Grace
Or Faith Or
Christ Alone
True Or False Fruit?
In the book of Matthew, Jesus
speaks of false prophets and warns those listening to Him, as He gave what we
know to be His Sermon on the Mount.
This is what Jesus said:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do you
gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit;
but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.
A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce
good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t grow
good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know
them. Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of
My Father who is in heaven. Many will
tell Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, in Your name
cast out demons, and in Your name do many mighty works?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you.
Depart from Me, you who work iniquity.’” (Matthew 7:15-23)
False
Prophets
Fruit is the criterion by which
false prophets are distinguished from true prophets. Jesus says that there will
be those who will not enter Heaven, though they claim to have prophesied in His
name, performed many mighty works, and cast out demons. Numerous people have
quoted this Scripture and then pointed at Pentecostals and Charismatics.
However, if we read this correctly, we will notice that the ones whom Jesus
rejects are not those who prophesy, cast out demons, or perform mighty works in
His name, but those who are workers of iniquity—lawless individuals, evildoers!
False
Prophets, Priests, and Shepherds
In the Old Testament, there are a number
of references not just to prophets but also to shepherds and priests who fail
in their duties to teach the truth to their flocks—the people of God. For
example, there are Evangelicals and Fundamentalists who use the King James Version
of the Bible and talk about the burden of the Lord. They are often heard
saying, “The Lord has laid a burden upon me.” Now, if these people had read
their Bible and taken note of what it says, they would have found that the
burden of the Lord is not something endorsed in Scripture. For in Jeremiah we
find:
And when
this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the
burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even
forsake you, saith the Lord. And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the
people, that shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even punish that
man and his house. Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one
to his brother, What hath the Lord answer-ed? and, What hath the Lord spoken?
And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for every
man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living
God, of the Lord of hosts our God. Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What
hath the Lord answered thee? and, What hath the Lord spoken? But since ye say,
The burden of the Lord; therefore thus saith the Lord; Because ye say this
word, The burden of the Lord, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not
say, The burden of the Lord; Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget
you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and
cast you out of my presence: And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you,
and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten. (Jeremiah 23:33-40 KJV).[i]
Jeremiah’s
Prophecy And Contemporary Thinking
We can say that taking Jeremiah’s
prophecy out of context when discussing people today is misleading. People
today who claim that the Lord has laid a burden on their heart usually mean
they feel motivated to do something for God. In discussions with those who use
the expression “the burden of the Lord,” those who justify its use claim that
they do not mean what they are really saying. Evidently, they mean that God has
given them a specific task to do or that they feel an obligation to serve the
Lord. Yet, if we read what Jeremiah wrote, it is quite clear that suggesting
God puts a burden on anyone is false teaching, even though this may seem like a
moot point. In fact, in verse sixteen of the same chapter we read:
Yahweh of
Armies says, Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you:
they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of
the mouth of Yahweh (Jer. 23:16).
Concerning
False Teaching
Whether the individuals doing the
teaching claim to be prophets or not is irrelevant. Anyone who teaches that the
Lord places a burden on people’s hearts is guilty of false teaching. This is
because we are set free from burdens if we are truly in Christ Jesus; indeed,
Jesus Christ has set us free so that we do not subject ourselves to burdens
anymore or to any subtle deceptions suggestive of bearing burdens. Instead of
burdens, we are to participate in the blessings that have been set apart for
those of us who choose to do the will of God. Unfortunately, some people
believe that we need to have a burden for some reason, and thus they teach
these things—not so much as a doctrine essential for obtaining salvation, but
as a practice for their belief—thereby unintentionally limiting their victory
and possibly preventing others from coming to salvation through faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Any doctrine is still a teaching, and those who practice
iniquity teach by example. Similarly, false concepts create stumbling
blocks—even if unwittingly misconstrued—because they result in deceptively
dangerous activities. This is why Jesus said that we are not to practice what
the hypocrites do, but what they say (Matthew 23:3); for those who relax any of
the commandments and teach men so will be called the least in the kingdom of
Heaven (Matthew 5:19). The implication from the following verse (Matthew 5:20)
is that anyone who relaxes the teachings of the law is excluded from the
Kingdom of Heaven.
When it comes to those who claim to
have supernatural powers, they are primarily false teachers who do not preach
Jesus Christ as Lord. These individuals are usually charlatans. They may be
equated with the magicians who opposed Moses in the days of Pharaoh or similar
to those who claim to be clairvoyants and can communicate with the dead, read
crystal balls, tarot cards, tea leaves, and other forms of fortune-telling.
These are people who learn tricks of magicians, whereby distracting a person’s
attention, they are able to “pull fast ones” and give the impression that they
have occult or supernatural powers. Others learn the technique of cold reading
and claim to be psychics or clairvoyants capable of providing insights into a
person’s future or possessing knowledge of deceased relatives. Whatever the
case, these are learned skills. Sometimes, those who have learned them
infiltrate churches and then proceed to deceive those who are gullible enough
to believe anything without desiring the truth of the matter.
James
Randi
James Randi offered a financial
reward for decades to anyone who could demonstrate under controlled conditions
that they possess psychic, clairvoyant, or occult powers that transcend skills
that can be performed by any magician or cold reader. Until his death at 92 years
of age, Randi had one million dollars up for grabs. Many tried to claim it. On
the television program Larry King Live (June 5, 2001), Larry King interviewed
self-acclaimed spirit medium and healer Rosemary Altea, who took live calls
from viewers while James Randi listened and appraised her skills. Altea sounded
convincing, but as Randi pointed out, she was employing cold reading skills and
even using the cop-out strategy when she described a deceased person whom a
caller could not identify. In 2009, Altea’s psychic skills as a clairvoyant
were demonstrated to be bogus when her bookkeeper was convicted of stealing
approximately $200,000 from her between 2001 and 2008 using checks, credit
cards, and electronic transfers. None of the spirits informed her of the
swindle—although comedians claim that her channeling skills are not bogus, it
was just that the spirits of the dead were in on the swindle too.
About
Spiritualists And Mediums
Spiritualists and mediums are not
Christians, regardless of their claims. They use cold reading techniques
(looking for clues), and while many may genuinely believe they are developing
their psychic abilities in doing so, they become frauds if they begin charging
people money for their services. Likewise, many Pentecostals and Charismatics
are also guilty of employing cold reading techniques and claiming they are
receiving information from the Lord. Although many of these individuals
genuinely believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the fabrication of
gifts is commonplace in order to demonstrate that they have been blessed by God
and have received the Holy Spirit. When I attended one church meeting, I
observed a Pentecostal editor of a national magazine, who held a PhD, perform
in a manner similar to the well-known psychic John Edward. He claimed to be
exercising the gift of the word of knowledge and asserted that people possessed
various ailments. When he got it wrong and the person disagreed (which happened
on nearly every occasion), his response was, “Unless you acknowledge the
condition, you will not be healed.” Nonetheless, the pastor of the church
thought this was a great success and proclaimed that healings and miracles had
taken place in the church that day.
