For several months another brother and I studied with a husband and wife who were first contacted during the course of door-knocking. They never objected to any teaching, and they frequently asked good questions, knowing that they would receive a Bible answer. Eventually, they insisted that they had been baptized Scripturally (for the remission of sins)—even though one was formerly of the Church of God (the denomination, not the Biblical designation for the church), and the other had a background in Seventh-Day Adventism. We labored in vain to convince them otherwise. In both instances, however, we were able to go to the Internet to find out the beliefs of these groups. Their plan for saving man differs from the Scriptures.
The Church of God
When one types in “salvation” and “Church of God,” a document with that title emerges. The question being answered on this website is: “How can one join the Church of God?” Below is their answer:
If you are not a Christian (that is, not saved, not born anew, not a disciple of Jesus Christ), then you will want to confess your sins in prayer, ask God to forgive your sinful way of living, and invite Jesus Christ to come into your life as Savior and Lord. You may be able to do this alone, but many persons have found that the assistance of a thoughtful and mature Christian is helpful at this time. (Matthew 11:28.) When you accept Jesus Christ as Savior, you are born into the church. You are a new creation in Christ (John 3:1-7; 2 Corinthians 5:7). Through the cross you have become a member.
Notice that no Scripture is cited until well after their “plan of salvation” is presented. Why is that? Neither Jesus nor the apostles charged anyone to confess his sins in prayer for salvation.
The truth is that one must recognize that he is a sinner, or he cannot be saved (Rom. 3:23). Without the realization that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), no one has a motive to be saved. Salvation is not achieved by confessing sins, but one must realize that he is in sin and lost before he is willing to do anything about it.
Second, they say that you will want to ask God to forgive your sinful way of living. Nowhere in the New Testament is this principle taught to a non-Christian. Simon the sorcerer was told to pray for forgiveness, but he was already a Christian (Acts 8). John advised people to confess their sins so that God would forgive them, but he was writing to the brethren—not those outside of Christ (1 John 1:1-9). Never is a non-Christian advised to pray and ask for forgiveness.
Third, where do the Scriptures teach that sinners are to invite Jesus to come into their life? Not a single text to that effect can be located, which explains the reason no Scriptures are attached to these points. In fact, the first Scripture cited proclaims the exact opposite notion. Instead of teaching that people should invite Jesus into their lives, Matthew 11:28 records Jesus inviting the lost to come to Him!
Fourth, although the sinner is advised to ask forgiveness, not a word is stated about repentance—a concept that the Bible emphasizes repeatedly. Jesus told those who heard Him, “…unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Peter convinced (on the Day of Pentecost) the Jews that they were in sin and in need of salvation. When they asked what to do, he told them to repent (Acts 2:38). He did not say for them to pray for forgiveness or to invite Jesus into their lives. Salvation from sin and eternal life are too important to listen to someone who cannot cite Scriptures or who teaches something contrary to them. All must insist on Bible answers to crucial questions.
Fifth, the Church of God statement contains a huge omission by ignoring the book of Acts, which shows the beginning of the church and provides accounts of people’s conversions. When Peter answered the multitude’s question, “Men and brethren what should we do?” he actually had two parts to his answer. As already noted, he told them to repent, but he also added that they needed to be baptized. Furthermore, he specified a reason for them to be baptized—“for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38). Nor is this a fluke. Baptism is constantly mentioned in connection with salvation in Acts.
Sixth, the Church of God statement erroneously has a sinner made a part of the church when he verbally accepts Jesus as Savior, but anyone who continues to study Acts 2 finds a different account. Those who gladly received Peter’s word were baptized, and the same day 3,000 souls were added. Added to what? They were added to those who were already part of the church (Acts 2:41). In fact, the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). As Paul would later write: “For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body…” (1 Cor. 12:13). It is not through a verbal confession that Jesus puts people into His body, the church; it is after the person repents and is baptized that the Lord adds the saved to the church.
Seventh, it is at the time of baptism that one is born of the water and the Spirit (John 3:1-7) and becomes a new creation. The Church of God teaches contrary to the Scriptures, is wrong, and therefore must be confronted with the truth. No one could have been baptized for the right reason in this religious group because they do not teach salvation correctly.
Seventh-Day Adventists
Under Seventh-Day Adventist Church on the Internet one can find a “Fundamental Beliefs” section. The following entry (except for the Scriptures at the end) was copied from the website:
10. Experience of Salvation:
In infinite love and mercy God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God. Led by the Holy Spirit we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus as Lord and Christ, as Substitute and Example. This faith which receives salvation comes through the divine power of the Word and is the gift of God’s grace. Through Christ we are justified, adopted as God’s sons and daughters, and delivered from the lordship of sin. Through the Spirit we are born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God’s law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.
Part of the above is according to the Scriptures, but part is not. The first sentence echoes 2 Corinthians 5:21. But what is meant by the claim that we are led “by the Holy Spirit” to “sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus…”? The Holy Spirit revealed these things to us in His Word. He does not help us “sense” them. He states them in the form of commandments.
Besides faith, they actually do mention repentance, although they do not mention a single Scripture with the words repent or repentance in it. Notably absent is the inclusion of even one verse from the book of Acts. Not one account of conversion is provided, although they managed to include a passage from Ezekiel. Below is their list of Scriptures.
(2 Cor. 5:17-21; John 3:16; Gal. 1:4; 4:4-7; Titus 3:3-7; John 16:8; Gal. 3:13, 14; 1 Peter 2:21, 22; Rom. 10:17; Luke 17:5; Mark 9:23, 24; Eph. 2:5-10; Rom. 3:21-26; Col. 1:13, 14; Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 3:26; John 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:23; Rom. 12:2; Heb. 8:7-12; Eze. 36:25-27; 2 Peter 1:3, 4; Rom. 8:1-4; 5:6-10.)
