Dear N_____,
I would love to discuss with you the article you handed me last Saturday. I have found, though, that I am much more capable of expressing myself with clarity and brevity through the written word, so I typed up this letter, but please don’t take it to mean that I’m not open to talking with you about this topic or any other.
First, I will admit that your note and the enclosed article came as a surprise to me. Not that I was surprised to read that you care about me and my family—your warm heart is evident to us both, as I hope ours is to you. We also are convinced that you are a person who thinks deeply about things, and honestly desires to do her best in life. Particularly with regards to how you are raising H___ to know and love the Lord. But, I was surprised to learn how great a difference there is between my faith and what is taught in the Church of Christ. All my life, I’ve just considered the Church of Christ as a sister denomination that had different views on music and baptism; I see now that there are far weightier, troubling rifts between the two. I know you were loved and nurtured in a Church of Christ congregation when you first made a profession, and I want to be respectful of that, but I must defend my convictions and explain why I believe the way I do.
I won’t say much about the article itself. I think John wants to include a word, so I will let him address that. I will say that when the author states that the Bible doesn’t teach faith alone for salvation, he is lying. Point blank: lying. Please don’t take my word for it, go and read it for yourself. I’ve included an article, “Is Salvation by Faith Alone, or By Faith Plus Works?”, with several scriptures that should be helpful, and I encourage you to read the entire book of Galatians—this is Paul’s letter to an early church that was dealing with the same issue and question. Notice, I didn’t say, “take it to your preacher and see what he thinks.” You—yourself—read the Bible and decide.
I agree whole heartedly with the James verses the Church of Christ pastor includes, and know that those scriptures were inspired by God. Go and read through them also, but again, I urge you to not only read the snippet of verse he quotes in the article, but the whole passage. Make sure you understand the context in which James is teaching these “work” principles.
Another problem in discussing this article is the author’s use of ‘belief’ and ‘faith’ as meaning the same thing. To me, these aren’t the same thing, and I think the Bible clearly teaches they are distinct and different. This contradiction in terms might make any discussion quite confusing for us both. What it boils down to is this:
I would love to discuss with you the article you handed me last Saturday. I have found, though, that I am much more capable of expressing myself with clarity and brevity through the written word, so I typed up this letter, but please don’t take it to mean that I’m not open to talking with you about this topic or any other.
First, I will admit that your note and the enclosed article came as a surprise to me. Not that I was surprised to read that you care about me and my family—your warm heart is evident to us both, as I hope ours is to you. We also are convinced that you are a person who thinks deeply about things, and honestly desires to do her best in life. Particularly with regards to how you are raising H___ to know and love the Lord. But, I was surprised to learn how great a difference there is between my faith and what is taught in the Church of Christ. All my life, I’ve just considered the Church of Christ as a sister denomination that had different views on music and baptism; I see now that there are far weightier, troubling rifts between the two. I know you were loved and nurtured in a Church of Christ congregation when you first made a profession, and I want to be respectful of that, but I must defend my convictions and explain why I believe the way I do.
I won’t say much about the article itself. I think John wants to include a word, so I will let him address that. I will say that when the author states that the Bible doesn’t teach faith alone for salvation, he is lying. Point blank: lying. Please don’t take my word for it, go and read it for yourself. I’ve included an article, “Is Salvation by Faith Alone, or By Faith Plus Works?”, with several scriptures that should be helpful, and I encourage you to read the entire book of Galatians—this is Paul’s letter to an early church that was dealing with the same issue and question. Notice, I didn’t say, “take it to your preacher and see what he thinks.” You—yourself—read the Bible and decide.
I agree whole heartedly with the James verses the Church of Christ pastor includes, and know that those scriptures were inspired by God. Go and read through them also, but again, I urge you to not only read the snippet of verse he quotes in the article, but the whole passage. Make sure you understand the context in which James is teaching these “work” principles.
