The doctor prescribes 500 mg of calcium
chloride to save a patient’s life. The nurse doesn’t read the doctor’s
instructions thoroughly enough and gives only 50 mg of the life-saving drug.
The patient, who trusted the doctor, dies because of a negligent intermediary.
At a business I stopped at while traveling,
I found a small laminated card someone had left as an attempt to evangelize. It
was entitled, “How to Make Peace with God to Have the Peace of God.” On the
front the following scriptures are cited: John 3:16; Romans 5:1; Luke 9:56;
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 10:9, 10, 13. The reverse side begins with the following
statement: “If after reading these scriptures from God’s word (the Bible) you
are ready to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, here is …” Then under
the heading, “What You Must Do,” the following points are made: “1. Admit your
need (I am a sinner). 2. Be willing to turn from sin (repent). 3. Believe that
Jesus Christ died for you (on the Cross). 4. Through prayer, invite Jesus
Christ to come in and control your life. (Receive Him as Savior and Lord.)”
Next, under the heading, “What To Pray,”
the following is written: “Dear Father, I know that I am a sinner and need
forgiveness. I believe that Christ died for my sin. I am willing to turn from
sin. I now invite Jesus Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal
Savior. I am willing by God’s grace to follow and obey Christ as the Lord of my
life.”
The next statement reads, “This is just
the beginning of a wonderful new life with Christ.” The final heading is “Now,”
followed by these concluding points: “1. Read your Bible every day to get to
know Christ better. 2. Talk to God in prayer every day. 3. Tell others about
Christ. 4. Be baptized, worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in
a church where Christ is preached.”
Initial Observations …
I appreciate the fact that someone has
enough convictions about his or her faith to want to share it. What concerns
me, however, is the idea that the entire gospel plan of salvation, that took
sixteen centuries to record in a collection of sixty-six documents, can be
boiled down to a tiny handful of unconnected Bible verses and a few simplistic
instructions on a 3x2″ card. The danger
is that essential information is left out, the divine will is misconstrued,
and the uninformed are misinformed.
A Critique …
The selected scripture references on the
front side of the card give the misleading appearance of a biblical basis for what
is actually a preconceived and overly-simplified version of the divine plan of redemption.
Since no consideration has been given to the surrounding contexts, the intended
message of each passage is missed or distorted.
The John 3:16 citation ignores the full conversation
and the rest of the chapter, which qualifies and expands the twenty-five-word statement.1
Citing Luke 9:56 demonstrates ignorance of a textual variant among Greek
manuscripts missing the words about the Lord’s desire to save (cf. ASV, CSB,
ESV, ISV, NIV).2 Apparently consideration has not been given to readers
who may only have access to a Bible version that simply reads, “they went to
another village.” And the cherry-picked citations from Romans give a false
impression to those unaware that the epistle was written to people already
saved (1:7), having been baptized into Christ according to the obedience of
faith (1:5, 16; 6:1-5, 16-18; 16:26).
Filling in the Gaps …
The gospel plan of
salvation is our gracious God seeking to reconcile sinners to himself through
the life, death, burial, and resurrection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in
a unified body of forgiven disciples. Our response to this divine plan can be
summarized as follows (see Acts 1:1–28:31).
Hear (listen to,
understand, heed) the gospel message (Acts 2:22, 37; 3:22) – and keep on
hearing, receptively and responsively (Rom. 10:17; Eph. 4:21, 29; Phil. 4:9). Believe
the gospel message (Acts 4:4; 18:8; 9:42) – and continue believing while
increasing in faith (Rom. 3:22; 4:11, 24; 10:4; 2 Pet. 1:5-7). Repent of (turn
away from) sinful attitudes and behaviors (Acts 2:38; 3:19) – and don’t stop
repenting (Acts 8:22; Rom. 6:1-18; 2 Cor. 7:9-10). Confess faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:32; 1 Tim. 6:12) – and keep on confessing (Rom. 10:9-10;
2 Cor. 9:13; Heb. 4:14; 10:23). Be immersed in water for forgiveness of past
sins by Christ’s blood (Acts 2:38; 8:36-39; 22:16), entering (“into”) Christ
and his emblematic body, the church, the community of the saved (Acts 2:41-47;
1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-27), raised to live a new life (Rom. 6:3-5; Col.
2:11-13; 3:1-3). Then remain faithful (Acts 2:42; 14:22) as an active and
devoted member of Christ’s body – universally (Eph. 3:6; 5:23; 1 Pet. 2:17) and
locally (Rom. 12:3-13; 1 Cor. 12:12-27); a loyal citizen of his spiritual
kingdom (Eph. 2:19; Col. 1:9-18).
Simply finding “a church where Christ is preached,” in today’s
religiously diluted and deluded environment, is a directive that almost
certainly invites the proverbial “wild goose chase.” To narrow down the search,
here is a general overview <Link>,
with a more focused search here <Link>. On the
essential role of the church in the divine scheme of redemption, here is a
helpful study <Link>.
Conclusion
There can be no legitimate shortcuts when
it comes to such eternally consequential matters as learning, obeying, and
sharing the revealed will of God. Leaving religious literature in a public
place is not a bad idea, as long as those who might read it are not led astray
and are given enough directions to reasonably access the whole counsel of God.
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
1 See A Closer Look at John 3:16.
2 See The Text of the NT Part 1,
and Part 2.
Related Posts: What Must I Do to Be Saved?, And With Many Other Words, Hypothetical Faith
Related articles: Neal Pollard, Heaven or Not?
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