Derren
Brown
Derren Brown is a hypnotist,
mentalist, illusionist, and trickster who has demonstrated that he can
outperform psychics and clairvoyants at their own game. In fact, one psychic
teacher from Sedona, Arizona, claimed that Derren Brown is the most gifted
psychic he has ever seen. Brown asserts that he has no gift but has merely learned
the techniques of the trade. From having watched a number of Brown’s live
performances, if he were to claim that he had psychic powers or was executing
words of knowledge in the name of Jesus Christ, the average person on the
street would be convinced. To Brown’s credit, he explains many of the
techniques he employs (but not all) and exposes other charlatans for what they
are. Evidently, Brown spent some time at university attending a congregation of
the Living Waters Christian Fellowship that practices faith healing. He
attended their meetings to be cured of his homosexuality. However, he claims it
was not for him and that faith healing is more of a fraud, even if there is
some psychology and depth to some of the healing, as many do not get healed and
then the victim is blamed for not believing enough.
Disturbingly, in his television
special Messiah, Brown claimed he was an evangelist who could convert people to
Christianity with the touch of his hand. Having convinced a pastor to allow him
to demonstrate his ability by placing some ads in a newspaper that persuaded
about thirty people to attend, he filmed his charade at the church. One young
woman fell for Brown’s seductive techniques and began to feign that she felt
some form of “touch from the Lord”—or what she called “a hug of God.” Those who
were genuinely uninterested left. Of the dozen or so who remained, Brown
persuaded a tall man to come to the front and comply with his expectations to
be caught by him if something happened. Even though this was filmed and
everything could have been set up, what Brown demonstrated in this television
special is that people have an inner need to believe in something. Only Brown
himself does not want to acknowledge the truth about God because he is a
homosexual, and the Bible states that no homosexual has any place in the
kingdom of God.
There are men and women who are
undoubtedly false prophets that resort to trickery to deceive the gullible and,
hopefully, acquire fame and fortune. A Pentecostal pastor I knew specialized in
birthday prophecies at the beginning of each month. He would always tell people
in his congregation how accurate his prophecies were when he traveled to other
congregations as a guest speaker. While he was sincere, he came across as an
amateur, as was evident in the case of his prophecy concerning a part-time
sports journalist who wrote reports for a weekly rural paper connected to a
publishing company that had published three of his books, two of which were in
their second print. This congregant had suffered from a number of psychiatric
episodes. He was on a disability pension and had applied to do a certificate in
workplace training at a vocational college. The pastor knew this person very
well. At the beginning of January, the pastor prophesied that he should
understand that his academic qualifications would be restricted and should not
expect to obtain a university degree. Contrary to what the pastor prophesied,
within six weeks, the part-time journalist gained acceptance into a course for
a Master's Degree in Creative Writing and graduated two years later. One year
later, this ex-journalist was employed as a university lecturer.
While many attempt to make their
Christian experience more colorful and seek some form of notoriety by making
extravagant claims, there are those who oppose all genuine miracles as being
works of the Devil. Surprisingly, some claim to believe in the God of Creation
but do not believe He heals today or demonstrates anything of a supernatural
nature. We know this attitude and belief are misguided because a spiritual
birth is a supernatural event, even if people are not given indestructible,
glorified physical bodies the instant they call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for
salvation.
Sai
Baba
In the 1970s, I read a book written
by Lyall Watson entitled Supernature. Watson described Hindu holy man Sai Baba
as being the modern equivalent of our Lord Jesus Christ, as he turned rocks
into sweets, flowers into jewels, and produced showers of sacred ash from thin
air in large quantities. Many miracles have been claimed and attributed to Sai
Baba. He died in April 2011. Two years after his death, headlines such as
“Unbelievable Miracles of Sai Baba” and “This Blog Changed My Life” were to be
found on the internet and in publications released by his devotees. Under one
of the abovementioned headlines, published on a Sai Baba website, a teenage
schoolgirl claimed that Sai Baba was watching over her.
On the other hand, Robert Priddy,
who did much to promote Sai Baba and was a leader of the Sai Organisation in
Norway, has publicly announced that he was deluded by the man, and that the
diamonds Sai Baba produced supernaturally were nothing but cheap fakes. An
investigation into Sai Baba by one free-thought skeptic revealed that he was
raised in a traveling circus and had never produced anything for the poor
except ash; as for the wealthy, they were flattered with trinkets, thinking
that they were valuable jewels. Moreover, allegations of ritual sexual abuse of
men and boys by Sai Baba have also surfaced. Irrespective of this, Sai Baba was
honored—but not by all—when he died, with a state funeral.
However, Prabir Ghosh has been a
keen exponent of Sai Baba’s fraud and has produced documentary evidence of his
trickery on film. Prabir spent many hours among the holy men of India as a
child and learned magic and other tricks these so-called god-men practice. He
was instrumental in establishing the Science and Rationalists’ Association of
India to counter belief in the delusional supernatural. Like James Randi,
Prabir Ghosh has issued a challenge to all practitioners of trickery who claim
supernatural powers by offering a large sum of money to anyone who can
demonstrate the validity of their claims by providing evidence of fulfilling
any one of thirty criteria.
The reason for including Sai Baba
in this discussion about false prophets is that the fruits of his life are such
that many people are left with a bitter taste in their mouth once they have
learned the truth. Sai Baba was not a Christian. Unfortunately, there are false
Christians who practice the same sort of trickery and are eventually found to
be frauds, although there does not appear to be any Christian practitioner who
operates on the scale Sai Baba did. Many people question Benny Hinn, and
although claims of healing have been disputed, he does not resort to the same
magic tricks associated with Sai Baba.
Derren Brown and other
non-Christians have been mentioned to point out that, through learned skills, a
person can deceive people into believing anything—so much so that even valid
healings by the Spirit of God that are of a psychological nature, resulting
from being set free from sin, are questioned and regarded as being nothing more
than autosuggestion.
Blind
Belief And Reasoned Faith
Blind belief is different to
reasoned faith. This is something that rationalists and non-believers in the
supernatural fail to understand. One of the reasons for this is certain phenomena
that has no currency at all, other than being mere trickery and delusion, is being
produced as evidence of the supernatural— such as cited above. The humanists who
deny the existence of God claim that blind belief is the same as faith in God.
