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2004-05-04 - Easter Bites Back
Habakkuk 2:4, "Behold, as for the proud one, his soul
is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith."
World Magazine reported, in the May 1 issue, the unfortunate Easter service
held in Jonesville, Va., where Pastor Dwayne Long celebrated Christ's victory
over the serpent by handling one. The rattlesnake bit the pastor, and since
the church teaches that God commands the handling of snakes and the refusal
of medical treatment for snakebites, he died. I don't intend to apply for
the opening, but if you are looking for a church to pastor, there is an opening
for a pastoral position in Jonesville, Va.
What we believe is often a very personal matter. It is even more personal
when we consider our faith in respect to salvation, damnation and our position
in Christ. With the incredible variety of denominations and individual churches
existent, almost every belief seems to be covered. Some we may consider extreme,
such as those which use deadly snakes as part of the service, but many
differences are those that both sides think they can appeal to the Scriptures
for justification. The issue is really what the Scriptures teach. The Bible
does not teach opposing truths. This is why Christians have to be so careful
not to stake their faith, salvation, and eternal security upon any teaching
of any denomination or church, but rather they must "search
the Scriptures daily, to see if these things be so," Acts 17:11.
Saving faith must be based on what the Scriptures designate as that which
is saving. It is our faith in Christ's atonement for our sin, in our place,
that saves. Scripture does not tell us that if we do certain or enough good
works, we will be saved. Scripture does not tell us that if we have a lot
of love, we will be saved. It is faith that saves, Mark 16:16. Faith is only
as good as the object in which we place our faith. I might believe that a
chair will hold me up when I go to sit in it, but if it does not, and collapses
under me, then I have misplaced my faith. In respect to salvation from sin,
it is faith in Christ alone that saves. Is Christ worthy of our faith? That
is why it is called faith. As Christians, we trust that He is worthy, and
we come to this conclusion, not from the teachings of any church or person,
but from the Holy Spirit ministering to our spirit that God's Word and promises
are true.
A minister was visiting an older woman and wished to share some promises
with her from Scripture. He asked to see her Bible, and turned to the passage
he had in mind. He noticed TP written in the margin beside the passage, and
asked her what it meant. She said that it meant "tried and proven." She had
tried that promise of God's Word and found it to be true. We ought to have
some TP's in our Bibles.
There are many aspects of Scripture that we can try and find to be proven
to be true, but there should be no more important promises in Scripture that
we try and find true, than those that relate to our salvation. The areas
of Scripture that deal with eternal security in Christ ought to be tried
and proven often by us. Faith is something that you have to have yourself.
My faith cannot save you. The faith of your church cannot save you. Faith
is personal, and it must be personally experienced as we study, apply, and
grow in our knowledge of God's Word through the Spirit's guidance and
illumination.
Soli Deo Gloria,
T-
godrulestb@aol.com
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