All right. So they do not mention baptism at all with respect to the “experience of salvation.” Do they mention it anywhere on their website? Yes. Their comments concerning baptism are copied below.
15. Baptism.
By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, become His people, and are received as members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their teachings. (Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12, 13; Acts 16:30-33; 22:16; 2:38; Matt. 28:19, 20.)
The reader may be experiencing confusion, wondering why, with the value that appears to be placed on baptism here, it was not part of the salvation experience discussed previously. The key word in the above paragraph is symbol. Its usage means that they believe that baptism is a symbol of the salvation experience and that it can occur later on. The question that someone should ask is: “Where do any of the Scriptures cited say that baptism is a symbol? The answer is that nowhere in the entire New Testament do the Holy Scriptures make such a claim. In fact, in the King James Version the words symbol, symbolic, and symbolize nowhere appear in the entire Bible. Who decided that baptism was just a symbol?” Peter did not encourage the Jews on Pentecost to repent and be baptized as a symbol that they were already saved. They were baptized in order to be saved (Acts 2:38).
Many people respond favorably to the “baptism is a symbol” ploy because they know that the Bible does use poetic language and that the book of Revelation contains many words and numbers that symbolize something else. Therefore, if folks do not have a reason to doubt the assertion, they may well think that it is true. How sad—to accept a claim without any proof, just because someone says that it is so!
The section on the church (#12) points out some Scriptural concepts, but it does not connect baptism with becoming a member of the church, as do Acts 2:41, 47, and 1 Corinthians 12:13, as previously discussed. Needless to say, the church began in the first century with Christ as the builder (Matt. 16:18) and purchaser (Acts 20:28). When did the Seventh-Day Adventist Church begin?
Both the Church of God, as reviewed in this article, and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church were begun by men within the last two hundred years. We have seen no rationale from them that could Scripturally explain their existence. They were begun by uninspired men recently and do not have their origin in the New Testament. Their plans of salvation do not properly represent what is taught in the Scriptures. Yes, they both make use of Scripture, but neither gives baptism the place of prominence that the Lord gave it.
Both subscribe to an unauthorized gospel, which is not another. God gave us only one gospel (Gal. 1:8-9), and that includes the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection on the third day. Romans 6:3-7 explains the way in which everyone can imitate that act. All who truly repent die to sin, and they are buried in water as Jesus was buried in the tomb. Just as Jesus arose triumphantly over death, the now-cleansed sinner arises triumphantly over sin.
When one joins Christ in His death, His sins are washed away. For that reason we read both that the blood of Christ washes away all sins (Rev. 1:5) and that baptism washes away one’s sins (Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). This makes baptism much more than merely symbolic. The blood of Jesus cleanses sinners when they are baptized.
Man-made religious groups do not grasp this truth. For that reason they assign salvation to a prayer or a verbal confession. They fail to realize that, although Saul of Tarsus prayed for three days, nevertheless that prayer did not save him. His sin remained upon him and needed to be washed away. Cornelius’ prayers came up to God for a memorial, but he was not saved by them. God sent Peter to speak words whereby he and his household would be saved (Acts 11:13-15). After God showed His acceptance of the Gentiles, Peter commanded them to be baptized in water in the name of the Lord (Acts 10:47-48).
When reading what men have to say, we must be careful to look at the Scriptures being used—to see if they say what is claimed. Many times they mention a topic but do not actually verify the point made. Also, we must ask questions that may not be found in what we are reading, such as: “Why is the book of conversions (Acts) not consulted when a group is telling someone about salvation?” When they discuss the church, how do they justify denominationalism, which is condemned in the Scriptures (John 17:20-21; 1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:4)? Let everyone be vigilant when he reads and when he studies the Word of God. Particularly, we ought to be alert when reading men’s comments about that Word.
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MODEST CLOTHING
David Pharr
A sign in front of a church building invited: “Come As You Are. God Has No Dress Code.” We assume the intended meaning was that casual attire would be welcomed at their services. But is it true that “God has no dress code”?
James made it clear that there must be no discrimination in our assemblies over whether one wears the fashionable of the rich or the shabby raiment of the poor (James 2:1-4). We know that “man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). In the world it may sometimes be true that “clothes make the man,” but this should never be the viewpoint of spiritually-minded people.
On the other hand, in some respects God does have a dress code. When I saw the sign, I wondered how that congregation would react if someone showed up late in the near-naked outfits seen in many public places. There may be some churches where shorts are acceptable attire, but the Lord’s dress code is “modest apparel” (1 Tim. 2:9)
There is also a dress code for the heart. “Whose adorning let it not be that of outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing gold, or of putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden man (person, DP) of the heart…. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God adorned themselves…” (1 Peter 3:3-4). The text speaks especially to women, but the principle of “adorning” the inner self applies to all. In Heaven’s sight, men and women are measured by character, not by clothing.
We are sometimes asked to define exactly what is modest clothing. It is expected that measurements and styles should be listed. Frankly, such efforts are never absolutely satisfactory, and the Bible does not specifically say what to wear. The key to deciding what is modest is within. In the text above, Peter showed that one must get his heart right before selecting what is modest and appropriate for the body. One who has a heart adorned with purity, humility, honor, goodness, and virtue will not choose clothing that is provocative, suggestive, ostentatious, or lewd.
—copied