In their case, they have been blinded by the god of this world, and instead of
the truth, believe a lie. This is because faith and belief are two separate things.
Belief is the acceptance of some-thing to be true. This is the case, whether a
person’s head is in the sand or a person is blindfolded. Even if a person
believes that scientific enquiry can prove how life evolved millions of years
ago, unless it can be unquestionably proven, this is a belief, not a
fact. On the other hand, faith is evidenced only when action has been
taken that indisputably proves the truth in the present time.
The
Effect Of Sufficient Faith
Jesus said to His disciples that,
if they had sufficient faith, they would be able to cast a mountain into the
sea by merely stating it to be so. Many people scoff at this. They say this is
not what Jesus meant. However, if they were honest, they would say that they do
not possess sufficient faith to cast a mountain into a sea; otherwise, they
would.
Conceptions
and the Quest for Truth
Within each person, there is a need
to connect with the Source of Life. This source emanates from the very being of
the Creator. The idea that the Creator God is all-powerful and capable of
knowing the future brings a source of comfort for many people, because this
gives them hope that there just might be something more than being born to die.
Those who believe in reincarnation seek comfort in the idea of rebirth. Those
who seek to know the truth require something more than being told that they are
manifestations of energy travelling en route to oblivion within the Great Being
through a series of incarnations, based upon the concept that works performed
in the previous life determine the next manifestation of life. Atheists, on the
other hand, like to dismiss the idea of an Infinite Being having more power
than humans do.
The
Atheist
The atheist’s position is largely
based on observation of people who claim to be religious and worship beings
that seem to be impotent. Atheists regard the idea of a god who demands worship
and offerings as a superstition of the ignorant, foisted upon them by the
charlatan priests and god-men of this world. As for the God of the Christians,
for whom apologists offer arguments to establish proofs of His existence, once
more they point to the lifestyles of practitioners and deride their lack of
conviction and power to live up to their claims.
Sinners
Saved by Grace, Not Saints Made Perfect
Christians are fond of saying, “We
are sinners saved by grace, not saints that have been made perfect.” But then
Christians will claim they possess the Holy Spirit, who proceeds and comes forth
from God and is God. If Christians possess the Holy Spirit, then it stands to
reason they should be able to live up to the standards required of them. They
should be superior to those who do not possess the Holy Spirit in all that they
do. Unfortunately, the evidence for those claiming to be Christians who possess
the Holy Spirit is that they are often more fallible than those atheists who
assert God does not exist. As far as the atheist is concerned, there just is
not any fruit in Christian lives suggestive of an all-powerful, all-knowing,
and ever-present God. The lack of fruit is the evidence atheists claim as proof
of gullibility and self-deception. As far as they are concerned, God does not
exist, as Christians claim, because there is no worthwhile change in behavior
or a demonstration of moral excellence. To the atheist, Christians are no
different from those who believe in Sai Baba. They are just as deceived.
Confused
Theology
One of the difficulties for
Christians who attempt to explain the wisdom and purpose of God to
non-Christians (including those who are cultural Christians because of the
societies into which they are born and not because they are born of God) stems
from confused theology. This is evident in different views held by various
denominations. However, it is most evident among the advocates of double
predestination, limited atonement, and “saved by grace alone.”
The following discussion is the
result of an email that I received informing me of a particular teaching which
I was supposed to believe would clear up any doubts in my mind (if I had any)
that I may have had about my salvation.
A
Transcript by Randy Smith
On September 2, 2014, an email was
delivered to me from a Bible study group that contained their video of the
week. The video was entitled “Does Galatians 5:21 Teach Us That We Lose Our
Salvation” and featured a Pastor Smith speaking on the subject. The following
is a transcript of what he said:
Once you are
saved; you are saved. God has become your Father and He will always be your
Father. Once He has adopted you as His child, you will always be His child. Jesus Christ died for His people. It’s not
you that did anything to achieve your salvation. It is what Jesus Christ did
for you; so therefore, once you are saved, you are, of course, always saved.
But Paul makes a very interesting statement in Galatians 5:21. And it’s
interesting that he puts it in [Galatians] 5:21 because he has just spent
four chapters defending grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone. But he
says in [Galatians] 5:21 that if you practice these things, meaning the deeds
of the flesh, that are mentioned in those three verses prior, you will not
inherit the Kingdom of God. Now Paul is not contradicting himself. But what he
is saying is this: that if you are truly saved there will evidence of God’s
work in your life.
We are not saved by our
faith. But when we have faith in Jesus Christ that faith is given in
evidence in how we live our life and that is the fruit of the spirit. If we are
saved and the Holy Spirit comes within us, He will bear fruit in us showing we are
Christians. I mean it is always hard for me to imagine that the Holy Spirit of
God is dwelling in me and in some way not leaving His fingerprints on my heart. So
what I am saying is this, that we are saved by our faith alone. But
the faith that saves is never alone, it will always evidence itself in fruit.
If I am an apple tree, I will bear apples. If I am a Christian, I will bear
Christian fruit. That’s what Paul mentions in [chapter 5] verses 20 through to
23. So it’s not that you can lose your salvation. But if you are practicing
these things, it doesn’t mean one habitual, or a one slip into a sin, its
habitual sin. It’s being identified by those deeds in the flesh. If you are a
man or a woman who is identified by those deeds in the flesh. You are living
according to the flesh and there is no evidence of God living in you. So it’s
not that you lost your salvation, but it’s evidence
that the Spirit of God is not dwelling in your heart.
And I really want to add to that that it’s not our job as people to be
judge of who’s in or who’s out. Scripture says that the Lord knows those who
are His. But it is saying to those people who think they are saved that they
need to do some self-examination and make sure as Paul says that the Spirit of
God truly dwells within them.
Unpacking
The Transcript
That night I had a phone call from
a person informing me that the Bible study to which he had intended to go was
cancelled; so he asked to come over to my place instead for a Bible study. I
arranged for another person to be present, and since I had just seen this video,
I thought we should discuss it. Apart from myself, one of the two individuals
in attendance at the Bible study had been a Christian for over thirteen years,
and the other for more than fifteen years. After viewing the short video, in
which Pastor Smith speaks for just over two minutes, I asked each of the two
attendees to comment.
Need
to Bear Fruit
The person who had been a Christian
for fifteen years commented first on the need to bear fruit and, more or less,
agreed with Smith’s conclusion that we should not judge, but that the Lord
knows those who are His. The Christian of thirteen years’ standing noted that
those who were not saved would not bear fruit, so that the fruit was the
essential criterion for determining whether a person was truly a Christian or
not.
