As Apostolic Christians, we believe that certain things are very important to the faith. For instance, we emphasize prayer, worship, Bible study, and church attendance just to list a few. As well as holding to modesty standards for both men and women. While all that has been mentioned and much more definitely matter in a very biblical sense, the truth is they also don’t if we fail in other crucial areas.
You see even though all that we hold to as Apostolic’s is biblically founded these are not the things that will save us. No matter how much we pray, worship, attend church, or how modest we are it doesn’t matter if we are not living a righteous faith-filled life. These principles of faith cannot and will not save anyone on their own.
That does not discount the importance of these principles of the Apostolic faith. They are still very important just as sacrifices were in the Old Testament. That being said even in the Old Testament we see God’s displeasure in those who offer sacrifices and prayer but do not live according to His word.
Isaiah 1:13–17 (ESV):
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
Micah 3:4 (ESV)
4 Then they will cry to the Lord,
but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time,
because they have made their deeds evil.
These people continued to operate through their actions as though they believed in God. You could say they were fulfilling religious obligations. Yet the life they lived outside of the synagogue did not reflect their other actions. They appeared to be good Jews but they lived like the lost gentiles allowing their hearts to be full of sin and deceit. Because of this, God did not respect their offerings or even their prayers.
The same is true for us today. We can do everything right and look like the perfect example of a Christian on the outside. But still do evil in the eyes of the Lord by not living a truly righteous lifestyle and cause none of what we do to matter. Even though we are doing what God has commanded us to do.
The Bible makes itself clear when it tells us that everything contained in its pages is important. Scripture lays out the life we are supposed to live. Showing us all that God wants us to do.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
That being said we must be sure that we do not put more emphasis on certain things than we do the things that truly matter. Church attendance, praise, study, modesty, etc. are all so important. But without true faith in God alone and living a truly loving lifestyle free from sin, none of the other stuff really matters.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Matthew 22:37–40 (ESV)
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Romans 13:10 (ESV)
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
To point back to the Old Testament again we know that God requested sacrifices from the Jews. But that was not all that He wanted. In fact, we see in His word that there were things He desired more than sacrifices. Things that if left out caused the sacrifices not to matter.
Hosea 6:6 (ESV)
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
All that we hold to as Apostolic’s is biblically founded and important to our lives as Christians. But we must be sure that we do not fall into the trap of believing that what we do and how we dress will save us. When the truth is the only thing that will save us is a life free of sin and faith in Jesus Christ. Without that everything else you do simply doesn’t matter.
John 3:16 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Galatians 5:19–21 (ESV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
We hope you can see that while somethings are important commands from God that we are expected to do as Christians. They will never lead to salvation alone. Go to church, pray, worship, dress modestly, fellowship, look like the biblical description of a Christian. But above all have the faith that truly matters and is the real reason to do any of those things.
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