The great thing about being a Christian is that there’s no gray area when it comes to salvation. He that believes and is baptized is saved. There’s nothing you’ve got to do to be saved, since it’s already all been done for you in Christ. Even your faith has been given to you. You didn’t do anything, yet you still get the credit for Christ’s merit.
Unfortunately, not all people understand the meaning of grace. Pastor Jim Wilson, on the June 17 Table Talk Radio Table Scraps show, talks about his time in the Assemblies of God denomination, and their requirement to speak in tongues – an entertaining and informative segment:
This is how it goes. This is what you’re supposed to do. This is when you really get to be a real Christian in the fullest sense, because now you’ve got the Holy Spirit. Of course you could be a Christian “without” the Holy Spirit, but that was just, you know, kind of a bargain basement K-Mart level of Christianity. You’d get the single-wide trailer at the edge of heaven.
Thanks be to God that my salvation and sanctification aren’t based on my own merit, or I’d be living in this, right along with you (and I don’t think it’d be on the edge of heaven either):
photo credit: escapo
photo credit: escapo
3 comments:
With a hermaneutic like this, we'll all be back on the Mount of Transfiguration with Saint Peter pitching tents (do they have double-wide tents?)!
Peace,
Dennis
Probably not the most sensitive comment on AoG, though they are in great error. Pentecostals probably do get some grief because they are often from lower socio-economic groups. Watch the trailer remarks.
Scott,
While I listen to many hours of Lutheran podcasts every week, I can't listen to it all. Thanks for pointing out some of the best things you've heard.
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