A
Contradiction: Not Saved/Are Saved by Faith
We looked at the video a second
time to see whether they had any other comments. One of the individuals claimed
that Pastor Smith made a contradiction by saying that we are not saved by
faith, and then making the claim that we are saved by faith alone.
On
a Scriptural Journey
The third time we went through the
video (the transcript is on pages 20–21) and noted each assertion, then looked
at the Scriptures that contradicted the claims made by Pastor Smith, herein
forthwith called “the Pastor.”
Argument
for Salvation Through Faith in Jesus Christ
The Pastor claims the Apostle Paul
in the book of Galatians is defending the idea that we are saved by grace
alone; we are saved by faith alone; we are saved by Christ alone. This has to
be a ruse, because there are no such claims in the book. The first time I read
the book of Galatians, what stood out to me was the argument for salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ, rather than relying on the works of the Law.
Nothing has changed. For we read:
Yet knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith
in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified
by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no
flesh will be justified by the works of the law. (Galatians 2:16)
For you are
all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians
3:26)
For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision amounts to anything,
nor uncircumcision, but faith
working through love. (Galatians
5:6)
The
Faith That Saves Is Never Alone
These three excerpts from the book
of Galatians are very self-explanatory. Obviously, something is amiss, or the
Pastor in question is doing what many tricksters do, who twist the truth of
Scripture. For after the Pastor goes on to say that we are not saved by
our faith, he claims, “So what I am saying is this, that we are saved by
our faith alone. But the faith that saves is never alone, it will always
evidence itself in fruit.”
This statement that “we are not
saved by our faith alone” is qualified by the Pastor basically saying:
This is
because if we are saved, we bear the fruits of salvation. This is how we know
we are saved. However if we do not bear the fruits of salvation we are not
saved but who are we to know a person's heart. Only God knows a person's heart,
so we cannot judge whether a person is saved or not.
Does what the Pastor say make
sense? Is there any line drawn in the sand, or is he being wishy-washy? And if
so, why is he being wishy-washy? Is it because he is trying to deceive viewers?
Or is he just confused? For what this pastor presents is the confused view that
is widely accepted across Evangelical and Fundamental Christendom. This view
that “we are saved, but then we might not be saved, only we cannot be sure,” is
found also among the many Pentecostal churches, where speaking in tongues is
considered an initial sign of possessing the gift of the Holy Spirit.
One of the greatest difficulties
for people coming to know Jesus Christ as Lord is the faulty logic of
Christians. This illogical way of expressing matters is defended on the basis
that human reasoning cannot understand the mysteries of God. That this might
come across as arrogance does not enter the heads of those who think they were
especially chosen before the foundation of the world to be saved, while others
have not been. Either people have the truth and can demonstrate this in their
lives, or they are liars deceiving others and themselves.
For many Christians, this
convoluted logic of “alone” not really meaning alone (that is, unique or solitary)
is fine. Even the two Christians whom I asked what they thought about the
argument, when they first saw the video, did not see anything wrong with what
the Pastor said. They both concentrated on the necessity to bear fruit in our
lives if we are to demonstrate that we are genuine in our faith. This is what
the majority of people who are Christians would tend to conclude from the
argument. The argument finished on the need to bear fruit. Most Christians,
like most people, recall the last words of a statement, especially one that has
duration over two minutes.
The
Feel-Good Message
Often when people are speaking,
they will wander around aimlessly over a number of subjects, like an elderly
person who meanders across the various landscapes of a continent when on a
sightseeing tour, and afterwards tells people that it was a marvelous time.
Many films are like this. Many books are the same. There are plots and subplots
and crises, anti-climaxes, a climax, sometimes a preamble, and usually a
feel-good ending—especially in a film, if not in the book upon which the film
is based. Nothing must be too challenging if it is to be a success. People like
to feel good at an evening’s end. They do not like going to bed at night
reminded of the difficulties of life. Consequently, evangelists, pastors,
teachers, and other presenters of Christian theology have learnt that the
feel-good message brings more money into the coffers than a challenging
confrontation that requires uncomfortable self-examination and a change in
behavior. When people feel that they don’t need to examine themselves, or
change their behavior, then they will stay with that church or organization. As
long as people can possess a sense of self-esteem, or are informed that they
are acceptable to our Heavenly Father without the need to change, then they can
plausibly deny any need to do more than pay lip service to God.
Honoring God with our lips but not
with our hearts is the difference between temporal satisfaction in the world of
virtuality and everlasting satisfaction in the reality of eternity. If there is
to be a commitment among people on Earth, the Devil ensures it deviates from
the truth. Whenever a commitment is sought, everything must sound correct and
make the hearers feel good, in that no behavioral change is required.
Discomfort is something that we must avoid at all costs. Consequently, the
Devil wins many souls without effort.
The
Father Desires All To Be Saved
In saying that the Devil wins souls
without effort, this is not to suggest for a minute that God created some souls
for eternal damnation. The Bible tells us that God detests the death of the
wicked. Our Heavenly Father would rather that all men (every person) be saved
and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). However, Jesus did say,
in respect to the hypocrites of His day, the reason that He spoke in parables
was so they would not understand and repent (Mark 4:10–12). Moreover, Jesus
said that if they knew what awaited them, they would not go there. The story of
Lazarus and the rich man exemplifies this. For in this story, we see a rich man
who lives sumptuously in the comforts of this life, scorn Lazarus.
Unfortunately, this resulted in much discomfort and anguish in the eternal
realm. In Hades, the man who enjoyed the pleasures and comforts that this world
has to offer beseeched his ancestral father (Abraham) to warn his other
brothers of what awaits the wicked of this world. But if they were to hear the
message of salvation and rejoice in the idea of eternal life in paradise, this
would be short-lived, because, as is the case with many, a little bit of
persecution or some discomfort is sufficient to prevent them from taking up
their cross and walking in the footsteps of the Master—footsteps that lead to
eternal life. When among Jews, even today, we will hear them say, “We have
Moses, and God elected us to be privileged above the other nations.”
Concerning
Special Election
This Jewish claim to special
election is the same view that is found among Christians. Many Christians like
to believe that when they came out of their mother’s womb, they were born into
the kingdom of God. People from the Third World countries see Christians in the
First World as living in paradise—especially Third World refugees who are
rescued from desperate situations that have existed for years in war-torn zones
and regions where famines have reigned. Many do live in paradise on Earth when
compared to others. In fact, many people who claim to be Christians and are
regular churchgoers despise those who are of a lower social standing than
themselves. These cultural Christians love hearing the message of being saved
by grace alone. Like the Jews, they like to believe that they were elected to
salvation before their birth into this world. Unfortunately, one birth is
insufficient for eternity. Two births are required. Otherwise, discovering the
truth of being twice dead is the finality of existence. Such a concept is
misunderstood, because when talking about being twice dead, this does not make
sense. Likewise, being born a second time did not make much sense to Nicodemus
when Jesus informed him that this was a prerequisite for eternal life.
