Word Count: 1101

Contact Dewayne Rachels

Church Laws, Rules, &Regulations versus Salvation

by Dewayne Rachels  
1/21/2013 / Devotionals

We all have been taught that nothing in life is free. I remember first learning of this in elementary school with the popular quote by Milton Friedman, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." The idea behind this quote is that the "free meal" always costs someone whether it is the person who bought it for you or the restaurant that gives it to you. My dad always told me, "If it seems too good to be true than it probably is." In other words, nothing in life is easy and we must work to achieve our goals because they are not served to us on a silver platter. These are very wise statements when dealing with worldly things.

This concept the United States has forgotten and I believe will be a contributing factor to our fall from grace as a country and eventually our fall. Proverbs 29:4 says "The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it." This doesn't mean that we shouldn't help others or receive gifts I believe what Solomon is saying here is dealing strictly with governing a people.

Though this quote from Friedman and insight from my father are true worldly concepts, however, they must not be remembered when dealing with spiritual things. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." We have all given gifts and know that we haven't required the receiver of our gift to do anything but be happy and love us for it. However, employers give wages (paychecks) to their employees because they have worked for those wages. The only work that, Paul the Apostle tells us, we have done for a reward is worthy of death. We of ourselves can't attain salvation by anything we do. There is no water pure enough, works mighty enough, speech compelling enough, laws perfect enough, or membership worthy enough that can bring us salvation. This salvation is a gift from God.

There are people who believe that we are saved through baptism. If there is water pure enough to cleanse our sins then Jesus did not need to die on the cross for our sins. Baptism for the remission of sins was what John the Baptist preached to prepare the way for Jesus. John said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" Mathew 3:11. The beginning of Acts chapter 19 Paul greets new disciples and asks them if they have received the Holy Ghost. They haven't even heard of the Holy Ghost and tell him that they were baptized with "John's baptism". Paul baptizes them again. Does this mean that these men were not saved so they had to be baptized again? No, the Bible called these men disciples which meant they followed after Jesus because they believed on Him. Paul baptized them again in the name of Jesus and not John so that he could lay hands on them to receive the Holy Ghost.

Faith by baptism is declaring that a work must be performed. Many other forms of work are required by many different churches. Such as, the Seventh Day Adventists believe that the Sabbath day must be set aside to worship God. Other Christians like to mention to them the verse Mark 2:27 when Jesus says, "The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath." Even though I do believe this verse is telling us that we do not have to set aside just one day for worship and rest, I came across a verse in Exodus 31:16 when God is giving the law regarding the Sabbath day. God says the Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath day. The next verse says it is a sign between the Children of Israel and God as to how the world was created. The Sabbath was part of the covenant, laws, and commandments given to Israel to perform along with sacrifices and other works to sanctify (or set apart) them from the rest of the world.

Jesus came to die for our sins and write the laws upon our heart. Jeremiah 31:33 says, "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." Circumcision use to be a very intricate detail that those who followed God would have to perform. Not being circumcised would place one in violation of God's law. If someone broke another part of the law then they are in violation of breaking the whole law including that as if they were not circumcised. Romans 2:25 states that "For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision."

When we accept Jesus as our savior we are made free. We do not have certain works we must perform to get to Heaven. The Children of Israel had a different culture than we do. Certain things were performed because of tradition. The problem of circumcision came before the early church when the Christian Jews began telling the Christian Gentiles that they must be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:1). This was troubling to the Apostles and they all gathered together in the Holy Ghost and declared that they should not put burden on the Gentiles to perform any works only four things to refrain from: eating meat that is strangled; eating meat with the blood; eating meat offered to idols; and fornication (Acts 15:29)

In conclusion, many feel that only accepting Jesus is too easy for our salvation. But this is exactly what Grace is, undeserved. God has already written on our hearts and minds what we need to do. Please do not waste your time, and others, over rules and regulations of the Church, the Holy Ghost will tell you when you are wrong and need to repent. It is this reason many people won't come to church because they feel there are too many rules to follow. Don't be caught up in the do's and don'ts but instead open the Word of God and fall on your knees to our Father in Heaven and mend your relationship and everything else will be made known to you.

Dewayne J Rachels (DJ) www.labourersministry.org

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Dewayne Rachels

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:

Not readable? Change text.

The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer