A Loving Response

My brother-in-law posted an interesting article today, and I wanted to post a similar one. Please take a moment and read his article by clicking here. (Also, if you wish, you may read the original tract in its entirety by clicking here.)

After carefully reading the tract he answered, I decided to email the “pastor” who wrote the tract. Below is a transcript of the email I sent him. I hope it shows both Biblical direction and love. (The questions, from the tract, are in purple.)

Mr. Martin,

I discovered your tract online and read it carefully. Before looking individually at the questions, let me say a couple of things:

1. I am one of the ministers for the 9th Avenue church of Christ in Haleyville, Alabama. I have been a minister for over 8 years, and a member of the Lord’s Church for over 17.

2. I am thankful that you are putting information out on the web for people to consider. While I do not agree with many things you have written, I would rather you put your thoughts “out there” for people to see than keep them “bottled up.” I believe the Bible makes it clear that we should, together, seek a common answer from The Text.

3. That being said, I am not thankful for the attitude of your tract. I know many in churches of Christ who have similar, negative, attitudes, but the Bible teaches us to be joyful–and to be kind in every way we can. We may disagree, but that does not give us a right to be disagreeable.

With those things out of the way, allow me to give a brief response to your “unanswerable” statements with my “screwball theology” (your words…again, the attitude is not Christ-like). I have reprinted the statements, because I plan on putting them, along with my answers, on my blog (http://faughnblog.blogspot.com). I hope you will come to the site often and see that we seek a Bible answer for all we do.

1. According to the history of the “Church of Christ,” God used certain men to “restore” the New Testament Church in the early 1800’s. Where was the true New Testament church before then? Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18). What happened to the church and where was the truth it was responsible for preaching before God restored it?

I appreciate your consideration of the “restoration movement” that swept both this nation and others in the not-too-distant past. Personally, I am thankful for the work of those who sought to restore the teachings of Jesus and His inspired New Testament writers. However, sir, Jesus told us that “the seed is the Word of God.” Wherever Bible truths are planted and God’s Word is taught, Christians are the result (those with “good soil” in the parable). While, admittedly, I am no expert in this area, there were New Testament Christians before the 1800s. If one–in any time or location–follows the teachings of the New Testament, he or she is a Christian…and a Christian ONLY. Sir, you know know as well as I do that truth is truth…in any time. Man may choose to leave and ignore God’s Word, but that does not change the truth of it.

2. If a “Church of Christ” elder refuses to baptize me, will I be lost until I can find one who will? Do I need Jesus AND a Campebllite “preacher” in order to be saved? If I do, then Jesus Christ is not the only Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Holy Spirit is not the only Administrator (1 Cor. 12:13) of salvation – the “Church of Christ” preacher is necessary to salvation for he is performing a saving act on me when he baptizes me! Is this not blasphemy against Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost?

First, in response to this question, I am not, nor have I ever been, a Campbellite. In all kindness, I am not guilty of the same type of problem that existed in Corinth, where men were following favorite preachers. The Campbells did not die to wash away my sins–Jesus did that. I am thankful for the work the Campbells did, in much the same way I’m sure you are thankful for the work John Calvin did, but I will not call you are Calvin-ite, because you are not.

As far as the baptism question goes, we seek only Bible answers. There is not one single verse in the Bible that gives to us the requirements of the “baptizer.” When one comes to the realization that he/she needs to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, et.al.), he or she need only to be baptized for that purpose. Baptism is not a submission to the elders, the preacher, or some other man–it is a submission to God’s Word and will.

3. If the water pipes broke and the baptistry was bone dry, would my salvation have to wait until the plumber showed up? If I were to die before then, would I go to hell? If obedience to water baptism is the means of forgiveness of sins, then I would.

This is the old, “If someone were in the desert and learned the Truth; understanding baptism was necessary, but there was not any water, and he died looking for an oasis, would he be lost” argument. Sir, with all due respect, this is an argument that needs to be put to rest. One does not have to be baptized in a baptistry. He needs to be baptized in water. God is not worried about the location of the water; He is concerned with the desire and sincerity of the sinner.