Reviewing
the Randy Smith Argument
Let us have a look at the argument
regarding salvation made by the Pastor, who was presenting his case for “once
saved, always saved”—that is, the impossibility of losing one’s salvation.
It might be that those who claim we
can lose our salvation are the ones who are sending people to hell in a
handbasket. A little analysis of the Pastor's argument will reveal whether this
person is speaking the truth, or is a false prophet. Or, if not a false
prophet, a false shepherd. Or, if not a false shepherd, a false teacher.
Whatever the case, once a person is propagating falsehoods, that person is
doing the work of the Devil and not the desires of our Heavenly Father. We need
to be able to discern between the true and the false.
Discerning
the Truth
Nobody can argue with the fact that
bearing the fruit of the Spirit of God is the irrefutable evidence of
salvation. The claim of this pastor is that we need to bear fruit to demonstrate
that we are saved. If we do not bear the fruit of salvation, then we are not
saved; but this pastor also asserts that if we do not bear fruit, we could be
saved, as we do not really know who is saved. In many respects this is true.
Yet it is deceptive.
A Fruit Bearer/Not a Fruit Bearer?
Jesus very clearly taught that
false prophets are known by their fruit, which means that regardless of what
they say, it is the fruit—what they do—that counts. On this basis, all we need
to do is find out the fruit being produced in a person's life, and we can tell
whether the person is saved.
Teaching
Plays an Important Part in Salvation
Many people within Christian
circles are often heard saying, doctrine is not what counts, but fruit. To
this, others reply, but only true doctrine leads to good fruit. In other words,
since doctrine is teaching, and false teaching is more likely to lead people
away from the truth, it is unlikely for people who possess false teaching to
produce the fruit of salvation. In which case, when we consider what Jesus said
about the matter, we learn a hard truth. Jesus said that people travel over
land and sea to get a single convert, only to make the person twice as much a
child of the Devil as themselves. What this means is teaching plays an important
part in salvation—whether coming to salvation, being saved, and continuing in
salvation by bearing fruit.
Another
Gospel, Another Destination
Actually, when we speak about
coming to salvation, being saved, and continuing in salvation, this does connote
the possibility that one can lose one's salvation, because the implication
resident in the idea of continuing in salvation suggests it is possible not to
continue in salvation. We all know that if we start on a journey, we will only
reach our destination if we continue on that journey towards our original
destination. If we turn away and take another route towards another
destination, then we are no longer likely to reach our original destination. Of
course, the key word in that last sentence was "another." This is why
we read in the Bible that the Apostle Paul talks about another gospel existing
other than the one he himself preached.
The
Apostle Paul’s Expression of Uncertainty
Evidently, there is more than one
gospel. The word "gospel" means "good news." The Apostle
was saying that there are in effect different versions of the good news of
salvation. This might seem comforting to us as Christians and make good sense
of the oft-quoted saying, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials,
liberty; in all things, charity,” which is attributed to Augustine of Hippo
(354–430 AD). Indeed, this helps justify the many different expressions of
belief that exist within Christendom. However, the Apostle also said that if
anyone preaches a gospel other than what he preached, that person is accursed.
These are very strong words. Naturally, we all want to know the gospel that the
Apostle Paul preached. The Apostle spoke about continuing to the end to
complete the good race, lest he himself fail to secure his own salvation, even
after having preached the message to others.
To quote Paul:
If by any
means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained, or am
already made perfect; but I press on, if
it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by
Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:11-12)
Now I do
this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it. Don’t
you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run
like that, that you may win. Every man who strives in the games exercises
self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but
we an incorruptible. I therefore run
like that, as not uncertainly. I fight
like that, as not beating the air, but I beat my body and bring it into
submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should
be rejected.
(1
Corinthians 9:23-27)
Our initial response to the first
quote from Philippians is to say that we are not all perfect and Jesus died to
save sinners. But when we read what Paul said in Corinthians, we can be
confident there is value in running the race. However, a warning is also
included in that the Apostle himself suggests the possibility exists that even
he himself could fail to attain the coveted goal of finishing the race and
being saved.
Our response to such a thought of
losing our salvation may be to immediately think that anybody who suggests such
a thing is a false preacher. We want to believe that once we are saved, we are
always saved. This is the very reason we say: “Once saved, always saved!” To
this, along with the Apostle Paul, we exclaim, "Amen!" However, what
if we are not sure we are saved?
From what the Apostle Paul implies,
we could also form the view that he was not absolutely sure of his salvation
until he had been given his reward. This is what those who say it is possible
to lose our salvation make a point of noting. Their argument rests on the view
that, like Paul, absolute surety of salvation requires the completion of the
race; once having been approved, only then can one be sure of securing
salvation. At this time alone, we can be assured that once we are saved, we are
always saved. As the Pastor said, only God knows those who are genuinely saved.
However, Jesus said that we will know them by their fruits. The Pastor
acknowledged this when he claimed that those who are saved bring forth the
fruit of salvation, only he did not want to condemn those who think they are
saved but are not bearing the fruit of salvation.
What are we to think of a person
who is claiming that if we are saved, we bear the fruit befitting salvation,
but if we are not bearing the fruit of salvation, we cannot be judged as not
being saved, because only God knows whether we are saved?
Questions are raised. Is this
person having an each-way bet? Does the person know what he is talking about?
Could he be confused? Is he a false teacher? Is he afraid to call out sin for
what it is? Do you think this Pastor I am quoting is Joel Osteen and does not
want to offend anyone? The truth: this Pastor is from a Calvinist church and he
would claim he has a valid reason for stating, "We are not saved by
faith."
Universalists
and Calvinists
Universalists teach we are not
saved by faith. They teach that every human is saved because Jesus died for all
humankind. To be saved by faith suggests that this is something we do
ourselves. In the book of James, we learn that faith without works is dead. If
we were to exercise faith, then we have a problem, according to our Calvinist Pastor,
because that would mean we are working for our salvation. Calvinists hold to
the doctrine that God chose the elect and condemned everyone else to eternal
damnation before He created the heavens and the earth. Those who teach this
doctrine say that we are not saved through faith. Wesleyans believe that we are
saved through faith. Pentecostals teach we are saved through faith.
