The following is a list of statements made by people about what's going on with the church, the body of Christ, of today. Are you able to pinpoint any that are true?
- Abraham believed the gospel of grace.
- All apostles, including Paul, received the same gospel.
- Paul should have been Judas' replacement.
- Christ taught the gospel of grace on earth.
- Christianity developed out of Judaism.
- Christianity is a Judaic-Christian ethical religion.
- The commission to the 12 apostles is also to us today.
- Those who have been saved can be lost.
- Christ's death was that of a martyr.
- There is a covenant of grace.
- Baptismal regeneration is taught in the Bible.
- Water baptism is for the church of today.
- God will accept anyone if he will do his best.
- Obey the commandments and the golden rule and God will be
obliged to accept you.
- Christ obeyed the law for us, as our substitute.
- Christ died only for the "elect."
- Law-keeping is required for salvation.
- God saves, but we must keep ourselves saved.
- The church is the authority on earth.
- Christ made the "new covenant" with the church.
- The church today is the bride of Christ.
- Water baptism is for a witness to the world.
- There is no eternal punishment for the lost, only annhilation.
- There will be universal reconciliation of all mankind.
Did you find any statements that are true for today in this dispensation of the grace of God?
Surprise!! C. O. Griggs writes that ALL of the above arefalse statements!
Did you get hung up on any of them? I'll admit that I did. I stumbled over, "Christ obeyed the law for us, as our substitute." I had to think this one over for awhile, but finally realized that God made his covenants with Israel, not with us. The law covenant was given to Israel (Ex. 24:7), not the Gentiles, although that doesn't excuse Gentiles without the law from sin, for the moral law is written in our hearts. "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves; Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another:)" (Romans 2:14, 15). So, Christ fulfilled the law for Israel's sake, not ours; although he is our Saviour from sin, dying our sin death for us.
If any of you disagree with the above paragraph, or with any of the statements Griggs labels as false, please write and share your thoughts with us! We're all on the journey here; and as far as knowledge is concerned, none of us has yet arrived! Amen?
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