This mealymouthed approach to the Word of God may win the praises of men for being non-judgmental, but such is the only reward it shall obtain. Our Lord spoke the Truth to people whether they approved or disapproved, and His true disciples follow in His footsteps.
Jesus did not pontificate: “I regard every child of God on earth as my brother and sister.” Instead, He said, “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is my mother and sister and brother” (Matt. 12:50). It is not a matter of what a person says or claims; it is a matter of what a person does! The Jews in John 8:41 claimed God as their Father. Jesus emphatically denied it and insisted, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” (John 8:44a). Jesus did not wallow in a sort of sloppy, sentimental, pseudo-love that accepts all people as Christians regardless of their hearts. Our Savior had standards. Genuine disciples of Christ cannot today accept as brethren those who have never obeyed the gospel; to do so would be a denial and a repudiation of Jesus and His teachings.
No one can rightly be called a Christian who does not first believe in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. But faith is only the beginning of the process of salvation. No one is a Christian who has not repented of his sins (Luke 13:3). No one can rightly be called a Christian who has not been baptized for the remission of his sins (Acts 2:38). These are God’s terms of salvation.
The same apostle who wrote that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” also said to mark “flesh and blood” false teachers (Rom. 16:17-18). He also listed some of their names (1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 2:17). Our war is against Satan, who inspires error and snares men in false doctrine. We do not have anything personally against such men, but they must be opposed because they are fighting against God, subverting whole households, and causing people to be lost. Paul wrote that their “mouths must be stopped” (Titus 1:11).
Yet some insist that the devil’s emissaries should not be opposed; apparently they think they are acting out of a higher motivation, which they mistake for love. Love does not allow the devil and his false doctrines to go unopposed. For that reason we are to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Love does not allow people to believe a lie and to walk in darkness. Love is not so fearful of challenging people and making an enemy (Gal. 4:16) that it refuses to affirm that the way of error leads to damnation.
How can brethren depart so far from the Word of God that they end up thinking this way? They cannot study the Bible diligently and arrive at such positions expressed in this “Who Are We?” directory rationale. The only way a congregation could possibly arrive at such a position is either through massive ignorance or a willful rejection of what the Scriptures teach in a vain (and cowardly) effort to “get along” with others. How sad that those who were once the Lord’s people have neglected their great salvation and been reduced to such a low estate in adopting what may accurately be called “the devil’s peace.”
*Send comments or questions concerning this article to Gary Summers. Please refer to this article as: “WHO ARE WE? (11/05/00).”
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