We have all been disillusioned. We think we have the answer to a problem and then, bingo, we don’t. We were bamboozled. We put our faith in the wrong person, we bought the wrong product, we believed what someone told us except what they told us wasn’t true—we have all been there.
Throughout the past several issues of the Restoration Herald, we have examined the origin and use of many of the slogans that were once very popular in the Restoration Movement. While many of these slogans are seldom used to explain the movement today, there is good reason why they were developed and incorporated as catchphrases for identifying some of the philosophical views of our fellowship of churches. While these slogans were popular phrases used to express the collective thoughts of the Restoration Movement, they were neither creedal statements nor authoritative in nature. In fact, pivotal authority of the movement in its beginning was the Bible with a focus on belief in Christ. With this concluding essay on the slogans of the movement, we will look at the well-known slogan, “No Creed but Christ.”
Part of Christian ministry is answering peoples’ questions. One of the most frequent questions I have fielded in my forty years of ministry is “If God is love, how can He hate someone?” This question is usually based upon what Paul states in Romans 9:13, “As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”i
This statement is difficult for people to accept when they view love based upon our current culture’s perception of love. This leads to some questions: How does our current culture define love? Who defines what love means? Could a wrong understanding of biblical love lead to false doctrine? Could a false doctrine of biblical love keep someone from eternal life?
The church has the responsibility to present God as He has presented Himself in the Scriptures. To do otherwise is to offer the world a man-made idol. The Bible is crystal clear on how God views idol worshippers. Therefore, a faulty understanding of biblical love does lead to false doctrine and can keep someone from eternal life. Should we interpret love based on how our current culture understands love, or should we seek to be faithful to the Scriptures and seek the truth?
For a long time, I thought if we were going to sing a “praise” song, it was going to have a speedy tempo and some catchy words to it. Recently I’ve expanded my understanding to include special moments like spectacular sunrises, lunar eclipses, and personal victories. But alas, this Hebrew word (‘hallel”) teaches me a different story. I’m no grammarian and I’m not offering a class in Hebrew vocabulary, I’m seeking transformative truth, and worship that transcends the run of the mill worship experience.
God intends for us to have assurance of His Grace if we are following and trusting Him according to the Scriptures. For Christians, there should be no uncertainty; there should be joy in the journey of the Christian life. We should be able to have confidence in our salvation because it is knowable.
In Matthew 9:9 Jesus told Matthew, “Follow me.” Paul instructs in 1 Cor. 11: 1, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”[1] These seem simple enough, but oftentimes doubt begins to settle in our minds, “Have I done enough?” and “How can I be certain?” Essentially, we’re asking the same question as those in Acts 2:37: “What must I do?” Sadly, many continue asking it long after becoming a Christian.
Recycled Riches
The C.R.A. has funds that have been left in our keeping with which to help the churches. Recycled Riches is a no-interest lending fund where Christians are helping Christians
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Christian Bible Institute
The Christian Bible Institute is an online study program designed for elders, deacons, teachers and other Christians to help provide training for more proficient leadership for the churches.
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Evangelists
The C.R.A. has always been interested in reaching the world for Christ. We have also always had experienced men working with us in the field of evangelism. If your congregation is in need of an evangelist, please contact us.
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Bible Conferences & Seminars
The C.R.A. sponsors a Bible Conference every two years and co-sponsors yearly conferences. We work with local churches to provide speakers and programs to bring the best in Bible education to an area.
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