Does it make a difference if you can lose your salvation or not?

Salvation, can you lose it?  Some churches say you can backslide and possibly lose your salvation.  Others may say you can make a conscientious decision and reject your salvation.  Yet some will say, once you are saved…you are always saved.  Who is right?  Again, a lot of this depends on how a church approaches the topic of salvation, whether you believe the grace of God begins in a person’s life when his or her parents dedicate/baptize him or her as an infant or when a person over the “age of accountability” makes a personal decision to publicly profess his or her faith in Jesus Christ. 

Several churches teach that the grace of God begins working in a person’s life through infant baptism/dedication.  As a result, an infant’s faith is dependent solely upon the faith of his or her parent(s).  Thus, a person who received the grace of God through infant dedication/baptism could possibly “reject” his or her salvation, unless he or she affirmed/confirmed the faith of his or her parent(s).  In some of these same churches, there are groups who believe that people who profess their faith in Jesus Christ –through affirmation/confirmation of their parents’ faith or a personal profession of faith – also have the same right to reject their faith at a later stage in life.  Professing one’s faith falls in line with the inspired words of the Prophet Joel, “…everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved….” (Joel 2:32a NIV)    In other words, whether or not you believe the grace of God begins with infant dedication/baptism, the Word of God clearly indicates that everyone over the “age of accountability” must eventually make a personal decision concerning their faith…to reject or profess their faith in Jesus Christ. 

As for churches that believe you can “backslide” and possibly lose your salvation, they often quote several passages to justify their position.  For example, the words from the author of Hebrews, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God…so that none you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:12-13 NIV)  Further warnings include, “It is impossible for those who have once have been enlightened…who have shared in the Holy Spirit…if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV)  However, if one reads the text of the aforementioned verse, he or she would soon realize that it clearly indicates that you are unable to regain your salvation once you lose it.  This clearly contradicts other teachings in the Bible, to include the words of God to the Israelites through the Prophet Malachi – “Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and not kept them.  Return to me, and I will return to you….” (Malachi 3:7 NIV)

Numerous churches teach people over the “age of accountability” must make a one-time personal decision to follow Jesus Christ, because they believe “once you are saved…you are always saved.”  One main passage they quote is – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)  Jesus Christ himself defended his followers by saying, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand…no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29 NIV)  Of course salvation comes with a price.  If we make a sincere decision to trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation, God will keep us accountable as his own children and discipline us as needed.  The author of Hebrews makes this quite clear – “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.” (Hebrews 12:7-8 NIV)    

In summary, the way churches perceive salvation usually conveys itself in the aura of its followers.  Do the believers possess all nine attributes of the fruit of the Spirit?  The Apostle Paul refers to the attributes as, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)  In particular, the first three attributes (love, joy and peace) say a lot about how people may perceive their salvation.  If people believe that they can lose their salvation, it may be evident by their facial expressions as they may be lacking a certain inner joy or peace.  Once people realize the certainty of their salvation through Jesus Christ, they will find that true inner joy and peace that comes with knowing their eternal salvation comes as a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

What are a few of the different views on salvation?

Salvation...saving people from the judgment of God…what does it mean?  Ask people from different churches and you are likely to get a variety of answers.  Some believers will tell you must be “born again.”  Yet others will say you must make a public profession of your faith and be baptized.  Then again, some people believe you must “affirm” or “confirm” the faith of your parent(s).  Who is right?  Or do they all focus on the same issue, but from different approaches? 

The Apostle Paul reaffirmed the words of the Prophet Joel (Joel 2:32a) in his letter to the Romans, “…Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 NIV)  He further clarified this message with the words, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:22 NIV)  In other words, the common theme for salvation is faith in Jesus Christ.  This same theme is prevalent in most churches, whether you affirm/confirm the faith of your parent(s) and/or publicly profess your faith as a “born again” believer.

In many churches, parents may decide to have a minister perform an infant dedication (or baptism) for their newborn children.  In doing so, the parents are publically recognizing that they want to raise their children in the faith of the church and/or desire to have the support of the church in guiding their children along their spiritual path to salvation.  Some churches believe that the grace of God starts in the child’s life through infant dedication, since the Word of God indicates that a child is sanctified through a believing parent. (I Corinthians 7:14)  On the other hand, some churches may have infant dedications, as a symbolic act for parents, even though they do not believe it as a means of salvation…since they believe children are automatically saved until they reach the “age of accountability.”    Ultimately, the overall goal of the infant dedication is to have children be raised in the teachings of the church with the hope that they will one day publicly affirm/confirm the faith of their parents.  Several denominations follow many of these teachings for infant dedication and/or affirming or confirming one’s faith, to include Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Nazarenes and Wesleyans.  As for people who were never baptized as infants, many of these churches offer religious classes and/or services for the purpose of guiding them through the salvation process, allowing them the opportunity to publicly profess their faith and/or to familiarizing them with the tenets of their respective churches.  

On the other hand, many churches believe that you must be “born again.”  In the Book of John, Jesus Christ replied to Nicodemus (a member of the Jewish ruling council) by saying, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3 NIV)  Obviously, this verse also relates to baptism which will be explained at a later time.  Regardless, Jesus Christ further explained salvation with the words found in this popular verse, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)  Simply said, being “born again” involves a person – over the age of accountability – making a conscious decision to have faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.  Several denominations and religious affiliations also follow these “born again” teachings, to include the Baptists, Calvary Chapels and Assemblies of God.  Likewise, many of these churches also offer religious classes to help guide people in their spiritual paths and familiarize them with their respective church teachings.    

In summary, faith in Jesus Christ is the underlying theme for salvation in most churches, whether you publically profess your faith as a new believer or affirm/confirm the faith of your parent(s).  Nevertheless, the words of the Apostle Paul explain how we are no longer under the law of the Old Testament, but rather under the grace of the New Testament.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)

What are the marital requirements for being a church minister?

When it comes to churches, what is often one of the most sensitive issues for determining who can serve as a minister?  A minister – often referred to as the priest, bishop, pastor or elder –performs various roles in a church, according to the discretion of its church governance and/or religious denomination or affiliation.  While individual ministers may end up having different duties, most of their respective churches can agree on the basic ministerial qualifications which focus on a person’s character.  Basically, the Apostle Paul summarized these ministerial characteristics with the words, “the overseer must be above reproach….” (I Timothy 3:2a NIV)  If all of the many positive commonalities in the ministerial qualifications could be summarized as “above reproach,” then what could possibly cause divisiveness concerning the qualifications of the minister?

In the Book of Timothy, the Apostle Paul explains many of the ministerial qualifications and characteristics with the following words.  “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.  Now the overseer must be above approach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.  (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)  He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.  He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”    (I Timothy 3:1-7 NIV)

In the Book of Titus, the Apostle Paul reiterates many of the same words for ministers.  “An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.  Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.  Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.  He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (Titus 1:6-9 NIV)

The Apostle Peter also explained the ministerial characteristics in a similar manner.  “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, being examples to the flock.”    (I Peter 2-4 NIV)

Overall, the above passages concerning a minister primarily focus on a person’s character and/or interactions with others, whether believers or not.  The descriptions in these passages are many of the common themes you will find in the ministerial qualifications for many churches, religious denominations and/or affiliations.  Unfortunately, many churches find themselves at a major dividing point when it comes to a few short words in these same passages – “Now the overseer must be…the husband of but one wife….”              (I Timothy 3:2 NIV) 

So how can these few words – the overseer must be the husband of one wife – become such a divisive point?  An extremely literal interpretation could lead you to believe a minister must be a married male who was never divorced.  A less literal interpretation would include the clause…if a person is married, he must be male who was never divorced.  On the other hand, some people prefer to emphasize the literal interpretation of the “male only” stipulation while using a more open-minded interpretation  a person’s marital status, even if includes divorce.  Then again, was the intent of the passage even about a person’s sex or marital status?  Was the Apostle Paul trying to instruct people to be involved only in heterosexual monogamous marriages instead of sexually immoral activities, especially since he confronted the church at Corinth about sexual immorality and marriage issues?  (I Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:18-20; 7:1-2) 

In summary, the direction of a church can vary greatly in how its leaders interpret the words – the overseer must be the husband of one wife.  Why could these few words impact the entire direction of a church?  Simply said, the standards for a church minister set the precedence (or example) for the rest of the congregation.  Therefore, we need to seek God’s guidance in determining if our personal views for the ministry are aligned with God’s overall purpose for the church.

What are the three main governing structures for churches?

On the surface, it appears that most churches operate in a similar manner – having a minister presiding over the religious services.  However, if one looks deeper, he or she may realize that there are sometimes major differences in the role of the minister, especially when it comes to the administration aspect of the position.  A lot of these differences vary according to the governing style of each church, which usually falls underneath one of three main systems or a combination thereof – papal, presbyterian, or congregational.  The three systems are distinctly different and can potentially have a profound impact on the direction of a church as well as its leader(s) and members.  The question often arises, what does the Word of God say about church governance?  

The first form of church governance is referred to as the papal system, which pertains to an individual such as a pope, bishop, or similar person who assumes authority over the church.  Jesus’s reference to Peter is often used as a justification for this role, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19 NIV)  The Apostle Paul also describes the qualifications of a church “overseer,” which the King James Version of the Bible refers to as the “office of a bishop.” (I Timothy 3:1 NIV)  The most common example of this form of church government is the Roman Catholic Church and its leader – the pope.  On the positive note, churches with this form of government tend to last longer, since their leaders often have a vested interest in ensuring that the long-term spiritual interests and/or traditions of the church persevere.  However, problems may arise when it comes to addressing spiritual issues in a timely manner, regardless if it involves a large denomination or affiliation with a hierarchical body or an independent church with a single religious leader who may lack empathy.

The second form of church governance is the presbyterian system, referring to a group of elders who perform the teaching, religious and administrative functions of a church.  Hence, you have the well-known denomination – the Presbyterians.  During the times of the early church, the elders were appointed in different manners.  For example, the Apostle Paul explained how he left Titus with the responsibility of appointing elders in Crete. (Titus 1:5)  On the other hand, the disciples chose seven people from among themselves and “presented” the individuals for service in the ministry, whom the Apostles subsequently “prayed and laid their hands on them.” (Acts 6:2-6 NIV)  The presbyterian form of governance helps alleviate a lot of potential problems involving a church with a high ratio of new believers and/or members, since the leaders are responsible for the sensitive spiritual issues.  Nevertheless, people desiring to have their spiritual concerns heard may possibly “slip between the cracks.” 

As for the third form of church governance, the congregational system refers to each local group of believers acting as an independent, self-governing body…while maintaining fellowship with like congregations.  Many of these churches believe in the “priesthood” of the individual believer, rather than a hierarchical priesthood.  (I Peter 2:5 NIV)  Therefore, they believe every member of a congregation should have a say in the direction of the church.  In this form of governance, the church members tend to be a lot more involved with the various affairs of the church, be it the budget or spiritual issues.  The congregation system works great if you have a greater ratio of more mature believers vice new believers.  However, you may have opposite results if you have a greater proportion of new believers.  For example, consider the analogy of two parents and three kids driving down the road with an overall goal of having a meal to eat at a restaurant?  The parents decide for the nutritious option and the kids want fast food.  What potentially happens when you make a majority vote?                    

In summary, the Bible does not necessarily specify any one specific form of church governance.  As a result, you will find churches with a multitude of leadership structures.  Therefore, the role of the minister varies greatly among churches, whether the pastor directly leads the church or the church is led by a board of elders or the congregation itself.   Overall, there are common factors for any of the church governance systems to work effectively – accountability, communication and adherence to Biblical standards throughout the entire process. 

What are the common fundamental beliefs found in most churches?

When an outsider looks at the many different churches across our country, he or she can view the church in various ways, depending on his or her perception.  He or she can easily focus on all of the major disagreements among the churches and perceive that church is a potentially divisive place, not necessarily welcoming to anyone who may be an independent thinker.  Conversely, if a person focuses on the commonalities in the churches, he or she can see how beautifully intertwined God is with the entire process.  Nevertheless, as long as a person keeps his or her focus on God and the overall purpose of the church, he or she can easily look beyond the divisiveness and see the positive attributes that each church has to offer.
 

When it comes to the basic tenets of faith, most churches would find it difficult to argue against the infallibility of the Bible or the triune nature of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  These basically follow the long-standing teachings found in the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed.  Likewise, the same goes for human destiny – when it comes to death, either we spend eternity with God or without God.  In like manner, salvation is an essential doctrine of the faith which determines our final destiny.  The same applies for overall purpose of the church – reaching out to people and teaching them to be fully dedicated followers of Jesus Christ for the purpose of glorifying God.

Interestingly, a lot of the issues that separate churches are the very same issues that make them alike.  Most people would agree that the true apostolic, universal church consists of all who have salvation through Jesus Christ.  In similar fashion, most churches can agree on the fundamental beliefs that their followers come together for worship, prayer, teaching of the Word of God, fellowship, and observing communion and baptism, building up the body of believers by use of spiritual gifts and individual talents, and ultimately reaching out to the world in glorifying God.  Unfortunately, many of these tenets of faith – or the interpretations thereof – end up becoming points of dissension, rather than unifying.  In summary, our focus needs to stay on God in order that our perception of the church and its fundamental teachings stay aligned with God’s overall purpose.

May and June Topic: Churches – What are our differences and commonalities?

When it comes to churches, have you ever wondered why there are so many different denominations and affiliations?  Just go down an average main street in America and you will find a large assortment of churches which seem to suit almost every person or need.  You always have the mainline denominations, to include the Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists, Nazarenes and Wesleyans as well as all of the offshoots of each denomination.  In addition, you have several non-denominational churches, to include the Foursquare Churches, Calvary Chapels and Vineyard Churches as well as the various independent fundamental churches, Christian churches and churches of Christ.

As we progress more as a society, sometimes we must ask ourselves – why do people keep forming new religious denominations and/or affiliations?  Similarly, why do we not see more people trying to find ways to bring these various religious groups together?  In other words, do all of these available religious groups really suit the spiritual needs of our communities or do they serve as an indicator that a large number of these numerous denominations and/or affiliations have possibly faltered in addressing deeper spiritual issues?