Manslick Road church of Christ » 2007 » April
People not too familiar with us may wonder why our facility is missing some common items. I will try to answer those questions. Why don’t we have. . .
A piano? Not all worship is acceptable to God. True worship is in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:23 ). That requires following God’s revealed will. The New Testament teaches Christians to sing to each other and to the Lord (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; etc.). It says nothing about playing instruments. We dare not assume that just because we like a thing God is pleased with it. The Bible warns us not to go beyond what is written (1 Cor. 4:6 ).
A choir loft? A better question is, Why should we have one? The purposes of singing in worship are to praise God (Acts 16:25 ), to teach and admonish one another (Col. 3:16 ), to give thanks (Eph. 5:18-20 ), and to express joy (Jas. 5:13 ). Which of those objectives is better achieved by a handful of singers than by the entire congregation singing? The command to sing is addressed to all, not just those with the most melodic voices.
A family life center? First it was a kitchen, then a fellowship hall, then a gymnasium, now a family life center. In each phase of its evolution the facility has grown to accommodate ever-expanding social activities. Who knows what is next?! We do not have one for the simple reason that it does not pertain to the church’s work. Churches in the New Testament were involved in three things: preaching God’s word, building up Christians through instruction and worship, and providing financial relief for poor Christians at home or elsewhere (read the book of Acts). The only authority we have for any facility is what is implied by the command to do some work; therefore, we need to limit facilities to our assigned work.
A day-care center? God’s word says a lot about child-rearing, but it is all addressed to parents, not churches (e.g., Eph. 6:4 ). The church is not in the babysitting business. We do have Bible classes for children, in conjunction with our work of teaching. But let us remember that even these are supplements to, not substitutes for, parental instruction.
If the Bible teaches anything, it is that we are justified or made right with God by faith. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1 ). Some take this a step farther, however. They assert that we are justified by faith only, apart from anything else we may do. Thus, one is right with God at the point in time at which he believes in Jesus. As one creed puts it, “Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort” (25 Articles of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Article IX).
Faith-only advocates often try to build their case on passages that talk about faith as a condition of salvation, but do not mention any other requirement. John 3:16 and Acts 16:31 are favorites. The argument is, because these say nothing about confession, baptism, etc., those things are not essential to salvation.
Using this approach, one could just as easily build a good case for salvation by repentance only. Consider the following passages.
“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish’” (Lk. 13:1-5 ).
In the “great commission” Jesus instructed His apostles “that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem’” (Lk. 24:47 ).
Thus, in the second gospel sermon Peter told those who had crucified Jesus, “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3:19 ). And Paul concluded his great sermon at Athens with these words: “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31 ).
None of these passages mention faith (see also Acts 11:18; 26:20; 2 Pet. 3:9; etc.). Shall we therefore conclude that faith is not essential? Of course not. In these references, repent is used to summarize man’s response to the gospel, just as believe or faith is in others.
Instead of pitting one verse against another, take into account all the Bible says on the subject. “The sum of Your word is truth” (Ps. 119:160 ).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16 ).
This verse is likely the most famous of the 31,173 in the Bible. What does it tell us about God?
God’s wrath. The beauty of this text is enhanced by its ugly backdrop. All have sinned (Rom. 3:23 ), and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23 ). “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Rom. 1:18 ). That is why every man is in danger of perishing—eternally. “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31 ).
God’s love. God does not want man to perish. He said, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezek. 33:11 ). “God our Savior . . . desires all men to be saved . . .” (1 Tim. 2:4 ). God loves us despite our sins, despite our rebellion against Him. He loves us enough to make provision for our salvation. That brings us to. . .
God’s Son. All of us are God’s children in a broad sense (Acts 17:29 ). But because we are all sinners, none is in a position to remedy the problem of sin. God has another “son,” a unique one (that is what only begotten literally means) who shares His divine nature. God loves us so much that He was willing to give that Son for us. Jesus came into the world, lived sinlessly, then died on our behalf, shedding His blood as the ransom for our sins (Mt. 20:28; 26:28 ). He rose from the dead and ascended back to the Father. There, He continues to work toward our salvation, serving as our king and priest (Heb. 7).
God’s promise. Whereas we deserve eternal punishment because of our sins, God’s promise is eternal life instead. Oh, the mighty grace of God! It matters not what we have done, it can all be forgiven in Christ. That is God’s promise. And remember, God cannot lie (Tit. 1:2 ).
God’s requirement. Notice in our text that God’s promise is conditional. What does He require? Faith in His Son. “By grace you have been saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8 ). “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9 ).
Do not think, however, that believing in Jesus is a one-time act or merely assent to who He is and what He has done for you. Saving faith is obedient faith. Jesus is the source of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9 ). “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:36 ). Among other things, that obedience requires us to turn from our sins and be baptized into Jesus for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38 ). Have you so expressed your faith?
Jesus is our example. Here are a few things the Bible says we are to do just as Jesus did. Search your Bible for others.
Love. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (Jn. 13:34 ).
Serve. Earlier in the same chapter, after washing the disciples’ feet to teach the lessons of humility and service, Jesus said, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (Jn. 13:14-16 ).
Suffer. “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:21-23 ).
Forgive. “Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Col. 3:13 ).
Live anew. “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4 ).