Confusion
Through the Theology of Men
Actually, Wesleyans and
Pentecostals believe that Jesus died not just for His people but for the
salvation of every man and woman that lived. However, not all of them are
saved, because some reject their salvation. Besides Wesleyans and Pentecostals,
other Christians of various persuasions individually believe that we are saved
through faith. Nevertheless, our interest resides in what the Bible states
about the points raised by the Pastor, not so much what is taught in various
denominations and groups within Christendom; notwithstanding the fact that what
the Pastor has said indicates the state of confusion that exists within the
minds of those who learn the theology of humans when seeking to understand
Bible truth.
The
Anointing Saves Us?
The Pastor’s claim that we are
saved by Christ alone is an all-embracing statement—at least this is how it
appears. This means that we are saved only by Christ. The word
"christ" means "anointing". In effect, this Pastor is
saying the anointing alone saves us. Nevertheless, by using the word
"alone," he has qualified his statement and has effectively said that
we are saved by nothing else other than the anointing.
The
Need to Be Specific
The Pastor probably meant that we
are saved by Jesus Christ alone. The problem is, though, this is not what he
said. He said, "Christ". But did the Pastor mean the body of Christ?
Did he mean Lord Jesus Christ? Did he mean the anointing? Maybe he meant Christ
consciousness—a nebulous state of spirituality. What we know is that he did not
say, "Jesus alone," and he did not say, "Lord Jesus alone".
Neither did he say, “Lord Jesus Christ alone.” He said, "We are saved by
Christ alone."
Adding
the Qualifiers
The word "Jesus" is a
proper name and means "Savior." The Pastor could have said, "We
are saved by Jesus alone," and he would have been correct, because he
would have been saying we are saved by the Savior alone. However, the Pastor
did not say so. Nevertheless, it still is true that Jesus “alone” saves us,
except that there is still the need for some qualification, as we shall see as
this discussion unfolds. Effectively, there is no other way to be saved; for we
can only be saved by, through, and being in the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ
(Acts 15:26; Eph 5:20). However, the Pastor did not say this; he used the word
"Christ," which is often used as a title and not a name.
The word “Christ” is used as a
general term for Jesus Christ; which means: the anointed Savior—otherwise known
as the Messiah, the Anointed One. As is Messiah, Christ is a title and not a
proper first name. What this means is that if we call out to Christ for
salvation, it is not the same as calling out to Jesus to save us. Asking Christ
to save us is like asking the King to save us; for there are many kings and
false christs (Mark 13:22) in the world. Jesus is also the King of Kings and
the Christ. Similarly, when we say “Lord,” this is a title and not a proper
name. Calling upon the Lord to save us could mean anyone who is a lord (for
example, Lord Krishna). Without a proper name, we cannot call upon a person.
Hence, to say Jesus is Lord is the same as giving Him the title “King” or
“Christ.” Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is the Lord. Jesus is the King. Even
though Jesus is not called the Christ of christs, the same as He is called the
King of kings or the Lord of lords, this still does not detract from the fact
that “Christ” is a title in this context and not a proper name for Jesus our
Lord, unless combined with the first name “Jesus” to form Jesus Christ,
effectively making “Christ” the surname.[ii]
The fact that “Christ” can be
construed as the surname of the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ, appears evident
from num-erous texts, such as the following Scriptures:
The book of
the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.
(Matthew
1:1)
Now the
birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after His mother, Mary, was engaged to
Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 1:18)
The
beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)
This is
eternal life, that they should know You, the only true God, and Him whom You
sent, Jesus Christ. (John 17:3)
Peter said
to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
That which
we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship
with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus
Christ. (1 John 1:3)
But if we
walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
Men who have
risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 15:26)
However, when the word “Christ” is
used on its own, this is a reference to the Messiah, the Anointed One. The word
translated “christ” simply means “anointed one” and there are many christs
anointed by the Holy Spirit, with some being false christs, who are not known
by Lord Jesus Christ, even though they are able to do mighty works in His name.
False christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders, to lead
astray, if possible, the elect. (Mark 13:22)
He will say,
“I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers
of iniquity.” (Luke 13:27)
How false christs can receive the
Holy Spirit, we will address later on; so back to what the Pastor had to say.
Not
Saved By Faith, And Yet Saved By Faith Alone?
The Pastor said that we are not
saved by faith, but also, not only are we saved by Christ alone, we are saved
by faith alone. You have to admit there is something wrong here. This Pastor
has made some very confusing statements which are a reflection of the worldview
that is found within the Calvinist movement. Even the two people who viewed the
video clip of his argument initially missed the confusion that exists. But then
they are not really spiritual all-stars of the order of Apostle Paul—and
neither does this writer claim to be of that order (even if my constant prayer
is for the truth). Nevertheless, the Bible informs us, God gives us our heart’s
desire. Mine happens to be for the truth. I hope yours is too. In fact, I
expect it is; otherwise, you would not be reading this. One thing we can agree
upon is that God is not the author of confusion. Tragically, when arguments are
presented in a confused manner by those who claim to be experts, this does
nothing to assist those seeking to learn about what is true and what is false.
Seriously, how can a person “not be saved by faith” and still be “saved by
faith alone”? Based on this alone, it is reasonable to assume that anyone
making these assertions does not know the real truth about our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Saved
by Grace Alone?
The Pastor said that we are “saved
by grace alone.” According to him, there are three things by which we are
saved, and by each of those things “alone.” We are saved by the anointing
alone. We are saved by faith alone. We are saved by grace alone. If we are to
believe this Pastor, we can take our pick. Any one of the three will save us.
We need have no fear; we will not be judged, because no one knows who is saved,
only God. However, if we do not bear fruit, we know we are not saved. Only this
might not necessarily be the case, because according to the Pastor, it appears
everyone just might be saved, even if the person is a practicing sexual
pervert, a pedophile, a liar, or someone who commits any number of unrighteous
acts that break the commandments of God. We cannot tell because a person might
be saved by grace alone; that is, if we believe the Pastor and the theology
that is taught by his denomination, and those from within Christendom who
subscribe to the theory that grace alone will save people. The problem with
this theory is the Word of God contradicts it in the book of Ezekiel:
Yet you say,
The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is My way not
equal? Aren’t your ways unequal? When the righteous man turns away from his
righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he
has done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turns away from his
wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he
shall save his soul alive. Because he considers, and turns away from all his
transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” House of
Israel, aren’t My ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair? (Ezekiel 18:25–29).
Acceptance
or Rejection of Scripture
If we are to subscribe to the
theory that we are saved by the unmerited favor of God alone, whereas
repentance or making our own decisions and exercising faith in Lord Jesus
Christ is unnecessary, from what is written in Ezekiel, we might have a major
problem on our hands—whether or not we reject the Scriptures.
