Cut and Paste Religion

God Spoke to Me God spoke to the boy Samuel saying, “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle” (1 Samuel 3:11). Should we expect God to speak to us in the same manner today?

God has spoken to many people in the past, but for our age He has spoken through His Son. “God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). We should not expect God to speak to us today in the same manner as He spoke to Samuel. It would be a mistake to “cut” an event from the past and “paste” it into the present.

Incense in Worship The Israelites were instructed to burn incense in their worship (Leviticus 16:12). Why not do the same today? Because Christ did not authorize incense in Christian worship. Have you considered the subject of public worship with concern for the things Jesus authorized for the worship of Christians? Beware of “cut and paste” religion!

PriesthoodAll followers of Christ now make up a spiritual priesthood. Peter wrote to believers calling them a “holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5). The Israelites were instructed to have a special class of priests from the tribe of Levi. We would not be following Christ’s instructions for His disciples if we were to have a special class of priests. We should not attempt to “cut and paste” God’s instructions from the Old Testament Law of Moses into the New Testament teachings of Christ.

Law of Moses The Law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, was given to the Israelites (Dueteronomy 5:3). Followers of Christ are not under the Law of Moses. See Galatians 3:24-25. To “cut” even a small part of the of the Law and “paste” it onto the teachings of Jesus would be “Cut and paste” religion. The Ten Commandments were an integral part of the Law of Moses. Although they contain standards of conduct, we have no authority (from Christ) to cut them out of the Law and paste them into God’s instructions for today.

The Commandments required Sabbath keeping. See Exodus 20:8-10. The Sabbath is the seventh day. Christians, under the guidance of the Apostles, met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) to partake of the Lord’s Supper (To remember Christ each week on the day of His resurrection). God’s instructions are not contradictory, but a “cut and paste” treatment of God’s instructions often results deviation from God’s will.

Instrumental MusicMechanical instruments of music are mentioned in the Old Testament many times. But Christians were instructed to sing. See Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. Organs were first used in worship during the seventh century A.D. From the first to the seventh century there were no mechanical instruments of music in worship. The term “a cappella” derives its meaning from this era. It means “as sung in the chapel” without accompaniment of mechanical instruments. History reveals that instruments were not a part of the worship of Christians for six hundred years. The early Christians did not “cut and paste” in the matter of instrumental music. If we follow Jesus as Lord, we will follow His instructions without addition or subtraction. Jesus said, “But why do you call me ‘Lord, lord’ and do not do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Speaking in TonguesThe apostles were understood by people from various nations. The “tongues” they spoke were understandable languages (Acts 2:8). The tongues served as evidence for the validity of the message (Hebrews 2:4). Jesus promised that some would speak in tongues (Mark 16:17). These signs were to confirm the Word. They ceased when the Word was completely revealed (1 Corinthians 13:8-10).

Saved Like the ThiefA thief on a cross beside Jesus said, “Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). Assuming the thief was saved, we should not attempt to “cut and paste” this event from the past to the present with the expectation of being saved like the thief.

Following His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved...” (Mark 16:16). Jesus instructs us to be baptized. Acts 2:38 and Romans 6:3-5 shows this is the point at which our sins are forgiven and we are “in Christ” --- added to His body, the church. “Cut and paste” activities may be highly creative and educational for children, but if we are attempting to obey God we will not “cut and paste” the Scriptures.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?You can accept the authority of Christ by doing what He commanded (Matthew 7:21; John 14:15; 15:10-14; Luke 6:46). Notice the pattern for becoming a Christian as revealed in the Scriptures. The Gospel was heard, resulting in faith (Romans 10:17). Repentance of (turning away from) sin (Acts 17:30) and confession of Jesus as the Son of God followed (Romans 10:10). Believers were baptized INTO Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins (See Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 16:16; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Peter 3:20-21), and added to His church (Acts 2:47). Christians were taught to be faithful even to the point of death (Revelation 2:10).

WE WELCOME YOUFollowing the instructions of the Scriptures, members of Christ’s body assemble as congregations for worship, encouragement, and Bible study. The congregation in your community welcomes you to investigate the Bible with us. With a spirit of brotherly love we would seek to reconcile any differences by following the Bible ONLY. We recognize the Bible as God’s inspired word, the ONLY reliable standard of faith and practice. We desire the unity for which Christ prayed and which the Bible emphasizes in the expression, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Together we seek to maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement. Please e-mail me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruthsToU@gmail.com for comments or further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.