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A “Sacrament” is Salvation in Installments: The Lord’s Table

I was looking at a book published by a local church that my wife and I visited recently. The book explained the doctrines held by that local body. What struck me was how the book used the term “sacraments”.

In another search, I found a book that discussed how people are increasingly “drawn” to the Anglican Liturgy (which is the formal style and rituals of that denomination – with its many “sacraments”).

Much of this rising interest in the traditional, liturgical churches stems from a desire many have to return to the outward feelings experienced in these church environments. Experiences that include worship services with candles, a beautiful sanctuary, quieter music, stained glass windows, clergy in robes, no drum and electric guitar setup on stage, and the use of old hymnals instead of jumbotrons.

This old style of things is something I’m very familiar with. Having grown up in a traditional Methodist church with a much quieter and more formal style.

Which, by the way, has its appeal. And, IF the UMC had actually preached the gospel and stood on the fundamentals of the faith, I’d still be there.

What is disturbing about all this is how Evangelicalism has jettisoned most of the Traditional stuff in favor of the “Contemporary”. Even as so many other religious groups are going back to the traditional rituals and the “contemplative” religious atmosphere.

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Christians Seeking Rest in Christ

As a Christian, I’ve been down a lot of different roads. As in many different types of churches and schools and groups that each have their own peculiar lists of good and bad behavior.

Or of what constitutes the characteristics and works of a “good Christian”.

And each with their own certainty about the correctness of their specific views. Keeping in mind that we are talking about solidly biblical lists and ideas. Not simply some false religious traditions. Or stuff that a group has decided to camp out on that is debatable.

And there are a lot of groups that do that.

And, as I think back on these many exposures to Christian ideas, I can see a common denominator among them. Which is that the will power or self-discipline of the dedicated, sincere believer is often confused with the working of the Lord’s Spirit.

As in a Christian who works to do his best for the Lord versus a Christian who is dependent upon the Lord to do His own work in and through the believer.

Which is the difference between misery and Rest.

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Whose “spirit” is Leading You?

The Holy Spirit does not work in contradiction to the word of God.

He does not reveal truths that are contradictory to the word of God.

He does not lead people to trust in His working within them above, nor in contradiction to, the word of God.

We must be very careful not to allow our feelings, experiences, and impulses to tempt us to set aside, to go around. or in some other way to ignore the words of God.

In other words, the word of God is our only “checks and balances” to know if what we believe and have experienced is truly of the Holy Spirit. Or if they are the work of some other spirit.

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Dedicated “Christian” Flesh

Nothing is more encouraging to me than the reminder that I have nothing in myself that is good.

Which, I’m sure, makes no sense to most Christians. Because Christians commonly think that they have a kind of growing righteousness within them as they mature in the Lord.

But the reality is that we do not have what is good in ourselves to please God.

In our “flesh”, that is.

Read more: Dedicated “Christian” Flesh

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The Only Way of Forgiveness

I recently listened to a woman defending why she is a Catholic in spite of the biblical verses she heard that “born-again” believers have given her about salvation through Christ alone, by faith alone.

Her defense was based on the feelings of forgiveness she has experienced after taking Confession with her priest.

Similar testimonies have also been given by those who have experienced feelings of forgiveness and cleansing after taking the Eucharist (the wine and the wafer taken during the Catholic mass).

In other words, multitudes don’t speak of their faith in the word of God as the basis of their salvation and forgiveness, but the feelings of forgiveness they’ve experienced as a result of taking part in the Catholic sacraments.

And I’m sure that similar testimonies could be given by those in various “Protestant” denominations that practice similar “sacraments”. As in adult baptism and the taking of the bread and wine during “communion” (or the “Eucharist” as practiced in various Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and other mainline denominations).

“Feelings” is the point here.

Feelings which have replaced faith in the word of God in most churches today.

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A New Kind of Morality?

Very few politicians are morally pure.

OK. None of them are.

And, while we’re at it, neither are any of us.

Every single one of us is described by the following verse:

“For there is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

A sobering thought.

So, what’s the point?

That it is very hypocritical for the cultural, political, and religious Left to claim to have some special corner on morality.

Or that the politicians they support have greater moral character than anyone on the Right – that they hate. And whom they reject on supposedly “moral” grounds. 

That is simply laughable. And even tragically naive on their part.  

But the Left does this consistently. As it runs headlong into increasingly immoral positions in virtually every cultural and political area. 

Unless . . .UNLESS . . .  they have decided to redefine what “morality” actually is.

In other words, they use the same words that the vast majority of people use. But their own definitions of those words are entirely different. 

Conclusion: It’s not your dad’s dictionary anymore. 

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Deconstructing America for the New “gods”

 

About half of the United States population is being moved towards violence or aggravated activism over the “truth” that the mainstream media keeps telling them.

Even very normal, Christian men and women are angered by the reports they are getting from all kinds of supposedly “independent” sources. Which is due to the lack of discernment that Christians often refuse to apply to their selection of the news.

They tend to consume it pretty much as the popular culture does.

Which is 95% Left and progressively biased. Which isn’t really debatable. They don’t even pretend to be otherwise anymore. 

What we are witnessing is a tutorial on how to manipulate the public mind through a massive dump of opinions masquerading as journalism. By overwhelming people with supposedly objective facts. 

Again, as I’ve said in previous posts, if 95 out of 100 sources tell you something is true, then most people lazily assume the truthfulness of those reports. Because modern people love numbers. They love the majority. They do not want to be in a fringe group.

Nor to ever appear to be in some fringe group. 

So, they choose to trust the mainstream sources.

And, as far as most people go, they generally don’t want their beliefs to cost them anything in their friendships, families, jobs, associations, or fellowships. As with their local church or school or job.

Everyone wants to be accepted and to get along. 

And that is the problem.

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A Whole New Guilt Trip from the Church

In this current state of affairs, there are way too many voices, events, incidents, and media analyses that we are expected to sort through in order to really understand what is going on.

Not to mention that we are surrounded by personal friends, family, and acquaintances who angrily tell us what is true and then demand our compliance with their views.

All because they care deeply. While we supposedly don’t.

Therefore, they are good. We are bad.

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Reality by Consensus

Most people today are trusting in what is generally accepted. Not what is assuredly true.

Like what the doctors say. What the scientists say. What their professors say. What their favorite authors say. What their favorite actors say. What their favorite social media people say. What their favorite news sources say.

Or what their pastors say.

In other words, they look to these groups or “authorities” to get the common or the conventional wisdom of the day.

And most people look to the positions and pontifications coming from the many institutions of higher learning across the country. What they say. What they declare is true.

But why?

What Really is it about these institutions that gives them such weight in our world and our culture?

By what authority do they really speak? What is the real foundation upon which they stand?

Some consider asking such questions to be ridiculous.

Because much of the world believes that those who have a degree or two or three are smarter and wiser and more aware of what reality is than the rest of us less-educated folk.

And, therefore, the more highly-educated are given that authority.

The authority to tell the rest of us what is actually true.

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