Todd Clippard

Topic(s): Church, Bible Study, Denominationalism

It just occurred to me that I did not address the last question in your inquiry. It was, (I'm paraphrasing here), 'Don't Baptists, Methodists, etc, believe in God, Jesus, and the Lord?'

You may recall in my last correspondence a statement I made concerning religious bodies who claim to accept only the Bible as their religious standard and rule of faith, 'It is one thing to claim it, but altogether something different to prove it.' The same may be said for those who claim faith in God, Jesus Christ, etc. Allow me to cite some examples/illustrations:

1. Most professors of religion in seminaries around the country would claim to believe in Jesus, but many deny the virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-25; cf Isaiah 7:14). Others deny the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead (1 Cor 15:1-4, 12-20). Others deny the Bible record of the miracles performed by Jesus (and all other miracles - John 20:30-31; 21:24-25). Can one really believe in Jesus and deny these essential aspects of His life? I say No. There is, therefore, a big difference in believing Jesus existed as a genuine historical character and believing in Him as being the Son of God.

2. Some people believe in a false concept of who Jesus was. That is, the Jesus in whom they believe is not the Jesus revealed in the New Testament. It is often said that Jesus loves everyone, and thus accepts all people just as they are. While it is true that Jesus loves everyone, it does not follow that He unconditionally excepted everyone regardless of their actions. In several passages of the NT, Jesus gives a call to repentance (Matt 4:17; Luke 5:32; 13:3,5). Repentance is a change of mind leading to a change of life. Repentance requires a cessation of sinful activities with a determination to live for God. Therefore, Jesus calls upon people to change their lives before they can be accepted of Him. In other places in the NT, Jesus gives the command to "Go and sin no more" (John 5:14; 8:11). Anyone who believes he can live as he pleases and still be accepted as a believer in Jesus is seriously mistaken.

3. In reference to your statement concerning believing in Jesus as Lord, consider what Jesus said in Luke 6:46 - "Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord, and do not do the things that I say?" The word "Lord" means "Master." When Jesus is one's master, then he will do what Jesus says. Consider also Matthew 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to Me,'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"

The word "lawlessness" means doing things that are not a part of the law of God. Obviously, the people here under consideration are religious people. However, what they are doing is not a part of the law of God, therefore it is done in vain.

Jesus addressed this issue in Matthew 15:9 when He said, "In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." The apostle Paul put it like this, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Col 3:17). To do something in Jesus' name is to do it by His authority. It is like in the old movies when a policeman would say "Stop in the name of law," meaning, 'As a duly authorized official of the law, I command you to stop.'

This goes back to my first reply regarding adding creed books, etc., to the Bible for authority in matters of religion. I might do many good things in the name of religion, but if I don't do what God says, the way God says to do it, then it is a worthless act so far as my soul is concerned.

A final example here: I have a 13 year old daughter. If I tell her to mow the grass and sweep out the carport before I get home, but instead she vacuums the house, does the dishes and washes a load of laundry, has she obeyed me? No. No matter how dirty the carpet is, no matter how high the dishes and dirty laundry are piled up, she has failed to be obedient. The same applies in matters of religion. God did not give us the Bible so we could add to it, take from it, or disregard what it says (Deut 4:2; Prov 30:6; 1 John 3:4; Rev 22:18-19). As I mentioned earlier, God gave us the Bible for a purpose. The concept of reproducing the church revealed in the NT is completely foreign to most religious people today. In Hebrews 8-9, the example of the Old Law is cited to show there is a pattern for us to follow today. The NT provides the pattern (or blueprint, if you will) for how God wants His church to be organized and conduct her affairs (cf 1 Tim 3:14-15). Failure to adhere to the God-given pattern is a failure to be the church God designed and the church for which Jesus died.

In conclusion, all the groups you listed claim faith in God and Jesus Christ. However, their failure to obey and willingness to add the commands of men to their religious life reveal their lack of belief. True faith (belief) requires obedience (see Hebrews 11). This is what Jesus says.

Part 1