What we believe about Yahshua and our Salvation through Him is critically important. But many of the disagreements that I have experienced with believers today are not based on doctrinal "error", but on a matter of interpretation over the non-essentials of salvation. The essentials of our Salvation in Christ and what the Bible says about Who He is should not be open to debate. For me, these include the following:
I believe that Yahshua is the Son of God Who created the Universe for His Heavenly Father in His Preincarnate state, Who was made flesh by being incarnated into a man in the womb of a virgin, Who died for our sins and was resurrected unto everlasting life, Who now sits at the right hand of our Father in Heaven, Who has sent his Holy Spirit to instruct and guide us while He is away, and Who will come again in the same manner as He left to slay the wicked and judge the living and the dead.
I also teach that one must repent of all sin, accept Christ as God and Savior, be born-again by being infilled with the Spirit of God, and show at least some of the fruits of the Spirit to be considered truly saved and sanctified, that all born-again believers will be resurrected into everlasting life one day, human life begins at conception and is sacred, and traditional marriage is sacred, and neither unrepentant homosexuals or murderers will be allowed into the Kingdom of God. Although there is much controversy over these in our fallen world, these are also doctrines that pertain to one's salvation. We cannot disagree on these doctrines and still be considered members of the same faith.
But there are variations in interpretation throughout the Churches and Synagogues over many NON-ESSENTIAL doctrines of the faith, such as whether or not one can lose one's salvation, whether or not the baptism of the Holy Spirit that was available to the Apostles was meant for everyone, or only for a select few that God chooses to be leaders, whether or not one can divorce and re-marry, whether or not communion should be taken daily, weekly, or yearly, and whether or not infant baptism is valid or erroneous. These doctrines are not part of the essentials of salvation concerning who Christ is, what His purpose for being born was, what we must do to be saved by Him, and what He has accomplished and plans to accomplish for us.
We all need to ask the Holy Spirit to direct us on how to discern when our disagreements are over the ESSENTIALS of our faith, or over non-essentials, and we need to stand down and not be so confrontational when we disagree on the non-essentials.
Your Sister in Yahshua,
Helena Lehman of the
Pillar of Enoch Ministry
Ministry Web Site:
http://pillar-of-enoch.com
"SINNER'S PRAYER" BY STEVE FINNELL
ReplyDeleteThere are those who advance the position that, by saying, the Sinner's Prayer your sins will be forgiven and you will be added to the Lord's church. The question remains, can saying a prayer save anyone? Let us investigate that supposition.
The typical sinner's prayer: "Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that you have died for my sins and arose from the grave. I now turn from my sins and invite You into my heart and life. I receive You as my Lord. Amen."
The birth of the church of Christ was A.D. 33 the Day of Pentecost. How were they saved?
Acts 2:22-41.....36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ---this Jesus whom you crucified." 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren what shall we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The events on the Day of Pentecost that lead to salvation.
1. Peter preached the death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus.(Acts 2:22-35)
2. Peter proclaimed Jesus as both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)
3. Men believed the message and were convicted of their sins and ask what they should do. (Acts 2:37)
4. Peter told them to repent and be baptized (immersed in water) so their sins could be forgiven and they could receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
5. How were they saved? Act 2:40-41..."Be saved from this perverse generation" 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Notice they were not saved until they were baptized).
PETER DID NOT TELL THEM TO SAY THE "SINNER'S PRAYER" IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.
What did they have to do to be saved?
They needed to have faith: John 3:16, Mark 16:16
They needed to repent: Acts 2:38, Acts 3;19 (repentance means to make a commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God).
They needed to confess: Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:36-37.
They needed to be baptized: Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:20-21.
The apostles never taught the sinner's prayer as the terms for pardon.
No one is questioning the sincerity of those who recite the SINNER'S PRAYER, the question is, can the SINNER'S PRAYER SAVE ANYONE?
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