Without due vigilance to obey the command to rightly handle God’s truth, it’s easy to allow our own thinking, our emotions, or the ethos of our cultural moment to shape our interpretation of Scripture. That’s one reason why my father always taught me to start with God’s Word—when we read, study, and apply God’s Word to our lives and recognize that it is our authority, it will keep us from error.
And when you don’t do that—when you allow yourself to be the authority—you can fall into more than accidental error: you can dive into downright heresy! This was highlighted recently in two stories I saw of church leaders who don’t even pretend to care about what the Bible teaches.
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Here’s the first example I saw:
A United Church of Christ “minister” in LA (who refers to her sermon as “heretical”, so at least she admits it!) preached:
Well, do I think that [the resurrection] could have happened and did happen? I believe so . . . I feel it probably did.
But if I’m to be scientific or realistic I don’t know. And I say that because there’s no “proof.”
Did it really happen? . . . Did Jesus really raise from the dead? I don’t know.
If Jesus didn’t physically raise from the dead and ascend, it doesn’t change a thing about my love of God and Christ and Christianity . . . because I truly believe in my heart of hearts that my faith . . . is a resurrection faith.
Now, it should be obvious to any Christian why her hesitation to affirm the resurrection of Christ beyond a “I feel it probably did” is a problem—our very salvation depends on us affirming that we believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead! […]
— Read More: harbingersdaily.com
If Jesus didn’t resurrect there is no salvation. Romans 10:9-10 is probably the most succinct Scripture about how to become a Christian: “9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Christianity is based on the resurrection of Jesus and the fact He is the only begotten Son of God. You can’t claim to be a Christian if you deny these truths. It really is that simple.
The apostle Paul addressed this in several NT passages. His most adamant rebuttal is found in 1Corinthians 15:12-19:
“12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
If you want to become a Christian, God made it simple to understand. If anyone tells you differently you’ll probably be best served by finding a church or preacher that embraces the truth of God’s Word.
Obviously this Untied Church of Christ “minister” is NOT a Christian.