warped and twisted faith

Warped and twisted faith

Except for some religionists who write nasty letters once in a while, I don’t have many negative responses to my weekly column. These religionists usually pick a typo here, a phrase and an idiom there, and then accuse me of doctrinal fallacy. However, when their credentials are exposed, they are no more than self-styled religionists who do not have formal study and foundational knowledge of the Scriptures. As for my errors and mistakes, I can deal with it. I know that my God knows my personal limitations; although I don’t make it as an excuse for mediocrity.

Last week, I found another interesting letter in my e-mail. The guy from San Bernardino wrote in to question the “grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9)” biblical formula of salvation. He was espousing “faith plus good works plus membership in a true and correct church.” He did not amplify what he meant by true and correct church. I can only surmise that he is not sure if his church is, indeed, correct.

We can learn a lot from a religionist. Here are his weird ideas and the rebukes that he got.

Religionist: Unless he does (good works) so a man cannot be saved. That is why we need to affiliate with the Church, the true and correct church.

My comment: I am wary when people start classifying Christians. This “we-do-it-right” attitude by some Christian sub-cultures does not auger well for the Christian faith. Learned believers don’t do that. True believers always look at the church as the body of believers; never institutions ruled by clergy and governed by man-made precepts, never buildings by any denominations. The true and correct church is a body of believers headed by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is bible-based and adheres to the basic tenets of the Judeo-Christian faith.

Religionist: By staying close to this true Church we can be reminded to continue to live by the correct precepts Jesus Christ has taught.

My comment: We don’t need a lot of those reminders if the Lord Jesus is in our heart. We are in a congregation, all right, because people in the church boost and edify one another. The believers in the church, the institution, the clergy and church leaders cannot save a person. Only Jesus does. You may be a priest, a pastor and a minister; but if you don’t have a relationship with the Lord, you are just a regular sinner. That is what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote to the early Christians in Rome that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Religionist: Are you trying to preach that all will be saved because of the death of Jesus on the Cross — all together including the murderers, the adulterers, the thieves!(sic) I couldn’t imagine why you can’t follow simple composition. You should get the meaning from the total context of the article, not from phrases and sentences. I am trained as a journalist and I write clearer and better than the regular guys. I understand enough when it comes to Christianity and the bible. I was saying salvation was appropriated on the Cross. What I was saying was the redemptive value of the death of the Lord on the Cross was enough to cover all the sins of the world. That’s not even my personal idea; the bible says it. And, as such, we don’t need what some devotees do -- religious voodoos like flagellations and other funky religious practices to cleanse our sins. The issue that I raised was the cleansing of our sins. The point was there is nothing we can do about our sinfulness. Are you saying the blood of Lamb is not enough to cover the sins of the world? If your answer is yes, then you are likely hooked into a wrong system of worship.

Religionist: Even if one were to be sinful and evil he will be saved anyway?

My comment: This question is stupid. Only Hollywood rewards badness. Even a toddler knows that when he does bad things he gets punished. I know you are not confused. You are just playing confused! Other people, who correspond to me, bring in honest questions. You understand what I am saying. You understand what I am doing (bring gospel awareness to the community through journalism). If you find some typos and misses, go down on your knees and pray for me. That is what I call faith that works. But if you try to twist the context of my article and criticize it according to how you twisted it, that does not speak well of a man who has been “studying” the Scripture for forty years.

Religionist: Oh, how absurd that doctrine is!

My comment: You be careful now. This is where the proud and learned religionists get trapped -- taking spiritual things down to human perspective. A lot of the things of God don’t make sense (absurd) to the wise people like you. “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness,’ and again, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.’ If the biblical idea of salvation appears absurd to you, there is nothing much you can do about it. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of God remains forever.

James 2:14- 20, clearly explains that works along with faith is necessary. Vs 14, says, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” Certainly not! He must do something about himself, for himself, including “loving thy neighbor as thyself.” (I sure read the Epistle of James. I studied Systematic Theology and I spent a whole semester studying the Epistles. Be careful here. You see, James was not talking about salvation. His epistle was addressed to “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” Its emphasis was on vital Christianity, characterized by good deeds and a faith that works (genuine faith must and will be accompanied by a consistent lifestyle.) Now, here is the Apostle Paul, a guy who did an excellent treatise on Gentiles’ salvation. Go back to Ephesians 2:8-9 and check your Strong’s Concordance. Remember, even if you are not spirit-filled, you will be able to understand what salvation is all about. It is because Scriptures interpret Scriptures.)

To guide you further, James just said that faith without works is dead. He was just saying Christians must walk the Christian walk. He was just suggesting a consistent Christ-like behavior from Christians. He was pointing out the dark side that remains in true Christians. He was not talking about salvation. Unlike Paul, James was not talking to the unsaved and uncircumcised Gentiles. He was addressing to the believers from the early Jerusalem church who, after Stephen’s death, were scattered as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Syrian Antioch (Acts 8:1; 11:19 NIV Study Bible). The Biblical foundational truth is grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have gone to a Bible College and studied Hermeneutics, you would be able to distinguish the CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE AS A WHOLE and CONTEXT OF FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH as against INDIVIDUAL BIBLE PASSAGES like James 2:20.

It is unfortunate, but a lot of people like this guy who wrote the letter, are into “we-do-it-better” religious sub-cultures. They are hoodwinked to the idea that doing good works and active Church membership is a passport from here to eternity.

Listen, people. Salvation is God’s work; never ours, never will be. (davidlvnow@aol.com)