<> Ask the Pastor Pastor Walter Snyder Q: Thanks to the Internet, it looks as if most "Christian" home pages promote a God that snatches one's salvation away if one doesn't believe exactly right. Some "Biblical Discernment" pages are specially disturbing. I recently read someone's opinion that if you believe in any Sacraments as means of grace, you are eternally damned because you are adding to the Gospel. Is God really going to damn me because I believe in Sacraments?! Anyway, that wasn't my question, but only the background. Here comes the real question in different words: 1) How doctrinally correct do you have to be to be saved? 2) Or, in another form: Will you face a big nasty surprise on the Judgment Day if you are mistaken in some minor doctrine without knowing it? 3) Or, in yet another form: Can you earn your salvation by believing in the right doctrines? (I know that faith is not supposed to be any form of works, but most Biblical Discernment pages sure make it look like that!) Well, these aren't very good questions and maybe the ultimate one would be "Should I stop believing everything I read on the Internet?" Anyway, I'd still appreciate an answer. A: I'd like to begin with your "non-question," since it sets up your three-part question. Lutherans normally define a sacrament as an action instituted by Christ, in which there are certain visible elements connected with his Word, by which God forgives sins for the sake of Christ. By this definition, Baptism and the Lord's Supper are called sacraments. Some Lutherans have expanded the definition by not requiring a physical, visible element (baptismal water or communion bread and wine), thus including also Absolution. This is when the pastor forgives sins according to Christ's commission to his disciples. The sacraments do not "add to" the Gospel. The purest definition of Gospel is "the forgiveness of sins won by Christ." It includes the message about Christ; even more, it is that message applied to us, so we may have our sins taken away and be assured of our Father's love and favor. According to Scripture, Baptism and Holy Communion forgive sins. Thus, they are not "additions" to the Gospel. They are of its essence. As for what to believe, there is ultimately one Christian doctrine: We are saved by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith. All other teachings of Holy Scripture must be understood in light of this one lovely truth. Sometimes the Bible is almost simplistic: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." At other times, we are warned in detail about false teachers and their doctrines of deceit: "Test the spirits, to see if they are of God." So-called "Biblical" discernment people often attempt to get you to discern something else. They turn you away from God's love in Christ Jesus. They point you toward yourself, asking you to prove that you deserve God's favor. How correct do you "need" to be? Your sins are forgiven by Jesus, and his righteousness is credited to you. God reckons you being as perfect as his beloved Son. You cannot become any more perfect than that! However, according to our own sinful natures, there's always room for improvement. That means that we are great targets for the temptations of devil, world, and our own sinfulness. We pray for true discernment, so we see the lies of Satan and his false teachers and stay away from them. As we read the clear words of Scripture, we find that God is not seeking to steal away our salvation. Nor does he have any nasty surprises hidden for those who believe in Jesus and the forgiveness of sins he has won for us. Our salvation has been earned and delivered. True discernment sees Jesus and his Gospel at the center of the Bible. The Holy Spirit places him at the center of our lives. In love, we respond by learning more of his Word and seeking to be faithful to it. God wants all "to be saved" and to "come to the knowledge of the truth." I won't tell you to disbelieve everything you read on the Internet, since there is much of value in this new medium. However, as the Berean Christians searched the Scriptures to see if the Gospel of Christ Jesus agreed with the Word, so we compare what others are saying with the Bible. This isn't only on the Net, but anywhere that someone claims to be a teacher or preacher of God's Word. If they say you can earn your own salvation, the message is not from God. If they make you doubt your eternal election, the message is not from God. If we aren't shown as sinners by birth, who are rescued and adopted by our loving Lord, the message is not from God. Most of all, if Jesus Christ, crucified for our trespasses and raised for our justification, is not at the center of the message, it is not a Christian message at all. Thus, we do not "earn" our salvation by believing in the right doctrine. However, we receive salvation when we believe in the one "right" doctrine: Jesus Christ saves us from our sins. This is how "correct" you must be. Thus, God pledges that no "nasty surprises" await us. Still, we can never know too much about him and his love for us. Therefore, Christians never stop studying his Word and learning more about him. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas, and is the coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1997 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.