The Only Safe Way

SERMON 44

THE ONLY SAFE WAY

(Jeremiah 6:16)

..................Bible............................Creedss.....Discipline Hear the Bible.......................Hear Men.

Faith in Christ.......................Faith Only.

Repentance............................Mourners' Bench.

Confess Christ.......................Confess Feelings.

Immersion..............................Sprinkling and Pouring.

Added to Christ's church.....Join Some Church Christians...............................Nothing in Name.

Walking by Faith...................Walking by Feelings

.......At one time we find the Jews departing so far from God, and following their own ways, that Jeremiah called upon them to stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein and they should find rest to their souls. But they said, "We will not walk therein." Perhaps a greater demand was never known for an earnest inquirer to seek for the old paths, and walk in the true way marked out by the Lord, than at the present. There are so many ways, taught by so many different men, that it sometimes seems difficult to find the true way. Yet with careful thought we shall mark out a way in this sermon that the combined religious world will recognize as being right, and cannot be wrong.

But before two can agree there must be some standard in this world by which both will agree to be governed. Two men may lift a sack of corn, and disagree as to its weight; but if both will agree to leave their feelings in the background and agree to believe what the scales say about it, and weigh the corn, then no longer can they disagree on its weight.

.......Two men may disagree as to the length of a stick. Each claims it is so long; but when they agree to let the stick be measured by the square, and accept its measurement, then no room for disagreement can exist. But should you find a man who knows a sack of corn weighs so much, and a stick is so long, and he knows it is right, and that his father and mother before him felt just like he did about the matter, and will not submit them to correct measurement, you may know there is something wrong with that man or with his feelings one.

Yet we find many people just that way religiously today. Then is it not better to have a standard of measurement in the settlement of our troubles today? To this all denominations will agree. What standard shall be our guide? All say the Bible. Then I place the Bible as the first item in the first column. As all agree that the Bible should be our guide or standard, we must think there is no trouble in this religious world about the Bible; yet we find much trouble and ask the cause for the same. On the right, you will notice Creeds and Disciplines; and, as they are innovations introduced since the Bible came, that have caused trouble and divided religious people, so the only way to stop the trouble is to stop the cause. So I cross out these creeds and ask: How many are willing to be governed by the word of God only, and let these creeds alone?

Now, we have the matter plainly stated—the creeds on one side and the word of God on the other. No man can hold to the creeds in preference to the word of God without making a direct issue between God and man, preferring the doctrines of men on one side to the commands of God on the other. But after claiming the Bible shall be our guide, we notice that a man, to be saved by the Bible, must hear the same (Matthew 7:21). So there can be no trouble in this world about hearing the Bible. Yet there is trouble over hearing and many will not go to hear. Then if the trouble cannot be over hearing the Bible, it must be over hearing men. So I note in the next place, the only way to settle this matter is to cross out the hearing of men in the other column and hear only the word of God.

But we find in the Bible that without faith we can not please God (Hebrews 11:6) and that we must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in order to have life in his name. So there is not, nor can be, any trouble on the subject of faith in Christ, for all agree that faith in Christ is essential to our salvation But still we find much trouble about faith. From whence comes the trouble? From the creeds that teach justification by faith only. Then if we can not find in the Bible where we are justified by faith only, yet we do find justification by faith in Christ, is it not better to rub out the human doctrine of faith only and accept the Bible doctrine- of justification by faith in Christ? Certainly no one would have to sacrifice any principles or lose anything to do this. We come to the doctrine of repentance, and find that all agree this is the doctrine of the Bible, and according to its teachings, no one can be saved v ho will not repent. Then certainly there can be no trouble on repentance, as it is so forcibly taught in the Bible. Yet we do find trouble in the religious world on this subject. This all grows out of the mourners' bench system of getting religion, and mourning sometimes for years over sin, and taking this for repentance. If it is true that this system was unknown in the world till 1777 and that it does not teach nor encourage the repentance of the Bible, why not turn from it and repent of our sins according to the teaching of the word of God? So I cross this system out, and ask, Who will prefer that taught of man, to that taught of God?

In the Bible Christ teaches that we must confess him before men, that he may confess us before His Father and the angels (Matthew 10:32). We learn that this confession is made unto salvation—not because of salvation. Then all argue it is right to confess Christ; but there is trouble in the world over the confession (not over confessing Christ, for all agree that is right)—about confessing ourselves our own righteousness, that is confessing we were once sinners, but God for Christ's sake has forgiven our sins. Along the line that we were once sinners, but are now righteous, the trouble has come. So if we can find in the Bible that we are to confess Christ and not ourselves, nothing can be lost in crossing out the practice Of men, and substituting the command of God.

We find in the Bible that Jesus commands us to be baptized But how? We find people practicing immersion sprinkling, and pouring. But which is the proper mode? To settle the trouble of mode, it may be well to ask, on which mode has all trouble been caused. Not on immersion, because there is not a pedo-baptist church on earth today but what recognizes immersion as the proper mode, and will accept me into their church on my immersion as baptism. Why not accept that on which there is no doubt, follow the word of God only, be immersed, and cross out the sprinkling and pouring as they have caused all the trouble?

But on this subject let us reason awhile. It is claimed by some that the word "baptize" means to immerse, to sprinkle to pour. If that be true I can substitute either meaning where I find the word "baptize," and it will make complete sense The word "baptize" means to immerse. Immerse means to put under the water. Then when I immerse a man I put him under the water. Again the word baptize means to sprinkle. Then the man must be baptized, or be sprinkled. To sprinkle means to scatter in drops. Then the man would have to be scattered in drops—not the water scattered in drops, for it was the man, and not the water to be baptized. Hence I affirm no man could be scattered in drops without being beaten into a liquid, and he could not survive the operation.

But we take the word "pour." The man was to be poured or baptized. Then if the word baptize means to pour the man that was baptized was poured. As the word pour means to turn out in a stream the man would have to be in some liquid form before he could be turned out in a stream. So he could not survive that operation. So why not rub out the modes in which all have not agreed, and accept that one which all agree is safe?

But many trouble themselves over which church to join. But this need not be, if we are hunting for the right way that can not be wrong. On the day of Pentecost, when they heard Peter, and were baptized for the remission of their sins, which church did they join? When Philip preached at Samaria, and they were baptized, both men and women, which church did they join? When Paul preached to the jailer, and he and all his house were baptized the same hour of the night, which church did they join? Many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed, and were baptized. What church did they join? The Bible says the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Which church do you suppose the Lord added them to? One says, "Unto His church, or the church of God, of course." Well, then, if the Lord does the adding, it will certainly be done right. So we just cross out those other churches, and leave only the church v. e read about in the Bible.

But another says, "What name shall I wear?" Someone answers, "It doesn't make any difference. There is nothing in a name. So a man is a Christian, that man is all right." Then if a man who is a Christian is all right, it is enough just to be simply a Christian. A man can be a Christian and not be a Baptist, Methodist, or Mormon; for they all say a man becomes a Christian before he becomes one of them. Therefore to be a Christian is one thing, and to be a Baptist another, according to their own admission. If a man is safe to be simply a Christian, we will just cross out all those names and persuade men to be nothing but Christians.

Now, how shall we walk? Not by feelings, for one may feel like the Baptist church is right, another like the Methodist, and still another like the Mormons. All these have to walk by faith, for faith is the belief of testimony, and there is no testimony in the word of God on either of these churches.

Then is it not safe to simply walk by faith, doing the will of God from the heart, that you may finally be saved? So we cross out the last line. We present to you the religious world on one side, the Bible teaching on the other.

Now, dear sinner, our work is finished. We must say farewell. But will it be forever? Take these lessons, study them well, compare them with the word of God, and I am sure all will be well with you here, and certainly all will be well when you are called to die if you obey them.

May the God of mercy love and peace guide you into the true way, and finally bring you safe to His eternal home, shall ever be our prayer.