The first Queen Elizabeth had an unquestioned personal faith in Christ and Christianity, "the only one Christ Jesus and one faith." To her, the rest of Christianity offered nothing but "a dispute about trifles." That sounds like the usual comment of some Christians today that "having faith in Jesus Christ is all that matters." Elizabeth the Great, 17
But think: how would we know faith in Christ was essential if we didn't read it in God's word? That's like Alexander Campbell in his Lunenburg Letter. He said a person became a Christian by repenting. Why would repentance be essential but not baptism when texts that stress faith and repentance also teach baptism? With examples as Acts 2:38, 3:19; Titus 3:4-7; Galatians 3:26-27 and Ephesians 5:25-26. If we're chewing on "only faith in Christ matters," spit it out. If we've swallowed that nonsense, regurgitate it. The words "faith alone" occur only once in the New Testament, and then to say, "we're not saved by faith alone" James 2:24. Once we confess faith in Christ we obligate ourselves to seek his will and word on any subject relating to the Christian life. Nothing's a trifle if it's in the Gospels or Epistles. Such passages as Galatians 5:22-26, Colossians 3:12-17 and II Peter 1:5-11 as importantly relate to daily discipleship as faith, repentance and baptism to our initial forgiveness. If only faith in Christ had been sufficient, the New Testament would consist of 4 books, not 27. Acts wouldn't be necessary since it wouldn't matter that Christianity soared through its Jewish infancy into an adult of universal faith. Nor would the Epistles be necessary since it wouldn't matter how Christian teaching applied itself to various cultural environments. And Revelation would be irrelevant since it wouldn't be necessary to know that God governs history, events, universe and eternity. Just let each person believe in Jesus. Yours for an always-maturing discipleship that ADDS to faith in Christ the required acts, behaviors and practices inherent to the word CHRISTIAN, meaning Christ-like, meaning belonging to Christ.
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