Ask The Pastor

May 1, 2005

Hi Brother,  

> I read your message on the UPC site. I wanted to respond and
> question you on one thing. 

(Name Withheld), 

What you shared comes from a good and honest heart. I will do my best to provide some answers for you by using your email as a backdrop. 

> First of all, background on myself....I joined a pentecostal
> church two years ago. I love the presence of the Lord that
> I feel as I enter and worship. I believe that the presence of
> the Lord is evident more in Pentecostal churches because
> of their uninhibited worship and praise. A teaching that
> needs to be encouraged in all churches (lifting holy hands, etc). 

You believe this because of where you are. Many Christians feel that worship in their respective churches is wonderful. This is not an issue of raising hands but rather of the heart. However, there are many other churches besides Pentecostals who lift their hands in worship. I do agree that this is a Biblical form of worship. 

> However, I agree with many of the things you have
> written on your page. I am a 30 year old single parent
> and feel like I just found the Lord since I've been in the
> pentecostal church. My life is indeed renewed and I
> am a new creature in Christ. 

(Name Withheld), one thing you must keep in mind is that salvation is very personal. You may have found the Lord, as I did, while under the Pentecostal umbrella, but we should never confuse salvation with Pentecostalism. Many believers in all churches have a tendency to do this. Over time they come to realize that salvation is wholly of the Lord. He saves us often in spite of what may not be the best doctrines to be under. 

> But I have nagging questions. I believe God has called me
> to be a teacher, but feel held back because I don't believe
> with all my heart that their doctrine of salvation is correct;
> on the other hand, it could be a "bad spirit of rebellion" within me. 

You feel this way because their doctrine of salvation is not correct. It is not a 'bad spirit of rebellion' in you. What is happening to you has happened to multiplied hundreds of Pentecostals. I am simply one example. In fact many, many UPC people write me with questions very much like your own. 

> The same goes with the holiness standards. I have prayed for
> rebellion to be removed if God indeed wants me to wear a skirt
> all the time and no make-up and keep my hair long. 

Pentecostal standards are no more than their own traditions. To say they come from the Bible is not true. While we should want to be modest in our dress, yet to make certain things to be sin when they are not sin is to mis-teach the Scriptures. 

> I have kept my hair growing. But sometimes I feel as if it is a
> man-made tradition. 

You hit it on the head. Don't underestimate what is happening in your own heart. This is how the Holy Spirit works. It begins with nudgings and gentle awakenings. 

> Man made or my rebellion, is the million dollar question!
> I have prayed for revelation, because I want to be a witness
> of the goodness of Jesus and his salvation gift. But feel held
> back because I don't for sure what to preach! 

The revelation will unfold as you continue to seek the Lord for understanding. The key will be in keeping a balance.

> My question for you is this: In the book of Acts (which the
> pentecostals hold to be the means of salvation, as you know),
> not just by acts 2:38, but by others as Mk 16:16-19 and others.
> But for one, if the only evidence in the NT of receiving the holy
> ghost is the speaking of tongues, then what could be any other? 

You are assuming something that is not there. Every person who truly receives Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, at that moment also receives the Holy Spirit. This is called the seal of the Spirit. This is what the apostles taught. You also need to put Acts into its historical context. It was never intended to be simply a doctrinal book per se. It is a narrow history of the early Church in the establishing of the new covenant. The book covers 35+ years of church history. Only three times is speaking in other languages mentioned. These are all separate incidences. They are all sovereign acts of God. And at no time did any apostle ever preach that speaking in other languages was an issue of salvation. 

Of course I realize why you are questioning this. I went through the same thing. Once your mind has been indoctrinated with UPC teachings, it is difficult to get past them. This is why it is so important that you continue to study the Scriptures with a willingness to adjust what you believe to what is truly taught by the apostolic writers. Of course you will need to draw from outside Pentecostal circles. 

One other thing that needs to be pointed out --- We should never base our doctrines on experiences. We must always base what we teach on what is clearly set forth in the Scriptures. The key to salvation will always be the same. Each apostle taught the same message. Everything revolved around receiving Jesus Christ as God's Messiah and Lord. 

What I did as a young Pentecostal preacher was to take the book of Acts and read it line by line. I wanted to find out what the apostles actually preached. (Irrespective of the experience of the moment.) If you will do this, you will find that what the apostles preached for salvation is not what the UPC preaches.

> The bible doesn't say, you receive the holy spirit when you feel
> the presence of God or when you get a tingling down your back.
> Because, as we both know, God does things for the lost as he
> tries to draw them to Him.

(Name Withheld), this is not a good example. It sounds exactly what a UPC preacher would say from the pulpit. What the Bible teaches is that the Spirit of God bears witness with our human spirit that we are children of God. This kind of experience is not a 'tingling' down your back. It is an experience of the heart. 

> In the book of Acts it talks several times of receiving the
> holy ghost and then speaking in tongues.

Three times only. 

> Yet, in other scriptures it says they were filled. But we must take
> every word of the Word and put it all together. 

You are correct with this. 

> Because we know that just believing is not enough....we need
> to take all the scriptures.

Where did you get the idea that 'just believing' is not enough? Just believing is exactly what the Bible teaches.

> And the speaking in tongues is the only record I have studied
> in the evidence of God giving His spirit, is the evidence of tongues.

Keep studying, (Name Withheld). 

I would encourage you to review the studies that I have on the book  of Acts. You will find them at two places. 

http://www.christianchallenge.org/hebraic-foundations/Acts/index.shtml 

 http://www.spiritualabuse.org/issues/acts.html

> And the big question also I have for you is, if the apostles
> were preaching it, shouldn't we be preaching what they preached? 

Now we are on good ground. Check for yourself as to what message the apostles preached. You will not hear, not a single time, where any apostle ever preached that a person had to speak in tongues to be saved. Not one time in any of their recorded messages in Acts will you find them even remotely preach such a message. 

So --- Who needs to answer the big question. You or me?

> It wasn't just a preaching for their time. Because if that were
> so....how can we say that any other scripture wasn't "just for
> their time?" Like Romans 8:28...was that just for them? No.
> But my biggest dilema in this new doctrine of the pentecostal
> faith is if the apostles taught it in Acts...shouldn't we be
> preaching the same?

(Name Withheld), I appreciate your spirit in this. I sense in you a true desire for the truths of God. Keep in mind that truth is not a doctrine per se. Truth is a Person. If you have Jesus Christ residing in your heart, then you have the Truth in residence. 

> I know you don't know for sure if one needs to be baptized
> in Jesus name, speak with tongues to be saved. We will all
> find out one day. 

Yes, I know for sure that a person does not need to speak in tongues to be saved. That issue was settled long ago. 

> But as I said I read your page and would like your input on
> it, if you don't mind. Thanks for your time and may God bless you!

It has been my pleasure to share some things with you. Thank you for writing. 

The Lord bless you,

Buddy

Bro. Buddy Martin - Ask the Pastor

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org

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