Another problem in discussing this article is the author’s use of ‘belief’ and ‘faith’ as meaning the same thing. To me, these aren’t the same thing, and I think the Bible clearly teaches they are distinct and different. This contradiction in terms might make any discussion quite confusing for us both. What it boils down to is this:
Church of Christ Teaching on Salvation
Belief (or they might say ‘Faith’ since the words—according to this article—are interchangeable) + Works=Salvation
Baptist Teaching on Salvation
Faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone=Salvation
True Faith=Works
To illustrate this principle, I will share my own story. I was raised in a Christian home. Went to church three times a week from my infancy. By the time I was H____’s age I could have told you pretty much every event from Jesus’ earthly life plus many, many more Bible stories besides. I don’t ever remember a time when I did not know about Jesus, when I did not believe in Jesus (in that He was real and alive), or even when I didn’t love Jesus. This may sound strange, but as a small child, I really felt as though He was a member of my family. Sure, I’d never actually met Him, but wasn’t everyone always talking about Him and to Him, and weren’t we all going to see Him very soon? (Funny how children’s minds work, but I pray my kids feel the same way.)
Was I saved? Do I think that “belief” saved me? No. I agree with the author of the article that you can believe and yet not be saved. It is sad and sobering to consider it, but I’m afraid that many people sitting in the pews of our churches believe but do not have faith. They know an awful lot about Jesus, but they do not know Jesus. Praise God, He did not leave me in that condition! At the age of seven, the Spirit began to call me to Himself. I felt convicted of my sin but—at the same time—did not want to let go of it. Loving Jesus (or so I thought) and convinced He was right, yet resenting Him for wanting to spoil all of my fun. Knowing—because I had been carefully taught—that He saw all things, but wanting so desperately to hide my ugly parts, only show Him the good, and work hard to be a better person. A part of me did not want to yield, did not want to commit my heart to Him. I did not have genuine faith. I was sitting in a church service one night, miserable, because of this struggle. Only when I finally gave up, confessed my sin and asked Him to make me His child did I receive the gift of salvation. I don’t have to wonder about it (though I do wonder over it, and know I will spend an eternity wondering over this:” Why would He save me?” It is a wonderful, wonderful thought), I don’t have to quote scripture and verse (though I can quote many, many verses as proof), I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS THERE. God gave me a new heart, one that belonged to Him. An obedient heart that not only wants to do good works, but has the power to do them through Christ!
The next day when I got on my bus, it was a though I saw my schoolmates with new eyes. Suddenly I wondered…Did they have the things they needed? Did they feel loved? Did they know Jesus? These thoughts shocked me; I had never considered such things before. They were not from me but from the Lord. And my new heart was breaking because I felt sure that some of them did not have good things. Did not feel loved. Had never heard the stories of Jesus. I share this with you, because this was one of the first evidences that I was a new creature. At that time, I had not been baptized. It wasn’t until the next week I was baptized. I was baptized because I wanted to obey Jesus’ command, and because I wanted to let everyone know of the change that had happened on the inside. Not because being baptized was something I had to do (a “work”) to earn salvation. Natasha, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt Jesus had already saved me. If that school bus driver had pulled out in front of an oncoming train, I would have awoke in the arms of Jesus.
The good works came after. Indeed, I am powerless to good works, unless Christ works in me. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” The Word is clear: if a person is truly in Christ, they will produce fruit.
Based on the article and my subsequent study of other Church of Christ teachings, I’ve learned that not only do they teach a works based theology; they also maintain that they are the only true church. The article states that because we hold to faith alone for salvation, we are damned. Your words to me in your note confirmed this. You seem anxious for our souls, stating that you care about us, which is why you are writing the letter. I’m curious, what does the Spirit—not the Church of Christ—tell you in regards to this matter? Do we not serve the same Jesus? The Bible says, “You shall know them by their fruits.” Have you not seen the good works of the Lord in us? Does He not testify to you that we are brother and sister in Christ? But the saddest thing I’ve learned is that they also teach that you can lose your salvation. Which, I guess, only makes sense: if it is your effort that gets you in to grace, it stands to reason that your efforts, or lack thereof, can get you out of grace. At least they are being consistent. So, I have included the article, “Guarded through Faith: Assurance and the Doctrine of Perseverance.” I beg you to read the article and the scripture it sites with an open heart. I cannot imagine going through life unsure of my salvation or believing I could lose my home in heaven.
Continue searching and asking questions. God has promised to teach us: “You shall know the truth. And the truth shall set you free. John 8:32”
Love,
Jessica
