Recently Don Reiher, Webboard host for the Grace Evangelical Society (GES), made the following statement that intrigued me. He said:"I believe the ONLY Biblical Gospel AND Saving Message as taught by the GES doctrinal statement: 'Salvation: The sole condition for receiving everlasting life is faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died a substitutionary death on the cross for man's sin and rose bodily from the dead (John 3:16-18; 6:47; Acts 16:31).'"
Is Reiher's belief "crossless"?
I find Reiher's comment interesting. No, I wouldn't say it's "crossless" - but I would say it's "groundless" (no burial). And why doesn't Reiher say "I believe the ONLY Biblical Gospel AND Saving Message as taught by THE BIBLE"? Instead he says, "as taught by the GES doctrinal statement". It makes me think of what Jesus says in Mark 7:13, "And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition."
ReplyDeleteI also want to point out that Reiher's belief must be distinguished from the actual GES belief as taught in the GES doctrinal statement (and elsewhere), which says in part,
ReplyDelete“Faith is the conviction that something is true. To believe in Jesus (‘he who believes in Me has everlasting life’) is to be convinced that He guarantees everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him for it (John 4:14; 5:24; 6:47; 11:26; 1 Tim 1:16).”
In other words, the GES statement on saving faith is "crossless" (lacking Christ's death on the cross, contra 1 Cor. 15:3), compared to Reiher's belief which is not "crossless" but it is "groundless" (lacking Christ's burial, contra 1 Cor. 15:4).