4. If my past sins are forgiven when I am baptized in water, and it is possible for me to “lose my salvation” and go to hell after being baptized, then wouldn’t my best chance of going to heaven be to drown in the baptistry?!! – before I had a chance to sin so as to be lost again? If I wanted to be absolutely sure of heaven, isn’t that my best opportunity?

Two passages are in need of serious study before you ask someone this question again. First, note Galatians 5:4: “You have been severed from Christ…” (NASB). That passage, along with others teaches that it is possible for one who is saved to be lost due to sins. However, if we are doing our best to follow God’s Word, we can simply ask for forgiveness. First John 1:7: “If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all all.” You know, probably better than I, that the word “cleanses” in that passage is speaking of a continual cleansing. But, sir, is that passage not teaching that we must “walk in the light”? In other words, one must continue to live faithfully in order to gain eternal life.

And, add to that your thought about dying in the baptistry. I’m sure you baptize people for certain reasons, sir. Baptism is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is not just an act of burial. We must be raised to walk in newness of life. Also, how will we ever teach others about the saving grace of God if we are dead?!?

5. If as a Christian I can sin so as to “lose my salvation,” just what sin or sins will place me in such danger? Is it possible to know at what point one has committed such a sin, and become lost again? Please be specific and give clear Bible references.

Again, we must consult First John 1. First of all, it is not “my salvation” I am losing. I am losing “salvation from God.” He saves me, I do not save. Anyway, First John 1 continues with these words: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous (just, KJV) to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all sin” (verse 9). If I continue to have a tender heart (or, again, “walk in the light”), God will continue to forgive me of my sins. When I stop caring about my sins and stop repe
nting, I am endangering my soul.

I don’t want to “turn the tables” and ask you several questions, but I do want to pose one just here. If one CANNOT lose “his” salvation, why not just believe in God, then turn to a life of adultery, pornography, drinking and gambling? Wouldn’t that be wise? A person could enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and STILL inherit heaven!

6. If as a Christian I can fall and “lose my salvation,” is it possible to regain it? If so, how? If God “takes away” my salvation, doesn’t that make Him an “Indian giver”? How could I ever know for sure that I was saved or lost?

Sir, to think that anyone would call God an “Indian Giver” is cruel and simply mean. No one of whom I am aware would teach such. I simply ask you to turn to Galatians 6:1. The passage is addressed to Christians who are now “caught in a trespass.” But, those who are faithful are commanded to “restore” him or her. When he prays for God’s forgiveness, he or she can know God is faithful to forgive.

Again, sir, I ask you: if you are “saved,” but sin, how can YOU know you are saved? Don’t the same passages apply?

7. After becoming a Christian, are there any sins that will put me beyond the “point of no return” so that I cannot regain salvation? What sin or sins will put me in such jeopardy, so that, after becoming a Christian, I would be doomed to hell without any recourse? Please be specific and give me clear Bible references.

The Christians at Corinth had committed some horrible sins before being converted. I know that was not the intent of your question, but it serves as a basis for this answer. The blood of Jesus was able (and still is) to wash them of their sins (cf. First Corinthians 6:11).

After one becomes a Christian, he or she may still sin (we’ve already established that). God, though, is willing and able to forgive any sin. To say otherwise is to limit Him in a fundamental way.

However, God will only forgive if we repent. Again, we need to reference First John 1. In verse 9 there is a very important word: “IF.” “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Sir, I simply ask, “what IF we don’t?”

8. If I committed some sin -whether in thought, word, or deed, one minute before a fatal car crash – would I go to hell if I did not have time to repent of it? And, please, don’t just say that it’s up to God without giving me a specific Bible reference.

I know I am referencing First John 1 often in this reply, but we need to come to a firm understanding of the teaching of this great chapter. Note once more this statement from the inspired pen: “If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ [continually, see #4 above] cleanses us from all sin.” All God asks of us is our best. If we had to repent the immediate moment after every sin, either of commission or omission, would we do anything but pray? To give one example, how often do we miss opportunities to teach, visit, encourage, give, aid and help in other ways? If we realize that we are, basically, missing opportunities at all times, aren’t we in need of prayer? What if I forget to pray for forgiveness for that sin? You see, sir, to ask is to answer. We need to do our very best–constantly and consistently–and God will forgive as our hearts remain tender and true to Him.