Let us consider the issue of who is
a child of God. Whoever has been adopted as a child of God, according to the
Pastor, could not lose salvation. As for suggesting that a person could lose
his or her salvation, the Pastor would contend that this is to say that God
rejects His children. Many would contend that we are all God's children on the
basis the Bible states that man was made in the image of God, both male and
female (Genesis 1:26). In the book of James, we read that every good gift comes
from the Father of lights (James 1:17), and many would claim that every newborn
baby is a wonderful gift. In fact, this Pastor would no doubt quote the very
verse from the Old Testament which says that we are all wonderfully made (Psalm
139:14) and to abort an unborn child is to commit murder. The Pastor would no
doubt claim that it is a sin to abort a gift from God. In which case, if all
children are gifts from God, and He makes all things, then it would be
incorrect to suggest that He is not the Father of humankind. This is especially
so when we learn that the word "father" means "source" or
"originator." Some might think this is a flimsy argument for God
being the originator of humans—the Father of us all.
Fruit
Makes the Difference
However, there is a stronger
argument for this, because Jesus said that we are to pray to our Heavenly
Father and ask Him to forgive us our sins in the same way that we first forgive
other people who have sinned against us. Indeed, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is
saying that people who are born into sin are children of God. Now if we are
sinners because we are born into sin and, as sinners, God is our Father, this
would make each one of us a child of God. Universalists definitely think this
makes sense. Not only Universalists, but also many other people seem to think
that this makes sense. Evidently, Jesus thought so, and this is why He
instructed sinners in His Sermon on the Mount to approach their Heavenly Father
and ask for forgiveness for having sinned against Him. Therefore, if God is our
Father when we are sinners, and if we are adopted into the family of God at a
later date, we have to ask what is the difference? Jesus simply said that it
was the fruit.
Good
and Evil Do Not Mix
The Pastor, from a grace tabernacle
congregation, at first gave the impression that he was sure about the need to
bear fruit; but then he did not want to judge, just in case he was wrong. What
this means is that he does not really know what he is talking about, for we
cannot have good and evil mixed together and claim that it is still good. Either
a thing is good or it is evil. Mix good with evil: good ceases to exist and
becomes evil.
Saved
By Grace But Not Alone
If a person is genuinely saved,
they will bring forth fruit that befits salvation. The question is, how can a
person be genuinely saved? Many people are confused about how to be saved
because they do not read the Bible asking the Holy Spirit to lead them into all
truth. Every day, we would be wise to ask God to show us the truth in what we
hear people saying and what we are reading. Many people claim that we are saved
by grace alone. The Bible does not teach this. What the Apostle Paul stated was
“by grace we have been saved." He did not say we are saved by grace alone.
There is a major difference in the two ideas. Here is the Scripture this
teaching is taken from:
Even when we
were dead through our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by
grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show
the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; for by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one
would boast. (Ephesians
2.5-9)
Those who want to argue from the
King James Version, where it says “by grace, ye are saved” need to understand,
this is not stating that you are saved by grace alone. The New King James
Version, actually has “by grace you have been saved”. Nevertheless, we still
need the full context to arrive at truth.
Saved
By Grace Through Faith
If we read this carefully, we do not
find a teaching about being saved by grace alone, but that we are saved by grace through faith. There is
a massive difference. Being saved by grace alone means that we can do whatever
we like, since everything has been atoned for, regardless of what we say or do.
This is cheap grace: an attitude of heart that spurns the blood of Jesus
Christ. This is what the writer of the book of Hebrews states in respect to
those who think they can come to knowledge of salvation in Jesus Christ and
simply sin as if nothing mattered:
For if we
sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains
no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment,
and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. A man who
disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three
witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who
has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the
covenant with which he was sanctified an
unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29)
Grace extends to every human being.
Grace is unmerited favor which we can accept or reject. We simply receive grace
from God through the fact that Jesus sacrificed His own life so that we might
have the promise of eternal life. This grace is evident in the will that Jesus
left for us. Once the death of Jesus was established, then His last testament
and will came into effect. Jesus, having not sinned once, was able to offer His
Own life as a ransom for all. The will of Jesus reads like this: By grace, I give eternal life to all who believe in Me through
faith for their salvation from sin and death. The fact that this
extends to every person does pose questions about those who have never heard of
Jesus and who had died before His death and resurrection. Right now, these
questions are not our concern. But the answers are to be found in the Bible.
What matters now in this discussion about grace is we understand that grace is
the unmerited favor that extends to every one of us. Jesus said that our Father in Heaven shows no partiality,
and as any loving father would, He provides the sun for both the good and the
evil and the rain for the just and unjust. This
is the grace of God. What each one does with the benefits that come from
the sun and the rain is one’s own prerogative. Each one is given free will to choose his own lifestyle: whether
one wants to do what is right or not. If we choose to do what is right, this is
a matter of faith. If we choose to do what is right, we forgive
others of their sins, and then ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us of our own
sin towards Him. In doing this, we exercise faith towards God.
We are saved by grace through
faith. We are not saved by faith alone. The grace of God extends to us all through
the blood of Lord Jesus Christ, providing we accept the fact that we have been
given an option. Whether we accept this option and act on it positively is a
matter of faith. Consider this: we are saved through faith and not by
faith. Why? Because standing by the door of faith is not the same as walking
through the door of faith. We might stand by the entrance of the door to
salvation, but the next step requires us to enter eternal life through the door
of our salvation. This is like saying that by grace we have access to the door,
but we only obtain salvation if we walk through the door. We know this makes
sense; especially when we read what the Apostle John recorded:
Jesus spoke
this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what He was telling them.
Jesus
therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s
door. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t
listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters in by Me, he will be saved, and
will go in and go out, and will find pasture. The thief only comes to steal,
kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly
(John 10:6-10).Jesus spoke
this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what He was telling them.
It
Is Essential To Exercise Faith For Salvation
By grace we have been saved, but
only if we exercise the faith to walk through the door that leads to life. To
go through something means to be surrounded by it. This is why we are baptized
in water—to show that we have died to ourselves by going under the water, and
we have been made alive to Jesus when coming up out of the water. However,
without works, faith is dead.
Baptism:
Dying to Self (Matt. 16:24)
Expressed another way, we die to
ourselves in the act of baptism as we are raised from eternal damnation to be
placed into the Body of Christ, or to become a member of the body of the
anointed ones. Full immersion is symbolic. But if we are genuine, something
else happens that is unseen by us when we are fully immersed in the waters of
baptism and call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We do not see the
impartation that occurs unless our spiritual eyes are open to it at the time.
Like the Israelites who were completely delivered from the reign of Pharaoh
when they crossed the waters of the Red Sea, so are we completely delivered
from the grip of Satan at the time we go through the waters of baptism. This is
an act of faith. For by grace we are saved through faith.
