Posted on 09/28/2015 12:01:53 PM PDT by damonw
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)
I find that when many Church of Christ’ers talk about salvation or being saved, they do not even use or have the correct definition of save, saved or salvation in mind.
The terms in Hebrew, Greek and English predominantly means to deliver, to rescue from harm or danger, to deliver from sin, to preserve and protect. These actions come from outside of us. They are not something we do. We are merely recipients. Webster’s defines salvation as “the act of saving someone from sin or evil : the state of being saved from sin or evil”, “something that saves someone or something from danger or a difficult situation” and “deliverance from the power and effects of sin”. It was Christ “who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:4). Before the foundation of the world “… God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17).
Salvation is simply not about what we do, but rather what God and Jesus Christ has done on our behalf, delivering us from the wages of our sin – death. There is a plan of salvation. And with any plan there is doing involved. But we are not the ones that do the doing. As it has been said before, “Christ has done it all”. I would contend that salvation is simply belief/trust in Christ finished work for our saving/rescue – by his death, burial and resurrection for our sins, according to scripture. Salvation is not about doing or “obeying” “the whole plan of salvation”. It is about believing the plan of salvation. And the focus of that plan is on Jesus Christ and his actions, not ourselves. Biblical Christianity is not a do religion, it is a done religion.
That salvation is not about what we do is also strongly indicated by the biblical use of such terms as redemption (to purchase), reconciliation (restoration to divine favor), propitiation (the act by where which God‘s righteous wrath is satisfied by the atonement of Christ), atonement (restoration to divine favor), deliverance (from sin), ransom (from the wages of sin) and justification (a onetime event in which God justifies sinners by reckoning Christ’s righteousness to their account through a legal declaration). The definitions of these words and their usage in scripture show us that salvation is not something we do (Eph. 2:9, Jonah 2:9). Salvation is done on our behalf.
Scripture also says “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Romans8:28-30). We cannot make ourselves right before or acceptable to God. It must for done for us by God. We cannot even come to Christ unless the Father draws us and even our faith is a gift and not of ourselves. Another reason we are not saved by what we do is that we are not saved by our righteousness, which is like filthy menstrual rags, but we are saved by being made the righteousness of God – which is a free gift to those who believe in Jesus Christ and His name.
It must also be remembered that God works covenantally and the bible is a covenant document. It was predetermined in an eternal covenant between the Father and the Son before the foundation of the world that Christ would be slain to take away sin for those whom the Father has given Him (Rev_13:8, Hebrews 13:20, John6:37-39, John 17:9-12, John 17:24, John 1:29). And because this contract agreement is between God the Father and God the Son we can rest assured that it will be fulfilled and that Jesus will indeed save and keep secure all those the Father has given him. We can rest in the fact that Christ has done it all for salvation and we are saved when we believe and trust in Him as the payment that the Father and Son made for the penalty of our sin.
Which Church of Christ? There is the heretical “United” brand (formerly ‘Congregational’), which bends (over) with every wind of the world, and there is the orthodox brand, the one that doesn’t use instruments in their worship and is very dogmatic about how one lives his life (not always a bad thing.)
Orthodox hardliners
I believe the author is talking about Campbellites and the followers of Barton Stone.
This is the group that considers ONLY themselves to be “true Christians” and Only ones saved, and even then, there is not a one that can say they are really saved. They simply HOPE they are saved.
As an old Grace preacher said years ago, They have a “HOPE SO” salvation while the rest of us have a “KNOW SO” salvation in Christ.
That whole drivel reads PRIDE, PRIDE, PRIDE....
And for what?
Christ’s real Church is United by Him.
Matthew 7:23 is going to be said to a great many folks when His day comes.
If you want to refute “works” as a necessary condition unto salvation, does that also include repentance, confessing, believing and other actions involving me?
QuoteMatthew 7:23 is going to be said to a great many folks when His day comes.
Didn’t fully appreciate that verse till I saw a reason why 30/60/100 were used in His Parable of the Sower...
Thanks. Yes, I know that the CoC has some serious problems with their theology, but I believe there are, nevertheless, many Christians in it.
I believe the Campbellites are Disciples of Christ.
We have a Church of Christ across the street from us. The minister is a Lesbian and they fly the gay, lesbian, transexual colorful flag at their front door. They could fly the Christian flag if they wanted to. However we never attend their services so it’s really none of our business, but I have talked with their minister a few times.
They’re not the church of Christ. The church of Christ follows the New Testament standard of worship and no female, lesbian or otherwise, can be a minister.
I walked down and joined a Sunday School class. Apparently I caught the eye of someone, a lone child at church so I was called into the Pastors office.
He asked why my parents were not with me and told me if I could not get them to join the C of C that they were going to hell. My parents were good Christian people who read the Bible and believed!
I made me so mad I was crying by the time I got home. I never went back and I have had no respect for the C of C ever since.
Look at the sign and see if there isn't "United" before Church of Christ". Not the same denomination. UCOC is very, very, liberal. Church of Christ is conservative.
I’m a member of a Church of Christ. We do not follow Barton Stone or anyone named Campbell. We do follow Jesus Christ, and only him. We don’t believe that one is saved by getting wet, but we do follow the New Testament example of baptism as part of one’s salvation, which is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We actually use instruments in worship. We do not believe we are THE only Christians. We do believe that we are ONLY Christians. We fellowship with, and claim as brothers and sisters in Christ many who are part of other churches, even denominational churches. Please be careful not to cast too wide of a net when discussing the Church of Christ.
In looking at his site, I do NOT think that he is ranting against the ‘Campbellites and Stone’ followers. I can say that the “Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) does trace its founding to Campbell and Stone, but I don’t recognize its ‘doctrines’ in his ranting.
Man, people are idiots.
The Church of Christ is not monolithic. There is a moderate movement within the group. The challenges are for the traditional ultra-conservative faction—which probably still is the dominant faction. See our article “Bible Questions for the Church of Christ.” We get angry challengers to the article from the hard liners among them, but there is a lot of truth revealed in our article:
http://www.faithfacts.org/world-religions-and-theology/church-of-christ
Sounds like the CoC and the pentecostals and a few others... if you aren’t on board with us you are going to hell.
What I want to know is what makes them so sure they won’t get there before I do?
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