9. Why does the “Church of Christ” insist that their name is scriptural when it cannot be found anywhere in the Bible? The church is referred to as the “church of God” eight (8) times in the Bible, but never is it called the “church of Christ.” The verse they use is Romans 16:16, but it doesn’t say “church of Christ.” Where does the Bible call the church the “church of Christ”?

The passage in Romans 16 that you referenced is a simple rule of grammar! If there are many “churches of Christ,” then each congregation (assembly) would be a “church of Christ.”

However, “church of Christ” is not the name of a denomination. I am a member of the Lord’s Church. It is called “church of God” (as you mentioned), The Way, the Church of the Firstborn, the church, and other names. As long as a people are doing what God directs in the pages of the New Testament, they are a part of that Church. I am not a “church of Christ-er,” and we do not have “church of Christ preachers.” We are simply trying to be what the New Testament describes as “His Body.”

10. If the “Church of Christ” claims to worship God only as “authorized” by scripture because they sing only (and do not use instrumental music), then where do they get the “authority” to use hymnals, pitchpipes, pews, and indoor baptistries in their worship services? If the answer is that they are “aids to worship,” where does the Bible allow for that? Where is your required authorization? If a pitchpipe can be an “aid to worship” for the song service in the “Church of Christ,” then why can’t a piano be an “aid to worship” for Baptists who may need more help in singing?

I appreciate you asking this question, because it seems to be quite a point of contention. Sir, there is a major difference in an “aid” and an “addition.” You mention “help in singing.” Do we wish for our singing to be pleasing to our ears? Of course, but the real question is, “Is that what matters?” NO! Items such as pitch pipes may help us get started on the right note (or, at least, some of us!), but they do not fundamentally change the command to “sing” as found in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. They are not used during the worship in song. A piano, played (notice the verb) during the singing, DOES change the command. One is no longer “singing;” he or she is “playing.”

If I may, allow me to recommend a website you may wish to visit that discusses this topic and this topic only. It is: http://www.foracappella.org/.

11. The “Church of Christ” teaches that a sinner is forgiven of sin when he is baptized in water by a Campbellite elder. Where does the Bible teach that water baptism is required in order to have one’s sins forgiven? Every time the phrase “for the remission of sins” occurs it is speaking of the fact that sins have been forgiven previously! The Bible plainly teaches that the forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon repentance of sin and faith in Christ – never upon water baptism! (Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; Acts 5:31; Acts 10:43; Acts 20:21; Romans 1:16; Romans 4:5; et.al.) Where does the Bible teach that forgiveness of sin is linked with water baptism? When Christ made the statement in Matthew 26:28, “for the remission of sins,” it had to be because they had been forgiven all through the Old Testament! Christ shed His blood because God forgave repentant and believing sinners for thousands of years before the Son of God came to “take away” sins and to redeem us and pay the sin-debt with His own precious blood. How can one say that “for the remission of sins” means ‘in order to obtain’ in light of the fact that God never uses the phrase in that sense? In the Old Testament God forgave sin on the basis of a blood sacrifice (Heb. 9:22) – the Old Testament saints had their sins remitted (i.e., forgiven) but they were not redeemed until Christ came and shed His blood at Calvary. Their sins were covered (Romans 4:7; Psalm 32:1), but the sinner was not cleared of his guilt (Exodus 34:7) until the Cross (Heb.10:4). Before Calvary, the sins of believers were pardoned, but they were not paid for (i.e., redeemed) until the crucifixion (see Romans 3:25 and Heb. 9:12-15). When Jesus said, “It is finished,” (John 19:30), all sin – past, present and future – was
paid for, and the plan of salvation was completed, so that ‘whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins’ (Acts 10:43). In Acts 2:38, the people were baptized because their sins were forgiven (at Calvary when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,”) and they received the blessing of forgiveness when they repented of their sin of rejecting Christ and accepted Him as their Saviour and Lord. Friend, heaven or hell depends on what you believe about this.

