(Additional comments about the Way of Salvation)
We're NOT Saved by Faith Alone!
In THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD for 9/24/94 is an
article by Seth Wilson of Joplin MO in which he calls on all saints of God
everywhere to tell the world of the universal need for REPENTANCE from sin.
Jesus spoke of the prophecy, "Thus it's written,
that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day,
and that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in his name
to all the nations" (Luke 24:46,47).
And it was true that Jesus did suffer, and DID rise from
the dead, and that the early Christians everywhere called on men to repent
of sin and follow the Way of Jesus which led, past death, into LIFE ETERNAL.
Repentance is simply changing -- changing away from
self-love and self-indulgence and self-pity -- and changing to be one who
loves God and serves God and seeks to serve all those who are loved by God.
WE are called to repent. And we're called to carry the message about sin
and salvation everywhere to everyone in the world.
But Seth asks if the modern church IS "preaching" a message
of repentance and remission of sins even in our congregational meetings today.
Early Christians went everywhere telling about the risen Christ. They called
on sinners to repent, to change and become followers of the Way. In some
of our congregations, even the CHRISTIANS are not reminded of the fact that
turning away from sin is a part of the message we are told we ARE to tell
throughout the world.
Those who receive remission of sins have become obedient
to the King of Love who calls for us to live as HE did -- unselfishly --
lovingly -- serving rather than seeking to be served.
Do ALL the members of the congregation where you attend
understand that Christianity is a way of life which they MUST follow if they
really want to reach glory with God? Is this message taught publicly so that
all who will hear CAN hear the truth?
What are the dominant aims of your congregation? What's
the intended result of the programs adopted by your church leaders? Would
WE tell our political and societal leaders, as Paul did those in Athens,
that the living God commands men everywhere that they should all REPENT (Acts
17:30)? Is that what our preachers tell Bill Clinton when they're face-to-face
with the man? Is that what our paid preachers tell US when they break to
us the bread of life from our "pulpit" on Sunday mornings?
Every Christian has been born again. If truly born again,
our minds have been made over, our hearts are made clean, our desires are
to SERVE and OBEY God.
Any member of "our church" who has NOT been made over,
whose heart has NOT been made clean, who does NOT desire to serve and obey
God should not be a member of the church until that person HAS been born
again. And some of our LEADERS are unconverted!
Seth Wilson heard Ard Hoven say, "The difference
between the very BEST man and the WORST of men is simply what the man
thinks." And W. E. Hocking wrote, "The changing of human nature is
the changing of desires."
We should be telling the church and the world about
our need for REPENTANCE! Is that our message to the world? Are we telling
of the RISEN LORD? Or are we studying how to have a happy home, and how to
be a good citizen, and how to get along with everyone? What ARE we, as the
Lord's church in today's world, teaching in God's name?
Sinners should be told about God's love. If we BELIEVE
God, surely we'll be sorry for the bad things we've chosen to do in the past.
Being sorry, and resolving to change to do good things instead, is the message
and practice of repentance.
If we believe God's truth, we will change our
aims to agree with what GOD wants us to do. We'll have a NEW mind, a NEW
heart, and by being baptized into the death of Christ (and by dying to sin)
we'll move into a NEW state -- a state of seeking always to NOT sin but always
to LOVE and SERVE God. When we share the nature of God, we'll also forsake
the sin and rottenness that is in the world. We'll turn away from foolish,
fickle, conflicting and destructive desires (lusts) that characterize human
nature when the human chooses to live WITHOUT God.
We who ARE of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with the passions and lusts thereof, says Paul in Galatians 5:24. Instead
of being controlled by our passions, by our whims, by OUR desires, we will
submit to the will of God. As best we understand what He wants us to do,
that's exactly what we WILL do. God puts His Spirit within us to HELP us
know and do what is right.
When new folks come to our church, they're apt to look
for genuine believers whose lives they can make a pattern for their own.
Will they find faith-filled Christians in YOUR congregation? Are your church
leaders men of God? Do they know the Bible? Do they teach the Bible? Is the
church YOU attend a true church of the LIVING GOD? If so, you have a base
from which you CAN preach repentance. So let's get to it!
Brief Bible Study #63 from Ray Downen.
To go back to Viewpoint's first page, click < here.
Or here to go on to Viewpoint Study
64. For Ray's concluding remarks, click
HERE.
