For those trying to share the gospel with those in the Churches of Christ, there are two important doctrinal issues that a person needs to know that will be of great help in avoiding some unnecessary confusion.
First, it's important to know that the Churches of Christ have made an understandable but false assumption that to be saved, all one has to do is read the Bible, believe it, and then cooperate with all the right moral and religious commands as they are found within the pages of the New Testament.
And on the surface this may sound easy enough.
But if you have been a Christian for any length of time, you know that this isn't the gospel, and also that it doesn't take into account the dynamics of the fall of man.
The Bible tells us that because of Adam's sin, man is a sinner. And that even as believers, we all sin and stumble in many ways.
We know that we can never be "good enough" for heaven.
That is why we are in need of a Savior.
However, the GOOD NEWS is that God has provided the perfect righteousness we need and is available to all those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:31 asks this question, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.”
In other words, faith in Jesus causes us to be what the law truly wants, because His own righteousness is given, credited or imputed unto us.
The second item one should know is that when sharing the gospel with those in the Church of Christ and telling them of the righteousness of God that is given to us by faith in Jesus,
It's important to note that the Church of Christ concept of justification by faith is flawed.
This is important.
You see, your view that we are saved by placing faith in Jesus Christ is understood by them as teaching nothing more than ’salvation by merely believing the facts of the Christian faith.’
So when you tell them we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, what they hear is that “we are saved by believing the the facts of the Christian faith.”
And being well aware that “even the demons believe” and that just believing the facts does not save, the Churches of Christ ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’, and thus rejects the entire doctrine of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
Thus, they embrace a "salvation-through-works-of-grace" gospel theology by default and seldom, if ever, come to a biblical understanding of how we are saved by faith and trust in the Savior.
What we need to do is let them know that justification by faith does not mean ’salvation by merely believing the facts of the Christian faith’, but rather it is believing that Jesus Christ took upon Himself all of God's wrath, anger and righteous indignation for our sin that we deserved.
Please note, it is certainly possible for someone to believe that George Washington was the first president of the United States of America.
However, just because a person believes this as a historical fact doesn’t mean by necessity that the same individual would have had faith in him as president.
Again, there is a radical difference between just believing the facts of the Christian faith, and actually having faith in Jesus Christ.
Our Message to share
Now convincing them that there is a radical difference between historical belief and faith in Jesus Christ is only half our problem.
We still must be able to show where the doctrine of justification by faith is found in Scripture.
Personally, as one who has grown up in the Churches of Christ, my first reaction after coming to understand what the doctrine of justification by faith actually taught was,
"That's interesting. I wonder where they found that in Scripture?"
Here, I wasn't being indifferent or cavalier in regards to matters of the gospel. Rather I had simply never heard this message before and had no idea where it was found and taught from the Scriptures.
Therefore be ready to be able to show where the doctrine is systematically taught from the Word of God.
Personally, I believe the book of Romans is a great place to start.
What is important?
Finally, may I say there will be a tremendous temptation to debate someone in the Church of Christ over some point of their doctrine, such as their belief that "water" baptism is necessary for salvation.
Here we can agree that we are identified and baptized into Christ when we are saved. However, let us be clear that what we are talking about is true, actual, or Holy Spirit baptism, rather than rite, ritual or "water" baptism, which is the believer's outward sign or symbol of that event.
Galatians 3:2 says, "I would like to learn one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
Our point is that it is only by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ given to us by faith that we can ever hope to stand in the presence a infinitely Holy God, without blemish and free from accusation.
It is when we hear the gospel and believe it and place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that God responds by giving us new birth through the baptism of the Holy Spirit that comes upon us at conversion.
Eph. 1:13-14 says, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of His glory.”
Thus, good works now evident in the life of the believer are not our own personal contribution to our own salvation, but merely the result of our new life and new spiritual birth that occurs when we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
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