As you say at the end, “heaven or hell depends” on this, BUT it is not what I believe that matters, it is what GOD TEACHES that matters! I hope no one ever takes my word for things, I want to know what God says.

First of all, your opening sentence in this question is, again, an error. We have talked about this in these responses, but it does not matter who does the baptizing, and I am not a Campbellite. I do like how you keep coming back to that, though. Good debate strategy…it’s just wrong.

As for some Bible verses, let me first of all take you to Romans 6. We are given there a beautiful picture of baptism; one you have no doubt preached. Note the words: “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 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” (verses 3-4). When does one have a “new life”? It is when he or she is raised, according to the Holy Spirit. If they have that new, clean life before baptism, why go through with that act?

Also, you may want to recall the instructions given to Saul (Paul) after he had come to the city of Damascus. In Acts 22:16, Ananias told the praying Saul, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” What sins were to be washed away? If Ananias had believed, as you teach, that one cannot be lost, then Saul was saved on the road and, therefore, had no need of sins being washed away; he would have been saved anyway. It is obvious that Saul still needed baptism for the remission of sins.

It is only in baptism that one truly submits his will to the will of the Father and comes in contact with the blood. You, sir, no doubt teach that there is “power to save in the blood.” If one is never baptized, where does he or she come in contact with that cleansing blood?

12. If salvation is not by works of righteousness which we have done, and baptism is a work of “righteousness,” then how can water baptism be a part of salvation? (Titus 3:5; Matt. 3:16) In the Bible, we are SAVED BY GRACE, and grace does not involve human effort or merit – grace is grace and work is work! (Just read Ephesians 2:8,9 and Romans 11:6.)

Here I would simply like to ask a question. Do you teach that one must believe in Jesus (or God) to be saved? Did you realize that the Bible teaches that believing is a “work,” but NEVER teaches that baptism is a work?

It is true that we are saved by grace, but not grace only. I’m sure you teach that one is saved by God’s mercy. What about the blood of Jesus? What about God’s love? Sir, many things work together for our salvation and, with careful study, we come to understand that baptism fits perfectly with those saving things.

13. The “Church of Christ” teaches that “obeying the Gospel” includes being baptized in water in order to be saved. If this is true, then how is it that the converts of Acts 10 were saved by faith before and without water baptism? The Bible says in Acts 5:32 that only those who obey God may receive the Holy Ghost – so what did those in Acts 10 do to obey and receive the Holy Ghost and be saved? In the light of Acts 10:34-48, Acts 11:14-18, and Acts 15:7-11, how can anyone honestly believe that water baptism is necessary to salvation? Simon Peter said their hearts were “purified by faith” (Acts 15:9) and that we are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ like they were (Acts 15:11); that is, before and without water baptism! We know that unsaved people do not receive or have the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; Romans 8:9). We know that the Holy Spirit is given only to those who have believed on Christ (John 7:39). We know that the Holy Spirit seals the believing sinner the moment he puts his faith and trust in Christ as Savior, before he is ever baptized in water (Ephesians 1:12,13). How does the warped theolgy of Campbellism explain away these clear passages of Scripture without “muddying the waters” of truth and drowning its members in eternal damnation?

The baptism of the Holy Ghost (or Spirit) in Acts 10 came upon the house of Cornelius just as it had in chapter 2. This baptism was God’s way of showing that Gentiles were as much a part of the “plan” as were the Jews. Please do not miss, sir, that in Acts 10:48 those in Cornelius’s house were commanded to be baptized. It is obvious that this is a different kind of baptism than the one already received in the chapter. They were in need, still, of the saving blood of Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, let me say that I appreciate your questions. They have caused me to think and study my Bible again. Anything that prompts me to deeper Bible study is helpful. I hope my responses will not be lightly dismissed. I also pray that you will not take my answer as a “church of Christ answer.” There is no such thing. We need to seek a BIBLE answer for all we do.

If you desire, I would love a response either to this email or to the post containing my answers on my blog (http://faughnblog.blogspot.com). I will pray for both of us to come to a greater understanding of God’s Word. Growth is essential to our walk of faith. May we both grow closer to Him each day by careful consideration of His revealed Word.

In His service,

Adam Faughn