The
Sacred Writings Instruct for Salvation
In saying that we are saved by
grace through faith, we need to establish the focus of our faith. When the
Apostle Paul was writing to Timothy, he reminded his younger charge that he had
been acquainted with the Holy Writings from when he was a child. But there was
more involved than just being acquainted with the Holy Scriptures.
Importantly, Paul noted that these
Old Testament writings were able to instruct him regarding salvation through
faith in Jesus Christ. Indeed, it may seem strange that the Apostle considered
the Old Testament capable of instruction for salvation through faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, but this is what the Apostle Paul wrote. However, instead of
telling Timothy that he was saved by faith alone, Paul wrote that he was saved
through faith in Jesus Christ. This is what he wrote:
From
childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to
instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15 RSV)
To clarify this a little, this
actually means the Old Testament Scriptures are able to make us wise about life
and the purpose of God so that we can be saved through faith in the Anointed
One, Jesus, who is our Savior. However, what we should have realized by now is
that we are saved not by grace alone; not by faith alone; not by Christ alone; but
by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. There is a major difference in the
teachings here. However, instead of confusion, once we understand the truth
that salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, we know we need to
be a member of the body of Christ if we are to be truly saved. This means
bearing the fruits of salvation.
This does not mean that we can say
we are saved because we went through the motions of saying a sinner's prayer,
making a public profession, and being baptized in water. Many people do this
and do not bear the fruit of salvation. Nevertheless, if we are to be saved, we
will need to ask for forgiveness, we will need to confess Jesus Christ as Lord,
then take the step of baptism, and walk in the light, having fellowship with
other saints so the blood of Jesus can continually cleanse us from all sin. We
cannot walk in darkness and say we have fellowship with the Father, for we can
only have fellowship with the Father if we are cleansed from sin by the blood
of Jesus. If we do this, we will begin to bear fruit that befits eternal
salvation. It is impossible for darkness to have fellowship with light.
Likewise, it is impossible to be saved through a public profession of faith in
God or Jesus Christ. We need to confess Jesus is Lord of our lives as a matter
of daily routine. While a profession is similar to a confession and might be
from our very lips, only a confession comes from our heart.
About
Profession, Confession, and Victimhood
It is easy for people to profess
matters. The same ease is not so forthcoming when it is associated with
confession. Confession usually means acknowledging our deficits. Some people
have a habit of confessing victimhood rather than being honest about their own
ineptness. Victimhood is not a confession of inadequacy or inability; rather,
it is self-justification for one’s own unwillingness to acknowledge an inherent
need of God. As a victim, we might blame our impoverishment on circumstances
out of our control, but only when we are honest will we acknowledge the truth
about not doing our best to make the most of our situation.
We might not possess the
intelligence or athleticism that we thought we had. We might have to admit that
while we are competent to perform certain tasks, we lack the exceptional talent
to be outstanding. We might have to confess that we wasted our time when we
could have utilized our inherent aptitude for learning how to perform tasks
better. This is not the same as acknowledging inabilities due to a lack of
natural or inherent ability. This requires of us the honesty to admit our
insufficiency to meet the desired standard is the result of our own disinterest
and unwillingness to assume responsibility for our own actions.
We might profess that we are
capable and that we can do what is required, but rather than demonstrate our
true capabilities, we find excuses such as having a sudden bout of dizziness,
fever, or headache; and if those excuses do not work, there is always the
attack of food poisoning and dysentery that follows. These excuses wear thin
after a while. Yet many people think that they can produce them sufficiently
enough to forgo others discovering their inadequacies, inabilities,
incompetence, and ineptitude.
About
Fruit, Humility, Fame, and Fortune
True teachers, true shepherds, and
true prophets are all known by their fruits. This is the case whether they are
famous or unknown by the masses. Fame and fortune are not something a true
servant of God seeks. Fruit is what the true servant of God seeks. This fruit
is found in all that is good, right, and true. Those who are true teachers of
God’s word, whatever their gifting or whatever their office, will be known by
their fruit. One of those fruits is humility. This is not an affected humility,
but a genuine humility that brings honor and glory to God.
The aim of the true servant is to
see God’s will done. The true servant desires to conform to the will of God in
the body of Christ, having acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior. Some might
believe they need to defend their faith and justify the reasons why they
believe certain ideas. The reality is that we as Christians need the Lord God
to justify us and enable us to bear fruit for our own benefit and the glory of
His name. Just as the Scriptures bear witness to Jesus—that He is the Savior of
the world—so too, we need the Scriptures to bear witness to us, that we are
Christians. This occurs when we bear the fruit of salvation. As Jesus said,
“My Father is glorified when you
bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:8)
Without
the Spirit of God, There Is No Salvation
Evidently, there are those who
believe that it does not really matter whether we produce fruit or not to
glorify our Heavenly Father. For we have eternal salvation no matter what we
do, even if we do not possess the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Smith claims, “You are
living according to the flesh, and there is no evidence of God living in you.
So it’s not that you lost your salvation, but it’s evidence that the Spirit of
God is not dwelling in your heart.”
Now if the Spirit of God is not
dwelling within our heart, we cannot possibly possess salvation. We cannot have
salvation without the Holy Spirit. The very confidence that we have concerning
salvation rests in the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells within our very being.
This assurance is the guarantee of our salvation. The Bible is very clear that
this is the case. We read:
To the end that we should be to the praise of His glory, we who had
before hoped in Christ: in whom you also, having heard the word
of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed,
you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is a pledge of our
inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His
glory. (Ephesians 1:12-14)
The reason we are able to bear
fruit is because of the Holy Spirit indwelling us. The seal of the Holy Spirit
is our guarantee that we have eternal life. Therefore, we can expect to bring
forth the fruit of salvation in our lives. To suggest that we are saved, even
though we do not possess the Holy Spirit, implies universal salvation for all,
which is contrary to what the Bible teaches. Therefore, salvation today is
conditional upon receiving the Holy Spirit and producing the fruit thereof,
even if this is only the fruit of our lips.
NOTES
[i] The reason the King James Bible is
used because these people who actually talk about the burden of the Lord are
King James Only believers.
[ii] Surnames were not
used in the English language until the means of identifying people such as John
the blacksmith were changed to John Smith or John Black. Similarly, Jack the
tailor, became Jack Tailor or Jack Taylor. Jesus the Christ becomes Jesus
Christ. In the King James Bible, the term “Jesus the Christ” is found once.
Jesus Christ is found 189 times. Lord Jesus Christ is found 82 times. To deny
“Christ” forms part of name of the Son of God requires an unwillingness to
acknowledge the obvious.
